Skip to content
MovieCove
Ralph Meeker

Ralph Meeker

Actor, also producer · Died August 5, 1988, aged 67 · Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Ralph Meeker (born Ralph Rathgeber; November 21, 1920 – August 5, 1988) was an American actor. He first rose to prominence for his roles in the Broadway productions of Mister Roberts (1948–1951) 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 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 (1959–1960), 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.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 21, 1920
Died
August 5, 1988 (aged 67)
From
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Works as
Actor, also producer
Titles
35 on MovieCove · 87 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 8% in 30 days

What are Ralph Meeker's films like?

Across their 28 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Power.

Genres

Drama8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 67th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Crime7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Action5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 44th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Horror3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 26th percentile
: browse their Horror movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 16th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 45th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
33%
Power
22%
Survival
14%
Bonds
12%
Ideas
8%
Self
7%
Society
3%
Justice8 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge3 titles, browse their movies with this themeGreed4 titles, browse their movies with this themePower3 titles, browse their movies with this themeTruth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 28 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 5 · Serious 10 · Dark 13

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 18 · Stylized 9 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 2 · Charged 14 · Intense 12

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 8 · Shifting 17 · Whiplash 3

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 20 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 2

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 10 · Even-paced 16 · Relentless 2

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 8 · Engaged 16 · Full focus 4

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 7 · Affecting 12 · Heavy 9

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 18 · Open-ended 9 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

19 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 7 of 19 analyzed roles.

Shadow
7 of 19
Ally
6 of 19
Hero
3 of 19
Mentor
1 of 19
Shapeshifter
1 of 19
Threshold guardian
1 of 19
Show the 19 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
26
Dread
10
Melancholic
8
Thrilling
7
Absurd
3
Other
16

How their films linger

Unsettling13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 8 with a twist

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet11
  • Tragic7
  • Ambiguous5

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Ralph Meeker's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 20 of their 35 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (17).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Ralph Meeker's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

87 credits, 35 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller(2002)

    as Lt. Driscoll (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Without Warning(1980)

    as Dave

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Winter Kills(1979)

    as Gameboy Baker

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Kaz (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Eddie Capra Mysteries (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Alpha Incident(1978)

    as Charlie

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Hi-Riders(1978)

    as Mike

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • My Boys Are Good Boys(1979)

    Executive Producer · as Bert Morton

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • CHiPs(1977)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all shows

  • The Food of the Gods(1976)

    as Bensington

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Barbary Coast (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 1 episode · as Big Lou Hobart

  • Johnny Firecloud (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Colby

  • Brannigan(1975)

    as Capt. Moretti

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • The Dead Don't Die(1975)

    as Lieutenant Reardon

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Police Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Harry O (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Run, Joe, Run (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Girl on the Late, Late Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Inspector DeBiesse

  • Night Games (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Dutch Armbreck

  • Cry Panic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Chuck Braswell

  • Toma (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Faraday and Company (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 1 episode · as Ed Kelso

  • Angela – Love Comes Quietly (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Ben Hoeksema

  • The Evil Touch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Police Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • You'll Never See Me Again(1973)

    as Will Alden

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Birds of Prey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Jim McAndrew

  • The Rookies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Mind Snatchers(1972)

    as The Major

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • The Night Stalker(1972)

    as Bernie Jenks

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • The Reluctant Heroes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Capt. Luke Danvers

  • Primus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Cannon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Anderson Tapes(1971)

    as Police Captain 'Iron Balls' Delaney

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • I Walk the Line(1970)

    as Carl McCain

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Lost Flight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Glenn Walkup

  • Room 222 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Devil's 8(1969)

    as Burl

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • The Name of the Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as Senator Goddard

  • The Detective(1968)

    as Curran

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Gentle Giant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Fog Hanson

  • The High Chaparral (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · as Tracy Conlin

  • Custer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The St. Valentine's Day Massacre(1967)

    as George Clarence 'Bugs' Moran

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Dirty Dozen(1967)

    as Captain Stuart Kinder

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Ironside (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • The Green Hornet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 1 episode · as Earl Evans

  • Tarzan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The F.B.I. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Graham Newcomb · as King Hogan · as Scott Martin

  • Kraft Suspense Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Harly Clay

  • The Outer Limits(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as John Dexter

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • Wall of Noise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Matt Rubio

  • Going My Way (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Something Wild(1961)

    as Mike

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • A Holster Full Of Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Frank Clell

  • The Defenders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · as Floyd Cooper

  • Ada(1961)

    as Colonel Yancey

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Tallahassee 7000 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Route 66(1960)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • Not for Hire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 39 episodes · as US Army Sergeant Steve Dekker

  • The Texan(1958)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Wanted: Dead or Alive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as Martin Ash

  • Paths of Glory(1957)

    as Cpl. Philippe Paris

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Run of the Arrow(1957)

    as Lieutenant Driscoll

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown(1957)

    as Mike Valla

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Four Women in Black (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Carbine Webb

  • A Woman's Devotion(1956)

    as Trevor Stevenson

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · as Steve Elkins

  • Desert Sands(1955)

    as Capt. David Malcolm

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • The 20th Century Fox Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Carl Borden · as Carl Spann · as John Forbes · as Mel Reeves

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Kiss Me Deadly(1955)

    as Mike Hammer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Big House, U.S.A.(1955)

    as Geraldo 'Jerry' Barker aka Iceman

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Climax! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · as 'Griff' Griffith · as Alex Hill

  • The Loretta Young Show(1953)

    Show 1 episode · as Ed James · as Joe Martin · as Pilot Duke Cavanaugh · as Willis Cooper

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • Code Two (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Chuck O'Flair

  • Jeopardy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Lawson the Fugitive

  • The Naked Spur(1953)

    as Roy Anderson

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Somebody Loves Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Benny Fields

  • Shadow in the Sky(1952)

    as Burt

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Glory Alley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Socks Barbarrosa

  • Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Wally Walters

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Barry Brannon · as Rich Adams

  • Teresa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Sgt. Dobbs

  • Four in a Jeep (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Sergeant William Long

  • Lux Video Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · as Mike · as Nicky Hanks

  • Studio One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 1 episode · as Larry Sheridan · as Steve Windom

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 87 titles from 1948 to 2002; peak year 1967.

Biggest box office

Winter Kills (1979)

$1.2M worldwide

Highest rated

Paths of Glory (1957)

Midcredits 99th

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
19482002

Peak 1967 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 3 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1953Screen debut· The Naked Spur
  • 1955First top-billed film· Kiss Me Deadly
  • 1955Breakout· Kiss Me Deadly

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting87 of 87: 86 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score62ndProducing1 of 87: 0 only producing, 1 with another role

By decade

1940s1 · acting1950s27 · acting1960s23 · acting1970s34 · 34 acting · 1 crew1980s1 · acting2000s1 · acting

Billing

usually 4th · top billed in 6% of 17 roles
5358

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Ralph Meeker's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 59th percentile, the median of all 29; across their 28 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 56th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 28

Approval · how many liked their films

54thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 28

Reach · how many have seen their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 28

Midcredits score across 35 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th15
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th7

Shape of the crowd

14 of their 35 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser14
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed11

Most divisive · actor

Hi-Riders (1978)

69th percentile spread · 37% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Paths of Glory (1957)

Midcredits 99th · 91% liked

Reviewers score the acting 65/100 in their films, across 27 reviewed titles; fans 75, detractors 43. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Ralph Meeker's work okay for kids?

Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, 1 of the 5 categories sits near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 61 · intenseMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity7 titles17–51 · median 23 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 36 · moderateMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 38 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 66 · intenseMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Ralph Meeker work with?

People who share at least 2 of Ralph Meeker's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Charles Bronson shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles