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.
Personal Details
Movies (40)
John Wayne's 'The Alamo'
as Jocko Robertson
1992
Creepy Classics
as Roderick Craven - (archive footage)
1987
Rage
as Bill Parker
1972
The Omega Man
as Family Member
1971
Johnny Cool
as Cripple
1963
The Haunted Palace
as Benjamin West / Jacob West
1963
X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
as Preacher (uncredited)
1963
The Raven
as Roderick Craven
1963
Convicts 4
as Cell Block Guard (uncredited)
1962
The Premature Burial
as Sweeny
1962
The Comancheros
as Ranger Bill Larsen (uncredited)
1961
One-Eyed Jacks
as Chet
1961
The Alamo
as Jocko Robertson
1960
The Slowest Gun in the West
as 'Wild Bill' Monks
1960
The Oregon Trail
as Gabe Hastings
1959
The Hanging Tree
as Society Red
1959
The Buccaneer
as Deacon
1958
The Left Handed Gun
as McSween
1958
Touch of Evil
as Policeman (uncredited)
1958
Blood Arrow
as Ez
1958
Death in Small Doses
1957
Valerie
as Bartender
1957
The Buckskin Lady
as Swanson
1957
Daughter of Dr. Jekyll
as Jacob
1957
The Guns of Fort Petticoat
as Texas Storekeeper (uncredited)
1957
Duel at Apache Wells
as Bill Sowers
1957
The Halliday Brand
as Reverend
1957
Friendly Persuasion
as Farmer (uncredited)
1956
The Fastest Gun Alive
as Cross Creek Townsman (uncredited)
1956
Jubal
as Carson - Horgan Rider
1956
The Vanishing American
as Freil
1955
Betrayed Women
as Cletus Ballard
1955
Not as a Stranger
as Bursar
1955
Hell's Outpost
as Swede - the Cook (uncredited)
1954
The Raid
as Cpl. Fred Deane
1954
The Desperado
as Police Sergeant
1954
The Naked Jungle
as Gruber
1954
Gun Fury
1953
The Moonlighter
as Sheriff Daws
1953
Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
as Batley
1953
