Joe Turkel

Acting

Joe Turkel

Born July 15, 1927 · Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Died June 27, 2022 · aged 94

Joseph Turkel (July 15, 1927 – June 27, 2022) was an American actor. A career character actor, he was noted for his craggy Bronx looks and distinctive, penetrating voice. Turkel worked steadily from 1949 to 1998 in both films and television, including in the Stanley Kubrick films The Killing (1956), Paths of Glory (1957), and The Shining (1980). He still made the occasional appearance at fan conve…

Known For

The ShiningThe Shining · 1980
The Shining
8.21980
MovieHorrorThriller
Jack Torrance accepts a caretaker job at the Overlook Hotel, where he, along with his wife Wendy and their son Danny, must live isolated from the rest of the world for the winter. But they aren't prepared for the madness that lurks within.
Blade RunnerBlade Runner · 1982
Blade Runner
7.91982
MovieScience FictionDrama
In the smog-choked dystopian Los Angeles of 2019, blade runner Rick Deckard is called out of retirement to terminate a quartet of replicants who have escaped to Earth seeking their creator for a way to extend their short life spans.
WarlockWarlock · 1959
Warlock
6.81959
MovieWestern
A band of murderous cowboys has imposed a reign of terror on the town of Warlock. With the sheriff humiliatingly run out of town, the residents hire the services of Clay Blaisedell as de facto town marshal. He arrives along with his friend, Tom Morgan, and sets about restoring law and order on his own terms whilst also overseeing the establishment of a gambling house and saloon.
Paths of GloryPaths of Glory · 1957
Paths of Glory
8.31957
MovieWarDrama
A commanding officer defends three scapegoats on trial for a failed offensive that occurred within the French Army in 1916.
Johnny CoolJohnny Cool · 1963
Johnny Cool
5.31963
MovieCrimeDrama
A deported gangster trains an Italian convict to take over his operations in the U.S.
Village of the GiantsVillage of the Giants · 1965
Village of the Giants
3.71965
MovieScience Fiction
"Genius" accidentally invents "goo" which causes living things to rapidly grow to an enormous size. Seeing an opportunity to get rich, some delinquent teenagers steal the "goo" and, as a result of a sophomoric dare, consume it themselves and become thirty feet tall. They then take over control of the town by kidnapping the sheriff's daughter and dancing suggestively.
Federal ManFederal Man · 1950
Federal Man
6.51950
MovieAdventureAction
A government agent travels from the United States to Mexico to nab drug dealers.
The KillingThe Killing · 1956
The Killing
7.61956
MovieCrimeThriller
Career criminal Johnny Clay recruits a sharpshooter, a crooked police officer, a bartender and a betting teller named George, among others, for one last job before he goes straight and gets married. But when George tells his restless wife about the scheme to steal millions from the racetrack where he works, she hatches a plot of her own.

Movies

The ShiningThe Shining · 1980
The Shining
8.21980
MovieHorrorThriller
Jack Torrance accepts a caretaker job at the Overlook Hotel, where he, along with his wife Wendy and their son Danny, must live isolated from the rest of the world for the winter. But they aren't prepared for the madness that lurks within.
Blade RunnerBlade Runner · 1982
Blade Runner
7.91982
MovieScience FictionDrama
In the smog-choked dystopian Los Angeles of 2019, blade runner Rick Deckard is called out of retirement to terminate a quartet of replicants who have escaped to Earth seeking their creator for a way to extend their short life spans.
WarlockWarlock · 1959
Warlock
6.81959
MovieWestern
A band of murderous cowboys has imposed a reign of terror on the town of Warlock. With the sheriff humiliatingly run out of town, the residents hire the services of Clay Blaisedell as de facto town marshal. He arrives along with his friend, Tom Morgan, and sets about restoring law and order on his own terms whilst also overseeing the establishment of a gambling house and saloon.
Paths of GloryPaths of Glory · 1957
Paths of Glory
8.31957
MovieWarDrama
A commanding officer defends three scapegoats on trial for a failed offensive that occurred within the French Army in 1916.
Johnny CoolJohnny Cool · 1963
Johnny Cool
5.31963
MovieCrimeDrama
A deported gangster trains an Italian convict to take over his operations in the U.S.
Village of the GiantsVillage of the Giants · 1965
Village of the Giants
3.71965
MovieScience Fiction
"Genius" accidentally invents "goo" which causes living things to rapidly grow to an enormous size. Seeing an opportunity to get rich, some delinquent teenagers steal the "goo" and, as a result of a sophomoric dare, consume it themselves and become thirty feet tall. They then take over control of the town by kidnapping the sheriff's daughter and dancing suggestively.
Federal ManFederal Man · 1950
Federal Man
6.51950
MovieAdventureAction
A government agent travels from the United States to Mexico to nab drug dealers.
The KillingThe Killing · 1956
The Killing
7.61956
MovieCrimeThriller
Career criminal Johnny Clay recruits a sharpshooter, a crooked police officer, a bartender and a betting teller named George, among others, for one last job before he goes straight and gets married. But when George tells his restless wife about the scheme to steal millions from the racetrack where he works, she hatches a plot of her own.
TormentedTormented · 1960
Tormented
5.01960
MovieThrillerHorror
A jazz pianist is haunted by his dead ex-lover's crawling hand and floating head.
The CommitmentThe Commitment · 1976
The Commitment
10.01976
MovieDrama
A salesman's marriage is at stake due to his increasing gambling debts.
Triple TroubleTriple Trouble · 1950
Triple Trouble
7.01950
MovieComedy
Slip and Sach take the rap for a robbery they did not commit in order to uncover the real robbers, whom they suspect are led by a convict who gives orders to his gang outside via a short-wave radio stashed somewhere in the prison.
Friendly PersuasionFriendly Persuasion · 1956
Friendly Persuasion
6.71956
MovieDramaWar
The story of a family of Quakers in Indiana in 1862. Their religious sect is strongly opposed to violence and war. It's not easy for them to meet the rules of their religion in everyday life but when Southern troops pass the area they are in real trouble. Should they fight, despite their peaceful attitude?
The Sand PebblesThe Sand Pebbles · 1966
The Sand Pebbles
7.21966
MovieDramaWar
Engineer Jake Holman arrives aboard the gunboat USS San Pablo, assigned to patrol a tributary of the Yangtze in the middle of exploited and revolution-torn 1926 China. His iconoclasm and cynical nature soon clash with the 'rice-bowl' system which runs the ship and the uneasy symbiosis between Chinese and foreigner on the river. Hostility towards the gunboat's presence reaches a climax when the boat must crash through a river-boom and rescue missionaries upriver at China Light Mission.
Halls of MontezumaHalls of Montezuma · 1951
Halls of Montezuma
6.01951
MovieAdventureDrama
Richard Widmark leads an all star cast of marine leathernecks including Jack Palance, Robert Wagner, Karl Malden, Richard Boone and Jack Webb into battle on a heavily fortified island. This action-packed story follows the squad as they pick their way through enemy-infested jungles on a time sensitive mission to find the source of the enemy rockets. As the mission progresses, the squad and leader overcome many challenges as they are transformed into an effective and efficient fighting unit.
Mad at the WorldMad at the World · 1955
Mad at the World
5.91955
MovieCrimeDrama
A neighborhood is terrorized by group of young juvenile delinquents called The WolfPack. When a young father's infant child is seriously injured because of the WolfPack, he decides that the police aren't working fast enough to catch the ones who hurt his baby and sets out to infiltrate the gang himself and mete out the punishment they deserve.
The HindenburgThe Hindenburg · 1975
The Hindenburg
6.31975
MovieHistoryThriller
Colonel Franz Ritter, a former hero pilot now working for military intelligence, is assigned to the great Hindenburg airship as its chief of security. As he races against the clock to uncover a possible saboteur aboard the doomed zeppelin he finds that any of the passengers and crew could be the culprit.
Fixed Bayonets!Fixed Bayonets! · 1951
Fixed Bayonets!
6.61951
MovieWarDrama
The story of a platoon during the Korean War. One by one, Corporal Denno's superiors are killed until it comes to the point where he must try to take command responsibility.
The Devil's EightThe Devil's Eight · 1969
The Devil's Eight
5.21969
MovieThrillerCrime
The Devil's 8 is a 1969 film from American International Pictures. It is about a Federal agent (Christopher George) who recruits six convicts to bust a moonshine ring.
Portrait of a MobsterPortrait of a Mobster · 1961
Portrait of a Mobster
9.01961
MovieDramaCrime
A vicious hood rises to the top of the rackets in Depression-era New York in this account of the life of Dutch Schultz.
The Yellow CanaryThe Yellow Canary · 1963
The Yellow Canary
10.01963
MovieThrillerDrama
Andy is an arrogant pop singer about to be divorced by his wife who treats his staff badly. On the same night he starts a job at a theater in Los Angeles his infant son is kidnapped. Despite requests from the lead police officer on the case, Lieutenant Bonner, Paxton plays along with the kidnappers as they string him along even though they are willing to kill.
The Prisoner of Second AvenueThe Prisoner of Second Avenue · 1975
The Prisoner of Second Avenue
6.61975
MovieComedy
Mel Edison has just lost his job after many years and now has to cope with being unemployed at middle age during an intense NYC heat wave.
The St. Valentine's Day MassacreThe St. Valentine's Day Massacre · 1967
The St. Valentine's Day Massacre
6.31967
MovieHistoryCrime
Chicago February 14th 1929. Al Capone finally establishes himself as the city's boss of organised crime. In a north-side garage his hoods, dressed as policemen, surprise and mow down with machine-guns the key members of Bugs Moran's rival gang. The film traces the history of the incident, and the lives affected and in some cases ended by it.
Verboten!Verboten! · 1959
Verboten!
6.61959
MovieWarDrama
A young American serviceman stationed in Germany after the fall of the Third Reich, jeopardises his future after falling in love with a German woman.
Dangerous Days: Making Blade RunnerDangerous Days: Making Blade Runner · 2007
Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner
7.82007
MovieDocumentary
The definitive 3½-hour documentary about the troubled creation and enduring legacy of the science fiction classic 'Blade Runner', culled from 80 interviews and hours of never-before-seen outtakes and lost footage.

TV Shows

BonanzaBonanza · 1959
Bonanza
7.51959
SeriesWestern
The High-Sierra adventures of Ben Cartwright and his sons as they run and defend their ranch while helping the surrounding community.
Wagon TrainWagon Train · 1957
Wagon Train
6.61957
SeriesWesternDrama
The series initially starred veteran movie supporting actor Ward Bond as the wagon master, later replaced upon his death by John McIntire, and Robert Horton as the scout, subsequently replaced by lookalike Robert Fuller a year after Horton had decided to leave the series. The series was inspired by the 1950 film Wagon Master directed by John Ford and starring Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr. and Ward Bond, and harkens back to the early widescreen wagon train epic The Big Trail starring John Wayne and featuring Bond in his first major screen appearance playing a supporting role. Horton's buckskin outfit as the scout in the first season of the television series resembles Wayne's, who also played the wagon train's scout in the earlier film.
The Andy Griffith ShowThe Andy Griffith Show · 1960
The Andy Griffith Show
7.61960
SeriesComedyFamily
The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised on CBS between October 3, 1960 and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays the widowed sheriff of the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina. His life is complicated by an inept, but well-meaning deputy, Barney Fife, a spinster aunt and housekeeper, Aunt Bee, and a precocious young son, Opie. Local ne'er-do-wells, bumbling pals, and temperamental girlfriends further complicate his life. Andy Griffith stated in a Today Show interview, with respect to the time period of the show: "Well, though we never said it, and though it was shot in the '60s, it had a feeling of the '30s. It was when we were doing it, of a time gone by." The series never placed lower than seventh in the Nielsen ratings and ended its final season at number one. It has been ranked by TV Guide as the 9th-best show in American television history. Though neither Griffith nor the show won awards during its eight-season run, series co-stars Knotts and Bavier accumulated a combined total of six Emmy Awards. The show, a semi-spin-off from an episode of The Danny Thomas Show titled "Danny Meets Andy Griffith", spawned its own spin-off series, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., a sequel series, Mayberry R.F.D., and a reunion telemovie, Return to Mayberry. The show's enduring popularity has generated a good deal of show-related merchandise. Reruns currently air on TV Land, and the complete series is available on DVD. All eight seasons are also now available by streaming video services such as Netflix.
Miami ViceMiami Vice · 1984
Miami Vice
7.41984
SeriesCrimeDrama
The story of the Miami Police Department's vice squad and its efforts to end drug trafficking and prostitution, centered on the unlikely partnership of Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs - who first meet when Tubbs is undercover in a drug cartel.
IronsideIronside · 1967
Ironside
6.91967
SeriesCrimeDrama
When an assassin's bullet confines him to a wheelchair for life ending his career as Chief of Detectives, Robert T. Ironside becomes a consultant to the police department. Detective Sergeant Ed Brown and policewoman Eve Whitfield join with him to crack varied and fascinating cases. Ex-con Mark Sanger is employed by the chief as home help but eventually becomes a fully fledged member of the team also. Officer Whitfield leaves after 4 years service, and is replaced by Officer Fran Belding.
DragnetDragnet · 1951
Dragnet
6.51951
SeriesDramaCrime
Follows the cases of a dedicated Los Angeles police detective, Sergeant Joe Friday, and his partners. The show takes its name from the police term "dragnet", meaning a system of coordinated measures for apprehending criminals or suspects.
Adam-12Adam-12 · 1968
Adam-12
7.11968
SeriesCrimeDrama
Adam-12 is a television police drama that followed two police officers of the Los Angeles Police Department, Pete Malloy and Jim Reed, as they patrolled the streets of Los Angeles in their patrol unit, 1-Adam-12.
Bat MastersonBat Masterson · 1958
Bat Masterson
6.11958
SeriesWesternDrama
Bat Masterson is an American Western television series which showed a fictionalized account of the life of real-life marshal/gambler/dandy Bat Masterson. The title character was played by Gene Barry and the half-hour black-and-white shows ran on NBC from 1958 to 1961. The series was produced by Ziv Television Productions, the company responsible for such hit series as Sea Hunt and Highway Patrol.
Four Star PlayhouseFour Star Playhouse · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
6.81952
SeriesDramaComedy
Four Star Playhouse is an American television anthology series that ran from 1952 to 1956, sponsored in its first bi-weekly season by The Singer Company; Bristol-Myers became an alternate sponsor when it became a weekly series in the fall of 1953. The original premise was that Charles Boyer, Ida Lupino, David Niven, and Dick Powell would take turns starring in episodes. However, several other performers took the lead from time to time, including Ronald Colman and Joan Fontaine. Blake Edwards was among the writers and directors who contributed to the series. Edwards created the recurring character of illegal gambling house operator Willie Dante for Dick Powell to play on this series. The character was later revamped and spun off in his own series starring Howard Duff, then-husband of Lupino. The pilot for Meet McGraw, starring Frank Lovejoy, aired here, as did another episode in which Lovejoy recreated his role of Chicago newspaper reporter Randy Stone, from the radio drama Nightbeat.
KojakKojak · 1973
Kojak
7.21973
SeriesCrime
A bald, lollipop sucking police detective with a fiery righteous attitude battles crime in New York City.
Fantasy IslandFantasy Island · 1978
Fantasy Island
6.51978
SeriesSci-Fi & FantasyDrama
A magical island hosted by Mr Roarke and Tattoo where weekly guests learn valuable life lessons in their pursuit of fulfilling their dreams. Not all dreams are fulfilled as expected.
The UntouchablesThe Untouchables · 1959
The Untouchables
8.01959
SeriesDramaCrime
Special Agent Eliot Ness and his elite team of incorruptible agents battle organized crime in 1930s Chicago.
Highway PatrolHighway Patrol · 1955
Highway Patrol
6.11955
SeriesDrama
Highway Patrol was a syndicated, fictional police action series produced from 1955 to 1959, concerning the activities of the highway patrol and their leader, Dan Matthews (who held no rank). Although filmed in and around the Los Angeles area, the state setting for the stories was never identified, and city and street names were fictionalized.
Combat!Combat! · 1962
Combat!
7.81962
SeriesDrama
Combat! is an American television program that originally aired on ABC from 1962 until 1967. The show covered the grim lives of a squad of American soldiers fighting the Germans in France during World War II. The program starred Rick Jason as platoon leader Second Lieutenant Gil Hanley and Vic Morrow as Sergeant "Chip" Saunders.
The TexanThe Texan · 1958
The Texan
6.01958
SeriesWestern
The Texan was a Western television series starring popular B movie actor Rory Calhoun, which aired on the CBS television network from 1958 to 1960.
The Lone RangerThe Lone Ranger · 1949
The Lone Ranger
6.81949
SeriesWestern
The Lone Ranger is an American western television series that ran from 1949 to 1957, starring Clayton Moore with Jay Silverheels as Tonto. The live-action series initially featured Gerald Mohr as the episode narrator. Fred Foy served as both narrator and announcer of the radio series from 1948 to its finish and became announcer of the television version when story narration was dropped there. This was by far the highest-rated television program on the ABC network in the early 1950s and its first true "hit".
Ben CaseyBen Casey · 1961
Ben Casey
5.91961
SeriesDrama
Lock-UpLock-Up · 1959
Lock-Up
6.41959
SeriesDrama
Lock-Up is an American legal drama series that premiered in syndication in September 1959 and concluded in June 1961. The half-hour episodes had little time for character development or subplots and presented a compact story without embellishment.
The Life and Legend of Wyatt EarpThe Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp · 1955
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
6.81955
SeriesDramaWestern
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp is a television western series loosely based on the life of frontier marshal Wyatt Earp. The half-hour black-and-white program aired for 229 episodes on ABC from 1955 to 1961 and featured Hugh O'Brian in the title role.
Tales from the DarksideTales from the Darkside · 1984
Tales from the Darkside
7.21984
SeriesDramaSci-Fi & Fantasy
Tales from the Darkside is an anthology horror TV series created by George A. Romero, each episode was an individual short story that ended with a plot twist. The series' episodes spanned the genres of horror, science fiction, and fantasy, and some episodes featured elements of black comedy or more lighthearted themes.
Felony SquadFelony Squad · 1966
Felony Squad
6.51966
SeriesCrimeDrama
Twenty-year veteran Detective Sergeant Sam Stone is paired with rookie Briggs in a large Western metropolis.
Police StoryPolice Story · 1973
Police Story
7.01973
SeriesCrime
Detective Cheng is commissioned by Interpol to destroy the Empire of Chaiba, a worldwide criminal organization based in Southeast Asia. He initiates an undercover operation to infiltrate the organization.
Land of the GiantsLand of the Giants · 1968
Land of the Giants
6.81968
SeriesSci-Fi & Fantasy
Set fifteen years in the then-future year 1983, the series tells the tale of the crew and passengers of a sub-orbital transport ship named Spindrift. In the pilot episode, the Spindrift is en route from Los Angeles to London, on an ultra-fast sub-orbital flight. Just beyond Earth's boundary with space, the Spindrift encounters a magnetic space storm, and is dragged through a space warp to a mysterious planet where everything is twelve times larger than on Earth, whose inhabitants the Earthlings nickname "the Giants". The Spindrift crash-lands, and the damage renders it inoperable.
The DetectivesThe Detectives · 1959
The Detectives
6.71959
SeriesDrama
The Detectives is an American crime drama series which ran on ABC during its first two seasons, and on NBC during its third and final season. The series, starring motion picture star Robert Taylor, was produced by Four Star Television. Captain Matt Holbrook (Robert Taylor) is head of the detective division of a large metropolitan police force—a man whose devotion to duty, professional brilliance, and quick judgment are reflected in his 20-year career on the force. His aides, Lt. Johnny Russo (Tige Andrews), Lt. Otto Lindstrom (Russ Thorson), and Sgt. Chris Ballard (Mark Goddard) form a team that is both proficient and warmly human. The stories stress the interrelationships between the men as well as the solutions to crimes and the apprehension of criminals, adding a dimension of human drama to the excitement, action, and suspense inherent in each story of the detectives' difficult, sometimes thankless, and frequently dangerous assignments.