Acting
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. 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
Arthur Miller on Home Ground
Film · 1979
The Meanest Men in the West
Film · 1978
Cross Shot
Film · 1976
Nick the Sting
Film · 1976
Origins of the Mafia
Series · 1976
Mark Shoots First
Film · 1975
That Lucky Touch
Film · 1975
Blood, Sweat and Fear
Film · 1975
The Great Ice Rip-Off
Film · 1974
The Balloon Vendor
Film · 1974
Trapped Beneath the Sea
Film · 1974
Dr. Max
Film · 1974
The Exorcist
Film · 1973
The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing
Film · 1973
The Great Kidnapping
Film · 1973
Double Indemnity
Film · 1973
The Bull of the West
Film · 1972
Heat of Anger
Film · 1972
Lawman
Film · 1971
Macho Callahan
Film · 1971
The Liberation of L.B. Jones
Film · 1970
Annie: The Women in the Life of a Man
Film · 1970
The Young Lawyers
Series · 1970
McCloud
Series · 1970
Mackenna's Gold
Film · 1969
Coogan's Bluff
Film · 1968
The Day of the Owl
Film · 1968
They Came to Rob Las Vegas
Film · 1968
In Like Flint
Film · 1967
Our Man Flint
Film · 1966
Death of a Salesman
Film · 1966
The Final Hour
Film · 1965
The Brazen Bell
Film · 1964
Come Blow Your Horn
Film · 1963
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
Series · 1963
How the West Was Won
Film · 1962
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Film · 1962
The Devil's Children
Film · 1962
The Virginian
Series · 1962
The Virginian
Series · 1962
Exodus
Film · 1960
The Trap
Film · 1959
But Not for Me
Film · 1959
I, Don Quixote
Film · 1959
Green Mansions
Film · 1959
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
Series · 1959
Party Girl
Film · 1958
Man of the West
Film · 1958
The Brothers Karamazov
Film · 1958
Naked City
Series · 1958
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
Series · 1958
The Garment Jungle
Film · 1957
The Three Faces of Eve
Film · 1957
12 Angry Men
Film · 1957
Panic Button
Film · 1957
The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit
Film · 1956
Miami Exposé
Film · 1956
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Series · 1956
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Series · 1956
Tony Awards
Series · 1956
The Left Hand of God
Film · 1955
The Racers
Film · 1955
The Road to Denver
Film · 1955
Gunsmoke
Series · 1955
On the Waterfront
Film · 1954
Gorilla at Large
Film · 1954
Yankee Pasha
Film · 1954
Day of Triumph
Film · 1954
Medic
Series · 1954
The Tall Texan
Film · 1953
General Electric Theater
Series · 1953
The Oscars
Series · 1953
General Electric Theater
Series · 1953
The Fighter
Film · 1952
The Ford Television Theatre
Series · 1952
Sirocco
Film · 1951
The Family Secret
Film · 1951
Tales of Tomorrow
Series · 1951
The Man Who Cheated Himself
Film · 1950
Lux Video Theatre
Series · 1950
Thieves' Highway
Film · 1949
The Phantom Creeps
Film · 1949
Lights Out
Series · 1949
Call Northside 777
Film · 1948
The Dark Past
Film · 1948
The Miracle of the Bells
Film · 1948
The Luck of the Irish
Film · 1948
Studio One
Series · 1948
Captain from Castile
Film · 1947
Johnny O'Clock
Film · 1947
Boomerang!
Film · 1947
Anna and the King of Siam
Film · 1946
Winged Victory
Film · 1944
Flight Characteristics of the P-51 Airplane
Film · 1944
Tonight We Raid Calais
Film · 1943
The Song of Bernadette
Film · 1943
The Moon Is Down
Film · 1943
Buckskin Frontier
Film · 1943
Paris Calling
Film · 1941
Men of Boys Town
Film · 1941
This Thing Called Love
Film · 1940
Golden Boy
Film · 1939
The Phantom Creeps
Film · 1939
Danger on the Air
Film · 1938
North of the Rio Grande
Film · 1937
Rustlers' Valley
Film · 1937
The Vanishing Shadow
Film · 1934