Lee J. Cobb
Photo: HBO Pressroom / www.hbo.hr
Country: United States
Gender: M
Birthday: 1911-12-08
Died: 1976-02-11
Biography
Lee J. Cobb (December 8, 1911 - February 11, 1976) ) was an American actor best known for his performance in 12 Angry Men (1957), his Academy Award-nominated performance in On the Waterfront, and one of his last films, The Exorcist (1973). He also played the role of Willy Loman in the original Broadway production of Arthur Miller's 1949 play Death of a Salesman under the direction of Elia Kazan. On television, Cobb costarred in the first four seasons of the popular, long-running western series The Virginian. He typically played arrogant, intimidating, and abrasive characters, but often had roles as respectable figures such as judges. Born Leo Jacob in New York City, he grew up in The Bronx, before studying at New York University and making his film debut in The Vanishing Shadow (1934). Cobb performed in numerous theater productions and companies, including Group Theatre (New York) before serving in the First Motion Picture Unit of the Army Air Force during World War II.
Following the war, Cobb returned to film, television and theater before being accused of being a Communist in 1951 testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee by Larry Parks, himself a former Communist Party member. Cobb was called to testify before HUAC but refused to do so for two years until, with his career threatened by the blacklist, he relented in 1953 and gave testimony in which he named 20 people as former members of the Communist Party USA. Following the hearing he resumed his career and worked with Elia Kazan and Budd Schulberg, two other HUAC "friendly witnesses", on the 1954 film On the Waterfront, which is widely seen as an allegory and apologia for testifying. His 1968 performance as King Lear achieved the longest run (72 performances) for the play in Broadway history. One of his final film roles was that of police detective Lt. Kinderman in the 1973 horror film The Exorcist.
Cobb died of a heart attack in February 1976 in Woodland Hills, California, and was buried in Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles. He was survived by his second wife, Mary Hirsch, and daughter, also an accomplished actress, Julie Cobb.
Actor:
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1. North of the Rio Grande (1937), film
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2. The Phantom Creeps (1939), film...Road Crew Foreman (archive footage)
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3. Men Of Boys Town (1941), film...Dave Morris
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...Dr. Dozous
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5. Buckskin Frontier (1943), film...Jeptha Marr
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6. Anna and the King of Siam (1946), film...Kralahome
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7. Boomerang! (1947), film...Chief Harold F. Robinson
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8. Captain From Castile (1947), film...Juan Garcia
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9. Johnny O'Clock (1947), film...Inspector Koch
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10. Call Northside 777 (1948), film...Brian Kelly
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11. The Miracle of the Bells (1948), film...Marcus Harris
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12. Hearsay (1948), film...Dr. Andrew Collins
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13. The Luck of the Irish (1948), film...Cramden
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14. The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950), film...Lt. Ed Cullen
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15. Sirocco (1951), film...Col. Feroud
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16. The Tall Texan (1953), film...Capt. Theodore Bess
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17. On the Waterfront (1954), film...Johnny Friendly
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18. The Left Hand of God (1955), film...Mieh Yang
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19. The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956), film...Judge Bernstein
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20. 12 Angry Men (1957), film...Juror 3
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21. The Three Faces of Eve (1957), film...Doctor Curtis Luther
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22. Party Girl (1958), film...Rico Angelo
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23. The Brothers Karamazov (1958), film...Fyodor Karamazov
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24. Man of the West (1958), film...Dock Tobin
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25. But Not for Me (1959), film...Jeremiah MacDonald
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26. The Trap (1959), film...Victor Massonetti
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27. Green Mansions (1959), film...Nuflo
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28. Exodus (1960), film...Barak Ben Canaan
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29. How the West Was Won (1962), film...Marshal Lou Ramsey
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...Julio Madariaga
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31. The Virginian (1962), series...Judge Henry Garth
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32. Come Blow Your Horn (1963), film...Harry Baker
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33. Our Man Flint (1966), film...Cramden
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34. In Like Flint (1967), film...Lloyd C. Cramden
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35. Coogan's Bluff (1968), film...Lt. McElroy
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36. Mafia (1968), film...Don Mariano Arena
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37. They Came to Rob Las Vegas (1968), film...Steve Skorsky
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38. Mackenna's Gold (1969), film...The Editor
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39. The Liberation of L.B. Jones (1970), film...Oman Hedgepath
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40. Macho Callahan (1970), film...Duffy
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41. Lawman (1971), film...Vincent Bronson
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42. The Exorcist (1973), film...Lt. Kinderman
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43. The Man who Loved Cat Dancing (1973), film...Harvey Lapchance
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44. The Great Kidnapping (1973), film...Jovine
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45. Double Indemnity (1973), film...Barton Keyes
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46. The Balloon Vendor (1974), film...Twenty Years
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47. That Lucky Touch (1975), film...Lt. Gen. Henry Steedman
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48. Mark Shoots First (1975), film...Il commedator Benzi
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49. Cross Shot (1976), film...Dante Ragusa
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50. Nick the Sting (1976), film