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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X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes | Preacher (uncredited) | 1963-07-13 |
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The Raven | Roderick Craven | 1963-01-25 |
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Johnny Cool | Cripple | 1963-10-02 |
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The Haunted Palace | Benjamin West / Jacob West | 1963-08-28 |
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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) | 1961-12-22 |
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One-Eyed Jacks | Chet | 1961-03-30 |
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The Alamo | Jocko Robertson | 1960-10-23 |
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The Slowest Gun in the West | 'Wild Bill' Monks | 1960-05-07 |
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The Hanging Tree | Society Red | 1959-02-19 |
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The Oregon Trail | Gabe Hastings | 1959-08-31 |
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The Buccaneer | Deacon | 1958-12-11 |
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Blood Arrow | Ez | 1958-03-31 |
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Touch of Evil | Policeman (uncredited) | 1958-03-30 |
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The Left Handed Gun | McSween | 1958-05-07 |
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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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Death in Small Doses | 1957-09-15 | |
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Valerie | Bartender | 1957-08-01 |
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Daughter of Dr. Jekyll | Jacob | 1957-06-28 |
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The Buckskin Lady | Swanson | 1957-07-01 |
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Jubal | Carson - Horgan Rider | 1956-04-06 |
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The Fastest Gun Alive | 1956-07-12 | |
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Betrayed Women | Cletus Ballard | 1955-07-17 |
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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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The Raid | Cpl. Fred Deane | 1954-08-04 |
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Hell's Outpost | Swede - the Cook (uncredited) | 1954-12-15 |
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The Naked Jungle | Gruber | 1954-03-03 |
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The Desperado | Police Sergeant | 1954-06-20 |
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The Moonlighter | Sheriff Daws | 1953-09-19 |
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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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Les Miserables | Bosun (uncredited) | 1952-08-14 |
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The Thing from Another World | Dr. Chapman | 1951-04-05 |
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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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Three Husbands | Night Court Judge (uncredited) | 1950-11-10 |
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Macbeth | Ross | 1948-10-01 |
