Joe Frank Cobb (November 7, 1916 – May 21, 2002) was an American

child actor The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage or in film, movies or television. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associ ...

, most notable for appearing as the original "fat boy" in the ''

Our Gang ''Our Gang'' (also known as ''The Little Rascals'' or ''Hal Roach's Rascals'') is an American series of comedy short films chronicling a group of poor neighborhood children and their adventures. Created by film producer Hal Roach, also the ...

'' comedies from 1922 to 1929.

Early life and career

Born in

Shawnee, Oklahoma Shawnee ( sac, Shânîheki) is a city in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 29,857 in 2010, a 4.9 percent increase from the figure of 28,692 in 2000. The city is part of the Oklahoma Cit ...

, on November 7, 1916,Some sources such as the first edition (1977) of ''Our Gang: The Life and Times of the Little Rascals'' documented him as being born in 1916 or 1917; however the Oklahoma birth index indicates he was born in 1916. Cobb auditioned for producer

Hal Roach Harry Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr.Randy Skretvedt, Skretvedt, Randy (2016), ''Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies'', Bonaventure Press. p.608. (January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and television producer, director, a ...

's ''

'' comedy series at the age of five in 1921. He first worked with the series in 1922, appearing in ''

The Champeen ''The Champeen'' is the seventh '' Our Gang'' short subject comedy released. The ''Our Gang'' series (later known as "The Little Rascals") was created by Hal Roach in 1922, and continued production until 1944. Plot After getting caught for st ...

'' (1923) and '' The Big Show'' (1923). Cobb appeared in the ''

'' series' last

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

, '' Saturday's Lesson'', and its first talking short, ''

Small Talk Small talk is an informal type of discourse that does not cover any functional topics of conversation or any transactions that need to be addressed. In essence, it is polite and standard conversation about unimportant things. The phenomenon ...

'', both in 1929. Our Gang - A Pictorial History of the Silent Screen

His penultimate episode as a regular cast member was ''

Boxing Gloves Boxing gloves are cushioned gloves that fighters wear on their hands during boxing matches and practices. Unlike "fist-load weapons" (such as the ancient cestus) which were designed as a lethal weapon, modern boxing gloves are non-lethal, desig ...

'' (1929) when he was 12. Joining him in that film (a remake of ''The Champeen'') is "Chubby" (15-year-old

Norman Chaney Norman Myers Chaney (October 18, 1914 – May 29, 1936) was an American child actor, notable for appearing in 19 ''Our Gang'' comedies as "Chubby" from 1929 to 1931. Early life and career Chaney was born on October 18, 1914 (though Richard ...

), Cobb's successor as the "fat kid", and

Jackie Cooper John Cooper Jr. (September 15, 1922 – May 3, 2011) was an American actor, television director, producer, and executive, known universally as Jackie Cooper. He was a child actor who made the transition to an adult career. Cooper was the first ...

in his film debut. Cobb's final regular ''Our Gang'' appearance was in the ''

Lazy Days "Lazy Days" is a song by English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams. It was released in the United Kingdom on 14 July 1997 as the second single from his debut studio album, ''Life thru a Lens'' (1997). According to Williams, the song is about b ...

'' episode (released August 4, 1929). He appeared in 86 ''Our Gang'' films during the seven years from 1922 to 1929. He also made three cameo appearances during the 1930s, in ''

Fish Hooky ''Fish Hooky'' is a 1933 ''Our Gang'' short subject, short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 120th (32nd talking episode) ''Our Gang'' short that was released. Plot Wheezer, Dickie, Uh-huh, and Stymie choose to play hooky fro ...

'' (1933), '' Pay as You Exit'' (1936), and ''

Reunion in Rhythm ''Reunion in Rhythm'' (also known as ''Our Gang Follies of 1937'') is a 1937 ''Our Gang'' short comedy film directed by Gordon Douglas. It was the 150th ''Our Gang'' short (151st episode and 62nd talking episode) that was released. Plot A fol ...

'' (1937). After his acting career ended in the early 1940s, Cobb became an assembler for North American Aviation, a division of

Rockwell International Rockwell International was a major American manufacturing conglomerate involved in aircraft, the space industry, defense and commercial electronics, components in the automotive industry, printing presses, avionics and industrial products. R ...

in Downey, California. He retired in 1981 at age 65.

Death

Cobb died of natural causes on May 21, 2002, in

Santa Ana, California Santa Ana () is the second most populous city and the county seat of Orange County, California. Located in the Greater Los Angeles region of Southern California, the city's population was 310,227 at the 2020 census, making Santa Ana the List of ...

References

External links

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Associated Press article
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cobb, Joe 1916 births 2002 deaths People from Shawnee, Oklahoma American male film actors American male child actors Male actors from Oklahoma Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) American male comedy actors Hal Roach Studios actors Our Gang 20th-century American male actors

Early life and career

Death

Further reading

References

External links