
John Dierkes
Biography
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.
Filmografi
Touch of Evil1958 · Policeman (uncredited)
Shane1953 · Morgan Ryker
Johnny Cool1963 · Cripple
Macbeth1948 · Ross
Jubal1956 · Carson - Horgan Rider
The Alamo1960 · Jocko Robertson
The Omega Man1971 · Family Member
The Thing from Another World1951 · Dr. Chapman
Valerie1957 · Bartender
The Naked Jungle1954 · Gruber
One-Eyed Jacks1961 · Chet
The Left Handed Gun1958 · Alexander McSween
The Comancheros1961 · Ranger Bill Larsen (uncredited)
X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes1963 · Preacher (uncredited)
The Vanquished1953 · General Morris
Friendly Persuasion1956 · Farmer (uncredited)
The Haunted Palace1963 · Benjamin West / Jacob West
The Raven1963 · Roderick Craven
The Fastest Gun Alive1956 · Cross Creek Townsman (uncredited)
The Buccaneer1958 · Deacon
The Premature Burial1962 · Sweeny
The Red Badge of Courage1951 · Jim Conklin - the Tall Soldier
The Guns of Fort Petticoat1957 · Texas Storekeeper (uncredited)
Gun Fury1953 ·
Joseph Calleia
Orson Welles
Elisha Cook Jr.
Roddy McDowall
Charles Bronson
John Wayne
Janet Leigh
Edgar Buchanan
Charlton Heston
Richard Anderson
Patrick Wayne
Brandon De Wilde