Ralph Meeker
Acting
Ralph Meeker (born Ralph Rathgeber; November 21, 1920 – August 5, 1988) was an American actor. He first rose to prominence for his roles in the Broadway productions of Mister Roberts (1948–1951) and Picnic (1953), the former of which earned him a Theatre World Award for his performance. In film, Meeker is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Mike Hammer in Robert Aldrich's 1955 Kiss Me Deadly. Meeker went on to play a series of roles that used his husky and macho screen presence, including a lead role in Stanley Kubrick's military courtroom drama Paths of Glory (1957), as a troubled mechanic opposite Carroll Baker in Something Wild (1961), as a World War II captain in The Dirty Dozen (1967), and in the gangster film The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1967). Other credits include supporting roles in I Walk the Line (1970) and Sidney Lumet's The Anderson Tapes (1971). He also had a prolific career in television, appearing as Sergeant Steve Dekker on the series Not for Hire (1959–1960), and in the television horror film The Night Stalker (1972). After suffering a stroke in 1980, Meeker was forced to retire from acting, and died eight years later of a heart attack in Los Angeles, California.
Known for
Acting88
movieThe Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller
2002
Lt. Driscoll (archive footage)
movieWinter Kills
1979
Gameboy Baker
movieThe Alpha Incident
1978
Charlie
movieMy Boys Are Good Boys
1978
Bert Morton
movieThe Food of the Gods
1976
Bensington
tvBarbary Coast
1975
Big Lou Hobart
movieBrannigan
1975
Capt. Moretti
movieThe Dead Don't Die
1975
Lieutenant Reardon
movieThe Girl on the Late, Late Show
1974
Inspector DeBiesse
movieNight Games
1974
Dutch Armbreck
movieCry Panic
1974
Chuck Braswell
tvFaraday and Company
1973
Ed Kelso
movieAngela – Love Comes Quietly
1973
Ben Hoeksema
movieYou'll Never See Me Again
1973
Will Alden
movieBirds of Prey
1973
Jim McAndrew
movieThe Mind Snatchers
1972
The Major
movieThe Night Stalker
1972
Bernie Jenks
movieThe Reluctant Heroes
1971
Capt. Luke Danvers
movieThe Anderson Tapes
1971
Police Captain 'Iron Balls' Delaney
movieI Walk the Line
1970
Carl McCain
movieLost Flight
1970
Glenn Walkup
tvThe Name of the Game
1968
Senator Goddard
movieThe Detective
1968
Curran
movieGentle Giant
1967
Fog Hanson
tvThe High Chaparral
1967
Tracy Conlin
movieThe St. Valentine's Day Massacre
1967
George Clarence 'Bugs' Moran
movieThe Dirty Dozen
1967
Captain Stuart Kinder
tvThe Green Hornet
1966
Earl Evans
tvThe F.B.I.
1965
King Hogan / Scott Martin / Graham Newcomb
tvKraft Suspense Theatre
1963
Harly Clay
tvThe Outer Limits
1963
John Dexter
movieWall of Noise
1963
Matt Rubio
movieA Holster Full Of Law
1961
Frank Clell
tvThe Defenders
1961
Floyd Cooper
movieAda
1961
Colonel Yancey
tvWanted: Dead or Alive
1958
Martin Ash
moviePaths of Glory
1957
Cpl. Philippe Paris
movieRun of the Arrow
1957
Lieutenant Driscoll
movieThe Fuzzy Pink Nightgown
1957
Mike Valla
movieFour Women in Black
1957
Carbine Webb
movieA Woman's Devotion
1956
Trevor Stevenson
tvDick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956
Steve Elkins
movieDesert Sands
1955
Capt. David Malcolm
tvAlfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
Carl Spann / Carl Borden / John Forbes / Mel Reeves
movieKiss Me Deadly
1955
Mike Hammer
movieBig House, U.S.A
1955
Geraldo 'Jerry' Barker aka Iceman
tvClimax!
1954
Alex Hill / 'Griff' Griffith
tvLetter to Loretta
1953
Joe Martin / Ed James / Pilot Duke Cavanaugh / Willis Cooper
movieCode Two
1953
Chuck O'Flair
movieJeopardy
1953
Lawson the Fugitive
movieThe Naked Spur
1953
Roy Anderson
movieSomebody Loves Me
1952
Benny Fields
movieGlory Alley
1952
Socks Barbarrosa
tvHallmark Hall of Fame
1951
Wally Walters
tvSchlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
Rich Adams / Barry Brannon
movieTeresa
1951
Sgt. Dobbs
movieFour in a Jeep
1951
Sergeant William Long
Lux Video Theatre
1950
Nicky Hanks / Mike
tvStudio One
1948
Steve Windom / Larry Sheridan
Production1
movieMy Boys Are Good Boys
1978
Executive Producer