Richard Jourdan "Dick" Reeves (August 10, 1912 – March 17, 1967) was an American

character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...

best known for playing henchmen and thugs. He performed in hundreds of film and television roles between the 1940s and 1960s.

Early life and film career

Richard Jourdan Reeves grew up in an affluent section of

Queens, New York Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

, the elder of two children of bank executive Walter Reeves and his wife, the former Marie Titsink. He studied music in school; and then, at the age of 18, he worked as a seaman, spending much of his time in the 1930s aboard ships that plied the New York-

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

and by war's end had risen to the rank of sergeant in the 1208 Service Command Unit. After the war, he resumed his efforts to get more film work as an actor in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, where by the late 1940s and early 1950s he became a busy supporting player in various movie productions.

Television

Beginning in the early 1950s, Reeves began to perform on a variety of television series. His height, heavy build, and general "tough guy" appearance led to his being frequently cast as bullies, robbers, and

mob enforcer Contract killing (also known as murder-for-hire) is a form of murder or assassination in which one party hires another party to kill a targeted person or people. It involves an illegal agreement which includes some form of compensation, moneta ...

s in modern crime dramas, as well as in many

Westerns The Western is a genre of fiction typically set in the American frontier (commonly referred to as the "Old West" or the "Wild West") between the California Gold Rush of 1849 and the closing of the frontier in 1890, and commonly associated wit ...

and

sitcoms A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent setting, such as a home ...

. He, for example, portrayed those types of characters in five episodes of the '' Adventures of Superman'' between 1952 and 1956. (He was no relation to ''Superman'' star

George Reeves George Reeves (born George Keefer Brewer; January 5, 1914 – June 16, 1959) was an American actor. He was best known for portraying Superman, Clark Kent/Superman in the television series ''Adventures of Superman (TV series), Adventures of ...

, whose birth surname was Brewer.) Reeves appeared in scores of other series as well in the 1950s and 1960s, such as ''

I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes spanning six seasons. The series starred Lucille Ball and her husband Desi Arnaz, along with Vivian ...

'', '' I Married Joan'', ''

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'', '' The Roy Rogers Show'', ''

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'', ''

Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...

'', ''

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'', ''

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'', ''

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

'', ''

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'' (both second and fo ...

'', ''

Zorro Zorro ( or , Spanish for "fox") is a fictional character created in 1919 by American Pulp magazine, pulp writer Johnston McCulley, appearing in works set in the Pueblo de Los Ángeles in Alta California. He is typically portrayed as a dashin ...

'', '' Maverick'', ''

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'', ''

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 late 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was bo ...

'', ''

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

'', ''

TV Reader's Digest ''TV Reader's Digest '' is a 30-minute American television anthology drama series, which aired on ABC from January 17, 1955, to July 9, 1956. Its theme music was "Polonaise" from Act III of ''Eugene Onegin''. Format Based on articles that ap ...

'', '' Date with the Angels''. In a 1958 episode entitled "Island In The Swamp" on the TV Western '' Maverick'', Reeves breaks normal villain character, playing alongside ''

Edgar Buchanan William Edgar Buchanan II (March 20, 1903 – April 4, 1979) was an American actor with a long career in both film and television. He is most familiar today as Uncle Joe Carson from the '' Petticoat Junction'', '' Green Acres'', and '' The Bever ...

'' as leaders of a peaceful but eccentric cult of pirating immigrant smugglers who now run an island out of jurisdiction of the law. He appeared in S2 E15 of "Wanted:Dead or Alive" as Jenks in "Chain Gang" which aired 12/10/1959. In 1965 on the television Series, " My Three Sons", Richard Reeves played the "Police Officer" in Season 5, Episode 34- Titled " All the Weddings " ''

My Favorite Martian ''My Favorite Martian'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from September 29, 1963, to May 1, 1966, for 107 episodes. The show stars Ray Walston as "Uncle Martin" (the Martian) and Bill Bixby as Tim O'Hara. ''My Favorite Martian'' was th ...

'', ''

Annie Oakley Annie Oakley (born Phoebe Ann Mosey; August 13, 1860 – November 3, 1926) was an American marksman, sharpshooter and folk heroine who starred in Buffalo Bill's Wild West. Oakley developed hunting skills as a child to provide for her impoveris ...

'', and '' Fury''. In 1955 Reeves appeared as Cliff Bartow on the TV western ''Cheyenne'' in the episode "Border Showdown."

Death

Reeves died of

cirrhosis Cirrhosis, also known as liver cirrhosis or hepatic cirrhosis, chronic liver failure or chronic hepatic failure and end-stage liver disease, is a chronic condition of the liver in which the normal functioning tissue, or parenchyma, is replaced ...

at age 54. He is buried in Oakwood Memorial Park in

Chatsworth, California Chatsworth is a suburban neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, in the San Fernando Valley. The area around the town was home to Native Americans, who left caves containing rock art. Chatsworth was explored and colonized by the Spanish beginn ...

Selected filmography

* ''

This Is the Army ''This Is the Army'' is a 1943 American wartime musical film, musical comedy film produced by Jack L. Warner and Hal B. Wallis and directed by Michael Curtiz, adapted from This Is the Army (musical), the wartime stage musical of the same name, d ...

'' (1943) - Moore's Son's Dance Partner - 'Ladies of Chorus' (uncredited) * '' The Long Night'' (1947) - Cop (uncredited) * '' Unconquered'' (1947) - Joshua (uncredited) * '' The Hunted'' (1948) - Detective (uncredited) * '' Force of Evil'' (1948) - Policeman (uncredited) * '' Double Deal'' (1950) - Detective Webber (uncredited) * '' Dear Brat'' (1951) - (uncredited) * '' Excuse My Dust'' (1951) - Brigadier General (uncredited) * '' Tomorrow Is Another Day'' (1951) - Joe - Driver (uncredited) * ''

Force of Arms ''Force of Arms'' (reissued under the title ''A Girl for Joe'') is a 1951 romantic war drama film set in the Italian Campaign (World War II), Italian campaign of World War II, starring William Holden, Nancy Olson, and Frank Lovejoy. Directed ...

'' (1951) - Hospital Attendant (uncredited) * '' Come Fill the Cup'' (1951) - Moving Man (uncredited) * '' The Racket'' (1951) - Leo - Driver / Scanlon Henchman (uncredited) * '' The Blue Veil'' (1951) - Detective (uncredited) * '' Finders Keepers'' (1952) - Joey * '' A Girl in Every Port'' (1952) - Slow Poke, Henchman (uncredited) * '' Retreat, Hell!'' (1952) - MP Outside Division Headquarters in Seoul (uncredited) * ''

Hoodlum Empire ''Hoodlum Empire'' is a 1952 American film noir crime film directed by Joseph Kane starring Brian Donlevy, Claire Trevor, Forrest Tucker, Vera Ralston, Luther Adler and John Russell (actor), John Russell.. It was inspired by the United States Sena ...

'' (1952) - Rollins (uncredited) * '' Carbine Williams'' (1952) - Guard in Cage (uncredited) * '' Gobs and Gals'' (1952) - Big Sailor (uncredited) * '' The Pride of St. Louis'' (1952) - Connelly (uncredited) * ''

Carson City Carson City, officially the Carson City Consolidated Municipality, is an independent city and the capital of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,639, making it the 6th most populous city in the state. The m ...

'' (1952) - Cook (uncredited) * '' I Dream of Jeanie'' (1952) - Tough Saloon Mate (uncredited) * ''

She's Working Her Way Through College ''She's Working Her Way Through College'' is a 1952 American comedy film produced by Warner Bros. A musical comedy in Technicolor, it is directed by H. Bruce Humberstone, and stars Virginia Mayo and Ronald Reagan. The screenplay is based on the 1 ...

'' (1952) - Mike (uncredited) * '' We're Not Married!'' (1952) - Brig Guard (uncredited) * '' Fargo'' (1952) - Bartender * '' Thunderbirds'' (1952) - Captain, Quartermaster Corps. * '' Stop, You're Killing Me'' (1952) - Battling Moss (uncredited) * ''

The Maverick ''The Maverick'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Thomas Carr and starring Wild Bill Elliott, Myron Healey and Phyllis Coates.Fitzgerald & Magers p.35 Plot Cast * Wild Bill Elliott as Lieutenant Pete Devlin * Myron Healey as S ...

'' (1952) - Frank Bullitt * '' Androcles and the Lion'' (1952) - Gladiator (uncredited) * '' Fair Wind to Java'' (1953) - Hoppo Two * '' The Glass Wall'' (1953) - Eddie Hinckley * '' Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki'' (1953) - Lefty Conway - Kidnapper (uncredited) * '' A Perilous Journey'' (1953) - Stewart the Sailor (uncredited) * '' Siren of Bagdad'' (1953) - Saladin's Guard (uncredited) * '' Devil's Canyon'' (1953) - Guard (uncredited) * '' City of Bad Men'' (1953) - Gunslinger at Ringside (uncredited) * '' Man of Conflict'' (1953) - Thug Driving Car * '' Jack Slade'' (1953) - Rufe Prentice * '' Wicked Woman'' (1953) - Man in Bar (uncredited) * '' Money from Home'' (1953) - Russian Henry (uncredited) * '' Trader Tom of the China Seas'' (1954) - Rebel Chief * ''

Loophole A loophole is an ambiguity or inadequacy in a system, such as a law or security, which can be used to circumvent or otherwise avoid the purpose, implied or explicitly stated, of the system. Originally, the word meant an arrowslit, a narrow vertic ...

'' (1954) - Pete Mazurki / Tanner * '' Khyber Patrol'' (1954) - Khan Servant Bringing Wine (uncredited) * '' Target Earth'' (1954) - Jim Wilson * '' Destry'' (1954) - Mac * '' The Silver Chalice'' (1954) - Overseer (uncredited) * '' Day of Triumph'' (1954) - Gestas * '' Tarzan's Hidden Jungle'' (1955) - Reeves * '' Strange Lady in Town'' (1955) - Mr. Bisbee (uncredited) * ''

The Eternal Sea ''The Eternal Sea'' (aka ''The Admiral Hoskins Story'') is a 1955 American biographical war film directed by John H. Auer and starring Sterling Hayden, Alexis Smith and Ben Cooper. The film follows the career of Captain John Hoskins, who lose ...

'' (1955) - Rivet Catcher (uncredited) * '' City of Shadows'' (1955) - Angelo Di Bruno * ''

I Died a Thousand Times ''I Died a Thousand Times'' is a 1955 American CinemaScope Warnercolor film noir directed by Stuart Heisler. The drama features Jack Palance as paroled bank robber Roy Earle, with Shelley Winters, Lee Marvin, Earl Holliman, Perry Lopez, Pedro Go ...

'' (1955) - Deputy (uncredited) * ''

Top Gun ''Top Gun'' is a 1986 American action drama film directed by Tony Scott and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, with distribution by Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr., and was inspired ...

'' (1955) - Willets (uncredited) * '' The Killing'' (1956) - Bill (uncredited) * '' The Man Is Armed'' (1956) - Rutberg * '' Running Target'' (1956) - Jaynes * '' Dance with Me, Henry'' (1956) - Mushie * '' Gunfight at the O.K. Corral'' (1957) - Pierce's Foreman (uncredited) * '' The Buckskin Lady'' (1957) - Potter * ''

Auntie Mame ''Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escapade'' is a 1955 novel by American author Patrick Dennis chronicling the madcap adventures of a boy, Patrick, growing up as the Ward (law), ward of his Aunt Mame Dennis, the sister of his dead father. The book i ...

'' (1958) - Mr. Krantz (uncredited) * '' Gunsmoke in Tucson'' (1958) - Notches Pole * '' Riot in Juvenile Prison'' (1959) - Andy, a guard (uncredited) * '' The Rookie'' (1959) - Bruce - Military Police Sergeant * '' Twelve Hours to Kill'' (1960) - Mark * ''

Blue Hawaii ''Blue Hawaii'' is a 1961 American musical romantic comedy drama film directed by Norman Taurog and starring Elvis Presley. The screenplay by Hal Kanter was nominated by the Writers Guild of America in 1962 in the category of Best Written Amer ...

'' (1961) - Harmonica-Playing Convict (uncredited) * '' Toys in the Attic'' (1963) - Refrigerator Delivery Man (uncredited) * '' Fun in Acapulco'' (1963) - Police Officer (uncredited) * '' A House Is Not a Home'' (1964) - Pete Snyder * ''

Kiss Me, Stupid ''Kiss Me, Stupid'' is a 1964 American sex comedy film produced and directed by Billy Wilder, and starring Dean Martin, Kim Novak, and Ray Walston. The screenplay by Wilder and I. A. L. Diamond is based on the play ''L'ora della fantasia'' ('' ...

'' (1964) - Waiter at Desert Sands (uncredited) * ''

Girl Happy ''Girl Happy'' is a 1965 American musical romantic comedy and beach party film starring Elvis Presley in his eighteenth feature. The movie won a fourth-place prize Laurel Award in the category Top Musical of 1965. It featured the song " Puppet ...

'' (1965) - Officer Wilkins (uncredited) * ''

Tickle Me ''Tickle Me'' is a 1965 American musical comedy Western (genre), western film directed by Norman Taurog and starring Elvis Presley as a champion rodeo bull rider and bronco buster. Presley won a 1966 Golden Laurel Award as best male actor in ...

'' (1965) - Jim - Bartender (uncredited) * '' At the End of the Rainbow'' (1965) - Genie * '' Harum Scarum'' (1965) - Scarred Bedouin * '' Frankie and Johnny'' (1966) - Man on Street (uncredited) * '' Billy the Kid vs. Dracula'' (1966) - Pete - Saloonkeeper * ''

The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin ''The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin'' is a 1967 American Western (genre), Western comedy film directed by James Neilson (director), James Neilson, produced by Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Productions, and starring Roddy McDowall, Suzanne ...

'' (1967) - Last Haircut Man (uncredited) * '' Eight on the Lam'' (1967) - Minor Role (uncredited) * '' Casino Royale'' (1967) - Hit Man (uncredited) (final film role)

Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Reeves, Richard 1912 births 1967 deaths Deaths from cirrhosis American male television actors American male film actors 20th-century American male actors Male Western (genre) film actors