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Ralph Meeker Biography (1920-1988)

Born Ralph Rathgeber, November 21, 1920, in Minneapolis, MN; died of a heartattack, August 5, 1988, in Woodland Hills, CA; son of Ralph and Magnhild Senovia Haavig Meeker Rathgeber; married Salome Jens (an actress), July 20, 1964(divorced, 1966); married Colleen Rose Neary (marriage ended); third wife's name, Millicent.

Nationality

American

Gender

Male

Birth Details

November 21, 1920

Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

Death Details

August 5, 1988

Woodland Hills, California, United States

Famous Works

• Credits
• STAGE DEBUT--Bellboy, Doughgirls, Selwyn Theatre, Chicago, IL, 1943.
• BROADWAY DEBUT--Chuck, Strange Fruit, Royale Theatre, 1945.
• PRINCIPAL STAGE APPEARANCES; ALL IN NEW YORK CITY,UNLESS INDICATED Mannion, Mister Roberts, Alvin Theatre, 1947.
• Stanley Kowalski, A Streetcar Named Desire, Ethel Barrymore Theatre, 1949.
• Hal Carter, Picnic, Music Box Theatre, 1953.
• Frank Copley, Top Man, Shubert Theatre, New Haven, CT, 1955.
• Newton Reece, Cloud 7, John Golden Theatre, 1958.
• Berenger, Rhinocerous, Longacre Theatre, 1961.
• Sergeant Toat, Something about a Soldier, Ambassador Theatre, 1962.
• Bernie Slovenk, Natural Affection, Sombrero Playhouse, Phoenix, AZ, 1962.
• Mickey, After the Fall, and Charles Taney, But for Whom Charlie, both Lincoln Center Repertory Theatre Company, American National Theatre Academy Washington Square Theatre, 1964.
• Sam, Mrs. Dally, John Golden Theatre, 1965.
• Artie Shaughnessy, The House of Blue Leaves, Truck and Warehouse Theatre,1971.
• Also appeared in Cyrano de Bergerac, Alvin Theatre, 1946; and in Streamers, Westwood Playhouse, Los Angeles, CA, then Cannery Theatre, San Francisco,CA, both 1977.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL STAGE WORK
• Assistant stage manager, Strange Fruit, Royale Theatre, New York City, 1945.
• assistant stage manager, Cyrano de Bergerac, Alvin Theatre, New York City, 1946.
• Credits; MAJOR TOURS
• Bellboy, The Doughgirls, U.S. cities, 1943.
• Anthony Marston, Ten Little Indians, U.S.O. tour, Mediterranean area, 1944.
• Stanley Kowalski, A Streetcar Named Desire, U.S. cities, 1950.
• Hal Carter, Picnic, U.S. cities, 1954.
• Also appeared in Mrs. Dally Has a Lover, U.S. cities, 1965.
• FILM DEBUT--Sergeant Dobbs, Teresa, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1951.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL FILM APPEARANCES
• Sergeant William Long, Four in a Jeep, Praesens Film Zurich, 1951.
• Burt, Shadow in the Sky, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), 1951.
• Socks Barbarrosa, Glory Alley, MGM, 1952.
• Benny Fields, Somebody Loves Me, Paramount, 1952.
• Chuck O'Flair, Code Two, MGM, 1953.
• Lawson, Jeopardy, MGM, 1953.
• Roy Anderson, The Naked Spur, MGM, 1953.
• Jerry Barker, Big House, U.S.A., United Artists, 1955.
• David Malcolm, Desert Sands, United Artists, 1955.
• Mike Hammer, Kiss Me Deadly, United Artists, 1955.
• Trevor Stevenson, A Woman's Devotion (also known as War Shock and Battleshock), Republic, 1956.
• Mike Valla, The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown, United Artists, 1957.
• Corporal Paris, Paths of Glory, United Artists, 1957.
• Lieutenant Driscoll, Run of the Arrow, Universal, 1957.
• Colonel Yancy, Ada, MGM, 1961.
• Mike, Something Wild, United Artists, 1961.
• Matt Rubio, Wall of Noise, Warner Brothers, 1963.
• Captain Stuart Kinder, The Dirty Dozen, MGM, 1967.
• Fog Hanson, Gentle Giant, Paramount, 1967.
• George "Bugs" Moran, The St. Valentine's Day Massacre, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1967.
• Lieutenant Curran, The Detective, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1968.
• Burl, The Devil's 8, American International, 1969.
• Carl McCain, I Walk the Line, Columbia, 1970.
• Delaney, The Anderson Tapes, Columbia, 1971.
• the Major, The Happiness Cage (also known as The Mind Snatchers), Cinerama, 1972.
• Captain Moretti, Brannigan, United Artists, 1975.
• Bensington, The Food of the Gods, American International, 1976.
• Gameboy Baker, Winter Kills, AVCO-Embassy, 1979.
• Dave, Without Warning (also known as It Came ... Without Warning), Filmways, 1980.
• Also appeared in Love Comes Quietly, 1974; Johnny Firecloud, 1975; The Alpha Incident, 1976; The Hi-Riders, Dimension, 1978; and My Boys Are Good Boys, Peter Perry, 1978.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL FILM WORK
• Executive producer, My Boys Are Good Boys, Peter Perry, 1978.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL TELEVISION APPEARANCES; EPISODIC
• "Fifty Grand," Kraft Television Theatre, NBC, 1958.
• The Loretta Young Show, NBC, 1964.
• Route 66, CBS, 1966.
• The Doctors and the Nurses, CBS, 1964.
• Kraft Suspense Theatre, NBC, 1964.
• Moment of Fear, NBC, 1965.
• The Long, Hot Summer, ABC, 1966.
• The F.B.I., ABC, 1966, then 1967.
• The Green Hornet, ABC, 1967.
• Custer, ABC, 1967.
• Tarzan, NBC, 1967.
• The High Chaparral, NBC, 1967.
• The Name of the Game, NBC, 1968.
• Ironside, NBC, 1968.
• The Men from Shiloh, NBC, 1970.
• Police Surgeon, syndicated, 1971.
• "Hard Traveling," NET Playhouse, NET, 1971.
• The Rookies, ABC, 1975.
• Credits; MOVIES
• Captain Luke Danvers, The Reluctant Heroes, ABC, 1971.
• Bernie Jenks, The Night Stalker, ABC, 1972.
• Will Alden, You'll Never See Me Again, ABC, 1973.
• Chief Harry Stahlgaher, Police Story, NBC, 1973.
• Jim McAndrew, Birds of Prey, CBS, 1973.
• Chuck Braswell, Cry Panic, ABC, 1974.
• Inspector DeBiesse, The Girl on the Late, Late Show, NBC, 1974.
• Dutch Armbreck, Night Games, NBC, 1974.
• Lieutenant Reardon, The Dead Don't Die, NBC, 1975.
• Credits; SPECIALS
• Sergeant Dekker, Not for Hire, NBC, 1960.
• Also The Lost Flight.

Further Reference

OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:

• New York Times, August 6, 1988.
• Variety, August 10, 1988.