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James Burke

James Burke

Birthday: 1886-09-24 | Place of Birth: 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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Known For

Acting

Year
Title

Role

1954
Lucky Me

as    Mahoney

1952
Lone Star

as    Luther Kilgore

1951
Raton Pass

as    Hank

1950
Copper Canyon

as    Jeb Bassett

1947
Philo Vance's Gamble

as    Lt. Burke

1947
California

as    Pokey

1945
I Love a Bandleader

as    Charles Gibley

1945
Shady Lady

as    Crane

1943
No Place for a Lady

as    Police Substation Chief Moriarty

1942
Army Surgeon

as    Brooklyn

1942
Enemy Agents Meet Ellery Queen

as    Police Sergeant Velie

1942
A Close Call for Ellery Queen

as    Sgt. Velie

1942
1941
Ellery Queen's Penthouse Mystery

as    Sgt. Velie

1941
Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime

as    Sgt. Velie

1941
Ellery Queen and the Murder Ring

as    Sgt. Velie

1940
The Saint Takes Over

as    Patrolman Mike

1940
Double Alibi

as    Police Captain Orr

1940
Little Nellie Kelly

as    Sergeant McGowan

1940
Ellery Queen, Master Detective

as    Sgt. Velle

1939
At the Circus

as    John Carter

1939
On Borrowed Time

as    Sheriff Burlingame

1936
Laughing at Trouble

as    Bill Norton

1936
36 Hours to Kill

as    Doyle - Process Server

1936
Song and Dance Man

as    Lt. Mike Boyle

1936
Great Guy

as    Patrick James Aloysius 'Pat' Haley

1936
Dancing Feet

as    Phil Moore

1936
Rhythm on the Range

as    Wabash