Joe Besser

Age: 80 (passed away Mar. 1st, 1988)
Height: 5' 4"

Birth Place: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Born: Aug. 12th, 1907

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Joe Besser's Main TV Roles

Show	Character(s)
Scooby's All Star Laff-A-Lympics	Babu
The Houndcats	Putty Puss
The Joey Bishop Show (1961)	Mr. Jillson
Jeannie	Babu

NOTE: Complete List of Works can be found at IMDB

BIOGRAPHY:

Short, chubby, balding, childish character actor Joe Besser began his career one the vaudeville circuit before breaking into films in the early 1930s. He was a frequent foil of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello (I) in their films and played 'Stinky' on their 1950s TV show. Joe joined The Three Stooges in 1956, but quit the team to be with his ailing wife in 1958. He spent the 1960s appearing in numerous films and TV series, including 88 performances on "The Joey Bishop Show" (1961) and a regular role as the voice of Babu on the animated series "Jeannie" (1973).

TRIVIA:

The only member of 'The Three Stooges' (qv) team who was more successful in his solo career than he was with the Stooges.
Grandfather of 'Matt Besser' (qv).
Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald S. Smith, pg. 51. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387
After 'Shemp Howard' (qv) died, 'Moe Howard (I)' (qv) and 'Larry Fine (I)' (qv) wanted to continue as the "Two Stooges", but their contract said there had to be THREE Stooges. Besser was hired to fill in the void. The trouble was that he didn't like to be hit, so Larry told him that he would take the hits for him.
Was the only member of 'The Three Stooges' (qv) to use his actual birth name in the act. All of the other Stooges, and even 'Ted Healy' (qv), used stage or Americanized names.
When Columbia shut down its shorts department, 'The Three Stooges' (qv) were forced to take the act on the road, and Besser was invited to go. However, he refused because he had to be home to take care of his sick wife. He was not fired as the legend has it.
He is said to have "ruined" 'The Three Stooges' (qv)' comic timing by refusing to allow 'Moe Howard (I)' (qv), the Stooge-in-Chief as it were, to slap him (see 'Ted Healy' (qv)).
He began his career in show business as a song plugger for a St. Louis-based music company, and later became a comedy assistant to the great magician 'Howard Thurston' (qv).

Joe Besser Photos

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