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Actor
Lee J. Cobb
Lee J. Cobb’s screen credits include Juror 3 in 12 Angry Men and Lt. Bill Kinderman in The Exorcist.
Born December 8, 1911† February 11, 1976 New York City, New York, USA2 movies on MoviHero
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THE PERSON BEHIND THE ROLES
About Lee J. Cobb
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. …
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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.
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MOVIHERO CREDITS
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- 1979Arthur Miller on Home GroundSelf - Willy Loman (archive footage)
- 1978The Meanest Men in the WestJudge Henry Garth
- 1976Cross ShotDante Ragusa
- 1976Nick the StingRobert Clark
- 1975Mark Shoots FirstIl commedator Benzi
- 1975That Lucky TouchHenry Steedman
- 1975Blood, Sweat and FearBenzi
- 1974The Balloon VendorTwenty Years
- 1974The Great Ice Rip-OffWilly Calso
- 1974Trapped Beneath the SeaVictor Bateman
- 1974Dr. MaxMaxwell Gordon
- 1973The Great KidnappingJovine
- 1973Double IndemnityBarton Keyes
- 1973The Man Who Loved Cat DancingLapchance
- 1972The Bull of the WestJudge Garth
- 1972Heat of AngerFrank Galvin
- 1971LawmanVincent Bronson
- 1971Macho CallahanDuffy
- 1970The Liberation of L.B. JonesOman Hedgepath
- 1970Annie: The Women in the Life of a ManHimself
- 1969Mackenna's GoldThe Editor
- 1968Coogan's BluffLt. McElroy
- 1968The Day of the OwlDon Mariano Arena
- 1968They Came to Rob Las VegasSteve Skorsky
- 1967In Like FlintLloyd C. Cramden
- 1966Death of a SalesmanWilly Loman
- 1966Our Man FlintCramden
- 1965The Final HourJudge Henry Garth
- 1964The Brazen BellJudge Henry Garth
- 1963Come Blow Your HornHarry R. Baker
- 1962The Devil's ChildrenJudge Henry Garth
- 1962How the West Was WonMarshal Lou Ramsey
- 1962The Four Horsemen of the ApocalypseJulio Madariaga
- 1960ExodusBarak Ben Canaan
- 1959I, Don QuixoteMiguel de Cervantes / Don Quixote de la Mancha / Alonso Quijana
- 1959But Not for MeJeremiah MacDonald
- 1959Green MansionsNuflo
- 1959The TrapVictor Massonetti
- 1958Party GirlRico Angelo
- 1958Man of the WestDock Tobin
- 1958The Brothers KaramazovFyodor Karamazov
- 1957The Three Faces of EveDoctor Curtis Luther
- 1957Panic ButtonAl Bengsten
- 1957The Garment JungleWalter Mitchell
- 1956Miami ExposéLt. Barton 'Bart' Scott
- 1956The Man in the Gray Flannel SuitJudge Bernstein
- 1955The Left Hand of GodMieh Yang
- 1955The Road to DenverJim Donovan
- 1955The RacersMaglio
- 1954Day of TriumphZadok
- 1954On the WaterfrontJohnny Friendly
- 1954Gorilla at LargeDetective Sgt. Garrison
- 1954Yankee PashaSultan
- 1953The Tall TexanCapt. Theodore Bess
- 1952The FighterDurango
- 1951The Family SecretHoward Clark
- 1951SiroccoCol. Feroud
- 1950The Man Who Cheated HimselfLt. Ed Cullen
- 1949Thieves' HighwayMike Figlia
- 1949The Phantom CreepsRoad Crew Foreman (uncredited)
- 1948The Dark PastDr. Andrew Collins
- 1948The Luck of the IrishDavid C. Augur
- 1948The Miracle of the BellsMarcus Harris
- 1948Call Northside 777Brian Kelly
- 1947Captain from CastileJuan Garcia
- 1947Boomerang!Chief Harold F. 'Robbie' Robinson
- 1947Johnny O'ClockInspector Koch
- 1946Anna and the King of SiamKralahome
- 1944Winged VictoryDoctor
- 1944Flight Characteristics of the P-51 AirplaneArthur Deeds
- 1943The Song of BernadetteDr. Dozous
- 1943Buckskin FrontierJeptha Marr
- 1943Tonight We Raid CalaisBonnard
- 1943The Moon Is DownDr. Albert Winter
- 1941Paris CallingSchwabe
- 1941Men of Boys TownDave Morris
- 1940This Thing Called LoveJulio Diestro
- 1939Golden BoyMr. Bonaparte
- 1939The Phantom CreepsRoad Crew Foreman (archive footage)
- 1938Danger on the AirTony Lisotti
- 1937Rustlers' ValleyCal Howard
- 1937North of the Rio GrandePresident Wooden
- 1934The Vanishing ShadowRoadwork Foreman
CHARACTER GUIDES
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Juror 3
12 Angry Men
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