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Lee J. Cobb

Lee J. Cobb

Actor · Died February 11, 1976, aged 64 · New York City, New York, USA

Lee J. Cobb (December 8, 1911 — February 11, 1976) was an American actor. He was best known for his performances in On the Waterfront (1954), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award, 12 Angry Men (1957), and The Exorcist (1973). He also played the role of Willy Loman in the original Broadway production of Arthur Miller's 1949 play Death of a Salesman under the direction of Elia Kazan. On television, Cobb costarred in the first four seasons of the popular, long-running western series The Virginian. He typically played arrogant, intimidating, and abrasive characters, but often had roles as respectable figures such as judges. Born Leo Jacob in New York City, he grew up in The Bronx,  before studying at New York University and making his film debut in The Vanishing Shadow (1934).  Cobb performed in numerous theater productions and companies, including Group Theatre (New York) before serving in the First Motion Picture Unit of the Army Air Force during World War II.   Following the war, Cobb returned to film, television and theater before being accused of being a Communist in 1951 testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee by Larry Parks, himself a former Communist Party member. Cobb was called to testify before HUAC but refused to do so for two years until, with his career threatened by the blacklist, he relented in 1953 and gave testimony in which he named 20 people as former members of the Communist Party USA. Following the hearing he resumed his career and worked with Elia Kazan and Budd Schulberg, two other HUAC "friendly witnesses", on the 1954 film On the Waterfront, which is widely seen as an allegory and apologia for testifying.  His 1968 performance as King Lear achieved the longest run (72 performances) for the play in Broadway history.  One of his final film roles was that of police detective Lt. Kinderman in the 1973 horror film The Exorcist. Cobb died of a heart attack in February 1976 in Woodland Hills, California, and was buried in Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles. He was survived by his second wife, Mary Hirsch, and daughter, also an accomplished actress, Julie Cobb.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 8, 1911
Died
February 11, 1976 (aged 64)
From
New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
57 on MovieCove · 102 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 29% in 30 days

What are Lee J. Cobb's films like?

Across their 54 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama17 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Crime12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Action11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 56th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Comedy6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Adventure3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 85th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Western2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 29th percentile
: browse their Western movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
37%
Bonds
14%
Survival
14%
Power
12%
Self
11%
Society
7%
Ideas
4%
Justice16 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival10 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption7 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds7 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception7 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal7 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity5 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 54 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 14 · Serious 16 · Dark 24

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 29 · Stylized 18 · Heightened 7

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 7 · Charged 27 · Intense 20

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 24 · Shifting 27 · Whiplash 3

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 41 · Some laughs 10 · Funny 3

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 21 · Even-paced 30 · Relentless 3

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 17 · Engaged 30 · Full focus 7

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 15 · Affecting 24 · Heavy 15

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 39 · Open-ended 14 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

44 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 14 of 44 analyzed roles.

Shadow
14 of 44
Threshold guardian
11 of 44
Mentor
11 of 44
Hero
4 of 44
Herald
2 of 44
Ally
1 of 44
Shapeshifter
1 of 44
Show the 44 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
38
Melancholic
27
Thrilling
10
Romantic
9
Contemplative
9
Other
42

How their films linger

Bittersweet18 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful18 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 5 with a twist

  • Happy13
  • Bittersweet29
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous7

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Lee J. Cobb's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 17 of their 57 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (12).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Lee J. Cobb's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

102 credits, 57 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Bad Men of the West(1974)

    as Judge Henry Garth

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Cross Shot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Dante Ragusa

  • Origins of the Mafia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 1 episode · as Bartolomeo Gramignano

  • Nick the Sting(1976)

    as Robert Clark

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Mark Shoots First (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Il commedator Benzi

  • That Lucky Touch(1975)

    as Henry Steedman

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Blood, Sweat and Fear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Benzi

  • The Balloon Vendor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Twenty Years

  • The Great Ice Rip-Off(1974)

    as Willy Calso

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Trapped Beneath the Sea(1974)

    as Victor Bateman

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Dr. Max (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Maxwell Gordon

  • The Exorcist(1973)

    as Lt. Bill Kinderman

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Great Kidnapping (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Jovine

  • Double Indemnity (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Barton Keyes

  • The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing(1973)

    as Lapchance

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • The Bull of the West(1972)

    as Judge Garth

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Heat of Anger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Frank Galvin

  • Lawman(1971)

    as Vincent Bronson

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Macho Callahan(1970)

    as Duffy

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • The Young Lawyers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Show 24 episodes · Actor

  • The Liberation of L.B. Jones(1970)

    as Oman Hedgepath

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • McCloud(1970)

    Show 1 episode · as Alexander Montello

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Mackenna's Gold(1969)

    as The Editor

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Coogan's Bluff(1968)

    as Lt. McElroy

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Mafia(1968)

    as Don Mariano Arena

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • They Came to Rob Las Vegas(1968)

    as Steve Skorsky

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • In Like Flint(1967)

    as Lloyd C. Cramden

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Death of a Salesman(1966)

    as Willy Loman

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Our Man Flint(1966)

    as Cramden

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • The Final Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Judge Henry Garth

  • The Brazen Bell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Judge Henry Garth

  • Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Ernie Wigman

  • Come Blow Your Horn(1963)

    as Harry R. Baker

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • The Devil's Children (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as Judge Henry Garth

  • How the West Was Won(1962)

    as Marshal Lou Ramsey

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Virginian (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 90 episodes · as Richter Henry Garth · as Ritcher Henry Garth

  • The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse(1962)

    as Julio Madariaga

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Exodus(1960)

    as Barak Ben Canaan

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • I, Don Quixote (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Miguel de Cervantes / Don Quixote de la Mancha / Alonso Quijana

  • Startime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • The DuPont Show with June Allyson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Captain Maximillian Gault

  • But Not for Me(1959)

    as Jeremiah MacDonald

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Green Mansions(1959)

    as Nuflo

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • The Trap(1959)

    as Victor Massonetti

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Party Girl(1958)

    as Rico Angelo

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Man of the West(1958)

    as Dock Tobin

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Naked City(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as Paul Delito

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • The Brothers Karamazov(1958)

    as Fyodor Karamazov

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Three Faces of Eve(1957)

    as Doctor Curtis Luther

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Panic Button (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Al Bengsten

  • The Garment Jungle(1957)

    as Walter Mitchell

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • 12 Angry Men(1957)

    as Juror 3

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · as Captain Andrew Watling · as Drifter - Frank MacKinnon

  • Miami Exposé (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Lt. Barton 'Bart' Scott

  • The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit(1956)

    as Judge Bernstein

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Tony Awards (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · as Willy Loman (archive footage)

  • Gunsmoke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Col. Josiah Johnson

  • The Left Hand of God(1955)

    as Mieh Yang

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Road to Denver(1955)

    as Jim Donovan

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • The Racers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Maglio

  • Day of Triumph (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Zadok

  • Medic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · as Henry Fisher

  • On the Waterfront(1954)

    as Johnny Friendly

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Gorilla at Large(1954)

    as Detective Sgt. Garrison

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Yankee Pasha (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Sultan

  • The Tall Texan(1953)

    as Capt. Theodore Bess

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • General Electric Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 1 episode · as Dominic Roma · as Grayson Foxhall

  • The Ford Television Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Show 1 episode · as Matt Erwin

  • The Fighter(1952)

    as Durango

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • The Family Secret (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Howard Clark

  • Tales of Tomorrow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Sirocco(1951)

    as Col. Feroud

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • The Man Who Cheated Himself(1950)

    as Lt. Ed Cullen

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Lux Video Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · as Emile Zola

  • Thieves' Highway(1949)

    as Mike Figlia

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Lights Out (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Phantom Creeps (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Road Crew Foreman (uncredited)

  • The Dark Past(1948)

    as Dr. Andrew Collins

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Studio One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 2 episodes · as Dr. Joseph Pearson

  • The Luck of the Irish(1948)

    as David C. Augur

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Miracle of the Bells(1948)

    as Marcus Harris

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Call Northside 777(1948)

    as Brian Kelly

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Captain from Castile(1947)

    as Juan Garcia

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Boomerang!(1947)

    as Chief Harold F. 'Robbie' Robinson

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Johnny O'Clock (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Inspector Koch

  • Anna and the King of Siam(1946)

    as Kralahome

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Winged Victory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Doctor

  • Flight Characteristics of the P-51 Airplane (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Arthur Deeds

  • The Song of Bernadette(1943)

    as Dr. Dozous

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Buckskin Frontier(1943)

    as Jeptha Marr

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Tonight We Raid Calais(1943)

    as Bonnard

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Moon Is Down(1943)

    as Dr. Albert Winter

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Paris Calling (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Schwabe

  • Men of Boys Town(1941)

    as Dave Morris

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • This Thing Called Love(1940)

    as Julio Diestro

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Golden Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Mr. Bonaparte

  • The Phantom Creeps(1939)

    as Road Crew Foreman (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Danger on the Air (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Tony Lisotti

  • Rustlers' Valley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Cal Howard

  • North of the Rio Grande (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as President Wooden

  • The Vanishing Shadow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Roadwork Foreman

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 102 titles from 1934 to 1978; peak year 1967.

Biggest box office

The Exorcist (1973)

$431M worldwide

Highest rated

12 Angry Men (1957)

Midcredits 99th

Film career

19341978

Peak 1967 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 16 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting101 of 102: 101 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score65thDirecting1 of 102: 1 only directing, 0 with another role

By decade

1930s6 · acting1940s21 · acting1950s37 · 36 acting · 1 crew1960s16 · acting1970s22 · acting

Billing

usually 3rd · top billed in 9% of 35 roles
39495969

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Lee J. Cobb's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 65th percentile, the median of all 55; across their 54 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 63rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

63rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 54

Approval · how many liked their films

63rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 54

Reach · how many have seen their films

61stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 54

Midcredits score across 57 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up19
  • 50th to 74th19
  • 25th to 49th13
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

30 of their 57 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Crowd Pleaser30
  • Broadly Agreed8
  • Mixed12

Most divisive · actor

Bad Men of the West (1974)

63rd percentile spread · 55% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

12 Angry Men (1957)

Midcredits 99th · 95% liked

Reviewers score the acting 71/100 in their films, across 54 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 46. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Lee J. Cobb's work okay for kids?

Across up to 11 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity runs lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore9 titles8–71 · median 50 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity11 titles9–50 · median 28 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity8 titles9–53 · median 22 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs9 titles28–42 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense9 titles23–53 · median 41 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Lee J. Cobb work with?

People who share at least 2 of Lee J. Cobb's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Alfred Newman shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers