Lee J. Cobb
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.
Known For
Credits
- 2023 · Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist as Self (archive footage)
- 1978 · The Meanest Men in the West as Judge Henry Garth
- 1976 · Cross Shot as Dante Ragusa
- 1976 · Origins of the Mafia as Bartolomeo Gramignano
- 1976 · Nick the Sting as Robert Clark
- 1975 · Mark Shoots First as Il commedator Benzi
- 1975 · That Lucky Touch as Henry Steedman
- 1975 · Blood, Sweat and Fear as Benzi
- 1974 · The Balloon Vendor as Twenty Years
- 1974 · The Great Ice Rip-Off as Willy Calso
- 1974 · Trapped Beneath the Sea as Victor Bateman
- 1974 · Dr. Max as Maxwell Gordon
- 1973 · The Exorcist as Lt. Bill Kinderman
- 1973 · The Great Kidnapping as Jovine
- 1973 · Double Indemnity as Barton Keyes
- 1973 · The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing as Lapchance
- 1972 · The Bull of the West as Judge Garth
- 1972 · Heat of Anger as Frank Galvin
- 1971 · Lawman as Vincent Bronson
- 1971 · Macho Callahan as Duffy
- 1970 · The Young Lawyers as
- 1970 · The Liberation of L.B. Jones as Oman Hedgepath
- 1970 · Annie: the Women in the Life of a Man as Himself
- 1970 · McCloud as
- 1969 · Mackenna's Gold as The Editor
- 1968 · Coogan's Bluff as Lt. McElroy
- 1968 · The Day of the Owl as Don Mariano Arena
- 1968 · They Came to Rob Las Vegas as Steve Skorsky
- 1967 · In Like Flint as Lloyd C. Cramden
- 1966 · Death of a Salesman as Willy Loman
- 1966 · Our Man Flint as Cramden
- 1965 · The Final Hour as Judge Henry Garth
- 1964 · The Brazen Bell as Judge Henry Garth
- 1963 · Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre as Ernie Wigman
- 1963 · Come Blow Your Horn as Harry R. Baker
- 1962 · The Devil's Children as Judge Henry Garth
- 1962 · How the West Was Won as Marshal Lou Ramsey
- 1962 · The Virginian as Richter Henry Garth
- 1962 · The Virginian as Ritcher Henry Garth
- 1962 · The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse as Julio Madariaga
- 1960 · Exodus as Barak Ben Canaan
- 1959 · I, Don Quixote as Miguel de Cervantes / Don Quixote de la Mancha / Alonso Quijana
- 1959 · The DuPont Show with June Allyson as Captain Maximillian Gault
- 1959 · But Not for Me as Jeremiah MacDonald
- 1959 · Green Mansions as Nuflo
- 1959 · The Trap as Victor Massonetti
- 1958 · Party Girl as Rico Angelo
- 1958 · Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse as
- 1958 · Naked City as Paul Delito
- 1958 · Man of the West as Dock Tobin
- 1958 · The Brothers Karamazov as Fyodor Karamazov
- 1957 · The Three Faces of Eve as Doctor Curtis Luther
- 1957 · The Garment Jungle as Walter Mitchell
- 1957 · 12 Angry Men as Juror 3
- 1956 · Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre as Captain Andrew Watling
- 1956 · Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre as Drifter - Frank MacKinnon
- 1956 · Miami Exposé as Lt. Barton 'Bart' Scott
- 1956 · The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit as Judge Bernstein
- 1956 · Tony Awards as Willy Loman (archive footage)
- 1955 · Gunsmoke as Col. Josiah Johnson
- 1955 · The Left Hand of God as Mieh Yang
- 1955 · The Road to Denver as Jim Donovan
- 1955 · The Racers as Maglio
- 1954 · Day of Triumph as Zadok
- 1954 · Medic as Henry Fisher
- 1954 · On the Waterfront as Johnny Friendly
- 1954 · Gorilla at Large as Detective Sgt. Garrison
- 1954 · Yankee Pasha as Sultan
- 1953 · The Oscars as Self
- 1953 · The Tall Texan as Capt. Theodore Bess
- 1953 · General Electric Theater as Dominic Roma
- 1953 · General Electric Theater as Grayson Foxhall
- 1952 · The Ford Television Theatre as Matt Erwin
- 1952 · The Fighter as Durango
- 1951 · The Family Secret as Howard Clark
- 1951 · Tales of Tomorrow as
- 1951 · Sirocco as Col. Feroud
- 1950 · The Man Who Cheated Himself as Lt. Ed Cullen
- 1950 · Lux Video Theatre as Emile Zola
- 1949 · Thieves' Highway as Mike Figlia
- 1949 · Lights Out as
- 1949 · The Phantom Creeps as Road Crew Foreman (uncredited)
- 1948 · The Dark Past as Dr. Andrew Collins
- 1948 · Studio One as Dr. Joseph Pearson
- 1948 · The Luck of the Irish as David C. Augur
- 1948 · The Miracle of the Bells as Marcus Harris
- 1948 · Call Northside 777 as Brian Kelly
- 1947 · Captain from Castile as Juan Garcia
- 1947 · Boomerang! as Chief Harold F. 'Robbie' Robinson
- 1947 · Johnny O'Clock as Inspector Koch
- 1946 · Anna and the King of Siam as Kralahome
- 1944 · Winged Victory as Doctor
- 1944 · Flight Characteristics of the P-51 Airplane as Arthur Deeds
- 1943 · The Song of Bernadette as Dr. Dozous
- 1943 · Buckskin Frontier as Jeptha Marr
- 1943 · Tonight We Raid Calais as Bonnard
- 1943 · The Moon Is Down as Dr. Albert Winter
- 1941 · Paris Calling as Captain Schwabe
- 1941 · Men of Boys Town as Dave Morris
- 1940 · This Thing Called Love as Julio Diestro
- 1939 · Golden Boy as Mr. Bonaparte
- 1939 · The Phantom Creeps as Road Crew Foreman (archive footage)
- 1938 · Danger on the Air as Tony Lisotti
- 1937 · Rustlers' Valley as Cal Howard
- 1937 · North of the Rio Grande as President Wooden
- 1934 · The Vanishing Shadow as Roadwork Foreman