Joe Besser (August 12, 1907 – March 1, 1988) was an American actor, comedian and musician, known for his impish humor and wimpy characters. He is best known for his brief stint as a member of

The Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical farce and slapstick. Six Stooges appeared ...

in movie short subjects of 1957–59. He is also remembered for his television roles: Stinky, the bratty man-child in '' The Abbott and Costello Show'', and Jillson, the maintenance man in '' The Joey Bishop Show''.

Early life

Besser was born in St. Louis,

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

, on August 12, 1907. He was the ninth child of Morris and Fanny echtBesser, Jewish immigrants from

Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, whi ...

. He had seven older sisters, and an older brother Manny who was in show business, primarily as an

ethnic An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established fo ...

Jewish comic. From an early age, Joe was fascinated with show business, especially the magic act of Howard Thurston that visited St. Louis annually. When Joe was 12, Thurston allowed him to be an audience plant. Besser was so excited by this, he sneaked into Thurston's train after the St. Louis run of the show was over, and was discovered the next day sleeping on top of the lion's cage in Detroit. Thurston informed Besser's parents of the situation, and trained him as an assistant. The first act involved pulling a rabbit out of a hat. The trick involved two rabbits, one hidden in a pocket of Thurston's cape. But young Besser was so nervous that he botched badly, pulling out the rabbit from the cape at the same time as the other rabbit was on display, before the trick had been performed. The audience roared with laughter, and Besser from then on was assigned "comic mishap" roles only. Besser was placed by St. Louis juvenile authorities in a "corrective school" (reform school) at age 12.

Acting career

Besser remained in show business and developed a comic character: an impish but whiny and bratty man who was easily excitable and upset, throwing temper tantrums with little provocation. Besser, with his frequent outbursts of "You crazy, ''youuuuu!''" and "Not so ''faaaaaast!''" or "Not so ''harrrrd!!''" became a vaudeville headliner, and movie and radio appearances soon followed. The comedy team of Olsen and Johnson, whose

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

revues were fast-paced collections of songs and blackouts, hired Joe Besser to join their company. Besser's noisy intrusions fit the Olsen & Johnson style perfectly, and Besser's work caught the attention of the Shubert brothers, who signed Besser to a theatrical contract.

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

hired Besser away from the Shuberts, and Besser relocated to Hollywood in 1944, where he brought his comic character to feature-length musical comedies like '' Hey, Rookie'' and ''

Eadie Was a Lady ''Eadie Was a Lady'' is a 1945 American musical comedy. Plot Eadie Allen is a student at Glen Moor College and the niece of a wealthy Boston socialite (Aunt Priscilla) in Back Bay. She has secretly taken a new job as a dancer in a seedy burlesq ...

'' (1945). On May 9, 1946 Besser appeared on the pioneer NBC television program ''

Hour Glass An hourglass (or sandglass, sand timer, sand clock or egg timer) is a device used to measure the passage of time. It comprises two glass bulbs connected vertically by a narrow neck that allows a regulated flow of a substance (historically san ...

'', performing his "Army Drill" routine with stage partner Jimmy Little. According to an article in the May 27, 1946 issue of ''

Life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energy ...

'' magazine, the show was seen by about 20,000 people on about 3,500 television sets, mostly in the New York City area. During this period, he appeared on the

Jack Benny Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky, February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success playing violin on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century wit ...

radio program in the episode entitled "Jack Prepares For Carnegie Hall" in June, 1943. Besser also starred in short-subject comedies for Columbia from 1949 to 1956. By this point, his persona was sufficiently well known that he was frequently caricatured in ''

Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series '' Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation. ...

'' animated shorts of the era. He appeared in the action film '' The Desert Hawk'' (1950). Besser had substituted for Lou Costello on radio, opposite

Bud Abbott William Alexander "Bud" Abbott (October 2, 1897 – April 24, 1974) was an American comedian, actor and producer. He was best known as the straight man half of the comedy duo Abbott and Costello. Early life Abbott was born in Asbury Park, New J ...

, and by the 1950s he was firmly established as one of the

Abbott and Costello Abbott may refer to: People * Abbott (surname) *Abbott Handerson Thayer (1849–1921), American painter and naturalist * Abbott and Costello, famous American vaudeville act Places Argentina * Abbott, Buenos Aires United States * Abbott, Arkansas ...

regulars. When the duo filmed '' The Abbott and Costello Show'' for television, they hired Joe Besser to play Oswald "Stinky" Davis, a bratty, loudmouthed child dressed in an oversized

Little Lord Fauntleroy ''Little Lord Fauntleroy'' is a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It was published as a serial in ''St. Nicholas Magazine'' from November 1885 to October 1886, then as a book by Scribner's (the publisher of ''St. Nicholas'') in 1886. The ill ...

outfit, shorts, and a flat top hat with overhanging brim. He appeared during the first season of ''The Abbott and Costello Show''. Besser was cast for the role of Yonkel, a chariot man in the low-budget

biblical The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of ...

film ''

Sins of Jezebel ''Sins of Jezebel'' is a 1953 American historical drama film produced by Sigmund Neufeld and directed by Reginald Le Borg. It stars Paulette Goddard as Jezebel, the biblical queen of the northern kingdom of Israel during the 9th century BC. The fi ...

'' (1953) which starred

Paulette Goddard Paulette Goddard (born Marion Levy; June 3, 1910 – April 23, 1990) was an American actress notable for her film career in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Born in Manhattan and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, Goddard initially began her career ...

as the titular wicked queen.

The Three Stooges

After Shemp Howard died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

while on his way home from a boxing night on November 22, 1955 at age of 60, his surviving partners, Moe Howard and Larry Fine, had been working as a two-man team since Shemp's death (with Shemp seen entirely in older film footage). Moe suggested that he and Larry could continue working as "The Two Stooges." Studio chief

Harry Cohn Harry Cohn (July 23, 1891 – February 27, 1958) was a co-founder, president, and production director of Columbia Pictures Corporation. Life and career Cohn was born to a working-class Jewish family in New York City. His father, Joseph Cohn, w ...

rejected the proposal. Although Moe had legal approval to allow new members into the act,

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region i ...

executives had the final say about any actor who would appear in the studio's films, and insisted on a performer already under contract to Columbia. At the time, Joe Besser was one of a few comedians still making comedy shorts at the studio. He successfully renegotiated his contract, and was paid his former feature-film salary, which was more than the other Stooges earned. Besser refrained from imitating Curly or Shemp. He continued to play the same whiny character he had developed over his long career. He had a clause in his contract prohibiting being hit excessively. Besser recalled, "I usually played the kind of character who would hit others back." He claimed that Larry volunteered to take the brunt of Moe's screen abuse. In a 2002 E! channel program which used file footage of Besser, the comic stated that the left side of Larry Fine's face was noticeably coarser than the other side, which he attributed to Moe's slaps. As a result of his whiny persona and lack of true slapstick punishment against him (the cornerstone of Stooge humor), Joe has been less popular with contemporary Stooge aficionados, so much so, that "Stooge-a-Polooza" TV host Rich Koz has even apologized on the air before showing Besser shorts; during the show's tenure he received more than a few letters from viewers expressing their outrage over his airing them. Besser does have his defenders, however. Columbia historians Edward Watz and Ted Okuda have written appreciatively of Besser bringing new energy to what was by then a flagging theatrical series. The Stooges shorts with Besser were filmed from the spring of 1956 to the end of 1957. His Stooge tenure ended when Columbia shut down the two-reel-comedy department on December 20, 1957. Producer-director

Jules White Jules White (born Julius Weiss; hu, Weisz Gyula; 17 September 190030 April 1985) was a Hungarian-American film director and producer best known for his short-subject comedies starring The Three Stooges Early years White began working in m ...

had shot enough film for 16 comedies, which were released a few months apart until June 1959, with '' Sappy Bull Fighters'' being the final release. After Besser joined in, for the first time in their career, the Stooges did not go to any personal appearances during their lay-off season started from 1956. There was a long-time belief, based on an existing ad, that the Stooges once performed live, with Besser as the third stooge, at the Paramount Theatre, Los Angeles, sometimes around 1957. It was later found that the ad was erroneously used for the act's personal appearances in December 1959, with Joe DeRita, rather than Besser, as part of the line-up. In fact, Besser never made any personal appearances as a member of the Three Stooges. After their contract with Columbia ended, Moe Howard and Larry Fine discussed plans for a personal appearance tour, but Besser declined. His wife had suffered a heart attack in November 1957, and he was unwilling to leave without her. In later life, Besser praised Moe and Larry in a 1985 radio interview, of which a quote from said interview was aired on

A&E Network A&E is an American basic cable network, the flagship television property of A&E Networks. The network was originally founded in 1984 as the Arts & Entertainment Network, initially focusing on fine arts, documentaries, dramas, and educational ent ...

's ''

Biography A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or c ...

''. Besser said:

After the Stooges

Besser returned to films and television, most notably as the superintendent Jillson for four seasons (1961–1965) of '' The Joey Bishop Show''. He also made occasional appearances on the ABC late-night series, also called ''The Joey Bishop Show,'' between 1967 and 1969. Besser also had roles on ''

The Mothers-in-Law ''The Mothers-in-Law'' is an American situation comedy featuring Eve Arden and Kaye Ballard as two women who were friends and next-door neighbors until their children's elopement made them in-laws. The show aired on NBC television from Septemb ...

'', ''

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...

'', '' The Good Guys'', ''

That Girl ''That Girl'' is an American sitcom that ran on ABC from September 8, 1966 to March 19, 1971. It starred Marlo Thomas as the title character Ann Marie, an aspiring (but only sporadically employed) actress, who moves from her hometown of Brewster ...

'', and ''

Love, American Style ''Love, American Style'' is an anthology comedy television series that aired on ABC from 1969 to 1974. The series was produced by Paramount Television. During the 1971–72 and 1972–73 seasons, it was a part of ABC's Friday primetime lineup ...

''. He provided the voice of the dragon on ''

The Alvin Show ''The Alvin Show'' is an American animated television series that aired on CBS in the early 1960s. This was the first series to feature the singing characters Alvin and the Chipmunks. ''The Alvin Show'' aired for one season, from October 4, 1961, ...

'' (1961), and he played Chubby Stone in the episode "Cry Love, Cry Murder" (S3 E25) of the private-eye series ''

Peter Gunn ''Peter Gunn'' is an American private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, Edie Hart. The series aired on NBC from September 22, 1958, to 1960 and on ABC in 1960–1961. The seri ...

'' (1961). Besser also provided voices for several

Saturday Morning cartoon "Saturday-morning cartoon" is a colloquial term for the original animated series programming that was typically scheduled on Saturday and Sunday mornings in the United States on the "Big Three" television networks. The genre's popularity had a br ...

series in the 1970s. He voiced the character Putty Puss in '' The Houndcats'' (1972), bumbling genie Babu in '' Jeannie'' (1973), (inspired by ''

I Dream of Jeannie ''I Dream of Jeannie'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series, created by Sidney Sheldon that starred Barbara Eden as a sultry, 2,000-year-old genie and Larry Hagman, as an astronaut with whom she falls in love and eventually mar ...

'') and '' Scooby's All-Star Laff-A-Lympics'', and as Scare Bear in ''

Yogi's Space Race ''Yogi's Space Race'' is a 90-minute American animated television series and the third entry in the ''Yogi Bear'' franchise. Thirteen episodes were broadcast on NBC from September 9, 1978, to December 2, 1978, and featured the following four segme ...

'' (1978). Besser's career slowed somewhat after he suffered a minor

stroke A stroke is a disease, medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemorr ...

in 1979, resulting in considerable weight loss. Later in life, Besser expressed some dismay that people only recognized him for his brief tenure with the Stooges. However, he eventually softened, realizing that the Stooges continued to bring him his greatest exposure. In 1984, Besser co-wrote with authors Jeff and Greg Lenburg his autobiography, ''Not Just a Stooge'', for Excelsior Books. The book would be later retitled and re-published as ''Once a Stooge, Always a Stooge'' following his death in 1988. Joe Besser recalled his friendship with the Stooges in an emotional speech referring to "the four boys oe, Larry, Curly, and Shemp... up in heaven" looking down at the dedication of a star to The Three Stooges on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...

on August 30, 1983. Stooges co-actor Emil Sitka, the only other Stooge attendee, also spoke; the only other surviving Stooge, Joe DeRita, was ill at the time, though he outlived Besser by five years. In the spring of 2000, ABC aired a made-for-television movie

, with actor Laurence Coy appearing briefly as Besser. This depiction of Besser has been criticized as being unfairly negative.

Personal life

In 1932, Besser married dancer Erna Kay (born Ernestine Dora Kretschmer), known as "Ernie".'Three Stooges' Actor Joe Besser Dies at Age 80
''www.washingtonpost.com'', accessed 22 February 2021 The couple had no children. They were neighbors and friends of

Lou Costello Louis Francis Cristillo (March 6, 1906 – March 3, 1959), professionally known as Lou Costello, was an American comedian, actor and producer. He was best known for his double act with straight man Bud Abbott and their routine " Who's on First? ...

, of the

duo. Besser appeared in the Abbott and Costello movie ''

Africa Screams ''Africa Screams'' is a 1949 American adventure comedy film directed by Charles Barton and starring Abbott and Costello that parodies the safari genre. The title is a play on the title of the 1930 documentary ''Africa Speaks!'' The supporting ...

'' (1949), which also featured Shemp Howard of

the Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical farce and slapstick. Six Stooges appeared ...

. Joe and Shemp were old friends, having met in 1932. His cousin's grandson is

Upright Citizens Brigade The Upright Citizens Brigade is an improvisational and sketch comedy group that emerged from Chicago's ImprovOlympic in 1990. The original incarnation of the group consisted of Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, Matt Walsh, Adam McKa ...

theater co-founder and improviser/comedian Matt Besser.

Death

Joe Besser died of

heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, ...

on March 1, 1988 at the age of 80. His wife Erna died on July 1, 1989, from a heart attack at age 89. Both spouses are buried in the same plot in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, in

Glendale, California Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from 191,719 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth-larges ...

. Joe's marker reads, "Joe Besser / August 12, 1907 – March 1, 1988 / He Brought the World Love and Laughter", while Erna's reads, "Ernestine Besser / March 14, 1900 – July 1, 1989 / In Loving Memory." Besser's Stooge partner Larry Fine is in a crypt at the Freedom Mausoleum, which is a short distance away from the tomb.

Selected filmography

Theatrical

Features

* ''

Hot Steel Hot Steel is a 1940 American film directed by Christy Cabanne and starring Richard Arlen, Andy Devine, and Peggy Moran. Cast *Richard Arlen as Frank Stewart *Andy Devine as Matt Morrison *Peggy Moran as Babe Morrison *Anne Nagel as Rita Martin * ...

'' (1940) – Siggie * '' Hey, Rookie'' (1944) – Pendelton * ''Eadie Was a Lady'' (1945) – Professor Dingle * ''Talk About a Lady'' (1946) – Roly Q. Entwhistle * ''Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin'' (1948) – Sharkey Dolan * ''

'' (1949) – Harry * '' Joe Palooka Meets Humphrey'' (1950) – Carlton * '' Outside the Wall'' (1950) – cook (uncredited) * '' Woman in Hiding'' (1950) – salesman * '' The Desert Hawk'' (1950) – Prince Sinbad * '' I, the Jury'' (1953) – Elevator Operator * ''

'' (1953) – Yonkel * ''

Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops ''Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops'' is a 1955 comedy film directed by Charles Lamont and starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. After the film was completed, Universal-International wanted to rename it ''Abbott and Costello ...

'' (1955) – Hunter (uncredited) * '' Headline Hunters'' (1955) – Coroner * ''Two-Gun Lady'' (1955) – Doc McGinnis * '' Three Stooges Fun-O-Rama'' (1959) * ''

Say One for Me ''Say One For Me'' is a 1959 American comedy musical film directed by Frank Tashlin and starring Bing Crosby, Debbie Reynolds and Robert Wagner. ''Say One for Me'' was listed in the 1978 book ''The Fifty Worst Films of All Time''. Stella Stevens ...

'' (1959) – Joe Greb * '' Let's Make Love'' (1960) – Charlie Lamont * ''The Silent Call'' (1961) – Art * '' The Errand Boy'' (1961) – Man watching rushes * '' Hand of Death'' (1962) – Service station attendant * '' The Monk'' (1969) – Herbie (

TV movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

) * '' Savage Intruder'' (1970) – Bus Driver * '' Which Way to the Front?'' (1970) – Dock Master

Short subjects

* ''Cuckoorancho'' (1938) – Wanderer * ''A Day in the Country'' (1953) * ''

'' (1957–1959) * ''The Woodcutter's House'' (1959)

Joe Besser with Hawthorne short subject series

* ''Waiting in the Lurch'' (1949) – Eric Loudermilk Potts * ''Dizzy Yardbird'' (1950) – Rodney Marblehead * '' 'Fraidy Cat'' (1951) – Det. Joe Besser * ''Aim, Fire, Scoot'' (1952) – Pvt. Joe Besser * ''Caught on the Bounce'' (1952) – Daddy * ''Spies and Guys'' (1953) – Pvt. Joe Besser * ''The Fire Chaser'' (1954) – Eric Loudermilk Potts * ''G.I. Dood It'' (1955) – Pvt. Joe Marblehead * '' Hook a Crook'' (1955) – Det. Joe Besser * ''Army Daze'' (1956) – Pvt. Joe Besser

Television

* ''

The Ken Murray Show ''The Ken Murray Show'' was an American music and comedy television show on CBS Television hosted by Ken Murray that ran from 1950 to 1953. Show An established entertainer and vaudeville regular, Murray had hosted comedy and variety series on CB ...

'' (1950) * '' The Colgate Comedy Hour'' (1951–1953) * ''

The Alan Young Show ''The Alan Young Show'' is an American radio and television series presented in diverse formats over a nine-year period and starring English born comedian Alan Young. Radio The series began on NBC Radio as a summer replacement situation comedy i ...

'' (1951) * '' The Abbott and Costello Show'' (1952–1953) – Stinky Davis * ''

The Spike Jones Show ''The Spike Jones Show'' was the name of several separate American comedy and variety series that aired on NBC and CBS in the 1950s and 1960s. The series was presented by actor and musician Spike Jones, his wife, musician Helen Grayco and their ...

'' (1954) – jailhouse warden * '' My Little Margie'' (1954) – butterfly catcher * ''

The Jack Benny Program ''The Jack Benny Program'', starring Jack Benny, is a radio-TV comedy series that ran for more than three decades and is generally regarded as a high-water mark in 20th century American comedy. He played one role throughout his radio and televis ...

'' (1954–1961) * '' The Millionaire'' (1955) – hobo * ''

Willy Willy or Willie is a masculine, male given name, often a diminutive form of William or Wilhelm, and occasionally a nickname. It may refer to: People Given name or nickname * Willie Aames (born 1960), American actor, television director, and scre ...

'' (1955), episode "Willy Saves Harvey From Fraud" * '' Damon Runyon Theater'' (1955) * '' The Martha Raye Show'' (1955) * '' Club Oasis'' (1958) * ''

Kraft Music Hall ''The Kraft Music Hall'' was a popular old-time radio variety program, featuring top show business entertainers, which aired first on NBC radio from 1933 to 1949. Radio ''The Kraft Program'' debuted June 26, 1933, as a musical-variety program ...

'' (1959) * ''

General Electric Theater ''General Electric Theater'' was an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations. Radio After an audition show ...

'' (1961) – Fight manager * ''

'' (1961–1962) – Additional voices * '' The Joey Bishop Show'' (1962–1965) – Mr. Jillson * ''

'' (1966) – Hizzoner the Penguin * ''

'' (1968) – "How Not to Manage a Rock Group", "The First Anniversary is the Hardest" * '' That's Life'' (1968) * ''

'' (1968) – "Eleven Angry Men and That Girl" * '' The Don Rickles Show'' (1968) * ''

Where's Huddles? ''Where's Huddles?'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions that premiered on CBS on July 1, 1970. It ran for ten episodes as a summer replacement show for ''Hee Haw'', until September 2. It was similar in style to ...

'' (1970) – Coach (voice) * '' The Houndcats'' (1972) – Putty Puss (voice) * '' Jeannie'' (1973) – Babu (voice) * ''

The New Scooby-Doo Movies ''The New Scooby-Doo Movies'' is an American animated mystery comedy television series produced by Hanna-Barbera for CBS. It is the second animated television series in the studio's '' Scooby-Doo'' franchise, and follows the first incarnation, ' ...

'' (1973) – Babu (voice) * ''

The Oddball Couple ''The Oddball Couple'' is an animated half-hour Saturday morning show that ran on the ABC TV network from September 6 to December 20, 1975. The show was a production of DePatie-Freleng Enterprises in association with Paramount Television, and was ...

'' (1975) – Additional voices * '' Scooby's All Star Laff-A-Lympics'' (1977–1978) – Babu (voice) * '' Fred Flintstone and Friends'' (1977–1978) – Babu (voice) * ''

'' (1978) – Scare Bear (voice) * '' Galaxy Goof-Ups'' (1978–1979) – Scare Bear (voice) * '' Shirt Tales'' (1982) – Elmo the Elephant (voice) * ''My Smurfy Valentine'' (1983) – Cupid (voice)

References

External links

* * * *
170 high-definition clips, many rare of Joe Besser
{{DEFAULTSORT:Besser, Joe 1907 births 1988 deaths American male film actors American male television actors American male voice actors Jewish American male actors Jewish American comedians American male comedians 20th-century American comedians Jewish male comedians Male actors from St. Louis The Three Stooges members Vaudeville performers Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) 20th-century American male actors American male comedy actors Columbia Pictures contract players