1886-09-23 New York City, New York, USA
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia James Burke (September 24, 1886 – May 23, 1968) was an American film and television actor born in New York City. He made his stage debut in New York around 1912 and went to Hollywood in 1933. He made over 200 film appearances during his career, which ranged from 1932 to 1964; he was more often than not cast as a cop, usually a none-too-bright one, most notably as Sgt. Velie in Columbia's Ellery Queen mysteries in the early 1940s. He appeared in The Maltese Falcon, At the Circus, Lone Star, and many others. One of his best roles was as Charles Ruggles' rowdy rancher pal in Ruggles of Red Gap. In the early 1950s, Burke appeared with Tom Conway in the ABC detective drama series then called Inspector Mark Saber -- Homicide Detective, later renamed, reformatted, and switched to NBC under the title Saber of London. From 1960-1961, Burke appeared in the role of Zeke Bonner in seven episodes of the ABC western television series Stagecoach West, starring Wayne Rogers, Robert Bray, and Richard Eyer. Burke suffered from a heart condition, which took his life at the age of eighty-one.
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Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? | Self (archive footage) | 1975-08-06 |
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Alias Jesse James | Charlie (uncredited) | 1959-03-20 |
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The Unholy Wife | Sheriff Tom Watling | 1957-06-24 |
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Public Pigeon No. 1 | Harrigan | 1957-05-17 |
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Lucky Me | Mahoney | 1954-04-09 |
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Lone Star | Luther Kilgore | 1952-10-24 |
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Denver and Rio Grande | Sheriff Ed Johnson | 1952-05-16 |
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Toughest Man in Arizona | 1952-10-10 | |
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We're Not Married! | Willie's Sergeant (uncredited) | 1952-07-11 |
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The Last Outpost | Stagecoach driver (uncredited) | 1951-04-04 |
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Warpath | Oldtimer | 1951-11-22 |
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His Kind of Woman | Barkeeper in Nogales (uncredited) | 1951-08-15 |
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Raton Pass | Hank | 1951-04-07 |
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Here Comes the Groom | O'Neill, Policeman | 1951-09-20 |
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Let's Dance | George (uncredited) | 1950-11-29 |
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Copper Canyon | Jeb Bassett | 1950-11-15 |
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Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone | The Train Conductor | 1950-12-08 |
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Alias Nick Beal | Bum | 1949-03-04 |
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Shamrock Hill | Michael Rogan | 1949-02-01 |
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Red, Hot and Blue | Doorman (uncredited) | 1949-09-05 |
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The Big Clock | O'Brien | 1948-03-18 |
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Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven | Cop (uncredited) | 1948-07-16 |
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Night Wind | Sheriff Hamilton | 1948-09-01 |
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Beyond Glory | Jim, the Bartender (uncredited) | 1948-08-03 |
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June Bride | Luke Potter | 1948-10-29 |
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The Timber Trail | Jed Baker | 1948-06-14 |
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Nightmare Alley | Rural Marshal (uncredited) | 1947-10-09 |
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Song of the Thin Man | Policeman Callahan (uncredited) | 1947-08-28 |
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Easy Come, Easy Go | Harry Weston | 1947-03-07 |
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Down to Earth | Detective Kelly | 1947-08-21 |
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The Gas House Kids in Hollywood | Police Lt. Burke | 1947-08-23 |
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California | Pokey | 1947-02-21 |
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Body and Soul | Arnold (uncredited) | 1947-11-11 |
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Philo Vance's Gamble | Lt. Burke | 1947-04-12 |
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The Virginian | Andy Jones (uncredited) | 1946-05-05 |
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Bowery Bombshell | Detective O'Malley | 1946-07-20 |
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Two Years Before the Mast | Carrick | 1946-11-22 |
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Young Widow | Motorcycle Cop (Uncredited) | 1946-03-01 |
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How DOooo You Do | Detective | 1945-12-24 |
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I Love a Bandleader | Charles Gibley | 1945-09-13 |
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Anchors Aweigh | Studio Cop | 1945-08-13 |
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Shady Lady | Crane | 1945-09-07 |
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The Horn Blows at Midnight | Policeman (uncredited) | 1945-04-28 |
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Casanova Brown | O'Leary (uncredited) | 1944-08-23 |
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3 Men in White | First Policeman (uncredited) | 1944-05-25 |
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Dixie | Riverboat Captain (uncredited) | 1943-06-23 |
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Thank Your Lucky Stars | Bill, Intern Guard (uncredited) | 1943-09-25 |
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Riding High | Pete | 1943-11-11 |
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No Place for a Lady | Police Substation Chief Moriarty | 1943-02-11 |
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A Close Call for Ellery Queen | Sgt. Velie | 1942-01-29 |
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My Favorite Blonde | Union Secretary | 1942-04-02 |
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A Night to Remember | Pat Murphy (uncredited) | 1942-12-10 |
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All Through the Night | Police Lt. Forbes | 1942-01-10 |
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Army Surgeon | Brooklyn | 1942-12-04 |
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A Desperate Chance for Ellery Queen | Sgt. Velie | 1942-05-07 |
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Enemy Agents Meet Ellery Queen | Police Sergeant Velie | 1942-07-30 |
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It Happened in Flatbush | Umpire Shaunnessy | 1942-05-28 |
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Reaching for the Sun | Norm | 1941-05-01 |
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Pot o' Gold | Lt. Grady | 1941-04-03 |
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Million Dollar Baby | Callahan | 1941-05-31 |
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Ellery Queen's Penthouse Mystery | Sgt. Velie | 1941-03-24 |
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The Maltese Falcon | Luke | 1941-10-18 |
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Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime | Sgt. Velie | 1941-08-14 |
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Ellery Queen and the Murder Ring | Sgt. Velie | 1941-11-18 |
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Double Alibi | Police Captain Orr | 1940-03-01 |
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Buck Benny Rides Again | Taxi Driver | 1940-05-31 |
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Opened by Mistake | Police Sergeant Wilkins | 1940-05-10 |
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The Saint Takes Over | Patrolman Mike | 1940-06-07 |
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The Way of All Flesh | Frisco | 1940-07-05 |
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Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise | Wilkie, house detective | 1940-05-02 |
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Ellery Queen, Master Detective | Sgt. Velle | 1940-11-30 |
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No Time for Comedy | Police Sergeant (uncredited) | 1940-09-14 |
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Little Nellie Kelly | Sergeant McGowan | 1940-11-22 |
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The Golden Fleecing | Sibley | 1940-08-16 |
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I'm from Missouri | Walt Bliss | 1939-04-06 |
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At the Circus | John Carter | 1939-10-20 |
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Fast and Furious | Clancy | 1939-10-06 |
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Beau Geste | Lieutenant Dufour | 1939-07-24 |
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Dodge City | Cattle Auctioneer (uncredited) | 1939-04-08 |
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Within the Law | 'Red' | 1939-03-17 |
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The Family Next Door | Policeman | 1939-03-30 |
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The Saint Strikes Back | Headquarters Police Officer | 1939-03-08 |
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The Cisco Kid and the Lady | Pop Saunders | 1939-12-29 |
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Sudden Money | McPherson | 1939-03-31 |
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On Borrowed Time | Sheriff Burlingame | 1939-07-07 |
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Men with Wings | J.A. Nolan | 1938-07-16 |
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You Can't Take It with You | Chief Detective (uncredited) | 1938-09-01 |
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Joy of Living | Mac | 1938-05-06 |
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Flight Into Nowhere | Ike Matthews | 1938-04-19 |
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The Dawn Patrol | Flaherty - Motorcycle Driver | 1938-12-24 |
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The Mad Miss Manton | Sullivan | 1938-10-21 |
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Little Orphan Annie | Mike Moriarty | 1938-12-02 |
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The Affairs of Annabel | Muldoon | 1938-09-09 |
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The Perfect Specimen | Constable Snodgrass | 1937-10-23 |
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High, Wide and Handsome | Stackpole | 1937-07-21 |
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Dead End | Police Officer Mulligan | 1937-08-27 |
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Life Begins with Love | Darby McGraw | 1937-10-06 |
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Champagne Waltz | Mr. Scribner | 1937-02-05 |
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Forgotten Faces | Sgt. Johnny Donovan / Harry's friend | 1936-05-15 |
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Can This Be Dixie? | Sheriff N.B.F. Rider | 1936-11-13 |
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Great Guy | Patrick James Aloysius 'Pat' Haley | 1936-12-01 |
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36 Hours to Kill | Doyle - Process Server | 1936-07-24 |
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Song and Dance Man | Lt. Mike Boyle | 1936-03-11 |
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Dancing Feet | Phil Moore | 1936-01-20 |
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Rhythm on the Range | Wabash | 1936-07-01 |
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Laughing at Trouble | Bill Norton | 1936-12-11 |
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Klondike Annie | 1936-02-21 | |
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The Leathernecks Have Landed | Corrigan | 1936-02-17 |
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Frisco Waterfront | Corrigan | 1935-12-03 |
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Mississippi | Skeptical Passenger in Pilot House (uncredited) | 1935-03-22 |
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Ruggles of Red Gap | Jeff Tuttle | 1935-03-08 |
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Case of the Missing Man | Police Sergeant Rorty | 1935-10-20 |
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The Farmer Takes a Wife | Man Hauling Rifles and Bullets | 1935-07-05 |
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Broadway Gondolier | Uncle Andy | 1935-07-27 |
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Call of the Wild | Ole | 1935-08-09 |
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Hot Money | Police Sgt. Burke | 1935-11-16 |
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The Mystery Man | Managing Editor Marvin | 1935-02-12 |
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After the Dance | Police Lieutenant | 1935-06-25 |
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Coronado | Slug Moran | 1935-11-27 |
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So Red the Rose | Major Rushton | 1935-12-20 |
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Man on the Flying Trapeze | Patrolman | 1935-08-03 |
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Here Comes Cookie | Broken-Nose Reilly | 1935-08-30 |
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Dinky | Truck Driver | 1935-05-11 |
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Music Is Magic | Mickey (uncredited) | 1935-11-01 |
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The Affair of Susan | Hogan | 1935-09-01 |
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Make a Million | Pete | 1935-07-24 |
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Welcome Home | Michael Shaughnessy | 1935-08-09 |
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Queen Christina | Blacksmith - 4th Rabble Rouser (uncredited) | 1934-02-09 |
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Ticket to a Crime | Detective Lt. John Aloysius McGinnis | 1934-12-14 |
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The Merry Frinks | 3rd Expressman (uncredited) | 1934-05-26 |
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Gambling Lady | Detective Making Raid (uncredited) | 1934-03-08 |
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The Scarlet Empress | 1934-05-09 | |
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Sadie McKee | Motorcycle Cop (uncredited) | 1934-05-09 |
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Six of a Kind | Detective (uncredited) | 1934-02-09 |
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Love Time | Emperor Francis I | 1934-11-03 |
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Such Women Are Dangerous | Detective | 1934-06-08 |
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Wharf Angel | Brooklyn Jack | 1934-03-15 |
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Treasure Island | Pirate of the Spanish Main | 1934-08-17 |
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Friends of Mr. Sweeney | Policeman Arresting Wynn | 1934-07-28 |
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Lady by Choice | Brannigan | 1934-10-15 |
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A Very Honorable Guy | Sergeant | 1934-04-18 |
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Little Miss Marker | Detective Reardon (uncredited) | 1934-06-01 |
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Twentieth Century | Sheriff (uncredited) | 1934-05-11 |
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All of Me | Welfare Island Guard (uncredited) | 1934-02-01 |
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City Limits | King, a Hobo | 1934-04-14 |
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It Happened One Night | Detective (uncredited) | 1934-02-22 |
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The Bowery | Recruiting Sergeant (uncredited) | 1933-10-07 |
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Bombshell | First Immigration Officer (uncredited) | 1933-10-13 |
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Lady Killer | Panhandler (uncredited) | 1933-12-09 |
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Torch Singer | Taxi Driver | 1933-09-08 |
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The Girl in 419 | Detective Jackson | 1933-05-26 |
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A Lady's Profession | Mulroy | 1933-03-03 |
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College Humor | Cromwell Dexter | 1933-07-05 |
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Face in the Sky | Cop (uncredited) | 1933-01-15 |
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To the Last Man | Kentucky Sheriff (uncredited) | 1933-09-15 |
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The Kennel Murder Case | Policeman Who Lets Dog Out (uncredited) | 1933-10-28 |
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The Hollywood Handicap | 1932-08-10 |
