The Definition of Burly

 

Richard Reeves (1912-1967) was an American character actor whose height, heavy build, and general "tough guy" appearance led to being frequently cast as bullies, robbers, and mob enforcers in modern crime dramas, as well as in many Westerns and even sitcoms. When he was not menacing, he could play a not-so-bright lug in comedies.

Reeves grew up in an affluent section of Queens, New York, and studied music in school. At 18, he worked as a seaman in the 1930s aboard ships on the New York-Havana route. He kept busy in the 1940s in countless films, often uncredited. But it was television viewers that recognized the face for appearing on nearly every western during the 1950s, whether it was The Lone Ranger, Zorro, The Roy Rogers Show, Sugarfoot, Maverick, Tales of Wells Fargo, Bat Masterson, or Tombstone Territory.