Biography[]
Character: Joe Cobb
Birthday: November 7, 1916
Place of Birth: Shawnee, Oklahoma
Date of Death: May 21, 2002
Place of Death: Santa Ana, California
First Short: The Big Show
Last Short: Lazy Days (as regular gang member)
Number of Shorts: 85 (not counting 3 cameos)
Year Active: 1923–1941
History: With that big smiling farmboy grin and funny round body, he could only have become an actor. Joe Frank Cobb was one of the top most favorite stars in the Our Gang series, trailing only Farina, Spanky and Buckwheat for appearing in the most shorts. Joe and his father were one day visiting the Hal Roach Studios when the noon whistle blew and they followed the casting people to lunch. After lunch, they sort of borrowed Joe and took him to wardrobe, starring him in the movie, "A Tough Winter," alongside James Finlayson.
The director, Charley Chase (then known as Charley Parrott), remembered Joe when he was the supervising director in the Our Gang series and cast him soon in The Big Show, the seventh short of the series. He lasted longer than any other star of the silent film shorts, with the obvious exception of Allen Hoskins, who lasted well into the Talkies. After a few films, Joe became master of ceremonies for the Our Gang publicity tours and found the time to make cameos in Fish Hooky, Pay As You Exit and Reunion In Rhythm with the new younger Little Rascals in the series. After Hal Roach Studios changed hands in the Forties, Joe had to get a real job and became an assembler, later working alongside Jackie Condon at Rockwell International in Los Angeles for thirty years.
During his life, Joe never grew any taller than five feet, but his looks barely changed. His neighbor in Culver City was his best friend, Bob Davis, the transportation director for Hal Roach Studios, who drove the kids to all their exterior location shots for filming.
List of Shorts[]
- The Big Show
- The Champeen!
- Boys To Board
- A Pleasant Journey
- Giants Vs. Yanks
- Back Stage
- Dogs Of War!
- Lodge Night
- Stage Fright
- July Days
- Sunday Calm
- No Noise
- Derby Day
- Fast Company
- Tire Trouble
- Big Business
- The Buccaneers
- Seein' Things
- Commencement Day
- It's A Bear
- Cradle Robbers
- Jubilo Jr.
- High Society
- The Sun Down Limited
- Every Man For Himself
- The Mysterious Mystery!
- The Big Town
- Circus Fever
- Dog Days
- The Love Bug
- Ask Grandma
- Shootin' Injuns
- Official Officers
- Mary, Queen Of Tots
- Boys Will Be Joys
- Better Movies
- Your Own Back Yard
- One Wild Ride
- Good Cheer
- Buried Treasure
- Monkey Business
- Baby Clothes
- Uncle Tom's Uncle
- Thundering Fleas
- Shivering Spooks
- The Fourth Alarm!
- War Feathers
- Telling Whoppers
- Seeing The World
- Bring Home The Turkey
- Ten Years Old
- Love My Dog
- Tired Business Men
- Baby Brother
- Chicken Feed
- Olympic Games
- The Glorious Fourth
- Playin' Hookey
- The Smile Wins
- Yale Vs. Harvard
- The Old Wallop
- Heebee Jeebees
- Dog Heaven
- Spook-Spoofing
- Rainy Days
- Edison, Marconi & Co.
- Barnum & Ringling, Inc.
- Fair And Muddy
- Crazy House
- Growing Pains
- Old Gray Hoss
- School Begins
- The Spanking Age
- Election Day
- Noisy Noises
- The Holy Terror
- Wiggle Your Ears
- Fast Freight
- Little Mother
- Cat, Dog & Co.
- Saturday's Lesson
- Small Talk
- Railroadin'
- Boxing Gloves
- Lazy Days
- Fish Hooky
- Pay As You Exit
- Reunion In Rhythm
Other Projects[]
- A Tough Winter (1922) - with James Finlayson
- Girl Shy (1924) (uncredited) - with Jackie Condon, Mickey Daniels, Richard Daniels Sr., Betsy Ann Hisle, and Harold Lloyd
- Rupert of Hee Haw (1924) (uncredited) - with Jackie Condon, Mickey Daniels, Johnny M. Downs, James Finlayson, Mary Kornman, Stan Laurel, and Ernie Morrison
- The Fraidy Cat (1924) - with Charley Chase, Mickey Daniels, Ernie Morrison, and Andrew Samuel
- Battling Orioles (1924) (uncredited) - with Jackie Condon, Mickey Daniels, and Ernie Morrison
- Where Did You Get That Girl? (1941)
- Tuxedo Junction (1941) (uncredited)