Paul 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 Twelve 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.
Career
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 Major, then Colonel) 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 an art thief played by Steve McQueen in The Thomas Crown Affair
During the 1970s, he appeared in three episodes each of ABC’s The Love Boat and CBS’s Medical Center. In 1984, he appeared as C.C. Capwell in twenty-one episodes of the NBC soap opera Santa Barbara. He appeared in supporting roles in a number of television series, including recurring roles in Dynasty from 1982-1988 and in Tom Selleck’s Magnum, P.I. from 1981-1985 as Rear Admiral Hawkes.
Later years and death
Burke retired from acting in the early 1990s. He was the grandfather of actress Alia Shawkat. He died at his home in Palm Springs, California. He had leukemia and non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
Paul Burke in 12 O’Clock High
Paul Burke’s filmography continues next page
Selected filmography
| Film | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role |
| 1951 | Fixed Bayonets! | Doggie |
| 1952 | Francis Goes to West Point | Sergeant Swazey |
| 1953 | South Sea Woman | Ensign at court-martial |
| 1955 | Francis in the Navy | Tate |
| 1956 | Screaming Eagles | Cpl. Dreef |
| 1957 | The Disembodied | Tom Maxwell |
| 1964 | Della | Barney Stafford |
| 1967 | Valley of the Dolls | Lyon Burke |
| 1968 | The Thomas Crown Affair | Lt. Eddy Malone |
| 1969 | Once You Kiss a Stranger… | Jerry |
| 1970 | Guerilla Strike Force | Bob Reynolds |
| 1990 | The Fool | Paul Brooke |
| Television | ||
| Year | Title | Role |
| 1955 | Big Town | Gardiner |
| Navy Log | Sparks | |
| Stage 7 | Tommy | |
| 1957 | Men of Annapolis | Wesley Edmont |
| 1958 | Tales of Wells Fargo | Bud Crawford |
| 1959 | The Millionaire | Nellis |
| 1960 | Hawaiian Eye | Brad Finley |
| Hotel de Paree | Tad Frisbee | |
| Wanted: Dead or Alive | Daniel Trenner | |
| 1960-1963 | Naked City | Detective Adam Flint |
| 1963 | The Lieutenant | Captain Thomson |
| 1964 | The Great Adventure | Captain Richard Pratt |
| Combat! | Sgt. O’Neill | |
| Slattery’s People | Dr. Robert Harrison | |
| 1964-1967 | 12 O’Clock High | Colonel Joseph Anson Gallagher |
| 1970 | Crowhaven Farm | Ben Porter |
| 1972 | The Rookies | Neil Montgomery |
| 1973 | The New Adventures of Perry Mason | Herbert Newton |
| Shaft | Elliot Williamson | |
| 1974 | Police Woman | Joe Fenner |
| Harry O | Philip Ballinger | |
| Mannix | Anderson | |
| 1975 | McMillan and Wife | Les Walker |
| 1976 | Petrocelli | John Fleming |
| Starsky and Hutch | Lt. Ted Cameron | |
| 1977 | Little Ladies of the Night | Frank Atkins |
| 1978 | What Really Happened to the Class of ’65? | McDonald |
| 1979 | The Littlest Hobo | Andy McClelland |
| 1980 | Charlie’s Angels | Clifford Burke |
| Trapper John, M.D. | Dr. Malcolm | |
| 1981 | Vega$ | Raymond Green |
| 1983 | T. J. Hooker | Capt. Frank Medavoy |
| 1984 | The Red-Light Sting | Brockelhurst |
| 1985 | Finder of Lost Loves | Richard Foster |
| Murder, She Wrote | Herbert Upton | |
| 1986 | Hot Shots | Nicholas Broderick |
| 1988 | Cagney & Lacey | Winston Prentiss |
| 1990 | Columbo | Horace Sherwin |