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Lee J. Cobb

Acting 64 (deceased) years old New York City, New York, USA ★ 2.1
Born: December 8, 1911
Died: February 11, 1976

Biography

Lee J. Cobb (December 8, 1911 — February 11, 1976) was an American actor. He was best known for his performances in On the Waterfront (1954), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award, 12 Angry Men (1957), and 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.

Filmography

Acting Credits (106)

Arthur Miller on Home Ground
Arthur Miller on Home Ground 1979
The Meanest Men in the West
The Meanest Men in the West Judge Henry Garth 1978
Cross Shot
Cross Shot Dante Ragusa 1976
Origins of the Mafia
Origins of the Mafia Bartolomeo Gramignano 1976
Nick the Sting
Nick the Sting Robert Clark 1976
Mark Shoots First
Mark Shoots First Il commedator Benzi 1975
That Lucky Touch
That Lucky Touch Henry Steedman 1975
Blood, Sweat and Fear
Blood, Sweat and Fear Benzi 1975
The Balloon Vendor
The Balloon Vendor Twenty Years 1974
The Great Ice Rip-Off
The Great Ice Rip-Off Willy Calso 1974
Trapped Beneath the Sea
Trapped Beneath the Sea Victor Bateman 1974
Dr. Max
Dr. Max Maxwell Gordon 1974
The Exorcist
The Exorcist Lt. Bill Kinderman 1973
The Great Kidnapping
The Great Kidnapping Jovine 1973
Double Indemnity
Double Indemnity Barton Keyes 1973
The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing
The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing Lapchance 1973
The Bull of the West
The Bull of the West Judge Garth 1972
Heat of Anger
Heat of Anger Frank Galvin 1972
Lawman
Lawman Vincent Bronson 1971
Macho Callahan
Macho Callahan Duffy 1971
The Young Lawyers
The Young Lawyers 1970
The Liberation of L.B. Jones
The Liberation of L.B. Jones Oman Hedgepath 1970
Annie: The Women in the Life of a Man
Annie: The Women in the Life of a Man Himself 1970
McCloud
McCloud Alexander Montello 1970
Mackenna's Gold
Mackenna's Gold The Editor 1969
Coogan's Bluff
Coogan's Bluff Lt. McElroy 1968
The Day of the Owl
The Day of the Owl Don Mariano Arena 1968
They Came to Rob Las Vegas
They Came to Rob Las Vegas Steve Skorsky 1968
In Like Flint
In Like Flint Lloyd C. Cramden 1967
Death of a Salesman
Death of a Salesman Willy Loman 1966
Our Man Flint
Our Man Flint Cramden 1966
The Final Hour
The Final Hour Judge Henry Garth 1965
The Brazen Bell
The Brazen Bell Judge Henry Garth 1964
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre Ernie Wigman 1963
Come Blow Your Horn
Come Blow Your Horn Harry R. Baker 1963
The Devil's Children
The Devil's Children Judge Henry Garth 1962
How the West Was Won
How the West Was Won Marshal Lou Ramsey 1962
The Virginian
The Virginian Richter Henry Garth 1962
The Virginian
The Virginian Ritcher Henry Garth 1962
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Julio Madariaga 1962
Exodus
Exodus Barak Ben Canaan 1960
I, Don Quixote
I, Don Quixote Miguel de Cervantes / Don Quixote de la Mancha / Alonso Quijana 1959
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
The DuPont Show with June Allyson Captain Maximillian Gault 1959
But Not for Me
But Not for Me Jeremiah MacDonald 1959
Green Mansions
Green Mansions Nuflo 1959
The Trap
The Trap Victor Massonetti 1959
Party Girl
Party Girl Rico Angelo 1958
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse 1958
Man of the West
Man of the West Dock Tobin 1958
Naked City
Naked City Paul Delito 1958
The Brothers Karamazov
The Brothers Karamazov Fyodor Karamazov 1958
The Three Faces of Eve
The Three Faces of Eve Doctor Curtis Luther 1957
The Garment Jungle
The Garment Jungle Walter Mitchell 1957
12 Angry Men
12 Angry Men Juror 3 1957
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre Captain Andrew Watling 1956
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre Drifter - Frank MacKinnon 1956
Miami Exposé
Miami Exposé Lt. Barton 'Bart' Scott 1956
The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit
The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit Judge Bernstein 1956
Tony Awards
Tony Awards Willy Loman (archive footage) 1956
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke Col. Josiah Johnson 1955
The Left Hand of God
The Left Hand of God Mieh Yang 1955
The Road to Denver
The Road to Denver Jim Donovan 1955
The Racers
The Racers Maglio 1955
Day of Triumph
Day of Triumph Zadok 1954
Medic
Medic Henry Fisher 1954
On the Waterfront
On the Waterfront Johnny Friendly 1954
Gorilla at Large
Gorilla at Large Detective Sgt. Garrison 1954
Yankee Pasha
Yankee Pasha Sultan 1954
The Oscars
The Oscars Self 1953
The Tall Texan
The Tall Texan Capt. Theodore Bess 1953
General Electric Theater
General Electric Theater Dominic Roma 1953
General Electric Theater
General Electric Theater Grayson Foxhall 1953
The Ford Television Theatre
The Ford Television Theatre Matt Erwin 1952
The Fighter
The Fighter Durango 1952
The Family Secret
The Family Secret Howard Clark 1951
Tales of Tomorrow
Tales of Tomorrow 1951
Sirocco
Sirocco Col. Feroud 1951
The Man Who Cheated Himself
The Man Who Cheated Himself Lt. Ed Cullen 1950
Lux Video Theatre
Lux Video Theatre Emile Zola 1950
Thieves' Highway
Thieves' Highway Mike Figlia 1949
Lights Out
Lights Out 1949
The Phantom Creeps
The Phantom Creeps Road Crew Foreman (uncredited) 1949
The Dark Past
The Dark Past Dr. Andrew Collins 1948
Studio One
Studio One Dr. Joseph Pearson 1948
The Luck of the Irish
The Luck of the Irish David C. Augur 1948
The Miracle of the Bells
The Miracle of the Bells Marcus Harris 1948
Call Northside 777
Call Northside 777 Brian Kelly 1948
Captain from Castile
Captain from Castile Juan Garcia 1947
Boomerang!
Boomerang! Chief Harold F. 'Robbie' Robinson 1947
Johnny O'Clock
Johnny O'Clock Inspector Koch 1947
Anna and the King of Siam
Anna and the King of Siam Kralahome 1946
Winged Victory
Winged Victory Doctor 1944
Flight Characteristics of the P-51 Airplane
Flight Characteristics of the P-51 Airplane Arthur Deeds 1944
The Song of Bernadette
The Song of Bernadette Dr. Dozous 1943
Buckskin Frontier
Buckskin Frontier Jeptha Marr 1943
Tonight We Raid Calais
Tonight We Raid Calais Bonnard 1943
The Moon Is Down
The Moon Is Down Dr. Albert Winter 1943
Paris Calling
Paris Calling Captain Schwabe 1941
Men of Boys Town
Men of Boys Town Dave Morris 1941
This Thing Called Love
This Thing Called Love Julio Diestro 1940
Golden Boy
Golden Boy Mr. Bonaparte 1939
The Phantom Creeps
The Phantom Creeps Road Crew Foreman (archive footage) 1939
Danger on the Air
Danger on the Air Tony Lisotti 1938
Rustlers' Valley
Rustlers' Valley Cal Howard 1937
North of the Rio Grande
North of the Rio Grande President Wooden 1937
The Vanishing Shadow
The Vanishing Shadow Roadwork Foreman 1934

Directing Credits (1)

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