Acting · Cincinnati, Ohio, USA · Born February 10, 1905
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.
John Wayne's 'The Alamo'
1992
as Jocko Robertson
MovieCreepy Classics
1987
as Roderick Craven - (archive footage)
MovieRage
1972
as Bill Parker
MovieThe Omega Man
1971
as Family Member
MovieJohnny Cool
1963
as Cripple
MovieThe Haunted Palace
1963
as Benjamin West / Jacob West
MovieX: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
1963
as Preacher (uncredited)
MovieThe Raven
1963
as Roderick Craven
MovieConvicts 4
1962
as Cell Block Guard (uncredited)
MovieThe Premature Burial
1962
as Sweeny
MovieThe Comancheros
1961
as Ranger Bill Larsen (uncredited)
MovieOne-Eyed Jacks
1961
as Chet
MovieThe Alamo
1960
as Jocko Robertson
TVThe Aquanauts
1960
as Inspector Crail
MovieThe Slowest Gun in the West
1960
as 'Wild Bill' Monks
MovieThe Oregon Trail
1959
as Gabe Hastings
MovieThe Hanging Tree
1959
as Society Red
TVRawhide
1959
as Private
MovieThe Buccaneer
1958
as Deacon
TVThe Rifleman
1958
as Nel Svenson
TVPeter Gunn
1958
TVWanted: Dead or Alive
1958
as Charlie
MovieThe Left Handed Gun
1958
as McSween
MovieBlood Arrow
1958
as Ez
MovieTouch of Evil
1958
as Policeman (uncredited)
MovieDeath in Small Doses
1957
MovieValerie
1957
as Bartender
MovieThe Buckskin Lady
1957
as Swanson
MovieDaughter of Dr. Jekyll
1957
as Jacob
MovieThe Guns of Fort Petticoat
1957
as Texas Storekeeper (uncredited)
TVTales of Wells Fargo
1957
as Scanlon
MovieDuel at Apache Wells
1957
as Bill Sowers
MovieThe Halliday Brand
1957
as Reverend
MovieDown Liberty Road
1957
as Soldier (Uncredited)
MovieFriendly Persuasion
1956
as Farmer (uncredited)
State Trooper
1956
MovieThe Fastest Gun Alive
1956
as Cross Creek Townsman (uncredited)
TVTelephone Time
1956
MovieJubal
1956
as Carson - Horgan Rider
MovieThe Vanishing American
1955
as Freil
TVGunsmoke
1955
as Rydell
MovieBetrayed Women
1955
as Cletus Ballard
MovieNot as a Stranger
1955
as Bursar
MovieHell's Outpost
1954
as Swede - the Cook (uncredited)
MovieThe Raid
1954
as Cpl. Fred Deane
TVAdventures Of The Falcon
1954
MovieThe Desperado
1954
as Police Sergeant
MovieThe Naked Jungle
1954
as Gruber
MovieGun Fury
1953
MovieThe Moonlighter
1953
as Sheriff Daws
MovieAbbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
1953
as Batley
MovieThe Vanquished
1953
as General Morris
MovieShane
1953
as Morgan Ryker
MovieLes Miserables
1952
as Bosun (uncredited)
MovieSilver City
1951
as Arnie
TVSchlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
as Joe Bronson
MovieThe Red Badge of Courage
1951
as Jim Conklin - the Tall Soldier
MovieThe Thing from Another World
1951
as Dr. Chapman
MovieThree Husbands
1950
as Night Court Judge (uncredited)
Lux Video Theatre
1950
as Jeb Bricker
MovieMacbeth
1948
as Ross
