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Paul Burke
1965 photo of Burke as Joe Gallagher in 12 O'Clock High
Born	Paul Raymond Burke (1926-07-21)July 21, 1926 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Died	September 13, 2009(2009-09-13) (aged 83) Palm Springs, California, U.S.
Alma mater	Pasadena Playhouse
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1951–1990
Spouses	Peggy Pryor (born Alice Louise Wikan) ​ ​(m. 1946⁠–⁠1972)​ Lyn Peters ​(m. 1979⁠–⁠2009)​
Children	4
Relatives	Alia Shawkat (granddaughter)

Paul Raymond Burke (July 21, 1926 – September 13, 2009) was an American actor, best known for his lead roles in two 1960s ABC television series, Naked City and 12 O'Clock High. He was twice nominated for an Emmy Award for his portrayal of New York Police Department detective Adam Flint in Naked City.

Life and career

Burke was born in New Orleans, the son of Santa Maria (née Palermo) and Martin Joseph "Marty" Burke, a boxer who fought Gene Tunney and later owned a restaurant and nightclub known as Marty Burke's in the New Orleans French Quarter.

After training at the Pasadena Playhouse, Burke's film career began with a small role in the movie Golden Girl. Early in his career, Burke guest-starred in the syndicated series Highway Patrol and Men of Annapolis. In 1956–57, Burke was cast as Dr. Noah McCann in Noah's Ark, a weekly program produced by Jack Webb which aired on NBC, the story of a pair of dedicated veterinarians. Victor Rodman played the older colleague, Dr. Sam Rinehart.

After Five Fingers Burke was cast in the lead role of the police show Naked City, in which he appeared as Adam Flint from 1960 to 1963. Burke then appeared in the starring role of Captain (later Maj., then Col.) Joe Gallagher on 12 O'Clock High between 1964 and 1967, during which time he met his wife, Lyn. The 12 O'Clock High role was Burke's last lead television role.

In 1967, Burke starred in the film Valley of the Dolls as Lyon Burke, the young lawyer who befriended all three female stars and had a tempestuous relationship with Anne Welles. He also played a police officer who pursued a bank robber played by Steve McQueen in The Thomas Crown Affair. He appeared in supporting roles in a number of television series, including recurring roles in Dynasty from 1982 to 1988 and in Tom Selleck's Magnum, P.I., from 1981 to 1985 as Rear Admiral Hawkes. Burke also served as a television commercial spokesman for the electronics retailer RadioShack.

Racketeering charges

In 1989, Burke and Harry Connick Sr., the New Orleans district attorney, were indicted on racketeering charges for aiding and abetting a gambling operation by returning gambling records to an arrested gambler. They were both acquitted of the charges.

Later years and death

Burke is the grandfather of actress Alia Shawkat, whose mother is Burke's daughter, Dina. He retired from acting in the early 1990s. Suffering from leukemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, he died in 2009 at his home in Palm Springs, California, aged 83. His second wife, Lyn Peters, died in Palm Springs on September 10, 2013, at the age of 72.

Filmography

References

1. U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947
2. "Paul Burke, New Orleans-born actor, dies". The Times-Picayune. September 13, 2009. Archived from the original on September 17, 2009. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
3. ^ "Naked City actor Paul Burke dies", Laredo Morning Times, Laredo, Texas, September 14, 2009, p. 9A
4. Dennis, McLellan (September 15, 2009). "Paul Burke dies at 83; actor starred in gritty TV show 'Naked City'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 17, 2009.
5. "New Orleans Official Denies Aiding Gambler". The New York Times. Associated Press. December 22, 1989.
6. Fox, Margalit (September 16, 2009). "Paul Burke, Actor Who Starred in TV's 'Naked City,' Is Dead at 83". The New York Times. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
7. "Lyn Burke". New Orleans Times-Picayune. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
8. Lieutenant Schuster's Wife, Rotten Tomatoes, retrieved September 26, 2022

External links

• Paul Burke at IMDb
• Paul Burke at AllMovie
• "Star With a Wall Around Him," TV Guide, May 1962

• 1926 births
• 2009 deaths
• 20th-century American male actors
• American male film actors
• American male television actors
• Deaths from lymphoma in California
• Deaths from leukemia in California
• Deaths from non-Hodgkin lymphoma
• Male actors from New Orleans
• Male actors from Palm Springs, California