Joe Besser

Acting

Joe Besser

Born August 12, 1907 · Saint Louis, Missouri, USA

Died March 1, 1988 · aged 80

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 mainte…

Known For

Let's Make LoveLet's Make Love · 1960
Let's Make Love
★ 6.41960
MovieComedyRomance
When billionaire Jean-Marc Clement learns that he is to be satirized in an off-Broadway revue, he passes himself off as an actor playing him in order to get closer to the beautiful star of the show, Amanda Dell.
Which Way to the Front?Which Way to the Front? · 1970
Which Way to the Front?
★ 4.81970
MovieComedyWar
Brendan Byers III, one of the richest men in America, has been pronounced 4-F and can't serve his country in its war against Hitler. Byers does not take "No" for an answer and recruits other 4-F's to fight against Hitler.
The Errand BoyThe Errand Boy · 1961
The Errand Boy
★ 6.21961
MovieComedy
Paramutual Pictures wants to know where all the money is going so they hire Morty to be their spy. Morty works for Mr. Sneak and gets a job in the mail room so that he can have access to the lot. But all that Morty ever finds is that he can cause havoc no matter what he does.
Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone KopsAbbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops · 1955
Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops
★ 6.21955
MovieComedy
Harry and Willie are scammed into buying the Thomas Edison studio lot by a man named Gorman. They decide to follow Gorman's trail to Hollywood where, unbeknownst to them, he has taken the identity of a foreign film director. The lads wind up as stunt doubles in film the which Gorman is now shooting, while the conman tries to have the bungling pair done away with before they realize who he really is.
Savage IntruderSavage Intruder · 1970
Savage Intruder
★ 5.21970
MovieThrillerHorror
An enigmatic young man manipulates his way into working at the decaying mansion of a once prolific, but now reclusive and alcoholic, movie star named Katharine Packard. While the rest of the house staff become suspicious of Vic's intentions, the aging movie queen is smitten. But as Vic begins behaving in more and more erratic ways, it becomes clear that he's far more sinister than his demeanor implies.
The Helen Morgan StoryThe Helen Morgan Story · 1957
The Helen Morgan Story
★ 5.31957
MovieDramaMusic
Torch singer Helen Morgan rises from sordid beginnings to fame and fortune only to lose it all to alcohol and poor personal choices.
I, the JuryI, the Jury · 1953
I, the Jury
★ 5.91953
MovieMysteryCrime
After his best friend and war buddy is mysteriously gunned down, Mike Hammer will stop at nothing to settle the score for the man who sacrificed a limb to save his own life during combat. Along the way, Hammer rides a fine line between gumshoe and a one-man jury, staying two-steps ahead of the law—and trying not to get bumped off in the process.
The Desert HawkThe Desert Hawk · 1950
The Desert Hawk
★ 5.41950
MovieActionAdventure
A desert guerilla, with flashing scimitar, opposes a tyrannical prince and marries the caliph's daughter.

Filmography

Sort
My World and Welcome to ItMy World and Welcome to It · 1969
My World and Welcome to It
★ 6.31969
SeriesComedy
My World and Welcome to It is an American half-hour television sitcom based on the humor and cartoons of James Thurber. It starred William Windom as John Monroe, a Thurber-like writer and cartoonist who works for a magazine closely resembling The New Yorker called The Manhattanite. Wry, fanciful and curmudgeonly, Monroe observes and comments on life, to the bemusement of his rather sensible wife Ellen and intelligent, questioning daughter Lydia. Monroe's frequent daydreams and fantasies are usually based on Thurber material. My World — And Welcome To It is the name of a book of illustrated stories and essays, also by James Thurber. The series ran one season on NBC 1969-1970. It was created by Mel Shavelson, who wrote and directed the pilot episode and was one of the show's principal writers. Sheldon Leonard was executive producer. The show's producer, Danny Arnold, co-wrote or directed numerous episodes, and even appeared as Santa Claus in "Rally Round the Flag."
The Alvin ShowThe Alvin Show · 1961
The Alvin Show
★ 8.41961
SeriesAnimation
The Alvin Show is an American animated television series. It was the first to feature the singing characters Alvin and the Chipmunks, although a series with a similar concept The Nutty Squirrels Present had aired a year earlier. It lasted for one season in prime time on CBS, originally sponsored by General Foods, and initially telecast in black and white. The series rode the momentum of creator Ross Bagdasarian's original hit musical gimmick and developed the singing Chipmunk trio as rambunctious kids–particularly the show's namesake star–whose mischief contrasted to his tall, brainy brother Simon and his chubby, gluttonous brother Theodore, as well as their long-suffering, perpetually put-upon manager-father figure, David Seville. The animation was produced by Herbert Klynn's Format Films.