Joe E. Ross (born Joseph Roszawikz; March 15, 1914 – August 13, 1982) was an American actor known for his trademark "Ooo! Ooo!" exclamation, which he used in many of his roles. He starred in such TV sitcoms as ''

The Phil Silvers Show ''The Phil Silvers Show'', originally titled ''You'll Never Get Rich'', is a sitcom which ran on CBS from 1955 to 1959. A pilot titled "Audition Show" was made in 1955, but it was never broadcast. 143 other episodes were broadcast – all half-a ...

'' and '' Car 54, Where Are You?''.

Career

Ross was born on March 15, 1914, to Jewish immigrant parents in New York City. Aged 16, he dropped out of Seward Park High School to become a singing waiter at the Van Cortlandt Inn in

the Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New ...

. When the cafe added a female dancer and singer, Ross was promoted to announcer. He added some jokes and became a comedian. In 1938, he appeared at the Queens Terrace, near Jackson Heights, New York.

Jackie Gleason John Herbert Gleason (February 26, 1916June 24, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, writer, composer, and conductor known affectionately as "The Great One." Developing a style and characters from growing up in Brooklyn, New York, he was know ...

had already been playing there for 16 weeks, and the manager was about to ask Gleason to stay a while longer. Ross heard of the opening, auditioned for it, got the contract, and also stayed for 16 weeks. He then turned burlesque comic on the Schuster circuit out of

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

. His career was interrupted by

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. He served in the

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...

at Camp Blanding, Florida, before being stationed in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

. Discharged at the war's end, Ross became an announcer-comic at Billy Gray's Band Box in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

. He kept his ties to burlesque, and appeared in Irving Klaw's feature-length theatrical film ''

Teaserama ''Teaserama'' is a 1955 American low-budget sexploitation film directed by Irving Klaw. It follows the performance of a burlesque show. Plot ''Teaserama'' is presented as a documentary film, with all actors and actresses playing themselves. It op ...

'' (1955), a re-creation of a burlesque show. In 1955, Ross worked at a nightclub in

Miami Beach Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. It was incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on natural and man-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter of which ...

called Ciro's. He was spotted by

Nat Hiken Nathan Hiken (June 23, 1914 – December 7, 1968) was an American radio and television writer, producer, and songwriter who rose to prominence in the 1950s. Early years Hiken was born on June 23, 1914, in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Jewish p ...

and

Phil Silvers Phil Silvers (born Phillip Silver; May 11, 1911 – November 1, 1985) was an American entertainer and comedic actor, known as "The King of Chutzpah". His career as a professional entertainer spanned nearly sixty years. Silvers achieved major popu ...

, who were planning '' You'll Never Get Rich'' (later known as ''The Phil Silvers Show'' and sometimes ''Sgt. Bilko'') and loved Ross's comedy skills. Ross was hired on the spot and cast as the mess sergeant, Rupert Ritzik. Ross made Ritzik memorable. Ritzik was henpecked, dumb, and greedy, always an easy mark for Bilko's schemes. Whenever Ritzik had a sudden inspiration, he would hesitate and stammer "Ooh! Ooh!" before articulating his idea. The catchphrase came from the actor's own frustration when he couldn't remember his lines. Silvers would deliberately stray from the scripted dialogue and give Ross the wrong cues, prompting a genuinely confused reaction and an agonized "Ooh! Ooh!" from Ross. Another exclamation Ross used often on the show was "I knew it! I knew it!", each time he lost money on a gambling bet he had been hesitant to make. It began a running gag that Ritzik was jinxed against any bet made with Bilko. After ''

'' ended in 1959, Nat Hiken went on to produce '' Car 54, Where Are You?'' and cast Ross as Patrolman Gunther Toody of New York's 53rd Precinct. Fred Gwynne, another ''Bilko'' alumnus, played Toody's partner, Francis Muldoon. Toody could usually be counted on at some point to say "Ooh! Ooh!", or "Do you mind? Doyoumind?". Ross became so identified with his policeman role that he recorded an album of songs entitled "Love Songs from a Cop". Roulette Records released the LP in 1964. Ross did the voice for Toody for the episode "Car 54" of Hanna-Barbera's '' Wait Till Your Father Gets Home'', in which Toody and Muldoon moonlight running a day care center and one of the children turns up missing. Ross also starred as Gronk in Sherwood Schwartz's ill-fated 1966 sitcom '' It's About Time'', which featured two 1960s American

astronauts An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...

who were thrown back in time to the

prehistoric Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The us ...

era. Following the breakup of

Allen & Rossi Allen & Rossi was a comedy team composed of Marty Allen and Steve Rossi, active from 1957 until 1968. They appeared on over 700 television shows including 44 appearances on ''The Ed Sullivan Show'', including two of the four Ed Sullivan episodes on ...

in 1968,

Steve Rossi Joseph Charles Michael Tafarella (May 25, 1932 – June 22, 2014), better known as Steve Rossi, was an American stand-up comedian and singer, best known from his work with Marty Allen as Allen & Rossi. Early life Born in New York City in 1932, ...

teamed for less than three months with Ross in an act called "Rossi & Ross". Rossi & Ross played once on Ed Sullivan and disbanded in January 1969. Ross also was a prominent cartoon voice into the 1970s, playing the stereotypical bumbling sergeant in many cartoons such as '' Hong Kong Phooey'' (as Sgt. Flint) and '' Help!... It's the Hair Bear Bunch!'' (as Botch). He also voiced Roll on CB Bears segment Shake, Rattle and Roll. His "Ooh! Ooh!" catchphrase was emulated by

Frank Welker Franklin Wendell Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American voice actor. He began his career in the 1960s, and holds over 860 film, television, and video game credits as of 2022, making him one of the most prolific voice actors of all time. With ...

in the animated series ''

Fangface ''Fangface'' is a 30-minute Saturday morning cartoon produced by Ruby-Spears Productions for ABC that aired from September 9, 1978, to September 8, 1980. The executive producers were Joe Ruby and Ken Spears, and this was their first cartoon they ...

'' and

Norm Prescott Norman Prescott (January 31, 1927 – July 2, 2005) was co-founder and executive producer at Filmation Associates, an animation studio he created with veteran animator Lou Scheimer. Life and career Born in the Dorchester neighborhood of Bosto ...

as Theodore H. Bear in '' The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse and Heckle and Jeckle''s '' Quacula'' episodes. He was also one of the few white comedians with 1970s label Laff Records, which specialized in African-American comedians and released his album ''Should Lesbians Be Allowed to Play Pro-Football?''.King of Slobs: The Life of Joe E. Ross
" by Listener Kliph Nesteroff, WFMU, January 30, 2011.

Personal life

Ross, who had trouble memorizing his lines, was often known as a difficult person to work with. Co-workers complained that he was continually vulgar, even cursing around children. Others, however, called him "a man of sweet character".

Death

Ross 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 ...

on August 13, 1982, while performing in the clubhouse of his apartment building in Los Angeles, The Oakwood Apartments. He was buried in Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills Cemetery.

Jay Leno James Douglas Muir Leno (; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and actor. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's '' The Tonight Show'' from 1992 to 2009. Beginning in September 20 ...

delivered the eulogy. Ross' gravestone is inscribed with the

double entendre A double entendre (plural double entendres) is a figure of speech or a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, of which one is typically obvious, whereas the other often conveys a message that would be too socially ...

"This man had a ball".https://www.upi.com/Archives/1982/08/16/Comic-actor-Joe-E-Ross-co-star-of-the-TV/8009398318400/UPI

Selected filmography

*'' The Sound of Fury'' (1950) - Nightclub Entertainer (uncredited) *''

This Woman Is Dangerous ''This Woman Is Dangerous'' is a 1952 American film noir crime drama by Warner Bros. starring Joan Crawford, David Brian, and Dennis Morgan in a story about a gun moll's romances with two different men. The screenplay by Geoffrey Homes and ...

'' (1952) - Asst. Manager (uncredited) *''Models Inc.'' (1952) - Front Man (uncredited) *''

Around the World in Eighty Days ''Around the World in Eighty Days'' (french: link=no, Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours) is an adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne, first published in French in 1872. In the story, Phileas Fogg of London and his newly employe ...

'' (1956) - Extra (uncredited) *'' Hear Me Good'' (1957) - Max Crane *''

Maracaibo ) , motto = "''Muy noble y leal''"(English: "Very noble and loyal") , anthem = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_alt = ...

'' (1958) - Milt Karger *'' Tall Story'' (1960) - Mike (uncredited) *'' The Bellboy'' (1960) - Joey, Gangster *'' All Hands on Deck'' (1961) - Bos'n *''

Tony Rome ''Tony Rome'' is a 1967 American neo-noir mystery crime thriller film directed by Gordon Douglas and starring Frank Sinatra in the title role, alongside Jill St. John, Sue Lyon and Gena Rowlands. It was adapted from Marvin H. Albert's novel ' ...

'' (1967) - Bartender at Paradise Club (uncredited) *''

The Love Bug ''The Love Bug'' is a 1968 American comedy film directed by Robert Stevenson and the first in a franchise by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by Buena Vista Distribution that starred an anthropomorphic pearl-white, fabric-sunroofed 19 ...

'' (1968) - Detective *''

Judy's Little No-No ''Judy's Little No-No'' (also released as ''Let's Do It'') is a 1969 crime film about a go-go dancer who is targeted by gangsters after coming into possession of a priceless jewel. The film was directed and written by Sherman Price and stars El ...

'' (1969) *''Beach Boy Rebels'' (1969) *''

The Boatniks ''The Boatniks'' is a 1970 American comedy film directed by Norman Tokar and starring Robert Morse, Stefanie Powers, Don Ameche and Phil Silvers. It was made by Walt Disney Productions, released by Buena Vista Distribution. Young and awkward, C ...

'' (1970) - Nutty Sailor *''The Naked Zoo'' (1970) - Mr. Barnum *''The Juggler of Notre Dame'' (1970) *'' Revenge Is My Destiny'' (1971) - Maxie Marks *''Frasier, the Sensuous Lion'' (1973) - Kuback *''

How to Seduce a Woman ''How to Seduce a Woman'' is a 1974 American comedy film, directed by Charles Martin. It stars Angus Duncan, Angel Tompkins, and Alexandra Hay, and was released in late January 1974. Plot synopsis Employees of a well-off con man and lady's m ...

'' (1974) - Bartender *''Alias Big Cherry'' (1975) *'' Linda Lovelace for President'' (1975) - Dirty Guy #2 *''The Godmothers'' (1975) - Gino *''The World Through the Eyes of Children'' (1975) - Michael *'' Slumber Party '57'' (1976) - Michael *'' The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington'' (1977) - Night Watchman *'' Gas Pump Girls'' (1979) - Bruno *''

Skatetown, U.S.A. ''Skatetown, U.S.A.'' is a 1979 American comedy musical film produced to capitalize on the short-lived fad of roller disco.allmovie.com, Skatetown, USA', retrieved September 25, 2010 Directed by William A. Levey, the film features many televisi ...

'' (1979) - Rent-a-Cop *''The Woman Inside'' (1981)

Television

*'' The Colgate Comedy Hour'' - Episode #2.19 (1952) *''

'' - 53 episodes - MSgt. Rupert B. Ritzik (1956–1959) *'' Car 54, Where Are You?'' - 60 episodes - Officer Gunther Toody (1961–1963) *'' It's About Time'' - 26 episodes - Gronk (1966–1967) *''

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 ...

'' - episode - The Funny Feline Felonies - Talent Agent (uncredited) (1967) *''The Red Skelton Hour'' - episode - The Pied-Eyed Piper - Clancy the Cop (1968) *'' McMillan & Wife'' - episode - The Easy Sunday Murder Case - The Doorman (1971) *'' Help!... It's the Hair Bear Bunch!'' - 16 episodes - Botch (voice) (1971) *''

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 ...

'' - episode - Love and the Cryptic Gift / Love and the Family Hour / Love and the Legend / Love and the Sexpert (segment "Love and the Sexpert") (1973) *'' Hong Kong Phooey'' - 31 episodes - Sergeant Flint (voice) (1974) *'' Wait Till Your Father Gets Home'' - episode - Car 54 - Officer Gunther Toody (voice) (1974) *''

The Ghost Busters ''The Ghost Busters'' is a live-action children's sitcom that ran on CBS in 1975, about a team of bumbling detectives who investigate ghostly occurrences. Fifteen episodes were produced. The show reunited Forrest Tucker and Larry Storch in roles ...

'' - episode - Jekyll & Hyde: Together, for the First Time! - Mr. Hyde (1975) *'' CB Bears'' - Segment - Shake, Rattle, & Roll - 13 episodes - Roll (voice) (1977) *'' The Love Boat'' - episode - A Selfless Love/The Nubile Nurse/Parents Know Best - Mr. Ross (1978)

References

External links

* * *
Interview about Joe E. Ross with friend Hank Garrett
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ross, Joe E. 1914 births 1982 deaths American male comedians American male voice actors Jewish American male actors Jewish male comedians Jewish comedy and humor Male actors from New York City Military personnel from New York City United States Army Air Forces soldiers American male television actors Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) 20th-century American male actors Comedians from New York City 20th-century American comedians Seward Park High School alumni 20th-century American Jews