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.
Known For
Batley
Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Morgan Ryker
Shane
Benjamin West / Jacob West
The Haunted Palace
Deacon
The Buccaneer
Jocko Robertson
The Alamo
Ross
Macbeth
Sweeny
The Premature Burial
Roderick Craven
The Raven
McSween
The Left Handed Gun
Society Red
The Hanging Tree
Bartender
Valerie
Cripple
Johnny Cool
Roderick Craven - (archive footage)
Creepy Classics
Cell Block Guard (uncredited)
Convicts 4
Swanson
The Buckskin Lady
Bosun (uncredited)
Les Miserables
Sheriff Daws
The Moonlighter
Jacob
Daughter of Dr. Jekyll
Freil
The Vanishing American
Night Court Judge (uncredited)
Three Husbands
Swede - the Cook (uncredited)
Hell's Outpost
Gruber
The Naked Jungle
Cross Creek Townsman (uncredited)
The Fastest Gun Alive
Cpl. Fred Deane
The Raid
Preacher (uncredited)
X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
Death in Small Doses
Family Member
The Omega Man
Bill Parker
Rage
Policeman (uncredited)
Touch of Evil
'Wild Bill' Monks
The Slowest Gun in the West
Cletus Ballard
Betrayed Women
Farmer (uncredited)
Friendly Persuasion
Dr. Chapman
The Thing from Another World
Police Sergeant
The Desperado
Gabe Hastings
The Oregon Trail
Bill Sowers
Duel at Apache Wells
Ranger Bill Larsen (uncredited)
The Comancheros
Bursar
Not as a Stranger
Jim Conklin - the Tall Soldier
The Red Badge of Courage
Carson - Horgan Rider
Jubal
Arnie
Silver City
Texas Storekeeper (uncredited)
The Guns of Fort Petticoat
Chet
One-Eyed Jacks
General Morris
The Vanquished
Jocko Robertson
John Wayne's 'The Alamo'
Ez
Blood Arrow
Gun Fury
Reverend
The Halliday Brand
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
48
Gender
Male
Birthday
1905-02-10
Place of Birth
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Also Known As