Joe Besser (born Jessel 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 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 The zany comedy team of Olsen and Johnson, whose Broadway revues were fast-paced collections of songs and blackouts, hired Joe Besser. His noisy intrusions were perfect for their anything-can-happen format. Besser's work caught the attention of the Shubert brothers, who signed him to a theatrical contract. Columbia Pictures hired Besser away from the Shuberts, and Besser relocated to Hollywood in 1944, where he brought his unique comic character to feature-length musical comedies. Besser also starred in short-subject comedies for Columbia from 1949 to 1956. Besser had substituted for Lou Costello on radio, opposite Bud Abbott, and by the 1950s he was firmly established as one of the Abbott and Costello 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 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 film Sins of Jezebel, which starred Paulette Goddard as the titular wicked queen. After Shemp Howard died of a heart attack, Moe suggested he and teammate Larry Fine continue working as "The Two Stooges". Studio chief Harry Cohen rejected the proposal. Although Moe had legal approval to allow new members into the act, Columbia 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, Joe Besser. At the time, Besser was one of a few comedians still making comedy shorts at the studio. 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". 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 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. Joe Besser was found dead in his home, aged 80, and determined to have died of heart failure.
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Biography from TMDB.
- August 12, 1907
- March 1, 1988 (aged 80)
- Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
- Actor, also writer
- 22 on MovieCove · 88 credits in all
What are Joe Besser's films like?
Across their 13 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Society.
Genres
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
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 2 · Earnest 9
Light 11 · Serious 0 · Dark 0
Grounded 3 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 2
Gentle 9 · Charged 2 · Intense 0
Steady 8 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 1
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 5
A split, not a type: Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 0
Casual 11 · Engaged 0 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 11 · Affecting 0 · Heavy 0
Resolved 11 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0
Roles they play
Usually the Trickster: 2 of 3 analyzed roles.
- Tricksteras Roly Q. Entwhistle in Talk About a Lady (1946)
- Tricksteras Sharkey Dolan in Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin' (1948)
- Allyas Prince Sinbad in The Desert Hawk (1950)
Moods and endings
- Happy10
- Bittersweet2
- Cyclical1
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 Joe Besser's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 22 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (5).
Subscription and free streaming for Joe Besser'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
88 credits, 22 with a MovieCove page; 5 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Mystery Reel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)
Hey Moe, Hey Dad!(2015)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows
The Abbott and Costello Show: Who's On First? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
The Three Stooges Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
The Three Stooges: Kings Of Laughter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
The Three Stooges Greatest Hits! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
My Smurfy Valentine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
Galaxy Goof-Ups(1978)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)
Yogi's Space Race (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)
Scooby's All-Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)
The Oddball Couple (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)
Jeannie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)
The Houndcats (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows
Which Way to the Front?(1970)
Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films
Savage Intruder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)
The Monk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
Love, American Style (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
My World and Welcome to It (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
That's Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)
The Danny Thomas Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
The Mothers-in-Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
That Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
Batman(1966)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all showsA Day at the Horse Opera (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)
Hand of Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)
The Errand Boy(1961)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
The Alvin Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)
The Joey Bishop Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)
Let's Make Love(1960)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Cinderfella(1960)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
The Rookie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)
The Story on Page One(1959)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Say One for Me(1959)
Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films
Sappy Bull Fighters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)
Triple Crossed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)
Plunderers of Painted Flats (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)
Oil's Well That Ends Well (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)
Flying Saucer Daffy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)
Sweet and Hot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)
Pies and Guys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)
Fifi Blows Her Top (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)
Outer Space Jitters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)
Rusty Romeos (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)
The Helen Morgan Story(1957)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Horsing Around (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)
Guns a Poppin! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)
Space Ship Sappy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)
A Merry Mix-Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)
Muscle Up a Little Closer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)
Hoofs and Goofs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)
Army Daze (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)
Columbia Laff Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)
It's a Dog's Life(1955)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Hook a Crook (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
Two-Gun Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
Headline Hunters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
Mad at the World(1955)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
G.I. Dood It (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
The Millionaire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
December Bride (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)
The Fire Chaser (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)
Sins of Jezebel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)
I, the Jury(1953)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
Spies and Guys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)
A Day in the Country (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)
General Electric Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows
Caught on the Bounce (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)
Aim, Fire, Scoot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)
Fraidy Cat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)
The Desert Hawk(1950)
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
The Gene Autry Show(1950)
Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all shows
Dizzy Yardbird (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)
Outside the Wall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)
Joe Palooka Meets Humphrey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)
Woman in Hiding (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)
Waiting in the Lurch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)
Africa Screams(1949)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all filmsHour Glass (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)
Talk About a Lady(1946)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Eadie Was a Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)
Hey, Rookie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)
Hot Steel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)
The Three Stooges (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)
Career shape
Star power in the 83rd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 87 titles from 1934 to 2022; peak year 1960.
Film career
Peak 1960 · fewer prominent film roles lately. 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.
- 1949Screen debut· Africa Screams
Billing
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.
How do Joe Besser's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 49th percentile, the median of all 16; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 42nd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up3
- 50th to 74th8
- 25th to 49th9
- Below 25th2
Shape of the crowd
11 of their 22 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved2
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser11
- Broadly Agreed1
- Mixed7
Reviewers score the acting 58/100 in their films, across 9 reviewed titles; fans 71, detractors 41. 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.
Who does Joe Besser work with?
People who share at least 2 of Joe Besser's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Bud Abbott shares the most, 3.
Directors
- Frank TashlinShared titles: Cinderfella (1960), Say One for Me (1959)See all 2 shared titles with Frank Tashlin
- George ShermanShared titles: Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin' (1948), Talk About a Lady (1946)See all 2 shared titles with George Sherman
Actors
- Bud AbbottShared titles: Abbott and Costello Meet Jerry Seinfeld (1994), The Abbott and Costello Show (1952), Africa Screams (1949)See all 3 shared titles with Bud Abbott
- Hillary BrookeShared titles: Abbott and Costello Meet Jerry Seinfeld (1994), The Abbott and Costello Show (1952), Africa Screams (1949)See all 3 shared titles with Hillary Brooke
- Lou CostelloShared titles: Abbott and Costello Meet Jerry Seinfeld (1994), The Abbott and Costello Show (1952), Africa Screams (1949)See all 3 shared titles with Lou Costello
- Shemp HowardShared titles: The Three Stooges 75th Anniversary Special (2003), Africa Screams (1949)See all 2 shared titles with Shemp Howard
Composers
- Earle HagenShared titles: Let's Make Love (1960), Say One for Me (1959)See all 2 shared titles with Earle Hagen
- Lionel NewmanShared titles: Let's Make Love (1960), Say One for Me (1959)See all 2 shared titles with Lionel Newman
Producers
- George PaigeShared titles: The Three Stooges 75th Anniversary Special (2003), Abbott and Costello Meet Jerry Seinfeld (1994)See all 2 shared titles with George Paige
- Leonard GoldsteinShared titles: The Desert Hawk (1950), Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin' (1948)See all 2 shared titles with Leonard Goldstein