Three Stooges

The Three Stooges were an American comedy act in the 20th century. Commonly known by their first names, Larry, Moe, & Curly (sometimes spelled "Curley"); Larry, Moe & Shemp; and other lineups became famous for their work in movies and starred in many short features that consisted of masterful ways of showcasing their extremely physical and sometimes controversial brand of slapstick comedy.

History

Ted Healy and His Stooges

The Stooges got their name and their start from a vaudeville act called Ted Healy and His Stooges, which was founded in 1922. Brothers Harry Moses Howard (Moe) and Samuel Howard (Shemp) (original last name Horwitz) were later joined by violinist Larry Fine (born Louis Feinberg). Shemp acquired his name from his mother's attempts to pronounce his name, "Sam", in spite of her thick accent. By 1930, Ted Healy and His Stooges were appearing in Hollywood feature films, such as Soup to Nuts. Shemp left the act in 1931 for a career in feature films, notably as trainer Knobby Walsh in the Joe Palooka films, and in The Bank Dick with W.C. Fields.

Related Topics:
Vaudeville - Ted Healy - 1922 - Harry Moses Howard - Samuel Howard - Larry Fine - 1930 - Hollywood - Soup to Nuts - 1931 - Joe Palooka - The Bank Dick - W.C. Fields

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When Shemp left, youngest Howard brother Jerome took his place. Ted Healy had Jerome shave his head and facial hair, and dubbed him "Curley", in an attempt to humiliate Jerome and pressure him to quit the act. However, Moe threatened to leave the act himself if Healy didn't allow Jerome a starring role in the act. According to Moe Howard in his autobiography, Moe Howard and His Stooges, the Stooges split with Ted Healy in 1934, because of his alcoholism and abrasiveness.

Related Topics:
Jerome - 1934 - Alcoholism

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Columbia short subjects

The same year, the Three Stooges (as the Howard brothers and Fine renamed their act) signed on to appear in two-reel comedy short subjects Columbia Pictures for just a few hundred dollars a week. The Stooges went on to star in 190 film short subjects over the next twenty-three years, the longest such series in history. Del Lord directed more than three dozen of the Three Stooges shorts. Jules White directed many others, and his brother Jack White directed several under the pseudonym "Preston Black".

Related Topics:
Short subjects - Columbia Pictures - Del Lord - Jules White - Jack White - Pseudonym

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Curly suffered a stroke in 1947, curtailing his output at 97 shorts, and Shemp rejoined the act to take Curley's place. Curly made one brief cameo appearance (doing his "Rrrowf! Rrrowf!" routine) in the third film after Shemp Howard returned to the trio, Hold That Lion!. Curley never recovered enough to return to the act, and died in 1952.

Related Topics:
1947 - Hold That Lion! - 1952

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With Shemp, the stooges went on to appear in 73 more shorts and one feature. During this period, Moe, Larry, and Shemp also made a pilot for a Three Stooges television show called "Jerks of All Trades" in 1949. The series was never picked up, although the pilot is today in the public domain and is available on home video.

Related Topics:
Television show - 1949 - Public domain

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Shemp Howard died of a heart attack in 1955. Archived footage of Shemp, combined with new footage of his stand-in, Joe Palma (filmed from behind or with his face hidden), were used to finish the last four films on Shemp's contract.

Related Topics:
1955 - Joe Palma

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Joe Besser then replaced Shemp in 1956 and 1957, appearing in 16 shorts. Besser had a clause in his contract specifically prohibiting him from being hit too hard (he sometimes socked Moe though!), but the "shorts" format had become unprofitable over the years, partly due to television. Columbia, the last studio still producing shorts, finally gave up and ended the series at the end of 1957, unceremoniously firing the trio at the end of production of their final short. Because of a production backlog, the final Stooges short did not reach theatres until 1959.

Related Topics:
Joe Besser - 1956 - 1957 - Television - 1959

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Rediscovery

In 1959, Columbia syndicated the entire Stooges film library to television (through its TV subsidiary, Screen Gems), and the Stooges were rediscovered by the baby boomers. A "Stooge fandom" quickly developed, and Howard and Fine found themselves back in demand again with the public. Besser's wife had had a heart attack, however, and he withdrew from the act. Moe quickly signed Joe DeRita as his replacement; DeRita shaved his head and became "Curly Joe".

Related Topics:
1959 - Screen Gems - Baby boomers - Joe DeRita

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Their "excessive" on-screen violence came under scrutiny once the Stooges' shorts gained wide airplay on television. In a TV interview in the mid-1960s, Moe and Larry defended their approach to slapstick, saying it was just "cartoon violence"; that they were not shown being seriously injured in their films.

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From 1959 into the 1960s, The Stooges performed live on stage, made guest appearances, and they were hot television guest stars on various variety shows. They were also persuaded to return to Columbia to make some feature films over the next decade and a short lived TV series that was part live action and part animation before age finally caught up with them. Their last project, Kook's Tour (1970), was an hour-long comic travelogue made for TV, but Larry Fine suffered a stroke during the production, and was unable to complete the project. Kook's Tour was never released, though it is available today on video.

Related Topics:
1960s - Feature film - 1970

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Later years

Larry died in early 1975. After his death, it was decided that long time Stooge supporting actor Emil Sitka would replace him, and be dubbed "The Middle Stooge". Several movie ideas were considered, including one called Blazing Stewardesses according to Leonard Maltin, who also uncovered a pre-production photo (the film was ultimately made with the last surviving Ritz Brothers). However, Moe passed on a few months later, and it was inconceivable that the Three Stooges continue without a Howard, although Curly Joe did do some live performances with a new group of Stooges in the early 1970s.

Related Topics:
1975 - Emil Sitka - Blazing Stewardesses - Leonard Maltin - Ritz Brothers

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Post-history

Throughout their career, Moe was the heart and soul of the troupe, acting as both their main creative force and business manager. Comedy III Productions, Inc., formed by Moe, Larry and Curly Joe DeRita in 1959, is today the owner of all of the Three Stooges' trademarks and merchandising.

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In Spring of 2000, a TV-movie about the life and careers of the Stooges was produced for and broadcast on ABC. This movie was based on Michael Fleming's authorized biography on the Stooges, The Three Stooges: From Amalgamated Morons to American Icons.

Related Topics:
ABC - Michael Fleming

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