Home
Browse
Movies
TV Shows
My List

Discover movies and TV shows, track ratings, watch trailers, and build your watchlist — all in one cinematic place.

Browse

Movies
TV Shows
Trending
Search

Account

Sign In
Create Account
My List
Settings

Company

About
Privacy
Terms of Use
Help Center

© 2026 Virelixia. All rights reserved.

Movie & TV data provided by TMDB. Not affiliated with TMDB or any streaming service.

James Burke

Known For: Acting
Born: September 23, 1886
Place of Birth: New York City, New York, USA
Died: May 23, 1968

James Burke

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia James Burke (September 24, 1886 – May 23, 1968) was an American film and television actor born in New York City. He made his stage debut in New York around 1912 and went to Hollywood in 1933. He made over 200 film appearances during his career, which ranged from 1932 to 1964; he was more often than not cast as a cop, usually a none-too-bright one, most notably as Sgt. Velie in Columbia's Ellery Queen mysteries in the early 1940s. He appeared in The Maltese Falcon, At the Circus, Lone Star, and many others. One of his best roles was as Charles Ruggles' rowdy rancher pal in Ruggles of Red Gap. In the early 1950s, Burke appeared with Tom Conway in the ABC detective drama series then called Inspector Mark Saber -- Homicide Detective, later renamed, reformatted, and switched to NBC under the title Saber of London. From 1960-1961, Burke appeared in the r…

Filmography

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

1975 · Self (archive footage)

Dinah!

1974 · Self

Stagecoach West

1960 · James Burke, Zeke Bonner

The DuPont Show with June Allyson

1959 · Policeman

Alias Jesse James

1959 · Charlie (uncredited)

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

1958

Wanted: Dead or Alive

1958 · Sheriff John Tatum, Sheriff M. Comstock, Sheriff Blore

The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour

1957 · Horse Handler (uncredited)

Trackdown

1957

The Unholy Wife

1957 · Sheriff Tom Watling

Public Pigeon No. 1

1957 · Harrigan

The 20th Century Fox Hour

1955

Cheyenne

1955 · Buckshot

Lassie

1954

Lucky Me

1954 · Mahoney

Lone Star

1952 · Luther Kilgore

Toughest Man in Arizona

1952

We're Not Married!

1952 · Willie's Sergeant (uncredited)

My Little Margie

1952

Denver and Rio Grande

1952 · Sheriff Ed Johnson

Warpath

1951 · Oldtimer

I Love Lucy

1951 · Mr. Watson

Here Comes the Groom

1951 · O'Neill, Policeman

His Kind of Woman

1951 · Barkeeper in Nogales (uncredited)

Raton Pass

1951 · Hank

The Last Outpost

1951 · Stagecoach driver (uncredited)

Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone

1950 · The Train Conductor

Let's Dance

1950 · George (uncredited)

Copper Canyon

1950 · Jeb Bassett

Red, Hot and Blue

1949 · Doorman (uncredited)

Alias Nick Beal

1949 · Bum

Shamrock Hill

1949 · Michael Rogan

June Bride

1948 · Luke Potter

Night Wind

1948 · Sheriff Hamilton

Beyond Glory

1948 · Jim, the Bartender (uncredited)

Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven

1948 · Cop (uncredited)

The Timber Trail

1948 · Jed Baker

The Big Clock

1948 · O'Brien

Body and Soul

1947 · Arnold (uncredited)

Nightmare Alley

1947 · Rural Marshal (uncredited)

Song of the Thin Man

1947 · Policeman Callahan (uncredited)

The Gas House Kids in Hollywood

1947 · Police Lt. Burke

Down to Earth

1947 · Detective Kelly

Philo Vance's Gamble

1947 · Lt. Burke

Easy Come, Easy Go

1947 · Harry Weston

California

1947 · Pokey

Two Years Before the Mast

1946 · Carrick

Bowery Bombshell

1946 · Detective O'Malley

The Virginian

1946 · Andy Jones (uncredited)

Young Widow

1946 · Motorcycle Cop (Uncredited)

How DOooo You Do

1945 · Detective

I Love a Bandleader

1945 · Charles Gibley

Shady Lady

1945 · Crane

Anchors Aweigh

1945 · Studio Cop

The Horn Blows at Midnight

1945 · Policeman (uncredited)

Casanova Brown

1944 · O'Leary (uncredited)

3 Men in White

1944 · First Policeman (uncredited)

Riding High

1943 · Pete

Thank Your Lucky Stars

1943 · Bill, Intern Guard (uncredited)

Dixie

1943 · Riverboat Captain (uncredited)

No Place for a Lady

1943 · Police Substation Chief Moriarty

A Night to Remember

1942 · Pat Murphy (uncredited)

Army Surgeon

1942 · Brooklyn

Enemy Agents Meet Ellery Queen

1942 · Police Sergeant Velie

It Happened in Flatbush

1942 · Umpire Shaunnessy

A Desperate Chance for Ellery Queen

1942 · Sgt. Velie

My Favorite Blonde

1942 · Union Secretary

A Close Call for Ellery Queen

1942 · Sgt. Velie

All Through the Night

1942 · Police Lt. Forbes

Ellery Queen and the Murder Ring

1941 · Sgt. Velie

The Maltese Falcon

1941 · Luke

Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime

1941 · Sgt. Velie

Million Dollar Baby

1941 · Callahan

Reaching for the Sun

1941 · Norm

Pot o' Gold

1941 · Lt. Grady

Ellery Queen's Penthouse Mystery

1941 · Sgt. Velie

Ellery Queen, Master Detective

1940 · Sgt. Velle

Little Nellie Kelly

1940 · Sergeant McGowan

No Time for Comedy

1940 · Police Sergeant (uncredited)

The Golden Fleecing

1940 · Sibley

The Way of All Flesh

1940 · Frisco

The Saint Takes Over

1940 · Patrolman Mike

Buck Benny Rides Again

1940 · Taxi Driver

Opened by Mistake

1940 · Police Sergeant Wilkins

Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise

1940 · Wilkie, house detective

Double Alibi

1940 · Police Captain Orr

The Cisco Kid and the Lady

1939 · Pop Saunders

At the Circus

1939 · John Carter

Fast and Furious

1939 · Clancy

Beau Geste

1939 · Lieutenant Dufour

On Borrowed Time

1939 · Sheriff Burlingame

Dodge City

1939 · Cattle Auctioneer (uncredited)

I'm from Missouri

1939 · Walt Bliss

Sudden Money

1939 · McPherson

The Family Next Door

1939 · Policeman

Within the Law

1939 · 'Red'

The Saint Strikes Back

1939 · Headquarters Police Officer

The Dawn Patrol

1938 · Flaherty - Motorcycle Driver

Little Orphan Annie

Little Orphan Annie

1938 · Mike Moriarty

The Mad Miss Manton

1938 · Sullivan

The Affairs of Annabel

1938 · Muldoon

You Can't Take It with You

1938 · Chief Detective (uncredited)

Men with Wings

1938 · J.A. Nolan

Joy of Living

1938 · Mac

Flight Into Nowhere

1938 · Ike Matthews

The Perfect Specimen

1937 · Constable Snodgrass

Life Begins with Love

1937 · Darby McGraw

Dead End

1937 · Mulligan

High, Wide and Handsome

1937 · Stackpole

Champagne Waltz

1937 · Mr. Scribner

Laughing at Trouble

1936 · Bill Norton

Great Guy

1936 · Patrick James Aloysius 'Pat' Haley

Can This Be Dixie?

1936 · Sheriff N.B.F. Rider

36 Hours to Kill

1936 · Doyle - Process Server

Rhythm on the Range

1936 · Wabash

Forgotten Faces

1936 · Sgt. Johnny Donovan / Harry's friend

Song and Dance Man

1936 · Lt. Mike Boyle

Klondike Annie

1936

The Leathernecks Have Landed

1936 · Corrigan

Dancing Feet

1936 · Phil Moore

So Red the Rose

1935 · Major Rushton

Frisco Waterfront

1935 · Corrigan

Coronado

1935 · Slug Moran

Hot Money

1935 · Police Sgt. Burke

Music Is Magic

1935 · Mickey (uncredited)

Case of the Missing Man

1935 · Police Sergeant Rorty

The Affair of Susan

1935 · Hogan

Here Comes Cookie

1935 · Broken-Nose Reilly

Welcome Home

1935 · Michael Shaughnessy

Call of the Wild

1935 · Ole

Man on the Flying Trapeze

1935 · Patrolman

Broadway Gondolier

1935 · Uncle Andy

Make a Million

1935 · Pete

The Farmer Takes a Wife

1935 · Man Hauling Rifles and Bullets

After the Dance

1935 · Police Lieutenant

Dinky

1935 · Truck Driver

Mississippi

1935 · Skeptical Passenger in Pilot House (uncredited)

Ruggles of Red Gap

1935 · Jeff Tuttle

The Mystery Man

1935 · Managing Editor Marvin

Ticket to a Crime

1934 · Detective Lt. John Aloysius McGinnis

Love Time

1934 · Emperor Francis I

Lady by Choice

1934 · Brannigan

Treasure Island

1934 · Pirate of the Spanish Main

Friends of Mr. Sweeney

1934 · Policeman Arresting Wynn

Such Women Are Dangerous

1934 · Detective

Little Miss Marker

1934 · Detective Reardon (uncredited)

The Merry Frinks

1934 · 3rd Expressman (uncredited)

Twentieth Century

1934 · Sheriff (uncredited)

The Scarlet Empress

1934

Sadie McKee

1934 · Motorcycle Cop (uncredited)

A Very Honorable Guy

1934 · Sergeant

Sisters Under the Skin

1934 · Conroy

City Limits

1934 · King, a Hobo

Wharf Angel

1934 · Brooklyn Jack

Gambling Lady

1934 · Detective Making Raid (uncredited)

It Happened One Night

1934 · Detective (uncredited)

Six of a Kind

1934 · Detective (uncredited)

Queen Christina

1934 · Blacksmith - 4th Rabble Rouser (uncredited)

All of Me

1934 · Welfare Island Guard (uncredited)

Lady Killer

1933 · Panhandler (uncredited)

The Kennel Murder Case

1933 · Policeman Who Lets Dog Out (uncredited)

Bombshell

1933 · First Immigration Officer (uncredited)

The Bowery

1933 · Recruiting Sergeant (uncredited)

To the Last Man

1933 · Kentucky Sheriff (uncredited)

Torch Singer

1933 · Taxi Driver

College Humor

1933 · Cromwell Dexter

The Girl in 419

1933 · Detective Jackson

A Lady's Profession

1933 · Mulroy

Face in the Sky

1933 · Cop (uncredited)

The Hollywood Handicap

The Hollywood Handicap

1932

James Burke · Virelixia