Background
Burke was born in New Orleans, the son of Santa Maria (Palermo) and Martin Joseph "Marty" Burke, a boxer who fought Gene Tunney and later owned a restaurant and a nightclub known as "Marty Burke"s" in the New Orleans French Quarter.
Burke was born in New Orleans, the son of Santa Maria (Palermo) and Martin Joseph "Marty" Burke, a boxer who fought Gene Tunney and later owned a restaurant and a nightclub known as "Marty Burke"s" in the New Orleans French Quarter.
Pasadena Playhouse.
He was of Irish and Italian descent. 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 1956–1957, Burke was cast as Doctor Noah McCann in Noah"s Ark, a Jack Webb-produced weekly program which aired on National Broadcasting Company, the story of a pair of dedicated veterinarians.
In the 1957–1958 season, Burke appeared as Jeff Kittridge in five episodes of Barry Sullivan"s adventure/drama series, Harbormaster. Burke also guest starred on episodes of Tightrope, Dragnet, Adventures of Superman, The Manitoba and the Challenge, and M Squadron
In the 1959–1960 season, he appeared as Robertson in the National Broadcasting Company espionage series Five Fingers, starring with David Hedison. 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.
The Twelve 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 American Broadcasting Company"s The Love Boat and Columbia Broadcasting System"s Medical Center.
In 1984, he appeared as Community College Capwell in twenty-one episodes of the National Broadcasting Company 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, Philippine Islands from 1981–1985 as Rear Admiral Hawkes. Burke also served as a television commercial spokesman for the Radio Shack electronics retailer.
In 1989, Burke and, 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.
Burke was the grandfather of actress Alia Shawkat.
He retired from acting in the early 1990s. Suffering from leukemia and non-Hodgkins lymphoma, he died at his home in Palm Springs, California. He was 83.