Before we had comedic stars like Jim Carrey and Melissa McCarthy taking over Hollywood, The Three Stooges were the pioneers of using slapstick comedy to make people all around the world laugh. Back in 2012, all their shorts were released on DVD, and fans were able to recapture their love of the trio.
Stooge Fever
Fans who were new to the show had a chance to catch up on all the action. With some new content involving The Three Stooges on its way, the franchise will live on for decades to come. There is even an action/adventure film series in the works! Let’s take a look at the members of this beloved group and talk about some little-known facts about the show.
Stooge Fever
Moses Harry Horwitz
Better known as Moe Howard, Moses Harry Horwitz was the leader of the pack. He started acting by working as an errand boy for Vitagraph Studios in Brooklyn in New York City. In turn, the studio began giving him work, and eventually, he joined a Mississippi River showboat’s acting troupe.
Moses Harry Horwitz
Louis Feinberg
Known as Larry Fine, Louis Feinberg was part of The Three Stooges for its entire run. While filming their series Kook’s Tour in 1970, he had suffered a stroke and became paralyzed on the left side of his body. The TV show wasn’t continued, and the taped footage was instead turned into a movie. In 1975, he passed away from a stroke at the age of 72.
Louis Feinberg
Samuel Horwitz
Shemp Howard, born as Samuel Horwitz, was a member of The Three Stooges from 1930 until 1932 and also from 1946 to 1955. Other than being a part of the Stooges, he had a career in film. He had roles in Pittsburgh, Strictly in the Groove, and Moonlight and Cactus.
Samuel Horwitz
Jerome Lester Horwitz
Jerome Lester Horwitz played Curly Howard from 1932 to 1946 and was the most popular of the Three Stooges. While filming the movie Half-Wits Holiday, he suffered a stroke that ended his time with The Three Stooges early. He passed away young, at age 48, from a cerebral hemorrhage.
Jerome Lester Horwitz
Joe Besser
Joe Besser was a member of The Stooges from 1956 to 1958. He was from St. Louis and was most famous for playing Mr. Jillson on The Joey Bishop Show. Aside from that, he landed several voice roles in Shirt Tales and The Houndcats. He later died of heart failure at the age of 80 in 1988.
Joe Besser
Joe DeRita
Many people know him as Curly Joe, but Joe DeRita was on the show from 1958 to 1969. Before he became a part of the iconic group, he had roles in “People Are Funny”, “The Sailor Takes a Wife”, and “High School Hero”. He died of pneumonia at age 83.
Joe DeRita
The Bowl Cut
Of course, one of Moe’s most noticeable features was his iconic bowl cut. As a kid, he had shoulder-length hair since his mother didn’t let him cut it. After being teased by his classmates over and over again, Moe hid in a shed and cut his own hair.
The Bowl Cut
Curly’s Walk
One of the most distinct things about Curly Howard was his walk. Sadly, this wasn’t something that he taught himself in acting school. When he was 12 years old, he was cleaning a rifle when he accidentally shot himself in the left ankle. Because he didn’t want to get surgery, he was left with a limp. His walk on-screen was made to hide the injury.
Curly’s Walk
Larry’s Violin
Larry Fine’s musical instrument of choice was the violin. However, it wasn’t something that he decided to learn on his own. Back when he was a kid, he grabbed a bottle of what he thought was a tasty drink. In reality, it was a bottle of acid. His father smacked the bottle out of his hand, but the acid landed on his arm. To strengthen his muscles, he decided to take violin lessons.
Larry’s Violin
Curly’s Hair
Before he became part of The Three Stooges, Curly Howard had a great head of hair. However, Ted Healy, who was the mastermind behind the group’s success, thought Curly wasn’t funny enough with all that hair. Just minutes later, Curly shaved his head for the part.
Curly’s Hair
Ted Healy’s Death
When the founder of The Three Stooges, Ted Healy, passed away, many people were confused. A spokesperson at MGM said he had died of a heart attack. However, wounds on his face showed that he died from an altercation at the Trocadero. After an autopsy was done, it was confirmed that he died from acute toxic nephritis.
Ted Healy’s Death
The Eye Poke
One of the most memorable moments from The Three Stooges is the eye poke joke. This originated from a bridge game between Larry and Shemp. They argued about Larry’s supposed cheating. Shemp was so angered by it that he gave Larry two pokes in his eye. After that, they added this move to their gags.
The Eye Poke
A Lot Of Physicalities
It’s safe to say that there were quite a few injuries on the set of The Three Stooges. For the short film, Three Little Pigskins, there is one scene where they’re attacked by some professional football players. The three men didn’t want anything to do with this scene, so they allowed stuntmen to take their place.
A Lot Of Physicalities
Possible Replacement
When Curly Howard suffered from a stroke, the producers began searching for a replacement. One of the people who were asked to appear on the show was comedian Buddy Hackett. He’s best known for his work in the movies, The Music Man and It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Due to his family commitments, he turned down the role.
Possible Replacement
Oscar Nomination
The Three Stooges have appeared in 220 movies. However, they only got one Oscar nomination for one. Their 1934 short film Men In Black got a nomination for Best Short Subject – Comedy. It lost to the movie La Cucaracha, which was produced by Kenneth Macgowan. In 2004, a colorized version of the movie was released.
Oscar Nomination
Magical Marriage
In June 1925, Moe Howard married Helen Schonberger. She was the cousin of none other than the famous magician, Harry Houdini. Of course, he’s known for stunts like the milk can escape and the Chinese water torture cell stunt. The couple had two kids together.
Magical Marriage
Stoogeburgers
After the movies in The Three Stooges catalog began deteriorating, Larry Fine went through his money by spending it on various things. One of the things he invested his money in was Stoogburgers. It was a chain of themed restaurants in the area. However, this didn’t last long. In 2014, C3 Entertainment Inc., which owns The Three Stooges brand, announced the Three Stooges Burger House.
Stoogeburgers
Lucille Ball’s Big Break
One of the most iconic TV stars, Lucille Ball, had one of her first roles in the 1934 movie Three Little Pigskins. Of course, this was before she became a five-time Emmy Winner. In the movie, she played the role of Daisy Simms. A lot of the time, The Three Stooges are credited for giving the actress her big break.
Lucille Ball’s Big Break
Show Titles
Just like most TV shows, some of the episodes of The Three Stooges are a play on known phrases. Some titles include Jail Birds of Paradise, Disorder In The Court, and Yes, We Have No Bonanza. In fact, some titles were based on movies from the era, like 3 Dumb Clucks and Beer and Pretzels.
Show Titles
Beginning Salary
At the start of their career, The Three Stooges had to split a weekly $1,000 check. After their Oscar-nominated movie, Men In Black, was released, their pay went up to $7,500 a week in total. They still needed to split it among themselves.
Beginning Salary
I’m Batman!
Adam West, who later went on to play Batman in the iconic 1960s TV series, made an appearance in a Three Stooges movie. The Stooges’ final feature-length film, The Outlaws Is Coming, was released in 1965. Adam played the role of an editor-turned-town sheriff named Kenneth Cabot in the movie.
I’m Batman!
Moe’s Retirement
Once he retired from acting, Moe began selling real estate in order to make money. In May 1975, he died from lung cancer at the age of 77. Just a few months later, his wife passed away from a heart attack. Moe’s last movie appearance was in the 1973 movie Doctor Death: Seeker of Souls.
Moe’s Retirement
Romantic At Heart
Helen Schonberger, Moe’s wife, had said that he was a true romantic at heart. She recounted this story about their 10th wedding anniversary, reprinted in a book named The Three Stooges Scrapbook:“[T]he phone rang and a strange voice on the other end asked me if I would take Moe Horwitz for my lawful wedded husband. The voice then proceeded to perform the entire wedding ceremony, with me on one end and Moe (the mystery voice) on the other… at the end of the ceremony, in a beautiful baritone voice, he sang ‘Oh Promise Me,’ the song sung at our wedding.”
Romantic At Heart
Brothers Get Their Start
In 1921, Moe was hired by Ted Healy to work in a vaudeville act. While he was on stage during a performance two years later, Moe saw his brother, Shemp, in the audience. He called out to Shemp from the stage, and their interaction was an instant hit. In fact, Healy hired Shemp right then and there.
Brothers Get Their Start
Shemp’s Departure
Initially, Larry Fine was brought into the vaudeville mix in 1925, when Shemp left the act he was doing with Moe. Larry gave a performance that Shemp, Moe, and Ted Healy went to when Shemp announced his departure. Healy offered Larry the position for $90 a week. Larry accepted. Of course, Shemp came back later on.
Shemp’s Departure
Commemorative Mural
Larry Fine was born in Philadelphia. In fact, a commemorative mural was painted near where he was born, on the corner of 3rd and South Streets and above a restaurant named Jon’s Bar and Grill. Larry’s sister was at the dedication ceremony. The mural shows Larry playing the violin with a silly expression on his face.
Commemorative Mural
Scaredy Cat
Shemp had several phobias. He was terrified of cars, planes, dogs, and even water. When he was little, he was in a car accident. This explains why he has such a phobia of cars. In scenes where he’s supposedly driving, the cars would be towed instead of being driven by him.
Scaredy Cat
An Ironic Death
As it turns out, Shemp died in a car. However, it wasn’t in any kind of collision. In November 1955, he went to see a boxing match with a friend. Afterward, they were driving home together. As Shemp told a joke and lit himself a cigar, he suddenly slumped over, dead. The friend was sure it was a prank, but sadly, it was not.
An Ironic Death
The Expressions Of Curly
Did you know that Curly Howard was responsible for coining a lot of the Stooges’ phrases? This included nyuk, nyuk, nyuk; nyahh-ahhh-ahhh; a WISE guy, eh?; say a few syllables; oh, look; I’ll moider you; and soitenly. After his death, the other Stooges continued using Curly’s favorite expressions.
The Expressions Of Curly
Curly Cameos
In Hold That Lion! Curly made an appearance as a sleeping train passenger. His hair was regrown by this time. This was the only movie that included all three of the Howard brothers and Larry Fine in the same scene. Curly also did another cameo appearance in 1949, but that part was cut at the end.
Curly Cameos
Unhappy Union
Back in the early 1940s, Moe was concerned about Curly’s health that was getting worse and his heavy drinking. Moe encouraged him to marry a woman named Marion Buxbaum since he thought it would help Curly change his hard-living ways. However, the marriage turned out to be a disaster, with Curly squandering a fortune on Marion. The two got divorced just months later.
Unhappy Union
Fan Favorite
When asked, a lot of fans say their favorite Stooge was Curly. In one interview, Larry Fine said, “Personally, I thought Curly was the greatest because he was a natural comedian who had no formal training. Whatever he did, he made up on the spur of the moment. When we lost Curly, we took a hit.” Curly is buried in the Home of Peace Cemetery in Los Angeles.
Fan Favorite
Stoogeum
Now, there is a museum that’s dedicated to all things Stooge. The Stoogeum is located in Ambler, Pennsylvania. It’s only open on Thursdays and it displays an impressive collection of Stooge artifacts. There are exhibits of artwork, movie posters, costumes, novelties, props, rare pictures, and more. On top of that, there are even interactive Stooge-themed arcade games!
Stoogeum
Walk Of Fame
Despite all their success, the Stooges always felt slighted by the fact that they didn’t have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1983, they finally were awarded their star. Unfortunately, Moe, Curly, and Larry were already dead when this happened. You can find the Stooges’ star at 1560 Vine Street.
Walk Of Fame
In Pop Culture
There’s no doubt that The Three Stooges made a huge impact on future generations. So many movies, TV shows, songs, and books have referenced the comedic trio. From This Is Spinal Tap, Pulp Fiction, Ice Age, and Grease, all these movies pay homage to the Stooges. Songs from artists like Chris Brown, Frank Black, and Toby Kieth do as well.
In Pop Culture
The Same Name
The Stooges, aka the rock band, borrowed their name from Moe, Larry, and Curly. The band was formed in the 1960s and was headed by lead singer Iggy Pop. The band got its name from the iconic trio, of course. During an interview with Clash Magazine, Pop said of co-founder and guitarist Ron Asheton, “It was inevitable that anything creative that Ron did in his life was gonna come back to the Stooges because he’d already spent probably seventeen thousand man-hours watching The Three Stooges’ films when he was supposed to be doing something else since he was twelve.”
The Same Name
No Female Fans?
It’s commonly said that women don’t enjoy The Three Stooges. This, of course, is a huge overgeneralization. A lot of women do, in fact, like the Stooges. The primary theory behind this is that women tend not to like physical or slapstick comedy. One AMC writer tried explaining the phenomena this way: “Women respond to seeing someone they dislike suffering pain with empathy, and men with pleasure at another’s misfortune.”
No Female Fans
The Man of a Thousand Voices
Known as The Man of a Thousand Voices, Mel Blanc lent his special talent to the movie Snow White and the Three Stooges. In the 1961 movie, a puppet named Quinto is voiced by him. Alongside the Stooges, Edson Stroll, Patricia Medina, and Guy Rolfe co-star as well.
The Man Of A Thousand Voices
Reboot
In 2012, the Stooges were reinvented in a new movie starring Chris Diamantopoulos (Moe), Sean Hayes (Larry), and Will Sasso (Curly). It was produced by the Farrelly brothers and is divided into three shorter stand-alone stories. Speaking about the Three Stooges, Peter and Bobby Farrelly said: “It’s by far the riskiest project we’ve ever done, without question, but it is also the one closest to our hearts.”
Reboot
After His Stroke
Harry Cohn is the president and chief of production at Columbia Pictures and is known to be the main man who helped get the Three Stooges to where they were. However, he’s also known to be a disliked person. After Curly had strokes, Cohn made the weakened comedian keep on working.
After His Stroke
Difficult Times
In a lot of ways, The Three Stooges greatly appealed to the common man. They were the perfect escape from the harsh economic challenges that a lot of Americans were dealing with during the Great Depression. In addition, as the tensions between social classes were rising, The Three Stooges’ ongoing antics were commentary for this as well.
Difficult Times
The Vaudeville Star
The Three Stooges came into the entertainment industry at an important historic moment in history. As cinema started growing, Vaudeville started its decline. Initially, the Three Stooges started as a live Vaudeville act before they transitioned into film.
The Vaudeville Star
Dr. No-No
During their career, the Three Stooges had recorded and released several albums. One of their last releases was a comedy collaboration album that featured none other than Yogi Bear himself. It was titled, “Yogi Bear and The Three Stooges Meet the Mad, Mad, Mad Dr. No-No.”
Dr. No No
Scooby-Doo
While the names and likeness of the final cast of the Three Stooges were used in the newer Scooby-Do movies, Ghastly Ghost Town and The Ghost of the Red Baron, the Stooges were played by voiced imitators.
Scooby-Doo
The Right Place
The Stoogeum in Ambler, Pennsylvania also happens to be home to The Three Stooges Fan Club which was formed in 1974. The club was made with the permission of Moe Howard and Larry Fine. In fact, the Three Stooges Fan Club sees itself as one of America’s oldest fan clubs and boasts a network of more than 2,000 members all around the world.
The Right Place
Covering All The Bases
In 1984, the Three Stooges brand got its very first video game in the form of an arcade game. In 1987, they got a second game that was available on a variety of home game systems, including the Nintendo Entertainment System.
Covering All The Bases
Around The World In Three Days
When it was translated into Chinese, the name of the Three Stooges became Three Smelly Shoemakers. In Japanese, the name for the Three Stooges translates into Three Idiot Generals. In addition, their Spanish translation into The Three Crackpots and in Turkish, they are The Three Cronies.
Around The World In Three Days
The Award Goes To…
While they didn’t win the Oscar in 1993, the Three Stooges earned the MTV lifetime achievement award. This award was created to honor those who’ve made an impact on pop culture. It was discontinued in 1998.
The Award Goes To…
In The Name Of Science?
The main characters in the kids’ book, Captain Underpants, attend Jerome Horwitz Elementary School. Jerome Horwitz isn’t a random name, it’s both a famous scientist and also is Curly Howard’s real name.
In The Name Of Science
The Men in Black
In the video games Dead Space and Batman: Arkham Asylum, the line “Paging Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine, Dr. Howard,” can be heard in the background. This is a subtle nod to the Academy-Award nominated short by The Three Stooges, Men In Black.
The Men In Black
More Than Just The Craft
Aside from Curly, the Three Stooges actors were in some very long marriages. Joe Besser was married for 56 years, Moe Howard was married for 50 years, Larry Fine was married for 41 years, Shemp was married for almost 30 years, and Joe DeRita was married for 30 years until his wife passed. Then, he was married to Jean Sullivan for 26 years until he passed away.
More Than Just The Craft
Three On Two
In 1940, the Three Stooges released a short movie, You Nazty Spy! which satirized Hitler and Third Reich. This film is wilder regarded as the very first open spoof of Hitler and is attributed to be a key piece in helping publicize the Nazi threat to Americans.
Three On Two
Got The Slaps?
Typically, the Three Stooges is defined as slapstick comedy. Have you ever wondered where the term slapstick comes from? The name comes from the use of a small wooden device that actors use to create an exaggerated slapping sound when they strike someone.
Got The Slaps
Ready?
The sequel to the 2012 Three Stooges movie began filming in 2018. All the original actors from the 2012 movie are set to return for their roles in the movie. It’s still not certain what the plot will entail.
Ready
The Legacy
C3 Entertainment Inc. recently announced that they have plans to release a family-friendly Three Stooges movie starring Larry, Curly, and Moe as preteens. In July 2017, it seemed that the movie was well on its way. The casting for the three lead characters was even announced.
The Legacy
120th Birthday
On June 19, 2017, Moe’s daughter, Joan Howard Maurer, paid tribute to her late father on what would have been his 120th birthday. On the Stooges’ website, she shared a love poem Moe had written his wife along with this commentary: “In addition to his love, Moe had a drive to share his good luck with others. His poem “My Wish,” written to my mother in the 1920s, is a perfect
120th Birthday
Joan Howard Maurer
Moe’s daughter, Joan, is very active in keeping the Stooges’ legacy alive. She has written several books about the trio and regularly attends Stooges conventions. Her books include The Three Stooges Book of Scripts, Curly: An Illustrated Biography of the Superstooge. On top of that, she also co-wrote Moe Howard and the Three Stooges with her father.
Joan Howard Maurer
The Stooges Convention
Back in 2016, there was a 3-day Stooges convention held in Trevose, Pennsylvania. The now-deceased Batman actor, Adam West, was a guest of honor at the event. A lot of the Stooges descendants also attended the event.
The Stooges Convention
Stooges Merch
It’s not surprising that there’s a bunch of merchandise for sale online. Even today, the Stooges are still extremely popular. From clothing like t-shirts and hoodies to coffee cups, posters, comic books, and even golfing gear, there’s something for everyone. You can find their merchandise on the Stooges’ official site.
Stooges Merch