Walter Lawrence Burke (August 25, 1908 – August 4, 1984) was an American

character actor A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to b ...

of stage, film, and television whose career in entertainment spanned over a half century. Although he was a native of New York, Burke's Irish ancestry often led to his being cast in roles as an Irishman or Englishman. His small stature and distinctive voice and face also made him easily recognizable to audiences even when he was performing in minor supporting roles.

Early life and stage career

Walter Burke was born in the

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

to Irish immigrant parents Bedelia (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

McNamara) and Thomas Burke. He had one brother and two sisters. His father bred trotting horses, with one farm each in Ireland and Scotland. Burke began acting on stage as a teenager, making his

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

debut in ''

Dearest Enemy ''Dearest Enemy'' is a musical with a book by Herbert Fields, lyrics by Lorenz Hart, and music by Richard Rodgers. This was the first of eight book musicals written by the songwriting team of Rodgers and Hart and writer Herbert Fields, and the ...

'' at the Knickerbocker Theatre during the 1925–1926 season. The following year he performed in the musical revue ''Padlocks of 1927'' at the Shubert Theatre. He then joined the

American Opera Company The American Opera Company was the name of four different opera companies active in the United States. The first company was a short-lived opera company founded in New York City in February, 1886 that lasted only one season. The second company grew ...

's troupe in January 1928, performing a non-singing role in an English-language adaption of ''

Faust Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust ( 1480–1540). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a pact with the Devil at a crossroa ...

''. He continued with that company through January 1930, taking part in adaptions of ''

Madame Butterfly ''Madama Butterfly'' (; ''Madame Butterfly'') is an opera in three acts (originally two) by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It is based on the short story " Madame Butterfly" (1898) by John Lut ...

'' and ''Yolanda of Cyprus'' at the Casino Theatre. His other Broadway credits included '' Help Yourself!'' (1936), '' Red Harvest'' (1937), ''A Hero Is Born'' (1937), ''The Old Foolishness'' (1940), '' Under This Roof'' (1942), ''

The Eve of St. Mark ''The Eve of St Mark'' is a 1942 play by Maxwell Anderson set during World War II. It later became a 1944 film by 20th Century Fox that featured some of the same actors who repeated their roles in the film. The title is derived from the legend of ...

'' (1942-1943), ''

The World's Full of Girls ''The World's Full of Girls'' is a play in three acts by Nunnally Johnson which was adapted from Thomas Bell's 1943 novel ''Till I Come Back to You''. The work premiered on Broadway on December 6, 1943 at the Royale Theatre. The cast included Thom ...

'' (1943), '' Sadie Thompson'' (1944-1945), '' Up in Central Park'' (1945-1947), ''

Billy Budd ''Billy Budd, Sailor (An Inside Narrative)'' is a novella by American writer Herman Melville, left unfinished at his death in 1891. Acclaimed by critics as a masterpiece when a hastily transcribed version was finally published in 1924, it quickl ...

'' (1951), ''

Three Wishes for Jamie ''Three Wishes for Jamie'' is a musical with a book by Charles O'Neal and Abe Burrows and music and lyrics by Ralph Blane. Based on O'Neal's 1949 novel ''The Three Wishes of Jamie McRuin'', the fantasy focuses on the title character, a young ...

'' (1952), and ''

Major Barbara ''Major Barbara'' is a three-act English play by George Bernard Shaw, written and premiered in 1905 and first published in 1907. The story concerns an idealistic young woman, Barbara Undershaft, who is engaged in helping the poor as a Major in ...

'' (1957).

Film

Burke debuted in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

films in

1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect. ** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...

, with ''

The Naked City ''The Naked City'' (aka ''Naked City'') is a 1948 American film noir directed by Jules Dassin, starring Barry Fitzgerald, Howard Duff, Dorothy Hart and Don Taylor. The film, shot almost entirely on location in New York City, depicts the poli ...

'', and the following year had a memorable role in the Oscar-winning film ''

All the King's Men ''All the King's Men'' is a 1946 novel by Robert Penn Warren. The novel tells the story of charismatic populist governor Willie Stark and his political machinations in the Depression-era Deep South. It was inspired by the real-life story of U ...

''. Burke would appear in twenty-two more films, and three more Broadway productions, but both film and the stage would soon take a backseat to his television work.

Television

In 1951, Burke played a jockey in the early television series '' Martin Kane''. From then until 1980, he would appear in episodes of 103 different television series, as well as three made-for-television movies. Though never a series regular, he often played different roles in multiple episodes of the same shows. In 1959–60, he appeared five times as Tim Potter in the ABC

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

series '' Black Saddle'' starring Peter Breck. That same season, he appeared on Andrew Duggan's ''

Bourbon Street Beat ''Bourbon Street Beat'' is a private detective television series that aired on the ABC network from October 5, 1959, to July 4, 1960, starring Richard Long as Rex Randolph and Andrew Duggan as Cal Calhoun, with Arlene Howell as detective agen ...

'' and

John Cassavetes John Nicholas Cassavetes ( ; December 9, 1929 – February 3, 1989) was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. First known as a television and film actor, Cassavetes also helped pioneer American independent cinema, writing and direc ...

's ''

Johnny Staccato ''Johnny Staccato'' is an American private detective television series starring John Cassavetes which ran for 27 episodes on NBC from September 10, 1959 through March 24, 1960. Synopsis Titular character Johnny Staccato, played by John Cassav ...

'' detective series. He portrayed defendant Freddie Green in CBS's '' Perry Mason'' in the 1959 episode, "The Case of the Jaded Joker," the first of five appearances in diverse roles. Between 1959 and 1969, Burke made guest appearances on five episodes of the western drama series ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...

''. In 1960 he played prosecutor James Blackburn on '' Perry Mason'' in "The Case of the Ominous Outcast." Among his other roles he played a panhandler and a private detective. He guest-starred as Hatfield in the 1961 episode "The Drought" of the syndicated western series '' Two Faces West''. In the 1962–1963 season, he appeared on the CBS

anthology series An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a dif ...

'' The Lloyd Bridges Show''. In the 1965–1966 season, Burke appeared on another ABC western, ''

The Legend of Jesse James ''The Legend of Jesse James'' is a 1980 country music concept album written by English songwriter Paul Kennerley, based on the story of American Old West outlaw Jesse James. The album features Levon Helm singing the role of Jesse James, J ...

''. Burke played a magician called "Zeno the Great" in a 1965 (first season) episode of ''

Bewitched ''Bewitched'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series that originally aired for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972. It is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typ ...

'' entitled "It's Magic". He portrayed Alfred Swanson in the 1965 episode "Movie Star Munster" (S1, Ep28) of the television series, The Munsters. Burke also appeared on an episode of ''

Lost in Space ''Lost in Space'' is an American science fiction television series, created and produced by Irwin Allen, which originally aired between 1965 and 1968 on CBS. The series was inspired by the 1812 novel ''The Swiss Family Robinson.'' The series fo ...

'', playing Mr. O.M. in "''The Toymaker''" (1967). He also appeared in an episode of "Wild Wild West" as the mayor of a town under siege, in ''

Hogan's Heroes ''Hogan's Heroes'' is an American television sitcom set in a Nazi German prisoner-of-war (POW) camp during World War II. It ran for 168 episodes (six seasons) from September 17, 1965, to April 4, 1971, on the CBS network, the longest broadcast ...

'' as the master safe cracker Alfie the Artiste, and in two episodes of "Bonanza", as Jesse in "Destiny's Child", and as an unsuspecting witness in a trial. Burke performed as well in the Western series '' The Virginian'', portraying the character Billy Neal in the 1970 episode "The Gift".

Personal life

Burke married Kathryn Patricia Rooney in 1937 and they had four children, Catherine, Margaret, Deborah and Leslie. Kathryn Rooney died by suicide on May 21, 1956, after shooting herself with a .32 special rifle in the family's Henryville, Pennsylvania, home while her husband was working in New York. Burke split most of his later life between

, where he worked, and his farm in

Monroe County, Pennsylvania Monroe County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in Northeastern Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 168,327. Its county seat is Stroudsburg. The county was formed from sections of Northampton ...

. While back east, he would sometimes teach dramatics at a local college.

Death

On August 4, 1984, Burke died from

emphysema Emphysema, or pulmonary emphysema, is a lower respiratory tract disease, characterised by air-filled spaces ( pneumatoses) in the lungs, that can vary in size and may be very large. The spaces are caused by the breakdown of the walls of the alv ...

while living at the

Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital In physics, motion is the phenomenon in which an object changes its position with respect to time. Motion is mathematically described in terms of displacement, distance, velocity, acceleration, speed and frame of reference to an observer and me ...

Woodland Hills, California Woodland Hills is a neighborhood bordering the Santa Monica Mountains in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Geography Woodland Hills is in the southwestern region of the San Fernando Valley, which is located east of Ca ...

Broadway stage credits

* ''

'', Knickerbocker Theatre, (1925–1926) ... as ensemble * ''Padlocks of 1927'', Shubert Theatre, (1927) ... as performer * ''

'', Gallo Theatre, (1928) ... as A Soldier * ''

'', Casino Theatre, (1930) ... as Registrar * ''Yolanda of Cyprus'', Casino Theatre, (1930) ... as Tremitus * ''Help Yourself'', Manhattan Theatre, (1936) ... as Frederick Bittlesby * ''Red Harvest'', National Theatre, (1937) ... as Courier Rockman * ''A Hero Is Born'',

Adelphi Theater The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receivin ...

, (1937) ... as William/A Gentleman of Uncertain Age * ''The Old Foolishness'', Windsor Theatre, (1940) ... as Dan Dorian * ''Not in Our Stars'', Biltmore Theatre, (1941) ... as Kevlin Hoolihan * ''Under This Roof'', Windsor Theatre, (1942) ... as Shawn O'Shaughnessy * ''The Eve of St. Mark'',

Cort Theatre The James Earl Jones Theatre, originally the Cort Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 138 West 48th Street, between Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue, in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States. It was built in ...

, (1942–1943) ... as Private Thomas Mulveroy * ''The World's Full of Girls'',

Royale Theatre The Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre (formerly the Royale Theatre and the John Golden Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 242 West 45th Street ( George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1927, the thea ...

, (1943) ... as Nick * '' Sadie Thompson'',

Alvin Theater The Neil Simon Theatre, originally the Alvin Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 250 West 52nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1927, the theater was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and was built for A ...

, (1944–1945) ... as Quartermaster Bates * ''Up in Central Park'',

New Century Theatre The New Century Theatre was a Broadway theater in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, at 205–207 West 58th Street and 926–932 Seventh Avenue. Opened on October 6, 1921, as Jolson's 59th Street Theatre, the theater was desig ...

(1945–1946) ... as Danny O'Cahane * ''

'', Biltmore Theatre, (1951) ... as O'Daniel * ''

'',

Mark Hellinger Theatre The Mark Hellinger Theatre (formerly the 51st Street Theatre and the Hollywood Theatre) is a church building at 237 West 51st Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, which formerly served as a cinema and a Broadway theat ...

, (1952) ... as Power O'Malley * ''

'',

Martin Beck Theatre The Al Hirschfeld Theatre, originally the Martin Beck Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 302 West 45th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1924, it was designed by G. Albert Lansburgh in a Moorish a ...

, (1956–1957) ... as Snobby Price

Filmography

* ''

'' (1948) as Pete Backalis (uncredited) * ''

'' (1949) as Sugar Boy * '' Mystery Street'' (1950) as Ornithologist * ''

The Killer That Stalked New York ''The Killer That Stalked New York'' (also known as ''Frightened City'') is a 1950 American film noir directed by Earl McEvoy and starring Evelyn Keyes, Charles Korvin and William Bishop. The film, shot on location and in a semi-documentary style ...

'' (1950) as Danny the bellhop (uncredited) * '' Dark City'' (1950) as George the Bartender (uncredited) * '' Double Deal'' (1950) as Wally, Karne's thug (uncredited) * '' M'' (1951) as MacMahan * ''

The Guy Who Came Back ''The Guy Who Came Back'' is a 1951 film made by 20th Century Fox, directed by Joseph M. Newman, and starring Paul Douglas, Joan Bennett, and Linda Darnell. The screenplay was written by Allan Scott, based on story by William Fay. Plot Injur ...

'' (1951) as O'Mara * ''

Never Love a Stranger ''Never Love A Stranger'' is a 1958 crime and gangster film that is based on Harold Robbins' 1948 debut novel with the same title. The film was shot in black and white starring John Drew Barrymore and Robert Bray, and featuring a young Steve McQ ...

'' (1958) as Jimmy Keough (uncredited) * '' The Crimson Kimono'' (1959) as Ziggy (uncredited) * ''

Let No Man Write My Epitaph ''Let No Man Write My Epitaph'' is a 1960 American crime drama film about the son of an executed criminal who aspires to escape his impoverished, crime-ridden neighborhood with the help of his mother and a group of concerned neighbors. The film w ...

'' (1960) as Wart * ''

Jack the Giant Killer "Jack the Giant Killer" is a Cornish fairy tale and legend about a young adult who slays a number of bad giants during King Arthur's reign. The tale is characterised by violence, gore and blood-letting. Giants are prominent in Cornish folklor ...

'' (1962) as Garna * ''

Beauty and the Beast ''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine ...

'' (1962) as Grimaldi * '' How the West Was Won'' (1962) as poker player in wagon (uncredited) * '' The Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze'' (1963) as Lory Filch * '' The Wheeler Dealers'' (1963) as Billy Joe (uncredited) * ''

My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play '' Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons ...

'' (1964) as bystander (uncredited) * '' The Plainsman'' (1966) as Abe Ireland * '' Double Trouble'' (1967) as Mate * '' Stranger on the Run'' (1967, TV Movie) as Abraham Berk * ''

The President's Analyst ''The President's Analyst'' is a 1967 American satirical black comedy film written and directed by Ted Flicker and starring James Coburn. The film has elements of political satire and science fiction, including themes concerning modern ethics ...

'' (1967) as Henry Lux, FBR Chief * '' Support Your Local Sheriff!'' (1969) as Fred Johnson * ''

Support Your Local Gunfighter ''Support Your Local Gunfighter'' is a 1971 American comic Western film directed by Burt Kennedy and starring James Garner and Suzanne Pleshette. The screenplay was written by James Edward Grant. The picture shares many cast and crew members ...

'' (1970) as Morris * '' Chandler'' (1971) as Zeno * '' The Stone Killer'' (1973) as JD, marijuana dealer

Television credits (partial)

* '' Martin Kane'': "A Jockey Is Murdered" (1951) ... as Eddie Stevens * '' Johnny Midnight'' as McVey in untitled episode * ''

Peter Gunn ''Peter Gunn'' is an American private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, Edie Hart. The series aired on NBC from September 22, 1958, to 1960 and on ABC in 1960–1961. The seri ...

:'' "The Torch" (1958) ... as Ditto * ''

Tales of Wells Fargo ''Tales of Wells Fargo'' is an American Western television series starring Dale Robertson that ran from 1957 to 1962 on NBC. Produced by Revue Productions, the series aired in a half-hour format until its final season, when it expanded t ...

'' "The Little Man" (1959) ... as Marty Saunders * ''

:'' "Wind" (1959) ... as a Bystander * '' The Lawless Years'': "The Miles Miller Story" (1961) ... as Miles Miller * '' Yancy Derringer:'' "Panic in Town" (1959) ... as Sneaky Joe * '' Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond:'' "Front Runner" (1959) ... as jockey Sam Barry * '' Lawman:'' "Red Ransom" (1959) ... as Whiskey Jimmie * ''

Rescue 8 ''Rescue 8'' is a syndicated American action adventure crime drama series about Los Angeles County Fire Department Rescue Squad 8. It premiered in 1958 and originally ran for two seasons with syndicated reruns continuing for almost a decade th ...

:'' "Left Hook to Hades" (1959) ... as Mike Thompson * '' Perry Mason:'' "The Case of the Jaded Joker" (1959) ... as Freddie Green * '' Perry Mason:'' "The Case of the Ominous Outcast" (1960) ... as James Blackburn * ''

Sugarfoot ''Sugarfoot'' is an American Western television series that aired for 69 episodes on ABC from 1957-1961 on Tuesday nights on a "shared" slot basis – rotating with ''Cheyenne'' (first season); ''Cheyenne'' and ''Bronco'' (second season); and ...

:'' "The Mysterious Stranger" (1959) ... as Bartender * '' The Man from Blackhawk:'' 2 episodes, "Death Is the Best Policy" (1959) as Tyce; "The Harpoon Story" (1960) ... as Tom Abbott * ''

'': 2 episodes: "Hinka Do" (S5E21 - 1960)... as Herman & "Circus Trick" (S10E20 - 1965)... as "Mr. Elko" * '' The Alaskans'': 3 episodes, "The Blizzard" (1959) and "The Devil Made Fire" (1960) ... as Jenks in both segments; "Kangaroo Court" (1960) ... as Sid Queed * '' The Islanders'': 2 episodes, "Operation Dollar Sign" and "The Phanton Captain" (1960) ... as Mesrob in both segments * ''

77 Sunset Strip ''77 Sunset Strip'' is an American television private detective drama series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Roger Smith, Richard Long (from 1960 to 1961) and Edd Byrnes (billed as Edward Byrnes). Each episode was o ...

'': 3 episodes, "The Double Death of Benny Markham (1960) ....as Benny Markham, "The Baker Street Caper" (1962) ... as Riordan, and "Terror in Silence (1963) .... as Joe Dolan * '' Rawhide'': "The Incident of the Deserter" (1960) ... as Mr. Dimity * ''

Bat Masterson Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was born to ...

:'' "Bat Trap" (1960) ... uncredited * ''

Tombstone Territory ''Tombstone Territory'' is an American Western series starring Pat Conway and Richard Eastham. The series' first two seasons aired on ABC from 1957 to 1959. The first season was sponsored by Bristol-Myers (consumer products) and the second s ...

:'' "Memory" (1960) ... as Harry Ames * '' Perry Mason:'' "The Case of the Missing Melody" (1961) ... as Jack Grabba * ''

G.E. True ''GE True'' (also known as ''General Electric True'') is a 33-episode, American anthology series sponsored by General Electric. Telecast on CBS, the series presented stories previously published in ''True'' magazine. Articles from the magazine ...

'': "A Friendly Tribe" (1961) ... as L.B. Prentiss * ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on ...

'': 3 episodes, "Bank Run" (1961) .... as Tim O'Brien, "Destiny's Child" (1966) .... as Jesse Pierson, "The Twenty-Sixth Grave" (1972) .... as Campbell * '' The Wide Country'': "Good Old Uncle Walt" (1962) ... as Tim Mayhew * ''Follow the Sun'': "Annie Beeler's Place" (1962) ... as Gympy * ''

Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

'': "Where the Hawk Is Wheeling" (1963) ... as Micah * '' The Lloyd Bridges Show'': "The Rising Moon" (1963) ... as O'Farrell * '' The Outer Limits'': "

The Mutant "The Mutant" is an episode of the original '' The Outer Limits'' television show. It was first broadcast on March 16, 1964, during the first season. Introduction Researchers on an alien planet live in fear of a man wearing goggles, a man who is ...

" (1964) * '' The Outer Limits'': "

The Invisibles ''The Invisibles'' is a comic book series published by the Vertigo imprint of DC Comics from 1994 to 2000. It was created and scripted by Scottish writer Grant Morrison, and drawn by various artists throughout its publication. The series loosely ...

" (1964) * '' Perry Mason:'' "The Case of the Wooden Nickels" (1964) ... as Jerry Kelso - Panhandler * '' Perry Mason:'' "The Case of the Crafty Kidnapper" (1966) ... as Private Investigator Adams * ''

This Man Dawson ''This Man Dawson'' is a syndicated drama television series that was broadcast during 1959-60, starring Keith Andes as a former United States Marine Corps colonel hired to clean up police corruption in an undisclosed American city. The series ...

:'' "Plague" (1960) ... as "Jumpy" Higgins * ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, sup ...

:'' "

The Big Tall Wish "The Big Tall Wish" is episode twenty-seven of the American television anthology series '' The Twilight Zone'', with an original score by Jerry Goldsmith. It originally aired on April 8, 1960 on CBS. This was one of a few ''Twilight Zone'' episode ...

" (1960) ... as Joe Mizell * ''

Hawaiian Eye ''Hawaiian Eye'' is an American detective television series that ran from October 1959 to April 1963 on the ABC television network. Premise Private investigator Tracy Steele ( Anthony Eisley) and his half-Hawaiian partner, Tom Lopaka ( Robert ...

:'' "Talk and You're Dead" (1961) ... as Kilgore * '' Have Gun–Will Travel'': Season 2; Episode 36 (1963) Mr. Abbott: A school teacher who disclosed information to Paladin about the murder of a man by the ex-sheriff. * ''

Arrest & Trial ''Arrest & Trial'' is an American, syndicated nontraditional court show which follows individual criminal cases (commission, police investigation, and actual trial) via a combination of reenactments and real trial footage. Episodes run for 30 ...

:'' "The Black Flower" (1964) ... as Hoby Osborne * ''

Mickey Mickey is a given name and nickname, almost always masculine and often a short form (hypocorism) of Michael, and occasionally a surname. Notable people and characters with the name include: People Given name or nickname Men * Mickey Andrews (bor ...

'' with

Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the ...

: "For the Love of Grandpa Toddie'' (1964) .... as Grandfather Toddie * ''

'': "It's Magic" ''(Season 1/Episode 16)'' ''(1964)'' ... . as hapless magician, ''Zeno the Great'' * ''

The Munsters ''The Munsters'' is an American sitcom depicting the home life of a family of benign monsters. The series starred Fred Gwynne as Frankenstein's monsterEpisodes referring to the fact that Herman is Frankenstein's monster include #55, "Just Anoth ...

'': "Movie Star Munster" ''(1965)'' ... . as Alfred Swanson * ''

'': "The Safecracker Suite" ''(Season 1/Episode 27)'' ''(1966)'' ... . as English safecracking master, Alfred Burke a.k.a. Alfie the Artiste * '' The Fugitive'': "Joshua's Kingdom" ''(1966)'' ... as Doc * ''

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...

'': "Fine-Feathered Finks" and "The Penguin's a Jinx", Episodes 3 and 4 (1966) as Sparrow * '' Rango'': "The Rustlers" (1967) as Brooks * ''

'': "The Toymaker" ''(Season 2/Episode 18)'' ''(1967)''.... as the Toymaker, Mr. O.M. (Old Man) * ''

The F.B.I. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

'': "The Two Million Dollar Hit" (1974) .... as Arnie Hellings * ''

I Dream of Jeannie ''I Dream of Jeannie'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series, created by Sidney Sheldon that starred Barbara Eden as a sultry, 2,000-year-old genie and Larry Hagman, as an astronaut with whom she falls in love and eventually mar ...

'': "One Jeannie Beats Four of a Kind" (1970) ... as The Boss * '' The Big Valley (TV series):'' 4 episodes, "The Iron Box" (1966) ...as Young Billy, "The Disappearance"(1967) ...as George Gates, "Fall of a Hero" (1968) ...as T.J.Dyce, "Point and Counterpoint" (1969) ...as Ned Stokely * '' Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'': "Terrible Leprechaun"''(Season4)'' ''(1968)'' ..... as Leprechaun Mickey and Patrik * '' Ironside'': "All in a Day's work" ''(Season1 / Episode 21)'' ''(1968)'' ..... as the informer. * '' Mission: Impossible'': "Image" ''(Season 6 / Episode 17)'' ''(1972)'' ..... as Nate Ullstead * ''

Ghost Story A ghost story is any piece of fiction, or drama, that includes a ghost, or simply takes as a premise the possibility of ghosts or characters' belief in them."Ghost Stories" in Margaret Drabble (ed.), ''Oxford Companion to English Literature'' ...

'' "The Concrete Captain" ''(episode 2) (1972)'' ... as Daniel * ''

Adam-12 ''Adam-12'' is an American television police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pete Malloy and Jim Reed as they patrol the st ...

'': "Backup 1-L20" (1972) ... as Billy Fuller

Notes

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Burke, Walter 1908 births 1984 deaths American male stage actors American male film actors American male radio actors American male television actors American people of Irish descent Deaths from emphysema Male actors from New York City People from Brooklyn 20th-century American male actors Male actors from Los Angeles Western (genre) television actors