Full Name | Lee J. Cobb |
Net Worth | $17 Million |
Date Of Birth | December 8, 1911 |
Died | February 11, 1976, Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, United States |
Place Of Birth | New York City, New York, USA |
Height | 5' 11" |
Occupation | Actor |
Profession | Actor |
Education | New York University |
Nationality | American |
Spouse | Mary Brako Hirsch, Helen Beverley |
Children | Julie Cobb |
Parents | Benjamin Jacob, Kate Neilecht |
Nicknames | Lee J. Cobb, Cobb, Lee J. |
IMDB | http://imdb.com/name/nm0002011 |
Nominations | Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance By An Actor In A Leading Role, Primetime Emmy Award for Actor - Best Single Performance - Lead or Support, Primetime Emmy Award ... |
Movies | 12 Angry Men, The Exorcist, On the Waterfront, How the West Was Won, Coogan's Bluff, The Three Faces of Eve, Our Man Flint, Man of the West, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, Exodus, In Like Flint, The Song of Bernadette, Call Northside 777, The Left Hand of God, Anna and the King of Siam, Come Blow... |
TV Shows | The Virginian, The Young Lawyers, Playhouse 90 |
Star Sign | Sagittarius |
# | Quote |
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1 | The theater is the actor's medium. Movies are the director's medium. Television is nobody's medium. |
2 | [testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee, June 23, 1953] I would like to thank you for the privilege of setting the record straight, not only for whatever subjective relief it affords me, but if belatedly this information can be of any value in the further strengthening of our Government and its efforts at home as well as abroad, it will serve in some way to mitigate whatever feeling of guilt I might have for having waited this long. |
3 | [interview with Victor Navasky for the book "Naming Names", about the McCarthy "Red Scare" witch-hunts of the 1950s] When the facilities of the government of the United States are drawn on an individual it can be terrifying. The blacklist is just the opening gambit - being deprived of work. Your passport is confiscated. That's minor. But not being able to move without being tailed is something else. After a certain point it grows to implied as well as articulated threats, and people succumb. My wife did, and she was institutionalized. In 1953 the HUCA did a deal with me. I was pretty much worn down. I had no money. I couldn't borrow. I had the expenses of taking care of the children. Why am I subjecting my loved ones to this? If it's worth dying for, and I am just as idealistic as the next fellow. But I decided it wasn't worth dying for, and if this gesture was the way of getting out of the penitentiary I'd do it. I had to be employable again. |
4 | We all want to play romantic figures. But because I lost my hair I was stuck playing butchers and crooks. |
# | Fact |
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1 | Was the original choice to play Mickey in "Rocky" but refused the role because he would have to audition. |
2 | Featured in "Bad Boys: The Actors of Film Noir" by Karen Burroughs Hannsberry (McFarland, 2003). |
3 | Was a good friend with screenwriter Alvah Bessie, a Communist Party member who was one of the Hollywood 10, until Cobb refused to lend him $500 in the late 1940s. Bessie had been ruined financially by legal fees connected to his appeals of his contempt citation issued by the House Un-American Activities Commission (HUAC). Bessie and other members of the Hollywood 10 braved the Committee's inquisition into communists and fellow-travelers in the film industry by refusing to cooperate. When Cobb told him that $500 wouldn't solve his problems, their friendship was over. Cobb later turned out with hundreds of sympathizers of the Hollywood 10 to show their support for the members who were flying to Washington, D.C. for their trials on charges of contempt of Congress levied by HUAC. Later, Cobb would be a friendly witness before HUAC, naming names of fellow former communists and leftists from his Group Theater days in New York in the 1930s. |
4 | In his autobiography "Timebends," Arthur Miller says that Lee J. Cobb was his favorite Willy Loman. He also says that Cobb was never really a leftist as he was apolitical, but that he had been attracted to left-wing and anti-Nazi causes during the Depression as had many people who were trying to do right. Thus, Miller never held the fact that he was a friendly witness before HUAAC against him. A decade after his testimony, Cobb's Willy Loman was captured for posterity, with the 1966 video version. By then, Miller had even worked again with Elia Kazan, the most famous and unrepentant of the people who knuckled under and "named names." |
5 | His performance of 'King Lear' in 1968 is the longest-running production of the play in Broadway history. |
6 | William Link and Richard Levinson, creators of TV's "Columbo", initially wanted Cobb to portray Lt. Columbo, but he was unavailable. |
7 | Grandfather of Rosemary Morgan. |
8 | Former father-in-law of Christopher Morgan. |
9 | Appeared with Harry Morgan, the father of his future son-in-law Christopher Morgan, in How the West Was Won (1962). |
10 | Arthur Miller offered him the lead role of Eddie Carbone in his Broadway play "A View from the Bridge." While an outsider might think that the politically progressive Miller would be hostile to the actor due to Cobb's friendly testimony before the infamous House Un-American Activities Committee, during which he "named names," Miller thought Cobb would be ideal for the role. Himself a target of the witch hunt for alleged Communists undertaken by the government, Miller believed that Cobb would bring real intensity to Carbone, who informs on his relatives to the immigration service, as he himself had been an informer. Cobb turned down the role, as he believed that to accept it would open him up to retaliation from the reactionary right and jeopardize his career. |
11 | The part of Willy Loman in the stage play "Death of a Salesman" was written specifically for him by Arthur Miller. |
12 | Father of Julie Cobb who was married to James Cromwell. |
13 | Was succeeded in two of his roles by the late George C. Scott. Cobb died shortly after playing Lt. Kinderman in The Exorcist (1973). Scott took over the part in the third film. Cobb played Juror #3 in 12 Angry Men (1957) and Scott played that part in the television remake 12 Angry Men (1997). Scott also played Willy Loman in the Broadway revival of "Death of a Salesman," a part Cobb originated. |
14 | He was also an accomplished harmonica artist. He was a member of the famed Borrah Minevitch and His Harmonica Rascals, who appeared in the 1928 film, The Patriot (1928) starring Lewis Stone, and directed by Ernst Lubitsch. |
Title | Year | Status | Character |
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La legge violenta della squadra anticrimine | 1976 | | Dante Ragusa |
Alle origini della mafia | 1976 | TV Mini-Series | Bartolomeo Gramignano |
Nick the Sting | 1976 | | Robert Clark |
Mark il poliziotto spara per primo | 1975 | | Il commedator Benzi |
That Lucky Touch | 1975 | | Lt. Gen. Henry Steedman |
Blood, Sweat and Fear | 1975 | | Benzi |
Il venditore di palloncini | 1974 | | Twenty Years |
Gunsmoke | 1974 | TV Series | Colonel Josiah Johnson |
The Great Ice Rip-Off | 1974 | TV Movie | Willy Calso |
Trapped Beneath the Sea | 1974 | TV Movie | Victor Bateman |
Dr. Max | 1974 | TV Movie | Dr. Maxwell 'Max' Gordon |
The Exorcist | 1973 | | Lt. William Kinderman |
La polizia sta a guardare | 1973 | | Jovine |
Ultimatum | 1973 | | |
Double Indemnity | 1973 | TV Movie | Barton Keyes |
The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing | 1973 | | Harvey Lapchance |
McCloud | 1973 | TV Series | Alexander Montello |
Heat of Anger | 1972 | TV Movie | Frank Galvin |
The Young Lawyers | 1970-1971 | TV Series | Attorney David Barrett |
Lawman | 1971 | | Vincent Bronson |
To Confuse the Angel | 1970 | TV Movie | |
Macho Callahan | 1970 | | Duffy |
The Liberation of L.B. Jones | 1970 | | Oman Hedgepath |
The Dean Martin Show | 1970 | TV Series | |
Mackenna's Gold | 1969 | | The Editor |
They Came to Rob Las Vegas | 1968 | | Steve Skorsky |
Coogan's Bluff | 1968 | | Lt. McElroy |
Il giorno della civetta | 1968 | | Don Mariano Arena |
In Like Flint | 1967 | | Lloyd C. Cramden |
Death of a Salesman | 1966 | TV Movie | Willy Loman |
The Virginian | 1962-1966 | TV Series | Judge Henry Garth / Judge Garth |
Our Man Flint | 1966 | | Cramden |
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre | 1963 | TV Series | Ernie Wigman |
Come Blow Your Horn | 1963 | | Harry R. Baker |
The Devil's Children | 1962 | | Judge Henry Garth |
How the West Was Won | 1962 | | Marshal Lou Ramsey |
General Electric Theater | 1960-1962 | TV Series | Grayson Foxhall / Dominic Roma |
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse | 1962 | | Julio Madariaga |
Vincent Van Gogh: A Self-Portrait | 1961 | TV Movie | Vincent Van Gogh |
Naked City | 1961 | TV Series | Paul Delito |
The DuPont Show with June Allyson | 1961 | TV Series | Capt. Maximillian Gault |
Exodus | 1960 | | Barak Ben Canaan |
The DuPont Show of the Month | 1959-1960 | TV Series | Dr. Hochberg Miguel de Cervantes Don Quixote de la Mancha ... |
But Not for Me | 1959 | | Jeremiah MacDonald |
Playhouse 90 | 1957-1959 | TV Series | Dr. Lawrence Doner / Al Bengsten |
Green Mansions | 1959 | | Nuflo |
The Trap | 1959 | | Victor Massonetti |
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse | 1959 | TV Series | El Jefe |
Zane Grey Theater | 1956-1958 | TV Series | Drifter - Frank MacKinnon / Captain Andrew Watling |
Party Girl | 1958 | | Rico Angelo |
Man of the West | 1958 | | Dock Tobin |
The Brothers Karamazov | 1958 | | Fyodor Karamazov |
Studio One in Hollywood | 1957 | TV Series | Dr. Joseph Pearson |
The Three Faces of Eve | 1957 | | Doctor Curtis Luther |
The Garment Jungle | 1957 | | Walter Mitchell |
12 Angry Men | 1957 | | Juror 3 |
Miami Exposé | 1956 | | Lt. Barton 'Bart' Scott |
The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit | 1956 | | Judge Bernstein |
Goodyear Playhouse | 1956 | TV Series | |
The Alcoa Hour | 1956 | TV Series | Zocco |
The Left Hand of God | 1955 | | Mieh Yang |
The Road to Denver | 1955 | | Jim Donovan |
Producers' Showcase | 1955 | TV Series | Rubashev |
Medic | 1955 | TV Series | Henry Fisher |
Lux Video Theatre | 1955 | TV Series | Emile Zola |
The Racers | 1955 | | Maglio |
Day of Triumph | 1954 | | Zadok |
On the Waterfront | 1954 | | Johnny Friendly |
Gorilla at Large | 1954 | | Detective Sgt. Garrison |
The Ford Television Theatre | 1954 | TV Series | Matt Erwin |
Yankee Pasha | 1954 | | Sultan |
The Tall Texan | 1953 | | Capt. Theodore Bess |
The Fighter | 1952 | | Durango |
Lights Out | 1951 | TV Series | David Stevenson |
Tales of Tomorrow | 1951 | TV Series | Wayne Crowder |
The Family Secret | 1951 | | Howard Clark |
Sirocco | 1951 | | Col. Feroud |
Somerset Maugham TV Theatre | 1951 | TV Series | Charles Strickland |
The Man Who Cheated Himself | 1950 | | Lt. Ed Cullen |
Thieves' Highway | 1949 | | Mike Figlia |
The Dark Past | 1948 | | Dr. Andrew Collins |
The Luck of the Irish | 1948 | | David C. Augur |
The Miracle of the Bells | 1948 | | Marcus Harris (as Lee Cobb in closing credits) |
Call Northside 777 | 1948 | | Brian Kelly |
Captain from Castile | 1947 | | Juan Garcia |
Johnny O'Clock | 1947 | | Inspector Koch |
Boomerang! | 1947 | | Chief Harold F. 'Robbie' Robinson |
Anna and the King of Siam | 1946 | | Kralahome |
Winged Victory | 1944 | | Doctor (as Cpl. Lee Cobb) |
The Song of Bernadette | 1943 | | Dr. Dozous |
Buckskin Frontier | 1943 | | Jeptha Marr |
Tonight We Raid Calais | 1943 | | M. Bonnard |
The Moon Is Down | 1943 | | Dr. Albert Winter |
Paris Calling | 1941 | | Captain Schwabe |
Men of Boys Town | 1941 | | Dave Morris |
This Thing Called Love | 1940 | | Julio Diestro |
Golden Boy | 1939 | | Mr. Bonaparte |
Danger on the Air | 1938 | | Tony Lisotti |
Ali Baba Goes to Town | 1937 | | Arab (uncredited) |
Rustlers' Valley | 1937 | | Cal Howard (as Lee Colt) |
North of the Rio Grande | 1937 | | Goodwin (as Lee Cobb) |
The Vanishing Shadow | 1934 | | Roadwork Foreman [Chs. 3, 4] (uncredited) |
Title | Year | Status | Character |
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Arthur Miller on Home Ground | 1979 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
Suddenly an Eagle | 1976 | TV Movie documentary | American Narrator |
Annie, the Women in the Life of a Man | 1970 | TV Special | |
The Linkletter Show | 1967 | TV Series | Himself |
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | 1964 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
The 31st Annual Academy Awards | 1959 | TV Special | Herself - Nominee: Best Actress in a Supporting Role |
The 27th Annual Academy Awards | 1955 | TV Special | Himself - Nominee: Best Actor in a Supporting Role & Presenter: Best Special Effects |
Flight Characteristics of the P-51 Airplane | 1944 | Documentary short | Arthur Deeds (uncredited) |
Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
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1967 | Primetime Emmy | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Drama | Death of a Salesman (1966) |
1964 | Golden Globe | Golden Globes, USA | Best Supporting Actor | Come Blow Your Horn (1963) |
1961 | Golden Laurel | Laurel Awards | Top Male Supporting Performance | Exodus (1960) |
1960 | Primetime Emmy | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor (Lead or Support) | Playhouse 90 (1956) |
1959 | Oscar | Academy Awards, USA | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | The Brothers Karamazov (1958) |
1958 | Golden Globe | Golden Globes, USA | Best Supporting Actor | 12 Angry Men (1957) |
1958 | Primetime Emmy | Primetime Emmy Awards | Actor - Best Single Performance - Lead or Support | Studio One (1948) |
1955 | Oscar | Academy Awards, USA | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | On the Waterfront (1954) |