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Joe Besser (born Jessel Besser,[1] August 12, 1907 – March 1, 1988) was an American actor and comedian 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 1957–1959. He is also remembered for his television roles: Stinky, the bratty man-child on The Abbott and Costello Show, and Jillson, the maintenance man on The Joey Bishop Show.

Key Information

Early life

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Besser was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on August 12, 1907. He was the ninth child of Morris and Fanny [Fecht] Besser, Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. He had seven older sisters and an older brother, Manny, who was in show business, primarily as an ethnic 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 that he sneaked into Thurston's train after the St. Louis run of the show and was discovered the next day in Detroit sleeping on top of the lion's cage.

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 it badly, pulling out the rabbit from the cape at the same time 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.[2]

Acting career

[edit]

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 revues were fast-paced collections of songs and blackouts, hired Joe Besser to join their Broadway show Sons o' Fun. He appeared in five sketches, including one as the sissified "Cowboy Joe".[3] 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 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 (1945). On May 9, 1946, Besser appeared on the pioneering NBC television program Hour Glass, performing his "Army Drill" routine with stage partner Jimmy Little. According to an article in the May 27, 1946 issue of Life magazine, the show was seen by about 20,000 people on about 3,500 television sets, mostly in the New York City area.[4] During this period, he appeared on the Jack Benny radio program in the episode entitled "Jack Prepares For Carnegie Hall" in June, 1943. Besser's persona was sufficiently well known that he was frequently caricatured in Looney Tunes 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, 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 an 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 (1953), which starred Paulette Goddard as the titular wicked queen.

The Three Stooges

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In 1949 Jules White, who produced the Three Stooges comedies for Columbia, hired Joe Besser to star in his own two-reel comedies. Ten Besser shorts were released over eight years, four of the films teaming Besser with radio comedian Jim Hawthorne.

On November 22, 1955, Shemp Howard of the Three Stooges died at the age of 60 of a massive cerebral hemorrhage while on his way home from a boxing exhibition. Columbia had promised theater owners eight Stooge comedies into the 1956 season, and only four were completed when Shemp died. To fulfill the contract, producer-director Jules White manufactured four more films with Shemp's surviving partners, Moe Howard and Larry Fine, working as a two-man team (with Shemp seen entirely in older film footage). After the last four films were completed, Larry suggested that he and Moe could continue working as "The Two Stooges."[5] Studio chief Harry Cohn 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. At the time, Joe Besser was one of a few comedians still making comedy shorts at the studio, his last one being released in 1956. 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 that prohibited 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 that 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 (a cornerstone of Stooge humor), Joe has been less popular with contemporary Stooge aficionados,[citation needed] 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 for bringing new energy to what was by then a flagging theatrical series.[6]

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. Jules White had shot enough film for 16 comedies (two years' worth of releases), which were issued a few months apart until June 1959, with Sappy Bull Fighters being the final release.

After Besser joined the team, for the first time in their career, the Stooges did not make any personal appearances during their layoff season, which began in 1956.[7] There was a longtime belief, based on an existing ad, that the Stooges once performed live, with Besser as the third stooge, at the Paramount Theatre, Los Angeles, some time around 1957.[8] 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 lineup. In fact, Besser never made any personal appearances as a member of the Three Stooges.[9]

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, from which a quote was aired on A&E Network's Biography. Besser said:

... Moe and Larry, they were the best. I enjoyed every minute of it with them. In fact, to show you how wonderful they were, I never liked to be hit with anything. And Larry would always say to me, 'Don't worry, Joe, I'll take it.' Now that's the kind of guys that they were ...

After the Stooges

[edit]

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, Batman, The Good Guys, That Girl, and Love, American Style.[10] He provided the voice of the dragon on The Alvin Show (1961), and he played Chubby Stone in the episode "Cry Love, Cry Murder" (S3 E25) of the private-eye series Peter Gunn (1961).

Besser also provided voices for several Saturday morning cartoon 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) and Scooby's All-Star Laff-A-Lympics, and as Scare Bear in Yogi's Space Race (1978).[10] Besser's career slowed somewhat after he suffered a minor stroke in 1979, resulting in considerable weight loss.[10] His last role was in The Smurfs in 1983.

In 1984, Besser co-wrote his autobiography with authors Jeff and Greg Lenburg, Not Just a Stooge.[10] The title reflected Besser's dismay that people only recognized him for his brief tenure with the Stooges, and not for his long career as a solo comedian. However, he eventually softened, realizing that the Stooges continued to bring him his greatest exposure.[10] The book would be retitled and republished 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 [Moe, 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 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.[10]

In the spring of 2000, ABC aired a made-for-television movie The Three Stooges, with actor Laurence Coy appearing briefly as Besser. This depiction of Besser has been criticized as being unfairly negative.[citation needed]

Personal life

[edit]

In 1932, Besser married dancer Erna Kay (born Ernestine Dora Kretschmer), known as "Ernie".[11] The couple had no children. They were neighbors and friends of Lou Costello, of the Abbott and Costello duo. Besser appeared in the Abbott and Costello movie Africa Screams (1949), which also featured Shemp Howard of the Three Stooges. Joe and Shemp were old friends, having met in 1932.

His cousin's grandson is Upright Citizens Brigade theater co-founder and improviser/comedian Matt Besser.[12]

Death

[edit]

Joe Besser died of heart failure on March 1, 1988, at the age of 80.[11] 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.[13] 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 interred in a crypt at the Freedom Mausoleum, which is a short distance away from the tomb.

Selected filmography

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References

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Further reading

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Joe Besser

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Joe Besser (August 12, 1907 – March 1, 1988) was an American comedian and actor renowned for his brief but distinctive stint as the third member of comedy team from 1956 to 1959, where he appeared in 16 short films alongside and . Born in , , Besser began his career in and as a teenager, initially assisting a magician before going solo as a comedian in 1928, and he built a reputation for his high-pitched voice, impish humor, and portrayals of wimpy, spoiled-child characters. His film debut came in 1938 with the short Cuckoorancho, marking the start of a prolific career that spanned radio, Broadway (including the 1941 production Sons o' Fun), over 40 feature films with stars like , and approximately 250 television appearances. Besser also had a notable television role as the bumbling Stinky Davis on (1952–1954). Besser's entry into the Three Stooges followed the death of in 1955; he joined Moe and for ' final shorts, bringing his unique comedic style to roles that emphasized verbal gags over the team's traditional violence, a change he requested to accommodate his wife's health needs. He left the group in 1958 to care for his ailing wife, Erna, to whom he had been married since November 18, 1932, until his death, and whom he often cited as the highlight of his ; she died on July 1, 1989. After leaving the Stooges, Besser continued in television, including as Mr. Jillson, the Dimples apartment house manager, on The Joey Bishop Show (1962–1965). In the 1970s, he provided voice work for animated series, including characters in and . Besser died of on March 1, 1988, at his home in North Hollywood, , at the age of 80, becoming one of the last surviving members of ; he had been ill for some time prior. In 1983, he helped unveil ' star on the , cementing his legacy in American comedy despite his relatively short time with the iconic trio.

Early Life

Family Background

Joe Besser was born on August 12, 1907, in , , to Morris and Fannie Besser, who were Polish Jewish immigrants that arrived in the United States in 1895. He was the youngest of nine children, with seven older sisters and one older brother. Raised in a working-class Orthodox Jewish family, Besser grew up in the vibrant Polish-American immigrant community of early 20th-century , where his father worked as a to support the household. The family's adherence to Orthodox traditions shaped his early years, instilling a strong sense of cultural and religious identity amid the economic challenges faced by many immigrant households of the era. Besser's childhood was marked by limited formal education, as family responsibilities and the demands of a large household often took precedence in such working-class environments. His initial exposure to came around age 10, when he began working as an for a in , providing an early glimpse into the local theater and performance scene that would later influence his career path.

Entry into Show Business

Joe Besser's entry into began in his native at the age of 12, when he ran away and stowed away in a trunk for magician Howard Thurston's annual touring show. This initial role provided Besser with his first exposure to professional performance, allowing him to assist behind the scenes during the magician's elaborate illusions and learn fundamental skills such as comedic timing and audience interaction. Besser soon advanced to becoming Thurston's full-time assistant, incorporating comedic elements into the act through bumbling antics and physical humor that highlighted his emerging impish style. His work with Thurston, which lasted several years into the early 1920s, marked the start of his paid involvement in entertainment and laid the groundwork for his distinctive "wimpy" characterized by whining and exaggerated . In the early 1920s, after parting ways with Thurston in 1923, Besser transitioned to local theater groups and stock companies across the Midwest, where he experimented with impressions, , and routines in small venues. These informal , often as a solo comedian or in minor roles, allowed him to refine his and high-pitched vocal delivery, foreshadowing the character types that would define his later career while earning his first modest paychecks in comedic bits.

Professional Career

Vaudeville and Radio Work

Joe Besser entered the vaudeville circuit in the mid-1920s, initially working as a stooge for comedy teams such as Alexander and Olsen before transitioning to solo performances by 1928. His act featured impish, whiny characters with childlike mannerisms and cowardly archetypes, often delivered through exaggerated vocal impressions that became his signature style. In 1930, he toured as a comedy partner with Dick Dana, performing in major cities including New York and Chicago, where his routines emphasized comedic timidity and verbal antics to engage audiences during live stage shows. During this period, Besser met dancer Erna Kay (born Ernestine Dora Kretschmer) on a tour in 1928, marrying her on November 18, 1932; she occasionally contributed to his performances through choreography but did not form a formal duo act with him. In 1932, he appeared in the Broadway revue The Passing Show of 1932, alongside emerging talents like and the Howard brothers, marking an early foray into larger theatrical productions. As thrived in the late 1920s, Besser headlined circuits with these character-driven sketches, but the led to financial instability, prompting brief stints in houses and theater productions to maintain income amid declining bookings. By the late , as waned due to the rise of radio and , he continued stage work, including the 1941 Broadway musical comedy Sons o' Fun. Besser's radio career began in the late with guest appearances, including a 1939 episode of Avalon Time on , where his whiny persona quickly gained traction. By the , he secured more prominent roles, such as a guest spot on in June 1943, spoofing game shows with his distinctive childlike voice. His breakthrough came from 1945 to 1949 as the know-it-all character Mr. Know-It-All on the comedy-variety show Let Yourself Go, hosted by Eddy Dowling, where routines highlighted his cowardly, bratty humor in scripted sketches and audience interactions. These radio successes solidified his reputation as a versatile comedian, bridging the gap from live stage work to broadcast media during vaudeville's decline.

Early Film Roles

Joe Besser's transition to film began in 1938 with his debut in the Columbia short Cuckoorancho, where he portrayed a wanderer mistaken for a millionaire by the owner of a rundown hacienda. This unassuming role marked his entry into cinema, building on his experience to adapt his comedic timing for the screen. Throughout the late and early , Besser secured bit parts in various studios, including Universal's Hot Steel (1940), in which he played the bumbling Siggie Landers, a worker entangled in workplace mishaps. His appearances often cast him as hapless sidekicks or in low-budget productions, such as the feature Hey, Rookie (1944), where he appeared as Pendleton amid army induction chaos. In the mid-1940s, Besser continued refining his impish, whiny persona in supporting roles across Columbia and other studios, frequently embodying henpecked husbands or inept assistants. Notable examples include his turn as Professor Dingle in the Columbia musical Eadie Was a Lady (1945), a quirky academic in a showbiz , and as Roly Q. Entwhistle in Talk About a Lady (1946), a flustered in a mystery farce. By the late 1940s, he gained visibility in higher-profile comedies like ' Africa Screams (1949), playing the timid Harry opposite on a jungle expedition fraught with perils. These roles, often in B-movies and two-reel shorts directed by Jules White at Columbia—such as Feudin' Rhythm (1949), where he appeared as the cowardly Hotfoot—solidified his niche in fast-paced, economical humor but also highlighted the constraints of in supporting comedic parts. Besser's film work faced increasing challenges in the low-budget genre, where repetitive characterizations in and B-features limited opportunities for dramatic range, though his radio-honed vocal inflections added distinctiveness to visual gags. By the mid-1950s, the decline of Hollywood short subjects due to television's ascendancy slowed his offers; Columbia's department, a key venue for his output, ceased production in 1957. This shift prompted Besser to explore new ensemble possibilities, culminating in his consideration for a prominent team role.

Tenure with The Three Stooges

In 1956, recruited Joe Besser to join and as the third member of , replacing following his sudden death in November 1955. Besser, already under contract with the studio from prior comedic roles, debuted in the short subject Hoofs and Goofs, filmed in April 1956 and released on January 31, 1957. Over the next three years, the trio produced 16 two-reel comedy shorts, concluding with Briefly in the Market in July 1959. Besser's inclusion introduced a notable shift in the group's dynamic, as his contract prohibited physical slapstick, eliminating signature elements like eye pokes and aggressive violence that defined earlier eras. Instead, he portrayed "Joe," a timid, whining character with high-pitched complaints and childlike reactions, providing a softer contrast to Moe's leadership and Larry's hapless support. This characterization emphasized verbal humor and situational , often positioning Besser as the reluctant participant in ' misadventures, such as in Rusty Romeos (1957) where the trio navigates domestic chaos. Behind the scenes, tensions arose from Besser's preference for less roughhousing, aligning with his established style from radio and work, which clashed with the ' traditional rough-and-tumble approach. His tenure was further complicated by health concerns for his wife, Erna, who suffered a serious illness requiring his care. These factors contributed to his departure in late 1959, after the release of the feature film , which served as the capstone to his period and launched the group into longer-form features with a new third member. The Besser-era shorts received mixed critical reception for their toned-down violence, which some reviewers saw as more but lacking the raw energy of prior installments; however, they maintained commercial viability within Columbia's short-subject program, contributing to ' enduring popularity through theater runs and early television syndication. Fan reactions remain divided, with detractors citing the altered as diluted, while others praise the era's inventive plots and Besser's unique comedic timing, evidenced by steady audience draw during the late .

Post-Stooges Live-Action Work

After departing from The Three Stooges in 1959 due to his wife's ongoing health issues, Joe Besser returned to television work, leveraging his signature whiny, impish persona in sitcom roles. He secured a recurring role as the henpecked building superintendent Mr. Jillson on The Joey Bishop Show from 1962 to 1965, appearing in over 80 episodes and providing comic relief through his exasperated reactions to the lead characters' antics. This steady television presence marked a revival of his live-action career, allowing him to reprise similar bratty characters in a more relaxed format than the Stooges' slapstick shorts. Besser's post-Stooges film work was limited, consisting of character parts in a handful of features that capitalized on his comedic timing rather than leading roles. In 1959, he appeared as Joe Greb in the musical drama Say One for Me, sharing scenes with Bing Crosby in a rare dramatic turn. The following year, he played Charlie Lamont in Let's Make Love, a romantic comedy starring Marilyn Monroe, where his brief role highlighted his ability to deliver punchy one-liners. Subsequent films included supporting parts in Jerry Lewis's The Errand Boy (1961) as a harried talent agent and Hand of Death (1962) in a minor gangster role, though these opportunities dwindled as the decade progressed. By the 1970s and 1980s, Besser entered semi-retirement from live-action performing, taking on only sporadic television cameos that suited his aging frame and preferred low-energy style. He guest-starred as a neighbor in an episode of Love, American Style in 1971, again playing a comically flustered everyman. Other brief appearances included roles on shows like Batman (1967) and That Girl (1969), often as quirky supporting characters. As he advanced into his seventies, Besser's selection of roles shifted toward quick cameos, influenced by declining health that led to his full retirement in the mid-1980s.

Voice Acting Contributions

Joe Besser's voice acting career flourished in the animation industry during the 1960s and 1970s, particularly through his contributions to Hanna-Barbera Productions, where his signature whiny, childlike vocal style brought comedic energy to supporting characters. His breakthrough came in the early 1960s with guest roles in flagship Hanna-Barbera series, including the rock star Jet Screamer in The Jetsons (1962), whose energetic performance highlighted Besser's ability to infuse youthful exuberance into animated personas. He also provided additional voices for The Flintstones throughout its run (1960–1966), often portraying bumbling or timid figures that complemented the show's prehistoric slapstick. These early assignments built on his radio-honed comedic timing, allowing him to transition seamlessly into voice-over work without the physical demands of live performance. By the 1970s, Besser's output expanded significantly, amassing over 50 credited roles across projects, many leveraging his distinctive timbre for hapless sidekicks and . A standout was his portrayal of Babu, the inept genie-in-training in Jeannie (1973), a Saturday-morning series inspired by , where Besser's whiny delivery amplified the character's bungling mishaps with magic. He reprised Babu in crossovers like (1972–1973), voicing the character alongside the Mystery Inc. gang in episodes such as "Mystery in Persia," and extended the role into (1977–1978). Other notable 1970s contributions included Putty Puss in (1972), a secret-agent with a cowardly streak, and Scare Bear in (1978), a timid engineer paired with in intergalactic adventures. These roles showcased Besser's versatility in ensemble casts, often contrasting his nasal, petulant inflections against more boisterous leads. Besser's voice work involved typical Hanna-Barbera recording practices of the era, conducted in group sessions at the studio's Hollywood facilities, where actors like —voicing and —collaborated to layer dialogue tracks for efficiency in limited- productions. and Besser frequently overlapped on projects such as and (1985), where their improvisational chemistry enhanced crowd scenes and character interactions. Into the 1980s, archival recordings of Besser's voice appeared in compilations like (1988), and later specials such as A Yabba Dabba Christmas (2020), utilizing his earlier Flintstones-era audio for nostalgic effect. This enduring utility underscored the longevity of his vocal contributions, enabling sustained involvement in animation despite his advancing age and physical frailty.

Personal Life

Marriage and Family

Joe Besser met dancer Erna Kay, born Ernestine Dora Kretschmer, during a vaudeville tour in 1928 when she was performing as part of the Allan K. Foster Dancers. Their professional acquaintance blossomed into a romance as they toured together, leading to their marriage on November 18, 1932. Erna, who went by the nickname "Ernie" and had a background in performance, had previously worked as a choreographer on the 1929 film The Coconuts. The couple enjoyed a long partnership spanning 56 years, remaining childless throughout their marriage. Erna played a supportive role in Besser's career, handling household responsibilities and adapting to his irregular schedule while they resided in a home in North Hollywood, California. In 1958, Erna suffered a heart attack, which prompted Besser to leave to care for her. Besser maintained connections with his siblings in , including his older brother Manny, who was also involved in show business, though his career commitments limited frequent family gatherings. The couple's close friendship with comedian , as neighbors in Hollywood, further enriched their social circle during Besser's early film work.

Health Issues and Death

In his later years, Joe Besser experienced declining health that contributed to his semi-retirement from active performance. He had been ill for six months prior to his death, limiting his public appearances. Besser died of on March 1, 1988, at the age of 80, at his home in North Hollywood, . He was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in . His wife, Erna, to whom he had been married since November 18, 1932, died of a heart attack on July 1, 1989, at the age of 88; she was interred in the same plot as Besser.

Filmography

Feature Films

Joe Besser's career spanned from the early to the , primarily consisting of supporting comedic roles that capitalized on his signature whiny, hapless persona. Often typecast as waiters, bartenders, or minor authority figures, his appearances contributed in diverse genres including mysteries, westerns, and musicals, evolving from uncredited bits in wartime-era productions to more prominent parts in post-Stooges comedies. In the , Besser made his mark in Hollywood through small but memorable roles in major studio films. His feature film debut was as Pudge Pfeiffer in the musical Hey, Rookie (1944), starring and . Later, in the vehicle (1949), he played Harry, a bumbling in this that drew on the duo's radio fame and achieved moderate box-office success amid post-war escapism. His role as Prince Sinbad in the swashbuckling The Desert Hawk (1950) showcased his in a fantastical Arabian Nights setting, supporting in this release. The marked a transition for Besser, with roles reflecting his roots in lighter fare. Entering the , Besser's film work aligned with his television popularity, often in ensemble comedies. He appeared as Charlie Lamont, a hapless rehearsal pianist, in the Marilyn Monroe-starring musical (1960), where his timing complemented the romantic farce directed by . A highlight was his tenure in The Outlaws Is Coming! (1965), their final , where Besser played the inept Mushroom in this satirical western that parodied tropes while grossing modestly for Columbia. Later roles demonstrated Besser's enduring appeal in character parts. In the Jerry Lewis comedy The Errand Boy (1961), he had an uncredited cameo as a studio extra, fitting the film's chaotic Hollywood satire. He portrayed Mr. Gorvey, a comic tailor, in the Elvis Presley western Charro! (1969), adding levity to the otherwise serious revenge tale. Besser's final notable feature was as dock master in the Jerry Lewis anti-war comedy Which Way to the Front? (1970), a box-office disappointment that nonetheless highlighted his reliable comic support.

Short Subjects

Joe Besser's career in short subjects primarily consisted of two-reel comedies produced by , a format that typically ran 16-20 minutes and emphasized fast-paced humor with minimal budgets and . These shorts often featured Besser in timid, bumbling roles that highlighted his signature whiny persona, differing from the more aggressive physical comedy of earlier Columbia productions by incorporating verbal gags and situational mishaps. His work in this medium spanned from 1949 to 1959, with variations in style during his Three Stooges tenure that toned down eye-pokes and hair-pulling to accommodate Besser's preferences for less violent antics. Before joining the Three Stooges, Besser starred in a series of solo Columbia shorts starting in 1949, where he played hapless everyman characters entangled in everyday absurdities. Notable examples include Waiting in the Lurch (1949), in which Besser portrays Eric Loudermilk Potts obsessing over firefighters and missing his wedding; Dizzy Yardbird (1950), featuring him as the scatterbrained Rodney Marblehead; and 'Fraidy Cat (1951), co-starring radio Jim Hawthorne as Besser's straight-man partner in a mishap. These early efforts established Besser's comedic timing in domestic and professional blunders, often directed by Jules White with recurring supporting players like . A subset of Besser's pre-Stooges shorts formed an informal series pairing him with Jim Hawthorne, a Chicago-based DJ known for his radio comedy, in four comedic vehicles that blended with light of genres like mystery and military life. The series began with 'Fraidy Cat (1951), continued in Aim, Fire, Scoot! (1952), where Besser and Hawthorne play inept army recruits alongside as a tough ; Hook a Crook (1955), a remake of an earlier Stooges short involving jewel thieves; and Army Daze (1956), depicting their misadventures in a fictional foreign army. These collaborations emphasized Hawthorne's reactions to Besser's , produced under Columbia's declining shorts department with reused sets and props for cost efficiency. Besser's most prominent short subject work came during his 1956-1959 tenure with the Three Stooges, yielding 16 Columbia two-reelers that marked his debut in the group's lineup after Shemp Howard's death. These productions adapted classic Stooges formulas but with moderated violence, focusing on verbal interplay and props-based gags, as Besser avoided the roughhousing that defined prior eras. Selected examples include Hoofs and Goofs (1957), the trio's first short together involving a horse racing spoof; Guns a Poppin (1957), a Western spoof; A Merry Mix-Up (1957), involving family impersonations; Space Ship Sappy (1957), a sci-fi parody; Rusty Romeos (1957), featuring dating mishaps; Oil's Well That Ends Well (1958), featuring oil prospecting chaos; Triple Crossed (1959), a spy parody; and Sappy Bullfighters (1959), their final Columbia short with matador mishaps. Co-starring consistently with Howard and Fine, these shorts were filmed rapidly in 1956-1957 but released through 1959 after Columbia ceased production. After leaving , Besser's short subject output diminished, but he contributed to independent tributes and compilations, reflecting his enduring ties to classic comedy. One such effort was his narration for the 3-D short A Day in the Country (), a comedic story of two boys and their grandmother visiting a farm. Specific post-1959 theatrical releases were limited amid the format's decline.

Television Appearances

Joe Besser's television career spanned over four decades, beginning with variety and shows in the early 1950s and extending into in the 1970s and 1980s. He frequently portrayed characters, leveraging his signature whiny, effeminate persona in both live-action and voice roles. While he received no major Emmy nominations, his animated performances, particularly in productions, earned him a reputation as a fan favorite among viewers of Saturday morning cartoons. In live-action television, Besser gained early prominence as Stinky Davis, a hapless neighbor, on from 1952 to 1953, appearing in over 20 episodes alongside and . He later had a recurring role as the bumbling Mr. Jillson on from 1962 to 1965, contributing to 88 episodes of the sitcom. Guest appearances included comic bits on (1951–1953), where he performed sketches in multiple installments, and vaudeville-style revivals on throughout the 1950s. Other notable spots encompassed (various episodes in the 1950s), Batman (1966, as a ), The Mothers-in-Law (1968, as a neighbor), and a cameo as a passenger on in 1979. Besser's voice work dominated his later television output, particularly with Studios, where he provided quirky, high-pitched characterizations for . He voiced the incompetent genie Babu in Jeannie (1973, 16 episodes), a role he reprised in (1977–1978). In (1972), he lent his voice to the cowardly cat Putty Puss across the series' run. Besser also voiced Scare Bear, Yogi Bear's anxious sidekick, in (1978, 13 episodes) and the spin-off (1978–1979). Additional animated credits included Cupid and other smurfs in (1981–1987, multiple episodes), Elmo the Elephant in (1982–1983), and guest voices in (1972–1973). His radio-honed vocal style seamlessly transitioned to these TV animations, enhancing ensemble casts.
ShowYearsRoleType
The Abbott and Costello Show1952–1953Stinky DavisLive-action series (20+ episodes)
The Joey Bishop Show1962–1965Mr. JillsonLive-action series (88 episodes)
Batman1966HenchmanLive-action guest
The Mothers-in-Law1968NeighborLive-action guest
Jeannie1973Babu (voice)Animated series (16 episodes)
The New Scooby-Doo Movies1972–1973Various (voice)Animated guest
Scooby's All-Star Laff-A-Lympics1977–1978Babu (voice)Animated series
Yogi's Space Race1978Scare Bear (voice)Animated series (13 episodes)
Galaxy Goof-Ups1978–1979Scare Bear (voice)Animated series
The Smurfs1981–1987Cupid / additional voicesAnimated series (multiple episodes)
Shirt Tales1982–1983Elmo the Elephant (voice)Animated series
The Love Boat1979Passenger (cameo)Live-action guest
These selections highlight Besser's versatility across formats, from sitcom foils to enduring animated sidekicks, contributing to over 80 television credits in total.

References

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  32. https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/bear-ly-science-fiction-looking-back-at-yogis-space-race/
  33. https://ultimatepopculture.fandom.com/wiki/Joe_Besser
  34. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-03-01-mn-356-story.html
  35. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042389/characters/nm0078798
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  43. https://hanna-barbera.fandom.com/wiki/Joe_Besser
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