From Encyclopedia Dubuque
Joe Frisco became a popular Hollywood star.
FRISCO, Joe. (Rock Island, IL, 1890-Hollywood, CA, Feb. 12, 1958). Actor. Frisco, actually a Dubuque resident named Louis Joseph, developed celebrity status in Broadway vaudeville and later
MOTION PICTURES by making the most of his pronounced stutter and his flashy jazz dancing. In 1926 he added the name "Joe" to his previously used "Frisco" to distinguish him from others using the same name. In 1932 Frisco earned an estimated $4,000 weekly while making the movie
The Gorilla. He last appeared in
Sweet Smell of Success in 1957 with Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis.
Despite his salary, Frisco's overdue bills, bets at the track, and income tax troubles were well known among his friends in the film industry. Although needing frequent loans from friends, an estimated twelve hundred well-wishers attended a testimonial dinner in his honor just weeks before his death.
Frisco's earliest performances are believed to have been in front of the Grand Theater in Dubuque where, during the early 1900s, he tap-danced hoping to attract attention.
