1905-02-10 Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Dierkes was born on February 10, 1905 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He attended Brown University and subsequently went to work as an economist for the United States Department of State. In 1941 he joined the Red Cross and served in the Britain duringWorld War II. There he met director John Huston who recommended that he try Hollywood after the war. Instead, Dierkes went to work for the U.S. Treasury Department which coincidentally sent him to Hollywood to function as technical advisor for the film To the Ends of the Earth (1948). Because of his appearance and very tall frame (6 feet, 6 inches), Dierkes enjoyed a long career as a character actor, often portraying villains or soldiers. In the 1953 film Shane, Dierkes portrays villain Morgan Ryker, who is the last man shot by the title character, Shane, in the final bar room shootout. One of his more memorable scenes is in the 1960 film, The Alamo. Dierkes portrays a Tennessean named Jocko, who is torn between leaving before the attack to care for his blind wife, or staying to support the Texans' cause. Understanding that if Jocko stays to fight she will likely be widowed, Jocko's wife coaxes him to stay and defend the fort, despite her disability. Dierkes died in 1975 of emphesyma and was survived by his wife Cynthia, two sons, and two daughters.
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John Wayne's 'The Alamo' | Jocko Robertson | 1992-06-06 |
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Creepy Classics | Roderick Craven - (archive footage) | 1987-10-01 |
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Rage | Bill Parker | 1972-11-22 |
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The Omega Man | Family Member | 1971-08-01 |
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The Raven | Roderick Craven | 1963-01-25 |
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The Haunted Palace | Benjamin West / Jacob West | 1963-08-28 |
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Johnny Cool | Cripple | 1963-10-02 |
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X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes | Preacher (uncredited) | 1963-07-13 |
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Convicts 4 | Cell Block Guard (uncredited) | 1962-09-15 |
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The Premature Burial | Sweeny | 1962-03-07 |
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The Comancheros | Ranger Bill Larsen (uncredited) | 1961-12-16 |
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One-Eyed Jacks | Chet | 1961-03-30 |
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The Slowest Gun in the West | 'Wild Bill' Monks | 1960-05-07 |
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The Alamo | Jocko Robertson | 1960-10-23 |
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The Oregon Trail | Gabe Hastings | 1959-08-31 |
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The Hanging Tree | Society Red | 1959-02-19 |
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Blood Arrow | Ez | 1958-03-31 |
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The Buccaneer | Deacon | 1958-12-11 |
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The Left Handed Gun | McSween | 1958-04-30 |
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Touch of Evil | Policeman (uncredited) | 1958-03-30 |
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Death in Small Doses | 1957-09-15 | |
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Daughter of Dr. Jekyll | Jacob | 1957-06-28 |
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Valerie | Bartender | 1957-08-01 |
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The Buckskin Lady | Swanson | 1957-07-01 |
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The Guns of Fort Petticoat | Texas Storekeeper (uncredited) | 1957-04-01 |
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Duel at Apache Wells | Bill Sowers | 1957-01-25 |
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Jubal | Carson - Horgan Rider | 1956-02-25 |
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Friendly Persuasion | Farmer (uncredited) | 1956-11-25 |
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The Fastest Gun Alive | Cross Creek Townsman (uncredited) | 1956-07-12 |
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The Vanishing American | Freil | 1955-11-17 |
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Not as a Stranger | Bursar | 1955-07-01 |
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Betrayed Women | Cletus Ballard | 1955-07-17 |
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The Raid | Cpl. Fred Deane | 1954-08-04 |
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The Naked Jungle | Gruber | 1954-03-03 |
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Hell's Outpost | Swede - the Cook (uncredited) | 1954-12-15 |
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The Desperado | Police Sergeant | 1954-06-20 |
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Shane | Morgan Ryker | 1953-04-23 |
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The Vanquished | General Morris | 1953-06-03 |
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Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde | Batley | 1953-08-01 |
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The Moonlighter | Sheriff Daws | 1953-09-19 |
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Les Miserables | Bosun (uncredited) | 1952-08-14 |
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The Red Badge of Courage | Jim Conklin - the Tall Soldier | 1951-09-27 |
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Silver City | Arnie | 1951-12-01 |
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The Thing from Another World | Dr. Chapman | 1951-04-05 |
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Three Husbands | Night Court Judge (uncredited) | 1950-11-10 |
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Macbeth | Ross | 1948-10-01 |
