In the 1960's, I first saw an old movie on TV in which Lee J. Cobb
played the role of a washed-up doctor, begging for money from a
stranger, in India, I believe, but I can't remember the title if it.

     It was a very minor scene of an old movie that predated the time
and maybe even television.  I have seen that same minor sequence of
that same old movie quite a few times over the years, but never the
whole film, which is why I am so sure of myself.

     Then, my now ex-wife told me it could have been an actor, who is
often mistaken for LJ Cobb, but the sound of his voice, his looks and
cry was unmistakably that of LJ Cobb.  I compared him to known roles
of Cobb, such as Kramden of the old Flint Movies, who is best
remembered for yelling, "Flint's alive!  Did ya hear that?  FLINT'S
ALIVE!" and they matched perfectly well, so I'm sure it was LJ Cobb
after all.

     I want to know how his role went in that old movie and how it ended.




                                                                 -RK

Ali Baba Goes to Town (1937)

He only had a small part, as an Arab.

Could it be?

Maybe look through this page:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002011/

Researchers may want to review the previous versions of this question
in order to avoid duplication of effort:

http://www.answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=771622

http://www.answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=750894

http://www.answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=211391

Just for the sake of completeness here are the movies in which LJ Cobb
played a doctor:

Song of Bernadette (1943) - Dr. Dozous
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036377/

The Moon is Down (1943) - Dr. Albert Winter
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036377/

Winged Victory (1944) - Doctor
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037467/

Dark Past (1948) - Dr. Andrew Collins
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040270/

The Three Faces of Eve (1957) - Doctor Luther
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051077/

There were also various television productions in which he played a
doctor that I see you have dimissed in previous versions of this
question.

I went to the IMDB databank in 1999 and in 2000, so it's not news to
me.  In order to avoid repeats, please look over my notes and realize
that we/I have been trying for years and the IMDB databank was the
first place we went to, so you're going to have to go beyond that.

     In 2003, now past my divorce, all the movie historians I
contacted finally quit, took up drinking or committed suicide, so I
reached the point of contacting LJ Cobb's relatives, former co-stars
and/or agent for the answer.  Soon after starting, I stopped because
work still comes first, but I never went back to complete that task,
which means it still might be the only way to find out.

     In my experienced-opinion, you will have to go to his relatives
or close friends because it could have been a cameo appearance of his,
which is a very brief appearance in a much longer movie, it might not
rate high enough to be a credit to his name, especially alongside his
starring movies, TV show and more.

     If I am mistaken about it being Cobb, they will know to tell you,
too.  Incidentally, when I was a high school kid in the mid-70's, I
met Lee J. Cobb, so I remember his looks, sound of his voice, etc.,
personally-well.





                                                                 -RK

How can you find out?

     I don't want an accout with IMDB because small purchases hurts my
Privacy, so I ask you to find out for me.

     I don't know if it was his Ali Baba movie.

Drrichard,

As I mentioned in a comment to one of your earlier questions, you do
not need to pay to join the IMDb. Only the "IMDb Pro" service (which
is designed for people in the entertainment business) requires
payment. The main IMDb database is entirely free of charge.

I should have mentioned that Lee J Cobb's appearance in 'Ali Baba Goes
to Town' was uncredited.

And, as he was playing an Arab ... you might recall him as an Indian.

I checked his many early appearances playing a Doctor but these appear
to be neither Indian nor Arab.

I have a gut feel that 'Ali Baba' is the one to go for but, in his
early days, he may have played other small, uncredited parts that may
not have been picked up by IMDB.

A tough one!

Good luck!

To probonopublico:

     I think you got it.  In the movie, he was not Indian nor Arab. 
He was an American, but the washed-up or has-been-type that is of
someone who was once great, now poor, begging for money and crying
when he recalled his past.

     Can you research it?




                                                                 -RK

I have seen "Ali Baba Goes to Town." It is a lighthearted spoof with
an "Arabian Nights" setting. I don't remember any tragic alcoholic
doctor in it.

Comment about the movie:

"...Also with Tony Martin, The Raymond Scott Quintet (they had ahit
that year called ?Dinner Music For A Pack Of Hungry Cannibals?),
WarrenHymer and Stanley Fields as tramps, and Lee J. Cobb!..."

http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:eeCGKQbtPm4J:www.psychotronicvideo.com/wow/reviews/pdf/30/30s_a-c.pdf+%22ali+baba+goes+to+town%22+cobb&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=15

Bowler-ga, I don't know, so I need you to do the research, then tell me.

     Lee J. Cobb was called "a bum," by the stranger, because he was
dirty, unshaven, homeless and a long way from home, but Cobb replied
by saying this to the strangers surprise:  "BUM?  Johns Hopkins School
of Medicine, Chief of Surgery, etc."  The stranger was shocked to hear
how mistaken he was about the man whom he took for granted, then the
scene continued, but I never followed it from there.

     I have seen that same minor sequence of that same movie quite a
few times over the years, so I am still sure it was LJ Cobb.  In that
same scene, you will see the type buildings that are characteristic of
India in the background.  I remember the stranger on the left and Cobb
towards the right, so it is as vivid as ever in my mind still.

     We worked on this question for years, then gave up, so take my
experience and go right to where we left off, which is to contact his
family or co-stars.  They are the only ones to know, so don't waste
your time with the IMDB because we went through it from 1999 to 2001.




                                                                    -RK

Update to all:

     Don't waste your time with the routine sources of answers.  Take
my advice and go right to the top, which is where we left off, and ask
Cobb's relatives, former co-stars and/or agents because they are the
only ones who would know, not to mention the fact that the only ones
left to ask.




                                                                 -RK

I wonder ...

Could it have been Charles Laughton?

To probonopublico-ga:


     I don't know who Charles Laughton is, so I need you to find out. 
You should think of the advice I gave you, which is to contact Lee J.
Cobb's relatives in order to pose the question to them because they
would know, not I.

To all Google Answers Researchers:

     My now ex-wife and I spent endless hours to the point of
exhaustion going through the steps that you all seem to think is new
and helpful, so take my advice and go right to the top to ask Lee J.
Cobb's family, former co-stars and/or agents to pose the question.

     Contacting them has to be done properly, but that is why I hired
you all.  There must be a way to contact them, so find it and go
according to the guidelines that are set to follow.  It's a trivia
question that has been on my mind for the past seven or eight years
and stumped all the movie authorities/historians, so they won't get
alarmed.

     Incidentally, it might help if you tell them that I met Lee J.
Cobb when I was a high school kid in the mid-1970's in New York, which
is where I'm from, so that can help.




                                                                   -RK

I suspect that it probably wasn't Lee J. Cobb.

My thoughts have turned to Lon Chaney Jnr, a versatile actor, who
played many small uncredited parts during the era in question.

As a further thought ...

Have you considered that it might have been Lionel Barrymore?

Clearly, if it wasn't Lee J Cobb then Cobb's family would not be able to help.

Probonopublico-ga:  

     OK, look up Lon Chaney Jr. and Lionel Barrymore.  I can't do the
research, so I need you all to do it for me.  I don't think it was
Lionel Barrymore because I remember him from the classic
Christmas-time movie, "It's a Wonderful Life," so I ruled him out the
first time it was suggested to me.

     Lon Chaney, Jr. is one I never thought of before, but I still
feel it was Lee J. Cobb, which is why I think you should contact his
family or co-stars.  I met him in the 1970's and I remember him from
the Flint Movies of the 60's, so I still think it was him.




                                                                 -RK

Success at last!

I can now reveal that the actor in question was not Lee J Cobb but
Carl Mathews (1899-1959) who was born in Oklahoma.

Matthews played many small, uncredited parts, for example in 'Silly
Billies' (1936) he played an Indian.

Not having seen 'Silly Billies', I cannot say whether or not this was
the movie you recall.

Well, it's certainly been a long haul but, as I am sure that you'll
agree, it has brought a very satisfying conclusion.

probonopublico-ga, you have to give me the title of the movie, how his
role went and how it finished.  You haven't given me any of it yet.

Did you do the research on Carl Matthews yet?  

     Sounds like you're on to something big!





                                                                  -RK