John Dierkes (February 10, 1905 – January 8, 1975) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

actor who appeared in a number of classic

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

films. Before becoming an actor, he had been an

economist An economist is a professional and practitioner in the social sciences, social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy. Within this ...

Life and career

Dierkes was born on February 10, 1905 in

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

. He attended

Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...

and subsequently went to work as an

for the

United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other n ...

. In 1941 he joined the

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...

and served in

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. There he met director

John Huston John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter, actor and visual artist. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered ...

who recommended that he try

after the war. Instead, Dierkes went to work for the

U.S. Treasury Department The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and ...

which coincidentally sent him to Hollywood to function as

technical advisor In film production, a technical advisor is someone who advises the director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a ...

for the film ''

To the Ends of the Earth ''To the Ends of the Earth'' is the title given to a trilogy of nautical, relational novels—''Rites of Passage'' (1980), ''Close Quarters'' (1987), and ''Fire Down Below'' (1989)—by British author William Golding. Set on a former British ...

'' (1948) and Orson Welles cast him as Ross in his version of ''

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

'' in the same year. Welles used Dierkes again in his ''

Touch of Evil ''Touch of Evil'' is a 1958 American film noir written and directed by Orson Welles, who also stars in the film. The screenplay was loosely based on the contemporary Whit Masterson novel ''Badge of Evil'' (1956). The cast included Charlton Hes ...

'' (1958). He married Cynthia Dierkes and they had two daughters and two sons. Because of his appearance and very tall frame (6 ft 6 in), Dierkes enjoyed a long career as a character actor, often portraying either villains or soldiers. One noteworthy performance cast Dierkes as the compassionate and caring scientist Dr. Chapman in the 1951 film ''

The Thing from Another World ''The Thing from Another World'', sometimes referred to as just ''The Thing'', is a 1951 American black-and-white science fiction-horror film, directed by Christian Nyby, produced by Edward Lasker for Howard Hawks' Winchester Pictures Corporati ...

'' which remains a mainstay science fiction classic of the 1950s. His performance provided sanity and calm amid the tension and chills of the action thriller. Although playing against type, his low tone and measured monotone dialogue was a good counter to the rapid and chaotic overlapping dialogue throughout the movie, giving brief pauses between each actor's lines as the tension in each scene increased. In 1951 he played a soldier next to Audie Murphy in the classic film, ''Red'' ''Badge'' ''of'' ''Courage''. In the 1953 film ''

Shane Shane may refer to: People * Shane (actress) (born 1969), American pornographic actress * Shane (New Zealand singer) (born 1946) * iamnotshane (born 1995), formerly known as Shane, American singer * Shane (name) Shane is mainly a masculine g ...

'', Dierkes portrays the callous Morgan Ryker with great effect, director George Stevens making good use of Dierkes' craggy features. Alongside his 'brother' Rufus (Emile Meyer) and Jack Wilson (Jack Palance) he completes a trio of villains who are dispatched 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. His other film credits included ''

The Naked Jungle ''The Naked Jungle'' is a 1954 American adventure film directed by Byron Haskin, and starring Charlton Heston and Eleanor Parker. Telling the story of an attack of army ants on a Brazilian cocoa plantation, it was based on the 1937 short story " ...

'' (1954), '' The Raid'' (1954), '' Jubal'' (1956), ''

The Daughter of Dr. Jekyll ''Daughter of Dr. Jekyll'' is a low-budget black-and-white 1957 American horror film produced by Jack Pollexfen, directed by Edgar G. Ulmer and released by Allied Artists. The film is a variation on the 1886 gothic novella '' Strange Case of D ...

'' (1957), ''

Blood Arrow ''Blood Arrow'' is a 1958 American Western film directed by Charles Marquis Warren and written by Fred Freiberger. The film stars Scott Brady, Paul Richards, Phyllis Coates, Don Haggerty, Diana Darrin and Jeanne Bates. The film was released on ...

'' (1958), ''

The Left Handed Gun ''The Left Handed Gun'' is a 1958 American Western film and the film directorial debut of Arthur Penn, starring Paul Newman as Billy the Kid and John Dehner as Pat Garrett. The screenplay was written by Leslie Stevens from a teleplay by Gore V ...

'' (1958), '' The Buccaneer'' (1958), '' The Hanging Tree'' (1959), '' The Oregon Trail'' (1959), ''

One-Eyed Jacks ''One-Eyed Jacks'' is a 1961 American Western film directed by and starring Marlon Brando, his only directorial credit. Brando portrays the lead character Rio, and Karl Malden plays his partner, "Dad" Longworth. The supporting cast features Pin ...

'' (1961), ''

The Premature Burial "The Premature Burial" is a horror short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, published in 1844 in ''The Philadelphia Dollar Newspaper''. Its main character expresses concern about being buried alive. This fear was common in this period and ...

'' (1962), '' X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes'' (1963), ''

The Haunted Palace ''The Haunted Palace'' is a 1963 horror film released by American International Pictures, starring Vincent Price, Lon Chaney Jr. and Debra Paget (in her final film), in a story about a village held in the grip of a dead necromancer. The film wa ...

'' (1963), ''

The Omega Man ''The Omega Man'' (stylized as ''The Ωmega Man'') is a 1971 American post-apocalyptic action film directed by Boris Sagal and starring Charlton Heston as a survivor of a pandemic. It was written by John William Corrington and Joyce Corrington, b ...

'' (1971) and '' Rage'' (1972). He appeared on the television screen on ''

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

'', as “Mr. Rydell” in the 1956 episode “The Roundup” (S2E4) and as “Ace” in the 1957 episode “Gone Straight” (S2E20) and as "Indian" in the 1971 episode "My Brother's Keeper" (S17E10). Dierkes died on January 8, 1975, from

emphysema Emphysema, or pulmonary emphysema, is a lower respiratory tract disease, characterised by air-filled spaces ( pneumatoses) in the lungs, that can vary in size and may be very large. The spaces are caused by the breakdown of the walls of the alve ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. Cremated, Ashes scattered, per Find a Grave.

Partial filmography

*''

'' (1948) – Ross *''

Three Husbands ''Three Husbands'' is a 1951 American comedy film directed by Irving Reis and starring Eve Arden, Ruth Warrick, and Emlyn Williams. Plot When a recently deceased playboy, Max, gets to heaven, he is granted a wish. His request: to watch his ...

'' (1950) – Night Court Judge (uncredited) *''

'' (1951) – Dr. Chapman (uncredited) *''

The Red Badge of Courage ''The Red Badge of Courage'' is a war novel by American author Stephen Crane (1871–1900). Taking place during the American Civil War, the story is about a young private of the Union Army, Henry Fleming, who flees from the field of battle. Ove ...

'' (1951) – Jim Conklin – the Tall Soldier *'' Silver City'' (1951) – Arnie *'' The Sellout'' (1952) – Big Jake (uncredited) *''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...

'' (1952) – Bosun (uncredited) *''

Plymouth Adventure ''Plymouth Adventure'' is a 1952 Technicolor drama film with an ensemble cast starring Spencer Tracy, Gene Tierney, Van Johnson and Leo Genn, made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by Clarence Brown, and produced by Dore Schary. The screenplay ...

'' (1952) – Greene (uncredited) *''

A Perilous Journey ''A Perilous Journey'' is a 1953 American Western film directed by R. G. Springsteen and written by Richard Wormser. The film stars Vera Ralston, David Brian, Scott Brady, Charles Winninger, Hope Emerson, Eileen Christy and Leif Erickson. Th ...

'' (1953) – First Mate *''

'' (1953) – Morgan Ryker *''

The Vanquished ''The Vanquished'' is a 1953 American Western film directed by Edward Ludwig, written by Lewis R. Foster, Winston Miller and Frank L. Moss, and starring John Payne, Jan Sterling, Coleen Gray, Lyle Bettger, Willard Parker, Roy Gordon and John D ...

'' (1953) – General Morris *'' Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' (1953) – Batley *''

The Moonlighter ''The Moonlighter'' is a 1953 American 3D Western film directed by Roy Rowland and starring Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray. Distributed by Warner Bros., it premiered alongside the 1953 Looney Tunes 3-D Bugs Bunny cartoon, '' Lumber Ja ...

'' (1953) – Sheriff Daws *''

Gun Fury ''Gun Fury'' is a 1953 3-D American Western crime film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Rock Hudson and Donna Reed, with major supporting roles for Philip Carey and Leo Gordon. The film is based on the novel ''Ten Against Caesar'' by Kat ...

'' (1953) – Sheepherder (uncredited) *''

'' (1954) – Gruber *''

Prince Valiant ''Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur'', often simply called ''Prince Valiant'', is an American comic strip created by Hal Foster in 1937. It is an epic adventure that has told a continuous story during its entire history, and the full stretc ...

'' (1954) – Sir Tristram (uncredited) *''

The Desperado ''The Desperado'' is a 1954 American Western (genre), Western film directed by Thomas Carr (director), Thomas Carr and written by Daniel Mainwaring. It is based on the 1950 novel ''The Desperado'' by Clifton Adams. The film stars Wayne Morris ( ...

'' (1954) – Police Sergeant *'' Silver Lode'' (1954) – Blacksmith (uncredited) *'' The Raid'' (1954) – Cpl. Fred Deane *'' Passion'' (1954) – Escobar (uncredited) *'' Hell's Outpost'' (1954) – Swede – the Cook (uncredited) *''

Timberjack Timberjack is a manufacturer of forestry machinery for both cut-to-length and whole tree logging, and was a subsidiary of John Deere from 2000 to 2006. History Timberjack was founded in Woodstock, Ontario in the 1950s by Wesley Maggill and ...

'' (1955) – Sheriff (uncredited) *''

The Road to Denver ''The Road to Denver'' is a 1955 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane starring John Payne, Mona Freeman, Lee J. Cobb, Ray Middleton and Skip Homeier. The supporting cast features Lee Van Cleef, Andy Clyde, Glenn Strange and Emory P ...

'' (1955) – Sheriff Dedrick (uncredited) *''

Not as a Stranger ''Not as a Stranger'' is a 1955 American film noir drama film produced and directed by Stanley Kramer, starring Olivia de Havilland, Robert Mitchum, Frank Sinatra and Gloria Grahame. It is based on the 1954 novel of the same name by Morton Thomp ...

'' (1955) – Bursar *''

Betrayed Women ''Betrayed Women'' is a 1955 American crime film directed by Edward L. Cahn and written by Steve Fisher. The film stars Carole Mathews, Beverly Michaels, Peggy Knudsen, Tom Drake, Sara Haden, John Dierkes and Esther Dale. The film was rele ...

'' (1955) – Cletus Ballard *'' The Vanishing American'' (1955) – Freil *'' Jubal'' (1956) – Carson – Horgan Rider *''

The Fastest Gun Alive ''The Fastest Gun Alive'' is a 1956 MGM Western film starring Glenn Ford, Jeanne Crain, and Broderick Crawford directed by Russell Rouse. Plot Son of a notorious fast-drawing sheriff, George Kelby Jr. (Ford) and his wife Dora (Jeanne Crain) ...

'' (1956) – Walter Hutchins (uncredited) *'' Friendly Persuasion'' (1956) – Farmer (uncredited) *''

The Halliday Brand ''The Halliday Brand'' is a 1957 American Western film directed by Joseph H. Lewis and starring Joseph Cotten. The film's sets were designed by the art director David S. Garber. It was shot partly at the Corriganville Movie Ranch. Plot Clay ...

'' (1957) – Reverend *'' Duel at Apache Wells'' (1957) – Bill Sowers *''

The Guns of Fort Petticoat ''The Guns of Fort Petticoat'' is a 1957 American Western film produced by Harry Joe Brown and Audie Murphy for Brown-Murphy Pictures. It was based on the 1955 short story "Petticoat Brigade" by Chester William Harrison (1913–1994) that he exp ...

'' (1957) – Texas Storekeeper (uncredited) *''

The Buckskin Lady ''The Buckskin Lady'' is a 1957 American Western film directed by Carl K. Hittleman and starring Patricia Medina in the titular role and Richard Denning as her leading man. The supporting cast features Gerald Mohr, Henry Hull, and Hank Worden. ...

'' (1957) – Swanson *''

'' (1957) – Jacob *''

Valerie Valerie may refer to: People *Saint Valerie (disambiguation), a number of saints went by the name Valerie *Valerie (given name), a feminine given name Songs *"Valerie", a 1981 song by Quarterflash, from ''Quarterflash'' *"Valerie", a 1982 son ...

'' (1957) – Bartender (uncredited) *''Death in Small Doses'' (1957) – 'Shug' Grandon (uncredited) *'' The Rawhide Trail'' (1958) – Hangman *''

'' (1958) – Policeman (uncredited) *''

'' (1958) – Ez *''

'' (1958) – McSween *'' The Buccaneer'' (1958) – Deacon *'' The Hanging Tree'' (1959) – Society Red *'' The Oregon Trail'' (1959) – Gabe Hastings *'' The Alamo'' (1960) – Jocko Robertson *''

'' (1961) – Chet *'' The Comancheros'' (1961) – Ranger Bill Larsen (uncredited) *''

'' (1962) – Sweeney *'' Convicts 4'' (1962) – Cell Block Guard (uncredited) *'' X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes'' (1963) – Preacher (uncredited) *''

'' (1963) – Benjamin West / Jacob West *''

Johnny Cool ''Johnny Cool'' is a 1963 American neo-noir crime film directed by William Asher based on the novel ''The Kingdom of Johnny Cool'' by John McPartland which stars Henry Silva and Elizabeth Montgomery. Produced in part by Peter Lawford, ''Johnny ...

'' (1963) – Cripple *''

The Cardinal ''The Cardinal'' is a 1963 American drama film produced independently, directed by Otto Preminger and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The screenplay was written by Robert Dozier, based on the novel of the same name (1950) by Henry Morton Robi ...

'' (1963) – Redneck (uncredited) *''

'' (1971) – Family Member #2 *''

Buck and the Preacher ''Buck and the Preacher'' is a 1972 American Western film released by Columbia Pictures, written by Ernest Kinoy and directed by Sidney Poitier. Poitier also stars in the film alongside Harry Belafonte and Ruby Dee. This is the first film Sid ...

'' (1972) – Townsman in Opening Credits (uncredited) *'' Rage'' (1972) – Bill Parker *'' Oklahoma Crude'' (1973) – Farmer

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dierkes, John 1905 births 1975 deaths Brown University alumni American Red Cross personnel Male actors from Cincinnati American male film actors American male television actors Deaths from emphysema 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American economists Actors from Ohio Economists from Ohio