Bobby Barber
Born: 1894-12-17 in New York City, New York, USA
Died: 1976-05-24
Known For: Acting
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Bobby Barber (December 18, 1894 – May 24, 1976) was an American actor who appeared in over 100 films. Barber is notable for his work as a foil for Abbott and Costello on and off screen. Barber was often used by Bud Abbott and Lou Costello as a form of "court jester" on the set of their films. It was his job to keep the energy level up with pranks and practical jokes. Sometimes, he even suddenly appeared on camera during a take to break up the cast and crew. In Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), Costello answers a knock at the door expecting to see large actor Lon Chaney Jr. Instead, the very short Barber walks in wearing a funny hat with a feather. In another outtake from that film, Bela Lugosi, in full Dracula regalia, is solemnly descending a staircase to meet Abbott and Costello when all of a sudden the actors and crew burst out laughing. Lugosi, annoyed, turns around to see Barber following right behind him, mimicking his steps. Barber also appeared in bit parts, such as a delivery boy, waiter, bellhop, or man on the street, often uncredited in movies, and in many of Abbott and Costello's films and about half their television shows. Sometimes his likeness was in a picture on a wall or a "wanted" poster in a post office. His final film appearance was in Lou Costello's last movie, The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock (1959). His film career included bit parts in over 100 (known) feature films.
Filmography
1963
- The Wheeler Dealers as Workman in Night Club (uncredited)
1962
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour as Juror (uncredited)
- To Kill a Mockingbird as Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
1957
- Wagon Train as Wagon Train Member (uncredited)
- Have Gun, Will Travel
- The Joker is Wild as Waiter (uncredited)
- The Midnight Story as Party Guest (uncredited)
- Man of a Thousand Faces as The Miracle Man Extra (uncredited)
- The Buster Keaton Story as Soda Fountain Customer (uncredited)
1956
- Pardners as Townsman (uncredited)
1954
- Living It Up as Bellboy (uncredited)
1952
- Adventures of Superman as Tony the Masseur
- The Abbott and Costello Show as Chauffeur
- Flesh and Fury
1951
- Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Invisible Man as Sneaky (uncredited)
- Across the Wide Missouri as Gardipe (uncredited)
1950
- Let's Dance as Bartender (uncredited)
- Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in the Foreign Legion as Arab on Jeep's Hood (uncredited)
1949
- Africa Screams as Chauffeur (uncredited)
- Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff as Dry Cleaning Man (uncredited)
- Undertow
1948
- Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein as Waiter
- On an Island with You as (uncredited)
1947
- Riff-Raff as Customs Inspector (uncredited)
- I Walk Alone as Newsboy (uncredited)
- The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer as Birthday Cake Waiter (uncredited)
- The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap as Waiter (uncredited)
- Vigilantes of Boomtown as Corbett's second
1946
- From This Day Forward as Ice Man
- Road to Utopia as Bartender (uncredited)
- Two Sisters from Boston as Stagehand (uncredited)
- Calcutta as Taxi Driver (uncredited)
1945
- Anchors Aweigh as Salad Cook (uncredited)
- Lady on a Train
- Earl Carroll Vanities as Cab Driver
- Sensation Hunters as Waiter (uncredited)
1944
- Laura as Newsboy (uncredited)
- Passage to Marseille as Frenchman (uncredited)
- Follow the Boys as Soldier - W.C. Fields Routine (uncredited)
- And Now Tomorrow as Mill Worker
- Practically Yours as Man on Subway (uncredited)
- I Love a Soldier as Funhouse Attendant
- Rainbow Island as Native Banana Man
- You Can't Ration Love as Barber
1943
- Presenting Lily Mars as Busboy
- Hit the Ice as Candy Butcher (uncredited)
- Swing Fever as Soft Drink Vendor (uncredited)
- A Lady Takes a Chance as Gambler
- Crazy House as Bald Man / Director
- All by Myself as Waiter
- The Sky's the Limit as Canteen Waiter (uncredited)
- Hi Diddle Diddle as Saloon Waiter (uncredited)
- Reveille with Beverly as Collins (uncredited)
- Dizzy Pilots as Private (uncredited)
- Here Comes Mr. Zerk as Bellhop
1942
- Roxie Hart as Bald Juror (uncredited)
- A Date with the Falcon as Spectator (uncredited)
- Who Done It? as Test Technician in Booth (uncredited)
- Beyond the Blue Horizon as Member of La'oa's Gang (uncredited)
- My Favorite Spy as Man in Park in Front of Kay
- Powder Town as Waiter (uncredited)
- Matri-Phony as Snake Charmer (uncredited)
1941
- The Lady Eve as Ship's Waiter with Toupee (uncredited)
- Hold That Ghost as Waiter (uncredited)
- The Gay Falcon as Angelo (uncredited)
- Second Chorus as Room Service Waiter (uncredited)
- Pot o' Gold as Prisoner (uncredited)
- The Monster and the Girl as Juryman (uncredited)
- In the Navy as Sailor in Finale (uncredited)
- Cracked Nuts as Waiter
- Las Vegas Nights as Waiter Who Gets Slapped
- King of the Texas Rangers as Eduardo
1940
- Road to Singapore as Man Hit with Soap Suds (uncredited)
- Broadway Melody of 1940 as Wedding Guest (uncredited)
- Stranger on the Third Floor as Giuseppe, the Italian Grocer (uncredited)
- Primrose Path as Benny (uncredited)
- Spring Parade as Waiter Who Spills Tray (uncredited)
- They Knew What They Wanted as Tony's Pal at Table (uncredited)
- The Villain Still Pursued Her as Wedding Guest (uncredited)
- The Leather Pushers
- Nothing But Pleasure as Snacking Bus Rider
1939
- Pest from the West as Musician (uncredited)
1938
- Vivacious Lady as Italian Waiter at Nightclub (uncredited)
- Topper Takes a Trip as Hotel Staffer Moving Bed (uncredited)
- Dangerous to Know as Waiter (uncredited)
- Carefree as (uncredited)
- Give Me a Sailor as Sailor (uncredited)
- Everybody's Doing It as Short Slap Happy Henchman
- Professor Beware as Handshaker - Paint-Brush Gag
- Cipher Bureau
- Having Wonderful Time as Bartender (uncredited)
1937
- Super-Sleuth as Photographer
- History Is Made at Night as Paul - Waiter at Victor's (uncredited)
- Fight for Your Lady as Hotel Porter (uncredited)
- Breakfast for Two as Window Washer (uncredited)
1936
- Modern Times as Worker (uncredited)
- Dodsworth as Italian Taxi Driver (uncredited)
- Great Guy as Grocery Clerk (Uncredited)
- The Preview Murder Mystery as Prop Man (Uncredited)
- Hollywood Boulevard as Man with Gong (uncredited)
- Smartest Girl in Town as Hotel Porter (uncredited)
- Walking on Air as Silent Waiter at Beach Club (uncredited)
1935
- We're Only Human as Counterman
- I Don't Remember as Dentist Patient
- Alimony Aches as Undertaker's Assistant
1933
- I'm No Angel as Man in Crowd (uncredited)
- One Sunday Afternoon as Man in Greased Pig Contest (uncredited)
1932
- Horse Feathers as Speakeasy Patron (uncredited)
- The Night of June 13 as Jury Foreman (uncredited)
1930
- Doughboys as Doughboy (uncredited)
- Soup to Nuts as Revolutionary (uncredited)
- The Life of the Party as Waiter
1929
- Pep Up as clothing salesman on street