Joe Besser

Joe Besser

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 maintenance man in The Joey Bishop The zany comedy team of Olsen and Johnson, whose Broadway revues were fast-paced collections of songs and blackouts, hired Joe Besser. His noisy intrusions were perfect for their anything-can-happen format. Besser's work caught the attention of the Shubert brothers, who signed him to a theatrical contract. Columbia Pictures hired Besser away from the Shuberts, and Besser relocated to Hollywood in 1944, where he brought his unique comic character to feature-length musical comedies. Besser also starred in short-subject comedies for Columbia from 1949 to 1956. Besser had substituted for Lou Costello on radio, opposite Bud Abbott, and by the 1950s he was firmly established as one of the Abbott and Costello regulars. When the duo filmed The Abbott and Costello Show for television, they hired Joe Besser to play Oswald "Stinky" Davis, a bratty, loudmouthed child dressed in an oversized Little Lord Fauntleroy outfit, shorts, and a flat top hat with overhanging brim. He appeared during the first season of The Abbott and Costello Show. Besser was cast for the role of Yonkel, a chariot man in the low-budget biblical film Sins of Jezebel, which starred Paulette Goddard as the titular wicked queen. After Shemp Howard died of a heart attack, Moe suggested he and teammate Larry Fine continue working as "The Two Stooges". Studio chief Harry Cohen rejected the proposal. Although Moe had legal approval to allow new members into the act, Columbia executives had the final say about any actor who would appear in the studio's films, and insisted on a performer already under contract to Columbia, Joe Besser. At the time, Besser was one of a few comedians still making comedy shorts at the studio. Besser refrained from imitating Curly or Shemp. He continued to play the same whiny character he had developed over his long career. He had a clause in his contract prohibiting being hit excessively. Besser recalled, "I usually played the kind of character who would hit others back". The Stooges shorts with Besser were filmed from the spring of 1956 to the end of 1957. His Stooge tenure ended when Columbia shut down the two-reel-comedy department on December 20, 1957. Producer-director Jules White had shot enough film for 16 comedies, which were released a few months apart until June 1959, with Sappy Bull Fighters being the final release. Joe Besser was found dead in his home, aged 80, and determined to have died of heart failure.

  • Title: Joe Besser
  • Popularity: 1.849
  • Known For: Acting
  • Birthday: 1907-08-12
  • Place of Birth: Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
  • Homepage:
  • Also Known As: Joseph Besser, The Three Stooges, Joseph "Joe" Besser
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Joe Besser Movies

  • 1949
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    Africa Screams

    Africa Screams

    5.7 1949 HD

    When bookseller Buzz cons Diana into thinking that his friend Stanley knows all there is to know about Africa, they are abducted and ordered to lead...

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  • 1960
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    Let's Make Love

    Let's Make Love

    6.4 1960 HD

    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...

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  • 2003
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    Three Stooges 75th Anniversary Special

    Three Stooges 75th Anniversary Special

    10 2003 HD

    Woody Harrelson hosts a special tribute to the Three Stooges in honor of their 75th Anniversary. In addition to classic Stooges routines, there are...

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  • 1970
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    Hollywood Horror House

    Hollywood Horror House

    5.4 1970 HD

    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...

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  • 1953
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    I, the Jury

    I, the Jury

    5.7 1953 HD

    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...

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  • 1950
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    Woman in Hiding

    Woman in Hiding

    6.2 1950 HD

    As far as the rest of the world is concerned, mill heiress Deborah Chandler Clark is dead, killed in a freak auto accident. But Deborah is alive, if...

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  • 2001
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    The Three Stooges Story

    The Three Stooges Story

    1 2001 HD

    You'll see all six of the Three Stooges - brothers Moe, Curly, and Shemp Howard, Larry Fine, Joe Besser, and Curly Joe DeRita - in this exhaustive...

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  • 1950
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    Outside the Wall

    Outside the Wall

    6 1950 HD

    Larry Nelson, paroled from prison after serving nearly half of his thirty-year sentence, is determined to not fall into the clutches of the law...

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  • 2001
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    The Three Stooges: Kings Of Laughter

    The Three Stooges: Kings Of Laughter

    1 2001 HD

    Three's never a crowd when it comes to the immortal Stooges, as demonstrated by this no-holds-barred, back-to-back compilation of mayhem, wild...

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  • 1962
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    Hand of Death

    Hand of Death

    4.1 1962 HD

    A scientist spills a new serum in his lab, accidentally inhales its fumes, and turns into a murderous monster who kills anyone he touches.

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  • 1948
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    Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin'

    Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin'

    6.5 1948 HD

    A fast-talking salesman is "kidnapped" by a town, which intends to use him in its annual race with a rival community.

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  • 1997
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    The Three Stooges Greatest Hits!

    The Three Stooges Greatest Hits!

    1 1997 HD

    A tribute to the Three Stooges comedy team, featuring old clips and home movies mixed with music performances of Stooge-themed songs.

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  • 1957
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    Hoofs and Goofs

    Hoofs and Goofs

    4 1957 HD

    Joe dreams that the stooge's sister Birdie has died and been reincarnated as a horse. The stooges take Birdie home but must conceal her from the...

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  • 1957
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    Muscle Up A Little Closer

    Muscle Up A Little Closer

    5 1957 HD

    Joe is engaged but can't get married until he recovers the engagement ring which has disappeared. The stooges suspect the ring was stolen by Elmo, a...

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  • 1957
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    A Merry Mix-Up

    A Merry Mix-Up

    5 1957 HD

    The stooges appear in triplicate as three sets of triplets who were separated a long time ago. Their reunion causes confusion and troubles for...

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  • 1957
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    Space Ship Sappy

    Space Ship Sappy

    6 1957 HD

    An eccentric scientist tricks the stooges into joining himself and his daughter on an expedition to Venus. On Venus, the boys go exploring and...

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  • 1957
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    Guns A Poppin

    Guns A Poppin

    4 1957 HD

    Told in flashback, Moe is on trial for assaulting Larry and Joe. It seems that Moe was in debt and suffering a nervous breakdown so Larry and Joe...

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  • 1957
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    Horsing Around

    Horsing Around

    3 1957 HD

    A sequel (sort of) to "Hoofs and Goofs", The stooges are taking care of their sister Birdie who has been reincarnated as a horse. When they learn...

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  • 1957
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    Rusty Romeos

    Rusty Romeos

    4.7 1957 HD

    The stooges don't know it, but they are all engaged to the same girl, a gold-digger who plans to get an engagement ring from each of them and then...

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  • 1957
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    Outer Space Jitters

    Outer Space Jitters

    5 1957 HD

    The stooges accompany professor Jones on an expedition to Venus, where they discover that the Venusians are planning to conquer the earth with an...

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  • 1958
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    Quiz Whizz

    Quiz Whizz

    4 1958 HD

    Joe wins a contest and is promptly fleeced out of his winnings by some con men. When the stooges go to recover his money, the bad guys convince them...

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  • 1958
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    Fifi Blows Her Top

    Fifi Blows Her Top

    4 1958 HD

    The stooges reminisce about their wartime romances in Europe. After they finish their tales, they discover that Joe's girl Fifi, whom he left behind...

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  • 1958
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    Pies and Guys

    Pies and Guys

    5.7 1958 HD

    A professor attempts to win a bet by turning the stooges into gentlemen. After some lessons in etiquette, the boys make their society debut at a...

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  • 1958
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    Sweet and Hot

    Sweet and Hot

    3.5 1958 HD

    Nightclub performer Larry wants Joe and his sister Tiny to join the act. The only problem is that Tiny is afraid to sing in front of people. They...

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  • 1958
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    Flying Saucer Daffy

    Flying Saucer Daffy

    4.7 1958 HD

    Joe accidentally takes a picture of a paper plate which Moe and Larry submit to a magazine as an authentic picture of a flying saucer. Moe and Larry...

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  • 1958
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    Oil's Well That Ends Well

    Oil's Well That Ends Well

    5.2 1958 HD

    The stooges need money for their father's operation, so they head for the country to prospect for uranium. Instead of uranium, they discover oil on...

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  • 1959
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    Triple Crossed

    Triple Crossed

    4.3 1959 HD

    Larry is a pet dealer who's seeing Moe's wife while at the same time trying to steal Joe's fiancée. When Moe's become suspicious, Larry...

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  • 1959
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    Sappy Bull Fighters

    Sappy Bull Fighters

    3.5 1959 HD

    Stranded in Mexico, the stooges need a job and a pretty actress friend gets them an engagement at the Plaza de Toros. When they accidentally switch...

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  • 1950
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    The Desert Hawk

    The Desert Hawk

    5.1 1950 HD

    A desert guerilla, with flashing scimitar, opposes a tyrannical prince and marries the caliph's daughter.

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  • 1959
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    The Rookie

    The Rookie

    1 1959 HD

    A manic young radio network employee enlists in the army at the end of WWII and finds himself the only new recruit at basic training camp. Military...

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  • 2010
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    The Three Stooges Collection, Vol. 8: 1955-1959

    The Three Stooges Collection, Vol. 8: 1955-1959

    1 2010 HD

    This eighth volume of The Three Stooges Collection features the last 32 digitally remastered shorts from 1955-1959. It also marks the end of an era...

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  • 1953
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    Sins of Jezebel

    Sins of Jezebel

    4.5 1953 HD

    The aging king of Israel, Ahab, falls under the influence of a young and beautiful but scheming Pagan woman named Jezebel and, against the advice of...

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  • 2022
    imgMovies

    Mystery Reel

    Mystery Reel

    1 2022 HD

    A look into the subconscious of the 20th century.

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  • 1955
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    Headline Hunters

    Headline Hunters

    4 1955 HD

    A rookie reporter in pursuit of an expose gets tangled up with big-time mobsters.

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  • 1946
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    Talk About a Lady

    Talk About a Lady

    3 1946 HD

    A country girl, wanting to break into show-business, comes to New York City and, by her actions, manages to restore the optimism of a jaded and...

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  • 1959
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    The Story on Page One

    The Story on Page One

    5.1 1959 HD

    An adulterous couple is accused of murder after the woman's husband is shot and killed during a scuffle. A high-profile court case tells the story.

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  • 1970
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    Which Way to the Front?

    Which Way to the Front?

    4.833 1970 HD

    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...

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  • 1951
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    Fraidy Cat

    Fraidy Cat

    1 1951 HD

    Hired as guards to protect an antique shop, Joe and Jim run into a gorilla who has been trained by a gang of thieves to rob the store.

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  • 1955
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    Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops

    Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops

    6.1 1955 HD

    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,...

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  • 1955
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    It's a Dog's Life

    It's a Dog's Life

    3 1955 HD

    A bull terrier tells his life story, from the streets of the Bowery to a life of luxury.

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  • 1952
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    Aim, Fire, Scoot

    Aim, Fire, Scoot

    1 1952 HD

    Joe and his sergeant fall for the same girl.

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  • 1956
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    Army Daze

    Army Daze

    1 1956 HD

    Joe is drafted into the army of Starvania, and falls in love with Olga, a beautiful Starvanian WAC, but Joe's sergeant also has his eyes on Olga. But...

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  • 1952
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    Caught on the Bounce

    Caught on the Bounce

    1 1952 HD

    Joe Besser needs money to pay back a loan of $2500 and travels to ask his aunt for the money. She boards the train, along with a man who looks like a...

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  • 1950
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    Dizzy Yardbird

    Dizzy Yardbird

    1 1950 HD

    Joe is in the army, and his sergeant is determined to make a soldier out of Joe if he has to kill him to do it.

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  • 1954
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    The Fire Chaser

    The Fire Chaser

    1 1954 HD

    Hospitalized Eric Loudermilk Potts tells his story to a golddinging nurse. He's a bridegroom who misses his own wedding because he can't stop chasing...

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  • 1955
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    G.I. Dood It

    G.I. Dood It

    1 1955 HD

    Joe Besser has a fight with an army sergeant before he is drafted, and when he arrives at camp, finds the sergeant is his NCO and not adverse to...

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  • 1955
    imgMovies

    Hook a Crook

    Hook a Crook

    1 1955 HD

    Joe Besser and Jim Hawthorne are detectives trying to recover stolen jewels. They see a necklace on a furry arm, and deduce that a man wearing a fur...

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  • 1953
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    Spies and Guys

    Spies and Guys

    1 1953 HD

    Joe Besser is sent on a spying mission with a beautiful female officer. Things, as usual when Joe is involved, don't go well and they are captured...

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  • 1949
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    Waiting in the Lurch

    Waiting in the Lurch

    1 1949 HD

    Joe's fiance doesn't like his obsession for chasing fire engines.

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  • 1983
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    My Smurfy Valentine

    My Smurfy Valentine

    7.286 1983 HD

    What could be more smurfy than spending Valentine's Day with the most lovable little blue creatures in all of the forest? In this half-hour animated...

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  • 1960
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    Shirley Temple’s Storybook: Babes in Toyland

    Shirley Temple’s Storybook: Babes in Toyland

    1 1960 HD

    A pair of young siblings escape their wicked uncle’s home and must traverse dark forests and a spooky village to get to a magical Christmas toy...

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  • 1940
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    Hot Steel

    Hot Steel

    1 1940 HD

    Matt Morrison gets his old college chum Frank Stewart a job at the steel foundry where he works. Trouble quickly ensues.

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  • 1956
    imgMovies

    Columbia Laff Hour

    Columbia Laff Hour

    7 1956 HD

    A Columbia Pictures feature, featuring 4 unedited shorts, released between 1947-1956, featuring Shemp Howard.

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  • 1959
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    Say One for Me

    Say One for Me

    4.8 1959 HD

    Father Conroy has a parish which serves the acting and performance community. When one of his parishioners gets too sick to work, his daughter Holly...

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  • 1955
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    Two-Gun Lady

    Two-Gun Lady

    4.2 1955 HD

    A young woman teaches herself to become a sharpshooter so she can hunt down the three men who murdered her parents. She finds a sheriff who is...

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  • 1959
    imgMovies

    Plunderers of Painted Flats

    Plunderers of Painted Flats

    5 1959 HD

    To scare the squatters from the cattle country he claims as his own, rancher Ed Sampson orders the Martin farm house burned. Galt Martin is killed,...

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  • 1945
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    Eadie Was a Lady

    Eadie Was a Lady

    4 1945 HD

    In this amiable Columbia B musical, society girl Ann Miller escapes her Back Bay family by performing in the chorus line in a burlesque house. But...

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  • 1944
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    Hey, Rookie

    Hey, Rookie

    1 1944 HD

    Musical comedy star Jimmy Leighter wants to get away from show biz and his leading lady Winnie Clark, so he joins the Army. There he gets the order...

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  • 2007
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    Phyllis Diller: Not Just Another Pretty Face

    Phyllis Diller: Not Just Another Pretty Face

    8 2007 HD

    Phyllis Diller’s brand of comedy is as timeless today as it was in the 1960s, when she became a regular on popular variety and talk shows. From...

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  • 2011
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    The Abbott and Costello Show: Who's On First?

    The Abbott and Costello Show: Who's On First?

    8 2011 HD

    Featuring the routines that made them comedy legends like “Who’s On First?,” and “The Lemon Bit,” this digitally...

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  • 1955
    imgMovies

    Mad at the World

    Mad at the World

    5.7 1955 HD

    A neighborhood is terrorized by group of young juvenile delinquents called The WolfPack. When a young father's infant child is seriously injured...

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  • 1961
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    The Errand Boy

    The Errand Boy

    6.12 1961 HD

    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...

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  • 1950
    imgMovies

    Joe Palooka Meets Humphrey

    Joe Palooka Meets Humphrey

    4 1950 HD

    Newlyweds Joe and Anne Palooka are delayed in their honeymoon plans by the helpful Humphrey Pennyworth and by considerably-less-helpful manager,...

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  • 1953
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    A Day in the Country

    A Day in the Country

    1 1953 HD

    Two boys and their grandmother visit a farm. Filmed in 3-D.

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  • 1969
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    The Monk

    The Monk

    7.5 1969 HD

    Underworld attorney Leo Barnes hires Gus Monk to safeguard a valuable envelope containing information on a mobster. Monk refuses — until he...

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  • 1969
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    My World and Welcome to It

    My World and Welcome to It

    5.5 1969 HD

    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...

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  • 1954
    imgS5 E31

    December Bride

    December Bride

    5.5 1954 HD

    December Bride is an American sitcom that aired on the CBS television network from 1954 to 1959, adapted from the original CBS radio network series...

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  • 1972
    imgS2 E8

    The New Scooby-Doo Movies

    The New Scooby-Doo Movies

    7.633 1972 HD

    Aside from doubling the length of each episode, The New Scooby-Doo Movies differed from its predecessor in the addition of a rotating special guest...

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  • 1977
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    Scooby's All-Stars

    Scooby's All-Stars

    8.1 1977 HD

    Each episode of this series include multiple segments: The first and last were "Laff-A-Lympics" segments, the other ones were "Captain Caveman and...

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  • 1961
    imgS1 E26

    The Alvin Show

    The Alvin Show

    8.3 1961 HD

    The Alvin Show is an American animated television series. It was the first to feature the singing characters Alvin and the Chipmunks, although a...

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  • 1966
    imgS3 E26

    Batman

    Batman

    7.3 1966 HD

    Wealthy entrepreneur Bruce Wayne and his ward Dick Grayson lead a double life: they are actually crime fighting duo Batman and Robin. A secret...

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  • 1966
    imgS5 E24

    That Girl

    That Girl

    6.115 1966 HD

    That Girl is an American sitcom that ran on ABC from 1966 to 1971. It stars Marlo Thomas as the title character Ann Marie, an aspiring actress, who...

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  • 1961
    imgS4 E26

    The Joey Bishop Show

    The Joey Bishop Show

    5.8 1961 HD

    The Joey Bishop Show is an American sitcom starring entertainer Joey Bishop. The series premiered in September 1961 on NBC where it aired for three...

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  • 1973
    imgS1 E16

    Jeannie

    Jeannie

    8.2 1973 HD

    Average teenager Corey Anders finds an unusual-looking bottle on the beach, when he opens it a beautiful genie named Jeannie emerges.

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  • 1955
    imgS6 E36

    The Millionaire

    The Millionaire

    5 1955 HD

    An anthology series that explored the ways sudden and unexpected wealth changed life for better or for worse. It told the stories of people who were...

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  • 1964
    imgS7 E17

    The Hollywood Palace

    The Hollywood Palace

    4.5 1964 HD

    The Hollywood Palace is an hour-long American television variety show that was broadcast weekly on ABC from January 4, 1964 to February 7, 1970....

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  • 1978
    imgS1 E13

    Yogi's Space Race

    Yogi's Space Race

    6.9 1978 HD

    Yogi Bear and other Hanna-Barbera figures match wits as they race around the galaxy.

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  • 1950
    imgS5 E13

    The Gene Autry Show

    The Gene Autry Show

    4.8 1950 HD

    The Gene Autry Show is an American western/cowboy television series which aired for 91 episodes on CBS from July 23, 1950 until August 7, 1956,...

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  • 1946
    imgS1 E1

    Hour Glass

    Hour Glass

    4 1946 HD

    Hour Glass is the first regularly scheduled variety show shown on American network television. It ran on NBC from May 9, 1946 until March 1947.

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  • 1972
    imgS1 E13

    The Houndcats

    The Houndcats

    5 1972 HD

    The Houndcats is an American Saturday morning cartoon series produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises. The series was broadcast by NBC from September...

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  • 1975
    imgS1 E16

    The Oddball Couple

    The Oddball Couple

    8 1975 HD

    The Oddball Couple was an animated half hour Saturday morning show that ran on the ABC TV network from September 6, 1975 to September 3, 1977. The...

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  • 1968
    imgS1 E32

    That's Life

    That's Life

    6 1968 HD

    That's Life is a musical comedy series that appeared on the ABC television network in 1968–69, starring Robert Morse and E. J. Peaker as Bobby...

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  • 1952
    imgS2 E26

    The Abbott and Costello Show

    The Abbott and Costello Show

    7.3 1952 HD

    Bud and Lou are unemployed actors living in Mr. Fields’ boarding house. Lou’s girlfriend Hillary lives across the hall. Many situations...

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  • 1978
    imgS1 E13

    Galaxy Goof-Ups

    Galaxy Goof-Ups

    6 1978 HD

    Galaxy Goof-Ups is a half-hour Saturday morning animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions which aired on NBC from September 9, 1978 to...

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  • 2015
    imgS1 E24

    The Three Stooges: Hey Moe! Hey Dad!

    The Three Stooges: Hey Moe! Hey Dad!

    8.5 2015 HD

    Celebrate a century of Stoogery with this long-anticipated collection that will smack you over the head with private home movies, family photographs,...

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  • 1969
    imgS5 E62

    Love, American Style

    Love, American Style

    5.8 1969 HD

    An anthology comedy series featuring a line up of different celebrity guest stars appearing in anywhere from one, two, three, and four short stories...

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  • 1967
    imgS2 E26

    The Mothers-in-Law

    The Mothers-in-Law

    6 1967 HD

    The Mothers-in-Law is an American sitcom starring Eve Arden and Kaye Ballard as two matriarchs who were friends and next-door neighbors whose...

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  • 1967
    imgS2 E26

    The Mothers-in-Law

    The Mothers-in-Law

    6 1967 HD

    The Mothers-in-Law is an American sitcom starring Eve Arden and Kaye Ballard as two matriarchs who were friends and next-door neighbors whose...

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  • 1967
    imgS2 E26

    The Mothers-in-Law

    The Mothers-in-Law

    6 1967 HD

    The Mothers-in-Law is an American sitcom starring Eve Arden and Kaye Ballard as two matriarchs who were friends and next-door neighbors whose...

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  • 1953
    imgS10 E34

    General Electric Theater

    General Electric Theater

    6 1953 HD

    General Electric Theater is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was...

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  • 1969
    imgS5 E62

    Love, American Style

    Love, American Style

    5.8 1969 HD

    An anthology comedy series featuring a line up of different celebrity guest stars appearing in anywhere from one, two, three, and four short stories...

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