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

Car 54, Where Are You? ''Car 54, Where Are You?'' is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 1961 to April 1963. Filmed in black and white, the series starred Joe E. Ross as Gunther Toody and Fred Gwynne as Francis Muldoon, two mismatched New York City Po ...

''.

Career

Ross was born on March 15, 1914, to Jewish immigrant parents in New York City who owned a candy store.''Who's Who in Comedy: Ccomedians, Comics, and Clowns from Vaudeville to Today's Stand-Ups'' by Ronald L. Smith,

Facts on File Infobase is an American publishing company, publisher of databases, reference book titles and textbooks geared towards the North American library, secondary school, and university-level curriculum markets. Infobase operates a number of prominent ...

, 1992, page 406-407. 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 the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

. 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 Herbert John Gleason (born Herbert Walton Gleason Jr.; February 26, 1916June 24, 1987), known as Jackie Gleason, was an American comedian, actor, writer, and composer also known as "The Great One". He developed a style and characters from growin ...

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 Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. His career was interrupted by

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. 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 ri ...

at Camp Blanding, Florida, before being stationed in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. Discharged at the war's end, Ross became an announcer-comic at Billy Gray's Band Box in Hollywood. He kept his ties to burlesque, and appeared in Irving Klaw's feature-length theatrical film '' Teaserama'' (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, United States. It is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. The municipality is located on natural and human-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean an ...

called Ciro's. He was spotted by Nat Hiken 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 60 years. He achieved major popularity w ...

, 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, stupid, 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 '' The Phil Silvers Show'' ended in 1959, Nat Hiken went on to produce ''

'' and cast Ross as Patrolman Gunther Toody of New York's 53rd Precinct.

Fred Gwynne Frederick Hubbard Gwynne (July 10, 1926 – July 2, 1993) was an American actor, artist and author, who is widely known for his roles in the 1960s television sitcoms '' Car 54, Where Are You?'' (as Francis Muldoon) and '' The Munsters'' (as Herm ...

, 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 List of human spaceflight programs, human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member of a spa ...

who were thrown back in time to the

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

era. Following the breakup of Allen & Rossi in 1968, Steve Rossi 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 in the animated series '' Fangface'' and Norm Prescott 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 had trouble memorizing his lines''King of the Half Hour: Nat Hiken and the Golden Age of TV Comedy'' by David Everitt, Syracuse University Press, 2001, page 167. and used his catchphrase "Ooh! Ooh!" as a delaying tactic to remember what he was supposed to say.''The Comedians: Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels, and the History of American Comedy'' by Klip Nesteroff, Grove Press, 2015, pages 103-104. He was often known as a difficult person to work with and co-workers complained that he was continually vulgar, even cursing around children.

Imogene Coca Imogene Coca (born Emogeane Coca; November 18, 1908 – June 2, 2001) was an American comic actress best known for her role opposite Sid Caesar on ''Your Show of Shows''. Starting out in vaudeville as a child acrobat, she studied ballet and pursu ...

, who played Ross's caveman wife in the sitcom " It's About Time," hated working with Ross and referred to him as "that awful man." Others, however, called him "a man of sweet character" and he was described as a "trouper, cooperative and hard working" during his career. ''Who's Who in Comedy: Comedians, Comics, and Clowns from Vaudeville to Today's Stand-Ups'' described Ross as having a " Runyonesque sweetness and likeability despite his obtuseness (that) kept him performing right up to the end."

Death

Ross died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

on August 13, 1982, while performing in the clubhouse of his apartment building in Los Angeles, The Oakwood Apartments.The Comedians: Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels, and the History of American Comedy by Klip Nesteroff, Grove Press, 2015, pages 314-315. 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, and writer. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Tonight Show'' from 1992 until 200 ...

, who met Ross when he first arrived in Hollywood and said Ross was the first movie star to become his friend, 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, one of which is typically obvious, and the other often conveys a message that would be too socially unacc ...

"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'' (1952) - Asst. Manager (uncredited) *''Models Inc.'' (1952) - Front Man (uncredited) * '' Teaserama'' (1955) - Burlesque comic *'' Around the World in Eighty Days'' (1956) - Extra (uncredited) *'' Hear Me Good'' (1957) - Max Crane *''

Maracaibo Maracaibo ( , ; ) is a city and municipality in northwestern Venezuela, on the western shore of the strait that connects Lake Maracaibo to the Gulf of Venezuela. It is the largest city in Venezuela and is List of cities in Venezuela by population ...

'' (1958) - Milt Karger *'' Tall Story'' (1960) - Mike (uncredited) *'' The Bellboy'' (1960) - Joey, Gangster *'' All Hands on Deck'' (1961) - Bos'n *'' Tony Rome'' (1967) - Bartender at Paradise Club (uncredited) *''

The Love Bug ''The Love Bug'' (also known as Herbie the Love Bug) is a 1968 American sports film, sports adventure film, adventure comedy film directed by Robert Stevenson (director), Robert Stevenson from a screenplay by Bill Walsh (producer), Bill Walsh a ...

'' (1968) - Detective *'' Judy's Little No-No'' (1969) *''Beach Boy Rebels'' (1969) *'' The Boatniks'' (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'' (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.'' (1979) - Rent-a-Cop *''The Woman Inside'' (1981)

Television

*''

The Colgate Comedy Hour ''The Colgate Comedy Hour'' is an American comedy-musical variety series that aired live on the NBC network from 1950 to 1955. The show featured many notable comedians and entertainers of the era as guest stars. Many of the scripts of the serie ...

'' - Episode #2.19 (1952) *'' The Phil Silvers Show'' - 53 episodes - MSgt. Rupert B. Ritzik (1956–1959) *''

'' - 60 episodes - Officer Gunther Toody (1961–1963) *'' It's About Time'' - 26 episodes - Gronk (1966–1967) *''

Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...

'' - 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) *'' The Adventures of Robin Hoodnik -'' television movie - Deputy Oxx (voice) (1972) *''

Love, American Style ''Love, American Style'' is an American anthology comedy television series that aired on ABC from September 29, 1969, to January 11, 1974. The series was produced by Paramount Television. During the 1971–72 and 1972–73 seasons, it was a pa ...

'' - 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'' - 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 ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Wilford Lloyd Baumes that originally aired on ABC from September 24, 1977, to May 24, 1986. In addition, three TV movies aired before the regular series pre ...

'' - 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 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