Welcome, class, to the History of The Three Stooges 101. Let us start by asking this question: What is it about these wild and zany stooges that
have made them true cult heroes and the most talked about comedy team in America today? Well we need to go back in time. Back to an era long gone.
Back to the 1920's and the days of vaudeville. Then we'll journey our way to the 1950's and 60's when that new fangled contraption called television really caught on
in America. There, in those days of yore, we will find the answer to our question. We will learn how, after some 60 years, The Three Stooges are more popular
today than ever. Like wine, The Three Stooges have improved with age.
They developed their successful comedy blend of slaps in the face, bops in the head and pokes in the eye back in the early 1920's. It was 1922 when vaudeville performer Ted Healy, after a dispute, left his German acrobatic act
and called on two childhood friends, Moe and Shemp Howard, to join him as a new act. Moe, Shemp, and Ted were the origins of The 3 Stooges as we know them today. These three went on to delight their audiences with their ad-libbed routines. From
stage to stage, theatre to theatre, they filled the rooms with loads of laughter. And you know what? They still do.
After about 4 years of success on the vaudeville circuits Shemp decided he needed a change. His old pal and vaudeville comedian Jack Waldron asked Shemp to form a new act with him. Shemp said yes. In 1925, during a visit at the Rainbow Gardens nightclub, Shemp broke
the news to Ted Healy. That same night, performing at the Rainbow Gardens, was an act called "The Haney Sisters and Fine", a song and dance team. Moe turned to Ted and suggested that this Larry Fine might be a perfect Stooge replacement for Shemp.
Ted made the offer to Larry and thus Larry Fine became a Stooge.
Since Larry was not a comedian, it took a few months before he became comfortable with the act. However, it wasn't long before Ted Healy and the boys were playing to sell out crowds. Their raucous style of roughhouse shenanigans was met with thunderous laughter wherever they perfomed.
It wasn't long before Shemp returned to the act, and throughout the 1920's, in various combinations, Ted Healy, Moe and Shemp Howard, and Larry Fine, performed on many stages and always delighted their audiences. They performed under various stage names including: "Ted Healy and His Racketeers", "Ted Healy and His Three Southern Gentlemen" and "Ted Healy and his Gang". But, according
to author Joan Maurer (daughter of Moe Howard), Healy's ensemble was never called "Ted Healy and the Three Stooges", as often asserted.
In 1930 Ted, Moe, Shemp and Larry were signed to star in Rube Goldberg's comedy film, Soup to Nuts. Not long afterwards, there was a dispute between the boys and Ted Healy. Ted Healy, who handled the business end of the act, would earn considerably more than the rest of the boys. When Fox studios offered the Stooges a seven-year contract
to star in feature films, the boys, Moe, Shemp, and Larry, made their break from Ted Healy and formed a new act under the name of Howard, Fine and Howard and they were billed as "Three Lost Souls".
After a while, Healy wanted the stooges back with him. He even took legal steps to try and stop the stooges from performing their comedy material claiming he had the rights to the material. In desparation Ted hired 3 novice comics as his stooges. It wasn't long before he realized that this act
wasn't working and he begged Moe, Larry, and Shemp to forgive and forget. Eventually he did entice the Stooges to rejoin him as an act.
In 1932, they starred with Healy in "The Passing Show of 1932", a Broadway revue. Healy left the show over a contract dispute, taking Moe and Larry with him. Shemp decided to stay behind. Shemp went on to star in several comedies for Vitaphone in 1932 and he later played the role of Knobby Walsh in the Joe Palooka series.
With Shemp leaving the act Moe decided to recruit his kid brother Jerry, later nicknamed "Curly", to take over as the third stooge. At that time Curly had long wavy-brown hair and a waxed mustache. It was Ted Healy who suggested Curly shave his head for the act. Curly's zany and wacky style of comedy soon started to blossom. Healy and his stooges
went on to star in numerous features and comedy shorts for MGM. Curly was an essential part of the formula that catapulted the Three Stooges to success and fame. Curly went on to star with The Three Stooges in 97 two-reel comedies at Columbia Pictures.
Although Ted and the Boys were enjoying success during this period, the Stooges were not happy with their position as strictly Healy's comic relief. On March 6, 1934, when Healy's contract was up for renewal, the Stooges decided to break with him. Soon after The Three Stooges made their now historic move to Columbia Pictures.
It was during this period that Curly developed health problems. In 1946, during the filming of Half-Wits' Holiday , Curly suffered a major stroke. Moe and Larry were hoping that Curly would recover and return to the team, but it wasn't to be.
Moe went to the Columbia executives and persuaded them that his older brother Shemp Howard should replace Curly. At first they were opposed to the idea since they felt Shemp looked too much like Moe. But Shemp did rejoin the Stooges and went on to make 77 shorts with The Three Stooges.
In 1947, Curly came back to make a cameo appearance with the Stooges in Hold That Tiger. It was the only occasion in which all three Howard brothers appeared together in film. Curly never fully recovered from his stroke and died on January 18, 1952, at the age of forty-eight.
The Three Stooges rode their wave of success into the 1950's. However, In 1955, after watching his favorite sporting event - a boxing match at the Hollywood Legion Stadium - Shemp died of a heart attack in the backseat of a taxi cab.
Shemp's death was not only a tragic personal loss for Moe and Larry but also a crushing blow to The Three Stooges act. First Curly, and now Shemp. Moe seriously considered breaking up the act. However, the Columbia contract called for Moe and Larry to star in the balance of the comedies -- with or without Shemp.
The Three Stooges went on with Joe Palma as a stand-in stooge. In 1956 it was decided that Joe Besser would replace Shemp as a Stooge. Joe Besser was a quite a comedian in his own right. He delighted audiences before and after he joined the Stooges with his impish grin and childlike demeanor. Moe and Larry made their last short with Columbia Studios (and Joe Besser) on December 20, 1957.
In 1958, the studio decided that due to rising film production costs and a declining market for short subject films, the contract's option for The Three Stooges would not be picked up. After 24 years of dedication and service and dollars earned for the studio, they were told their services were no longer needed. In the weeks that followed Moe and Larry discussed future plans with Joe Besser.
They were considering making personal appearances throughout the country, but due to his wife's ill health Joe Besser made a difficult decision: he had to quit the team.
Moe and Larry began searching for a new third stooge to replace Besser. While in Las Vegas, Larry caught Minsky's Follies of 1958 featuring comedian Joe DeRita. Larry told Moe that DeRita might make a good "Curly". DeRita joined the team and took the nickname "Curly-Joe" and the Three Stooges were back in business. They were in demand and making appearances throughout the country. Television stations were reporting high
ratings for Three Stooges re-runs.
In 1959, Columbia Pictures, the same studio that let the Stooges go a year earlier, was now offering them a one year picture deal to star in a feature called Have Rocket, Will Travel. In 1962 The Three Stooges made another feature film for Columbia called The Three Stooges Meet Hercules. They went on to make other feature films including The Three Stooges in Orbit (1962), The Three Stooges Go Around The World In A Daze (1963) and The Outlaws Is Coming! (1965).
And there you have it folks. This is just a brief overview of the History of The Three Stooges. Without a doubt, The Three Stooges are the wildest and funniest comedy trio in the annals of show business. They have been making stage, screen and television audiences laugh for over 6 decades now.
Now, I know there are a few people who don't care for the Three Stooges and their style of comedy. I'd like to bonk them on the head and say "ahh, what's wrong with you, don't you have a funny bone???". As for me, I just want to thank the stooges for all of the entertainment and laughter they have provided me in my lifetime.