Joe E. Brown
Forest Lawn Glendale
Wide-mouthed comedian Joe
E. Brown is buried in a large memorial
featuring a classical statue of a father and mother and their three
young children, with the youngest child perched happily on the
father's shoulder.
In 1902, the 10-year-old Brown left home - with the blessing
of his parents - and joined the circus. Brown became part of a tumbling
act called "The Five Marvelous Ashtons," touring the country and performing
with circuses and in vaudeville theaters. Brown added comedy to the act,
and he became a popular burlesque and Broadway performer in the early 1920s.
Despite his talent as a comedian, Brown's film debut in "The Circus Kid"
(1928) featured him in a serious role as a lion tamer. Brown had more
success in his early comedies and musicals, including "Sally" (1929),
"Hold Everything" (1930), "Maybe It's Love" (1930), "Top Speed" (1930),
"The Tenderfoot" (1932) and "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (1935).
A former semi-professional baseball player, Brown was able
to show off his athletic talents in "Fireman, Save My Child" (1932),
Brown was known for his rubbery face, large mouth and ear-splitting
yell. After Brown left Warner Bros. in 1937, he appeared in a long string of
low-budget, relatively unsuccessful comedies. Following the death of his son
in the crash of a military training plane near Palm Springs, CA, Brown announced
his retirement from films in 1943, and focused his energy on entertaining U.S.
troops around the world. Inspired by the response he received, Brown returned
to films with a serious role as a small-town minister in "The Tender Years"
(1947). His next film role was as Cap'n Andy Hawks in "Show Boat" (1951). Brown
appeared often on radio and television throughout the 1950s, and capped his career
with one of his most memorable and popular roles as Osgood Fielding III, the
millionaire who pursues Jack Lemmon in "Some Like It Hot" (1959).
The memorial where Brown is buried was originally built for
Brown's son, Army Capt. Don Evan Brown (1916 - 1942), a U.S. Army Air Force squadron
commander who was killed on Oct. 8, 1942, when his military plane crashed while
on a training flight about 10 miles north of Palm Springs, CA.
Brown is buried with his wife, Kathryn M. Brown (1892 - 1977),
whom he married in 1915. Also buried in the memorial are the Browns' adopted son,
producer and studio executive Mitchell J. "Mike" Frankovich (1909 - 1992), and
his wife, actress Binnie Barnes Frankovich (1903 - 1998). In the center of the
memorial, just below the statue, is a small plaque that appears to be a family
crest. In the center of the plaque is the mask of a clown, with "The Joe E.
Browns" written across the top, and "We Laugh to Win" written across the bottom.
In his biography, "Laughter is a Wonderful Thing," Brown wrote
that he was born in 1892, and most biographical references for him cite
that as his birth date. On the memorial, however, his birth date is listed
as 1891.
Brown was born Joseph Evan Brown on July 28, 1891 (some sources
say 1892), in Holgate, OH. He died on July 6, 1973, in Los Angeles, CA.
1891 - 1973
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