Classic film-noir character actor best known for his roles in The Set-Up (1949), The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery (1959) and The Narrow Margin (1952), David Clarke made his Broadway debut in "Journeyman" in 1938, and subsequently appeared in "Abe Lincoln in Illinois" with Raymond Massey . He also played at the Biltmore Theatre in Los Angeles, where he caught the eye of agent Leland Hayward , leading to his first film role in Knockout (1941). Over the next five decades Clarke appeared in scores of films and TV shows (from the "Golden Age" of live dramas to more recent series), and was featured on Broadway in the original productions of "A View from the Bridge", "Orpheus Descending", "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe", "Inquest", and "The Visit" with Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne .

While playing opposite Katharine Hepburn in summer stock in Ivoryton, CT in a comedy called "Jonesy" he was stung in the face by a bee, early in the first act. Clarke gamely kept the bitten side of his face turned upstage for the rest of the act, continuing in the spirit of the romantic play, while Hepburn, who hadn't seen the bee, tried to conceal her amazement at the sight of her leading man's face as it continued to swell.He appeared on Broadway in December of 1952 in 'See the Jaguar' by N. Richard Nash , author of The Rainmaker (1956). Others in the cast included Arthur Kennedy and James Dean .He was one of five stage managers on Marc Blitzstein 's "The Cradle Will Rock", produced by Orson Welles and John Houseman and directed by Welles, for whom Clarke frequently took notes after rehearsal. He recalls that Welles invariably asked, "Now did you get all that? Because I will have forgotten what I said in the next ten minutes!"In 1978, his daughter, K.C. Ligon appeared with John Houseman in the television series "The Paper Chase" (1978).He and his wife Nora Dunfee had two daughters, Katharine Dunfee Clarke, now known as K.C. Ligon , and Susan Dunfee , now known as Susan Bennett.Early in his theatrical career, he performed with Stuart Walker 's prestigious stock company, whose members included Will Geer . They subsequently appeared together in the American version of the Freiburg Passion Play which toured out of Chicago to Seattle. Years later they were both cast in the film of William Faulkner 's classic Intruder in the Dust (1949). Clarke also made a guest appearance on "The Waltons" (1971) TV series, in which Geer co-starred.