JAMES BURKE

September 24, 1886

James Burke made his stage debut in New York around 1912 and went to Hollywood in 1933. He made over 200 film appearances during his career between 1932 and 1964 including The Maltese Falcon (1948).  Between 1934 and 1948, Burke did eight films with another prolific character actor, William Frawley (Fred Mertz). In 1934, he made Ruggles of Red Gap, a film that was re-made by Lucille Ball and Bob Hope in 1950. 

He began working in films in 1932, just before Lucille Ball’s arrival in Hollywood. Between 1933 and 1938, Burke appeared in four films that also featured Lucille Ball:

The Bowery (1933) ~ Burke and Ball were uncredited, as were future “Lucy” alumni Charles Lane (Mr. Hickox) and Irving Bacon (Will Potter). Burke played a recruiting officer. 

Blood Money (1933) ~ Ball and Burke are uncredited. She was in the racetrack scene and Burke played a detective in the pool hall. 

Joy of Living (1938) ~ Burke plays Mac and Ball is Salina Pine. Charles Lane also appears in the film. 

The Affairs of Annabel (1938) ~ Lucille Ball plays the title role, Annabel Allison, and James Burke is Muldoon. 

Burke made his television debut just ten days prior to “I Love Lucy” – on October 5, 1951, as a regular character in “Mark Saber” aka “Mystery Theatre” (1951-53) playing Sergeant Tim Maloney, police sidekick to the title detective played by Tom Conway. When the show returned in 1957 as “Saber of London” (aka “The Vise”) the title role had been recast and Burke’s role had been eliminated.  During his 164 episodes of “Mark Saber” Burke worked with many “Lucy” alumni like Shirley Mitchell, Louis Nicoletti, Frank Scannell, Larry J. Blake, Virginia Barbour, and Dick Elliott. 

Burke re-teamed with Lucille Ball in early 1954 as Mr. Watson, owner of “The Diner” (ILL S3;E27). Ricky grows tired of the business called show and convinces the Mertzes to partner with him in a corner eatery. Culture and couple clash ensue and a diner divided amongst itself cannot stand: A Little Bit of Cuba battles for customers with A Big Hunk of America and no one wins! 

In the end, we learn that sneaky Mr. Watson (Burke) makes money by buying and selling the diner to naïve entrepreneurs, a discovery that earns him a taste of his own custard!

In December 1957, Burke returned to Desilu to film “Lucy Wins a Racehorse”, an installment of the “Westinghouse-Desilu Playhouse” and the fourth episode of what would be known in syndication as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour.”  

Burke plays the man who delivers Whirling Jet (the horse of the title) to the Ricardos after they win a cereal box top contest. Burke (above left) breaks the old show business rule ‘never work with kids or animals’ by starring here with both!  Frawley and Burke (above left) should know better: they both were featured in The Lemon Drop Kid (1934), a story that also involves both a child and a racehorse! 

His casting in “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” was likely linked to also being featured in “The Crazy Hunter” which aired in December 1958. As usual, the episode was introduced by Desi Arnaz. 

His final screen appearance was on a May 1962 episode of “The Law and Mr. Jones.” 

Burke was married to Eleanor Durkin making them Burke n’ Durkin. Burke died in 1968 at age 81 from heart ailments.