Lee J. Cobb

Lee J. Cobb (1911-1976) was an American actor. He was born Lee Jacoby in New York City. Cobb had studied at New York University when he joined the left wing Group Theatre in 1935 and appeared in its production of Clifford Odets' play Waiting for Lefty. In 1937 he made his movie debut in Ali Baba Goes to Town.

Lee J. Cobb

He is probably best known for creating the role of Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's stage play Death of a Salesman directed by Elia Kazan.

He also played James Coburn's supervisor in the psychedelic flicks, In Like Flint and Our Man Flint. He was in the original live TV movie, "Death of a Salesman" which included then unknown actors like Gene Wilder, Bernie Kopell, and George Segal. Cobb was nominated for an Emmy Award for the performance.

Cobb was named as a possible Communist in testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee because of his involvement in the Group Theatre. He 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 twenty people as former members of the Communist Party USA.

Later, Cobb explained why he "named names" saying:

"When the facilities of the government of the United States are drawn on an individual it can be terrifying. The blacklist is just the opening gambit - being deprived of work. Your passport is confiscated. That's minor. But not being able to move without being tailed is something else. After a certain point it grows to implied as well as articulated threats, and people succumb. My wife did, and she was institutionalized. The HUAC did a deal with me. I was pretty much worn down. I had no money. I couldn't borrow. I had the expenses of taking care of the children. Why am I subjecting my loved ones to this? If it's worth dying for, and I am just as idealistic as the next fellow. But I decided it wasn't worth dying for, and if this gesture was the way of getting out of the penitentiary I'd do it. I had to be employable again." (Inteview with Victor Navasky for the 1982 book Naming Names.)

Following the hearing he resumed his career and worked with Kazan and Budd Schulberg, two other HUAC "friendly witnesses" on the 1954 film On the Waterfront which is widely seen as an allegory and aplogia for tesifying. Other notable films he's appeared in include The Left Hand of God (1955), Twelve Angry Men (1957), The Brothers Karamazov (1958), Exodus (1960), How the West Was Won (1962), Coogan's Bluff (1968) and The Exorcist (1973), his last movie.

See also:

  • McCarthyism
  • Red Scare

This page about Lee J. Cobb includes information from a Wikipedia article.
Additional articles about Lee J. Cobb
News stories about Lee J. Cobb
External links for Lee J. Cobb
Videos for Lee J. Cobb
Wikis about Lee J. Cobb
Discussion Groups about Lee J. Cobb
Blogs about Lee J. Cobb
Images of Lee J. Cobb

See also:. [1] (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/cromwell_richard.shtml)[2] (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/cromwell_oliver.shtml) [3] (http://www.britannia.com/history/monarchs/mon48a.html). Other notable films he's appeared in include The Left Hand of God (1955), Twelve Angry Men (1957), The Brothers Karamazov (1958), Exodus (1960), How the West Was Won (1962), Coogan's Bluff (1968) and The Exorcist (1973), his last movie.
. Following the hearing he resumed his career and worked with Kazan and Budd Schulberg, two other HUAC "friendly witnesses" on the 1954 film On the Waterfront which is widely seen as an allegory and aplogia for tesifying.
. Later, Cobb explained why he "named names" saying:. He retired to obscurity, going into exile on the Continent under the soubriquet of "John Clarke", but returning in 1680 to live out the remainder of his life in Britain.

He 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 twenty people as former members of the Communist Party USA. Unlike his father, Richard was not held accountable for the death of King Charles I. Cobb was named as a possible Communist in testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee because of his involvement in the Group Theatre. This was the beginning of a short period of restoration of the Commonwealth of England but led to a state of anarchy that resulted in the return of the exiled King Charles II of England and the English Restoration. Cobb was nominated for an Emmy Award for the performance. He gave it up with little hesitation, resigning or "abdicating" after a demand by the Rump Parliament. He was in the original live TV movie, "Death of a Salesman" which included then unknown actors like Gene Wilder, Bernie Kopell, and George Segal. Richard was an unlikely successor, coming to prominence only because his two elder brothers both died before their father. Having previously sat in parliament, but only having joined the Council of State a year before his appointment as Protector, he had neither the political experience nor the interest required to maintain his position.

He also played James Coburn's supervisor in the psychedelic flicks, In Like Flint and Our Man Flint. Richard Cromwell's enemies called him Tumbledown Dick. He is probably best known for creating the role of Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's stage play Death of a Salesman directed by Elia Kazan. Richard Cromwell (October 4, 1626- July 12, 1712) was the third son of Oliver Cromwell, and was Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland, for little over eight months, from September 3, 1658 until May 25, 1659. In 1937 he made his movie debut in Ali Baba Goes to Town. He was born Lee Jacoby in New York City. Cobb had studied at New York University when he joined the left wing Group Theatre in 1935 and appeared in its production of Clifford Odets' play Waiting for Lefty.

Cobb (1911-1976) was an American actor. Lee J. Red Scare. McCarthyism.