Joe Cobb

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Joe Frank Cobb (November 7, 1917 - May 21, 2002) was a former American child actor, most notable for appearing as the original "fat boy" in the Our Gang comedies from 1922 to 1929.

[edit] Early life and career

Born in Shawnee, Oklahoma, he auditioned for producer Hal Roach's comedy series at the age of five. He appeared in 86 Our Gang episodes during seven years, and had three guest appearances in the serial in the 1930's. His first "Our Gang" short was "The Big Show" (1923). Cobb appeared in the "Our Gang" series' last silent film, "Saturday's Lesson," and its first talking short, "Small Talk," in 1929. He was a recognizable character, with chubby cheeks and a trademark beanie cap.

After his acting career ended in the early 1940s, Cobb became an assembler for North American Aviation, a division of Rockwell International. He retired in 1981.

Decades after his last film role, he appeared in "Classic Comedy Teams," a 1986 documentary that focused on the "Our Gang" actors and other early film comedians, including Laurel and Hardy and the Marx Brothers.

Joe Cobb died in 2002 at the age of 84 and was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.