JOE E. BROWN BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Joe E. Brown was born on July 28th, 1892 in Holgate, Ohio with the birth name Joseph Evans Brown.  As a young ten year old boy, he actually left home with his parents blessings to pursue a career in the circus.  He joined the tumbling act called, The Five Marvelous Ashtons.  Soon he was also adding comedy into his acts in vaudeville and with all his experience he took himself to New York to see if he could work on Broadway.
 
By 1920, he made his Broadway debut on "Jim Jam Jems" and gained some more experience before trying his hand at films.  Some of his film roles included "The Circus Kid" (1928), "Sally" (1929), "Top Speed" (1930), "Local Boy Makes Good" (1931), "Fireman, Save My Child" (1932), "Elmer, the Great" (1933), "Alibi Ike" (1935), "Riding on Air" (1937) and "The Gladiator" (1938).  He was becoming one of the top tem money making stars but then made the biggest mistake of his professional career when he signed with Loew. 
 
His popularity as a desired actor began to decrease drastically and he was limited to 'B' rated films.  During World War II he entertained the troops and in 1947 he joined a road tour in the comedy, "Harvey".   
 
As his career progressed he did occasionally get cast in a film such as "The Tender Years" (1948) followed three years later with a role in "Show Boat" (1951).  He then found some work on radio and also on television.  He did a couple more film roles and then earned a new generation of fans when he was cast in the classic "Some Like it Hot" (1959).  
 
He married only once to Kathryn Francis McGraw in 1915 and they had four children together and remained married until he passed away in Brentwood, California after suffering from a stroke on July 6th, 1973.  His remains were interred at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California.  He was always regarded by his peers as one of the nicest men in Hollywood and although his career lost his early success, he will always be remembered as a great comedian and performer.  

 
Filmographt

1955-1964 The Christophers
1964 The Greatest Show on Earth
1963 The Comedy of Terrors
1963 It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World
1962 Route 66
1961 Westinghouse Preview Theatre 
1960 The Ann Sothern Show
1959 Some Like It Hot 
1956 Around the World in Eighty Days 
1956 General Electric Summer Originals
1956 G.E. True Theater 
1956 The People's Choice
1955 Screen Directors Playhouse
1955 Schlitz Playhouse
1955 The Eddie Cantor Comedy Theater 
1952 The Buick Circus Hour 
1951 Toast to Our Brother
1951 Show Boat
1948 The Tender Years 
1944 Hollywood Canteen 
1944 Pin Up Girl 
1944 Casanova in Burlesque
1943 Chatterbox
1942 The Daring Young Man
1942 Joan of Ozark
1942 Shut My Big Mouth
1940 So You Won't Talk
1939 Beware Spooks!
1939 $1000 a Touchdown
1938 Flirting with Fate
1938 The Gladiator
1938 Wide Open Faces
1937 Fit for a King
1937 Riding on Air
1937 When's Your Birthday?
1936 Polo Joe
1936 Earthworm Tractors 
1936 Sons o' Guns 
1935 A Midsummer Night's Dream
1935 Bright Lights 
1935 Alibi Ike 
1934 6 Day Bike Rider 
1934 A Very Honorable Guy 
1934 The Circus Clown 
1933 Son of a Sailor
1933 Elmer, the Great
1932 You Said a Mouthful
1932 The Tenderfoot
1932 Fireman, Save My Child
1931 Local Boy Makes Good
1931 Broadminded
1931 Sit Tight 
1930 Going Wild 
1930 The Lottery Bride 
1930 Maybe It's Love
1930 Top Speed
1930 Hold Everything
1930 Song of the West 
1929 Sally
1929 Painted Faces
1929 On with the Show!
1929 My Lady's Past 
1929 Molly and Me 
1928 Take Me Home 
1928 The Circus Kid
1928 Hit of the Show 
1928 Crooks Can't Win 
1927 Twinkle, Twinkle