Ralph Meeker
Known for: 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.
Filmography
Series
Ironside
1967
Series
Cannon
1971
Series
Climax!
Alex Hill
1954
Series
Climax!
'Griff' Griffith
1954
Series
Studio One
Steve Windom
1948
Series
Studio One
Larry Sheridan
1948
Series
The Defenders
Floyd Cooper
1961
Series
Wanted: Dead or Alive
Martin Ash
1958
Series
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Steve Elkins
1956
Series
The Ed Sullivan Show
Self
1948
Series
Route 66
1960
Series
The Name of the Game
Senator Goddard
1968
Series
The F.B.I.
King Hogan
1965
Series
The F.B.I.
Scott Martin
1965
Series
The F.B.I.
Graham Newcomb
1965
Series
The Rookies
1972
Series
Police Woman
1974
Series
The High Chaparral
Tracy Conlin
1967
Series
Kraft Suspense Theatre
Harly Clay
1963
Series
The Outer Limits
John Dexter
1963
Series
The 20th Century Fox Hour
1955
Series
The Texan
1958
Series
Police Story
1973
Series
Harry O
1974
Series
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Carl Spann
1955
Series
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Carl Borden
1955
Series
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Mel Reeves
1955
Series
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
John Forbes
1955
Series
Room 222
1969
Series
Tarzan
1966
Series
CHiPs
1977
Lux Video Theatre
Nicky Hanks
1950
Lux Video Theatre
Mike
1950
Series
The Green Hornet
Earl Evans
1966
Film
Paths of Glory
Cpl. Philippe Paris
1957
Not for Hire
US Army Sergeant Steve Dekker
1959
Series
Toma
1973
Film
The Dirty Dozen
Captain Stuart Kinder
1967
Series
Going My Way
1962
Series
Letter to Loretta
Joe Martin
1953
Series
Letter to Loretta
Ed James
1953
Series
Letter to Loretta
Pilot Duke Cavanaugh
1953
Series
Letter to Loretta
Willis Cooper
1953
Series
Kaz
1978
Series
Custer
1967
Series
The Evil Touch
1973
Series
Barbary Coast
Big Lou Hobart
1975
Series
Run, Joe, Run
1974
Series
The Eddie Capra Mysteries
1978
Series
Tallahassee 7000
1961
Series
Primus
1971
Series
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Wally Walters
1951
Film
Kiss Me Deadly
Mike Hammer
1955
Film
The Night Stalker
Bernie Jenks
1972
Series
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Rich Adams
1951
Series
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Barry Brannon
1951
Film
The Naked Spur
Roy Anderson
1953
Series
Faraday and Company
Ed Kelso
1973
Film
I Walk the Line
Carl McCain
1970
Film
The Food of the Gods
Bensington
1976
Film
The Anderson Tapes
Police Captain 'Iron Balls' Delaney
1971
Film
The Detective
Curran
1968
Film
The St. Valentine's Day Massacre
George Clarence 'Bugs' Moran
1967
Film
Without Warning
Dave
1980
Film
Run of the Arrow
Lieutenant Driscoll
1957
Film
Winter Kills
Gameboy Baker
1979
Film
Brannigan
Capt. Moretti
1975
Film
Hi-Riders
Mike
1978
Film
The Dead Don't Die
Lieutenant Reardon
1975
Film
The Devil's Eight
Burl
1969
Film
Something Wild
Mike
1961
Film
Four in a Jeep
Sergeant William Long
1951
Film
The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller
Lt. Driscoll (archive footage)
2002
Film
The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown
Mike Valla
1957
Film
Big House, U.S.A
Geraldo 'Jerry' Barker aka Iceman
1955
Film
Shadow in the Sky
Burt
1952
Film
A Woman's Devotion
Trevor Stevenson
1956
Film
Ada
Colonel Yancey
1961
Film
My Boys Are Good Boys
Bert Morton
1978
Film
Jeopardy
Lawson the Fugitive
1953
Film
Gentle Giant
Fog Hanson
1967
Film
Somebody Loves Me
Benny Fields
1952
Film
Code Two
Chuck O'Flair
1953
Film
Four Women in Black
Carbine Webb
1957
Film
Lost Flight
Glenn Walkup
1970
Film
The Girl on the Late, Late Show
Inspector DeBiesse
1974
Film
Birds of Prey
Jim McAndrew
1973
Film
Angela – Love Comes Quietly
Ben Hoeksema
1973
Film
You'll Never See Me Again
Will Alden
1973
Film
The Mind Snatchers
The Major
1972
Film
Teresa
Sgt. Dobbs
1951
Film
Wall of Noise
Matt Rubio
1963
Film
Glory Alley
Socks Barbarrosa
1952
Film
A Holster Full Of Law
Frank Clell
1961
Film
Desert Sands
Capt. David Malcolm
1955
Film
Cry Panic
Chuck Braswell
1974
Film
The Alpha Incident
Charlie
1978
Film
The Reluctant Heroes
Capt. Luke Danvers
1971
Film
Night Games
Dutch Armbreck
1974
Film
Johnny Firecloud
Colby
1975