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James Burke (September 24, 1886 – May 23, 1968) was an American film and television actor born in New York City. He made his stage debut in New York around 1912 and went to Hollywood in 1933. He made over 200 film appearances during his career, which ranged from 1932 to 1964; he was more often than not cast as a cop, usually a none-too-bright one, most notably as Sgt. Velie in Columbia's Ellery Queen mysteries in the early 1940s. He appeared in The Maltese Falcon, At the Circus, Lone Star, and many others. One of his best roles was as Charles Ruggles' rowdy rancher pal in Ruggles of Red Gap.
In the early 1950s, Burke appeared with Tom Conway in the ABC detective drama series then called Inspector Mark Saber -- Homicide Detective, later renamed, reformatted, and switched to NBC under the title Saber of London. From 1960-1961, Burke appeared in the role of Zeke Bonner in seven episodes of the ABC western television series Stagecoach West, starring Wayne Rogers, Robert Bray, and Richard Eyer.
Burke suffered from a heart condition, which took his life at the age of eighty-one.
Known For
Twentieth Century
(1934)
Sheriff (uncredited)
The Maltese Falcon
(1941)
Luke
Dead End
(1937)
Police Officer Mulligan
Nightmare Alley
(1947)
Rural Marshal (uncredited)
It Happened One Night
(1934)
Detective (uncredited)
Beau Geste
(1939)
Lieutenant Dufour
Anchors Aweigh
(1945)
Studio Cop
Body and Soul
(1947)
Arnold (uncredited)
Queen Christina
(1933)
Blacksmith - 4th Rabble Rouser (uncredited)
Dodge City
(1939)
Cattle Auctioneer (uncredited)
June Bride
(1948)
Luke Potter
Klondike Annie
(1936)
Beyond Glory
(1948)
Jim, the Bartender (uncredited)
Casanova Brown
(1944)
O'Leary (uncredited)
The Big Clock
(1948)
O'Brien
The Scarlet Empress
(1934)
Full Filmography
Acting
College Humor
(1933)
Cromwell Dexter
To the Last Man
(1933)
Kentucky Sheriff (uncredited)
Face in the Sky
(1933)
Cop (uncredited)
Queen Christina
(1933)
Blacksmith - 4th Rabble Rouser (uncredited)
A Lady's Profession
(1933)
Mulroy
The Girl in 419
(1933)
Detective Jackson
Torch Singer
(1933)
Taxi Driver
The Kennel Murder Case
(1933)
Policeman Who Lets Dog Out (uncredited)
Bombshell
(1933)
First Immigration Officer (uncredited)
Lady Killer
(1933)
Six of a Kind
(1934)
Detective (uncredited)
Ticket to a Crime
(1934)
Detective Lt. John Aloysius McGinnis
Lady by Choice
(1934)
Brannigan
A Very Honorable Guy
(1934)
Sergeant
City Limits
(1934)
King, a Hobo
Friends of Mr. Sweeney
(1934)
Policeman Arresting Wynn
Gambling Lady
(1934)
Detective Making Raid (uncredited)
All of Me
(1934)
Welfare Island Guard (uncredited)
Twentieth Century
(1934)
Sheriff (uncredited)
Wharf Angel
(1934)
Brooklyn Jack
The Merry Frinks
(1934)
3rd Expressman (uncredited)
Such Women Are Dangerous
(1934)
Detective
Treasure Island
(1934)
Pirate of the Spanish Main
It Happened One Night
(1934)
Detective (uncredited)
Love Time
(1934)
Emperor Francis I
Little Miss Marker
(1934)
Detective Reardon (uncredited)
The Scarlet Empress
(1934)
Man on the Flying Trapeze
(1935)
Patrolman
Here Comes Cookie
(1935)
Broken-Nose Reilly
Call of the Wild
(1935)
Ole
Dinky
(1935)
Truck Driver
So Red the Rose
(1935)
Major Rushton
Hot Money
(1935)
Police Sgt. Burke
The Affair of Susan
(1935)
Hogan
The Mystery Man
(1935)
Managing Editor Marvin
After the Dance
(1935)
Police Lieutenant
Broadway Gondolier
(1935)
Uncle Andy
Music Is Magic
(1935)
Mickey (uncredited)
Coronado
(1935)
Slug Moran
Ruggles of Red Gap
(1935)
Jeff Tuttle
Frisco Waterfront
(1935)
Corrigan
Case of the Missing Man
(1935)
Police Sergeant Rorty
Welcome Home
(1935)
Michael Shaughnessy
Make a Million
(1935)
Pete
36 Hours to Kill
(1936)
Doyle - Process Server
Great Guy
(1936)
Patrick James Aloysius 'Pat' Haley
Dancing Feet
(1936)
Phil Moore
Laughing at Trouble
(1936)
Bill Norton
Song and Dance Man
(1936)
Lt. Mike Boyle
The Leathernecks Have Landed
(1936)
Corrigan
Rhythm on the Range
(1936)
Wabash
Can This Be Dixie?
(1936)
Sheriff N.B.F. Rider
Klondike Annie
(1936)
Dead End
(1937)
Police Officer Mulligan
The Perfect Specimen
(1937)
Constable Snodgrass
High, Wide and Handsome
(1937)
Stackpole
Champagne Waltz
(1937)
Mr. Scribner
Life Begins with Love
(1937)
Darby McGraw
The Dawn Patrol
(1938)
Flaherty - Motorcycle Driver
Men with Wings
(1938)
J.A. Nolan
You Can't Take It with You
(1938)
Chief Detective (uncredited)
Joy of Living
(1938)
Mac
The Mad Miss Manton
(1938)
Sullivan
The Affairs of Annabel
(1938)
Muldoon
Flight Into Nowhere
(1938)
Ike Matthews
Little Orphan Annie
(1938)
Mike Moriarty
At the Circus
(1939)
John Carter
Beau Geste
(1939)
Lieutenant Dufour
The Saint Strikes Back
(1939)
Headquarters Police Officer
The Cisco Kid and the Lady
(1939)
Pop Saunders
On Borrowed Time
(1939)
Sheriff Burlingame
The Family Next Door
(1939)
Policeman
Within the Law
(1939)
'Red'
Dodge City
(1939)
Cattle Auctioneer (uncredited)
Fast and Furious
(1939)
Clancy
Sudden Money
(1939)
McPherson
Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise
(1940)
Wilkie, house detective
Ellery Queen, Master Detective
(1940)
Sgt. Velle
The Saint Takes Over
(1940)
Patrolman Mike
The Golden Fleecing
(1940)
Sibley
Buck Benny Rides Again
(1940)
Taxi Driver
No Time for Comedy
(1940)
Police Sergeant (uncredited)
Little Nellie Kelly
(1940)
Sergeant McGowan
The Way of All Flesh
(1940)
Frisco
Double Alibi
(1940)
Police Captain Orr
Opened by Mistake
(1940)
Police Sergeant Wilkins
The Maltese Falcon
(1941)
Luke
Ellery Queen and the Murder Ring
(1941)
Sgt. Velie
Ellery Queen's Penthouse Mystery
(1941)
Sgt. Velie
Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime
(1941)
Sgt. Velie
Million Dollar Baby
(1941)
Callahan
Reaching for the Sun
(1941)
Norm
Pot o' Gold
(1941)
Lt. Grady
All Through the Night
(1942)
Police Lt. Forbes
A Desperate Chance for Ellery Queen
(1942)
Sgt. Velie
A Close Call for Ellery Queen
(1942)
Sgt. Velie
Enemy Agents Meet Ellery Queen
(1942)
Police Sergeant Velie
A Night to Remember
(1942)
Pat Murphy
My Favorite Blonde
(1942)
Union Secretary
Army Surgeon
(1942)
Brooklyn
It Happened in Flatbush
(1942)
Umpire Shaunnessy
Dixie
(1943)
Riverboat Captain (uncredited)
No Place for a Lady
(1943)
Police Substation Chief Moriarty
Riding High
(1943)
Pete
Casanova Brown
(1944)
O'Leary (uncredited)
3 Men in White
(1944)
First Policeman (uncredited)
The Horn Blows at Midnight
(1945)
Policeman (uncredited)
Anchors Aweigh
(1945)
Studio Cop
I Love a Bandleader
(1945)
Charles Gibley
Shady Lady
(1945)
Crane
How DOooo You Do
(1945)
Detective
Two Years Before the Mast
(1946)
Carrick
The Virginian
(1946)
Andy Jones (uncredited)
Young Widow
(1946)
Motorcycle Cop (Uncredited)
Bowery Bombshell
(1946)
Detective O'Malley
Body and Soul
(1947)
Arnold (uncredited)
Philo Vance's Gamble
(1947)
Lt. Burke
Easy Come, Easy Go
(1947)
Harry Weston
Down to Earth
(1947)
Detective Kelly
The Gas House Kids in Hollywood
(1947)
Police Lt. Burke
California
(1947)
Pokey
Song of the Thin Man
(1947)
Policeman Callahan (uncredited)
Nightmare Alley
(1947)
Rural Marshal (uncredited)
Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven
(1948)
Cop (uncredited)
June Bride
(1948)
Luke Potter
Beyond Glory
(1948)
Jim, the Bartender (uncredited)
The Timber Trail
(1948)
Jed Baker
Night Wind
(1948)
Sheriff Hamilton
The Big Clock
(1948)
O'Brien
Alias Nick Beal
(1949)
Bum
Shamrock Hill
(1949)
Michael Rogan
Let's Dance
(1950)
George (uncredited)
Copper Canyon
(1950)
Jeb Bassett
Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone
(1950)
The Train Conductor
The Last Outpost
(1951)
Stagecoach driver (uncredited)
Raton Pass
(1951)
Hank
Warpath
(1951)
Oldtimer
We're Not Married!
(1952)
Willie's Sergeant (uncredited)
Lone Star
(1952)
Luther Kilgore
Denver and Rio Grande
(1952)
Sheriff Ed Johnson
Toughest Man in Arizona
(1952)
Lucky Me
(1954)
Mahoney
The Unholy Wife
(1957)
Sheriff Tom Watling
Public Pigeon No. 1
(1957)
Harrigan
Alias Jesse James
(1959)
Charlie (uncredited)
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
(1975)
Self (archive footage)