Ralph Meeker
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.
Filmography
The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller
as Lt. Driscoll (archive footage)
The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller
as Lt. Driscoll (archive footage)
Without Warning
as Dave
Without Warning
as Dave
The Alpha Incident
as Charlie
The Alpha Incident
as Charlie
My Boys Are Good Boys
as Bert Morton
My Boys Are Good Boys
as Bert Morton
Johnny Firecloud
as Colby
Johnny Firecloud
as Colby
Brannigan
as Capt. Moretti
Brannigan
as Capt. Moretti
The Dead Don't Die
as Lieutenant Reardon
The Dead Don't Die
as Lieutenant Reardon
Night Games
as Dutch Armbreck
Night Games
as Dutch Armbreck
Angela – Love Comes Quietly
as Ben Hoeksema
Angela – Love Comes Quietly
as Ben Hoeksema
You'll Never See Me Again
as Will Alden
You'll Never See Me Again
as Will Alden
Birds of Prey
as Jim McAndrew
Birds of Prey
as Jim McAndrew
The Night Stalker
as Bernie Jenks
The Night Stalker
as Bernie Jenks
The Reluctant Heroes
as Capt. Luke Danvers
The Reluctant Heroes
as Capt. Luke Danvers
The Anderson Tapes
as Police Captain 'Iron Balls' Delaney
The Anderson Tapes
as Police Captain 'Iron Balls' Delaney
I Walk the Line
as Carl McCain
I Walk the Line
as Carl McCain
Lost Flight
as Glenn Walkup
Lost Flight
as Glenn Walkup
The Detective
as Curran
The Detective
as Curran
Gentle Giant
as Fog Hanson
Gentle Giant
as Fog Hanson
The St. Valentine's Day Massacre
as George Clarence 'Bugs' Moran
The St. Valentine's Day Massacre
as George Clarence 'Bugs' Moran
Wall of Noise
as Matt Rubio
Wall of Noise
as Matt Rubio
Run of the Arrow
as Lieutenant Driscoll
Run of the Arrow
as Lieutenant Driscoll
The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown
as Mike Valla
The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown
as Mike Valla
Desert Sands
as Capt. David Malcolm
Desert Sands
as Capt. David Malcolm
Kiss Me Deadly
as Mike Hammer
Kiss Me Deadly
as Mike Hammer
Big House, U.S.A
as Geraldo 'Jerry' Barker aka Iceman
Big House, U.S.A
as Geraldo 'Jerry' Barker aka Iceman
Jeopardy
as Lawson the Fugitive
Jeopardy
as Lawson the Fugitive
The Naked Spur
as Roy Anderson
The Naked Spur
as Roy Anderson
Somebody Loves Me
as Benny Fields
Somebody Loves Me
as Benny Fields
Shadow in the Sky
as Burt
Shadow in the Sky
as Burt
Glory Alley
as Socks Barbarrosa
Glory Alley
as Socks Barbarrosa
Teresa
as Sgt. Dobbs
Teresa
as Sgt. Dobbs
Four in a Jeep
as Sergeant William Long
Four in a Jeep
as Sergeant William Long