Ralph Meeker (born Ralph Rathgeber; November 21, 1920 â€" August 5,
1988) was an American film, stage, and television actor. He first rose
to prominence for his roles in the Broadway productions of Mister
Roberts (1948â€"1951) and Picnic (1953), the former of which earned
him a Theatre World Award for his performance. In film, Meeker is
perhaps best known for his portrayal of Mike Hammer in Robert
Aldrich's 1955 film noir cult classic Kiss Me Deadly.Meeker went on to
play a series of roles that used his husky and macho screen presence,
including a lead role in Stanley Kubrick's military courtroom drama
Paths of Glory (1957), as a troubled mechanic opposite Carroll Baker
in Something Wild (1961), as a World War II captain in The Dirty Dozen
(1967), and in the gangster film The St. Valentine's Day Massacre
(1967). Other credits include supporting roles in I Walk the Line
(1970) and Sidney Lumet's The Anderson Tapes (1971).He also had a
prolific career in television, appearing as Sergeant Steve Dekker on
the series Not for Hire (1959â€"1960), and in the television horror
film The Night Stalker (1972). After suffering a stroke in 1980,
Meeker was forced to retire from acting, and died eight years later of
a heart attack in Los Angeles, California.
1988) was an American film, stage, and television actor. He first rose
to prominence for his roles in the Broadway productions of Mister
Roberts (1948â€"1951) and Picnic (1953), the former of which earned
him a Theatre World Award for his performance. In film, Meeker is
perhaps best known for his portrayal of Mike Hammer in Robert
Aldrich's 1955 film noir cult classic Kiss Me Deadly.Meeker went on to
play a series of roles that used his husky and macho screen presence,
including a lead role in Stanley Kubrick's military courtroom drama
Paths of Glory (1957), as a troubled mechanic opposite Carroll Baker
in Something Wild (1961), as a World War II captain in The Dirty Dozen
(1967), and in the gangster film The St. Valentine's Day Massacre
(1967). Other credits include supporting roles in I Walk the Line
(1970) and Sidney Lumet's The Anderson Tapes (1971).He also had a
prolific career in television, appearing as Sergeant Steve Dekker on
the series Not for Hire (1959â€"1960), and in the television horror
film The Night Stalker (1972). After suffering a stroke in 1980,
Meeker was forced to retire from acting, and died eight years later of
a heart attack in Los Angeles, California.
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