Curly Howard
Encyclopedia
Jerome Lester "Jerry" Horwitz (October 22, 1903 – January 18, 1952), better known by his stage name Curly Howard, was an American
comedian
and vaudevillian
. He is best known as a member of the American slapstick
comedy team the Three Stooges
, along with his older brothers Moe Howard
and Shemp Howard, and actor Larry Fine
. Curly is generally considered the most popular and recognizable of the Stooges. He is well known for his high-pitched voice, vocal expressions ("nyuk-nyuk-nyuk!","woo-woo-woo!", "soitenly!" and barking like a dog), as well as his inventive physical comedy, improvisations, and athleticism.
An untrained actor and natural comedian, Curly borrowed (and significantly exaggerated) the "woo woo" from "nervous" and soft-spoken comedian Hugh Herbert
, but was otherwise an original and inspired performer. Curly's unique version of "woo-woo-woo" was firmly established by the time of the Stooges' second film Punch Drunks
in 1934.
section of the Brooklyn
borough of New York City
. He was the fifth of the five Horwitz brothers and of Lithuanian Jewish
ancestry. Because he was the youngest, his brothers called him "Babe" to tease him. The nickname stuck with him all his life, although when his older brother Shemp married Gertrude Frank, who was also nicknamed "Babe," the brothers started calling him "Curly" to avoid confusion. His full formal Hebrew
name was "Yehudah Lev ben Shlomo Natan ha Levi
."
A quiet child, Curly rarely caused problems for his parents (something older brothers Moe
and Shemp excelled in). He was a mediocre student academically, but excelled as an athlete on the school basketball team. He did not graduate from high school, but kept himself busy with odd jobs and constantly followed his older brothers, whom he idolized. Curly was also an accomplished ballroom dancer and singer, and regularly turned up at the Triangle Ballroom in Brooklyn
, occasionally bumping into George Raft
.
When Curly was 12, he accidentally shot himself in the left ankle while cleaning a rifle. Moe rushed him to the hospital and saved his life. The wound resulted in his leg being noticeably thinner, and he also suffered a slight limp. Curly was so frightened of surgery that he never had the limp corrected. While with the Stooges, he developed his famous exaggerated walk to mask the limp on screen.
Curly was interested in music and comedy, and would watch his brothers Shemp and Moe perform as stooges in Ted Healy
's vaudeville
act. Curly also liked to hang around backstage, though he never participated in any of the routines.
Curly's break onto the stage was as a comedy musical conductor in 1928 for the Orville Knapp Band. Moe later recalled that his performances usually overshadowed those of the band. Though Curly enjoyed the gig, he watched as older brothers Moe and Shemp (and partner Larry Fine
) made it big as some of Ted Healy
's "stooges
." Vaudeville star Ted Healy had a very popular stage act, in which he would try to tell jokes or sing, only to have his stooges wander on stage and interrupt him, or heckle and cause disturbances from the audience. By 1930, Healy and company appeared in their first feature film, Rube Goldberg
's Soup to Nuts
.
Shemp, however, disliked Healy's abrasiveness, bad temper and heavy drinking. In 1932, he was offered a contract at the Vitaphone Studios in Brooklyn. (Contrary to stories told by Moe, the role of "Knobby Walsh" in the Joe Palooka
series did not come along until late 1935, after Shemp had been at Vitaphone for three years and had already appeared in almost thirty short subjects.) Shemp was thrilled to be away from Healy, but, as was his nature, worried incessantly about brother Moe and partner Larry. Moe, however, told Shemp to pursue this opportunity:
With Shemp gone, Moe suggested that Curly (then still known as Jerry) fill the role of the third stooge. However, Healy felt that Curly, with his thick, chestnut-red hair and elegant waxed mustache, did not look like a funny character. Curly left the room and returned minutes later with a shaved head (the moustache remained very briefly). Healy quipped, "Boy, don't you look girlie?" Moe misheard the joke as "curly" and all who witnessed the exchange realized that the nickname "Curly" would be a perfect fit. In one of the few interviews Curly gave in his lifetime, he complained about the loss of his hair: "I had to shave it off right down to the skin." In 1934, MGM was building Ted Healy up as a solo comedian in feature films and Healy dissolved the act to pursue his own career. Like Shemp, the team of Howard, Fine and Howard were tired of Healy's alcoholism and abrasiveness and renamed their act the "Three Stooges." The same year, they signed on to appear in two-reel comedy short subject
s for Columbia Pictures
. The Stooges soon became the most popular short-subject attraction, with Curly playing an integral part in the trio's rise to fame.
, in particular, would leave gaps in the Stooge scripts where Curly could improvise for several minutes. In later years, White commented "If we wrote a scene and needed a little something extra. I'd say to Curly, 'Look, we've got a gap to fill this in with a 'woo woo' or some other bit of business.' And he never disappointed us."
By the time the Stooges hit their peak in the late 1930s, their films had almost become vehicles for Curly's unbridled comic performances. Classics like A Plumbing We Will Go
, We Want Our Mummy
, An Ache in Every Stake
, and Cactus Makes Perfect
display his ability to take inanimate objects (like food, tools, pipes, etc.) and turn them into comic genius. Moe later confirmed that Curly forgetting his lines merely allowed him to improvise on the spot rather than stop the shot:
Curly also developed a set of reactions and expressions that the other Stooges would imitate long after he had left the act:
Curly also had a number of physical attributes and skills he performed as a Stooge, including:
On several occasions, Moe was convinced that rising star Lou Costello
(a close friend of Shemp) was siphoning material from Curly. Costello was known to acquire prints of the Stooges' films from Columbia Pictures on occasion, presumably to study Curly. Inevitably, Curly's routines would show up in Abbott and Costello
features, much to Moe's chagrin (it did not help that Columbia Pictures president Harry Cohn
would not give the Stooges a chance to make feature-length films like contemporaries Laurel and Hardy
, the Marx Brothers
, and Abbott and Costello).
and Booby Dupes
present a Curly whose voice was deeper and his actions slower. After the filming of Idiots Deluxe
, Curly finally checked himself (at Moe's insistence) into Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California
on January 23, 1945 and was diagnosed with extreme hypertension
, a retinal hemorrhage and obesity
. Curly's ill health forced him to rest, leading to only five shorts released in 1945 (the normal output was six to eight films per year). It is also believed that Curly suffered the first in a series of mild stroke
s at this time. Moe pleaded with Harry Cohn to allow Howard some time off upon discharge to regain his strength. Cohn would not halt the production of his profitable Stooge shorts and flatly refused Moe's request. Author Michael Fleming stated that "...it was a disastrous course of action."
The first film produced after Curly's stroke was the lackluster If a Body Meets a Body
, and his actions and mannerisms were noticeably slower. In the hands of a sympathetic director like novice Edward Bernds
, Curly could produce decent work. This was because Bernds painstakingly devised ways that the ailing Stooge could still be the star without actually contributing a great deal. Films like Monkey Businessmen
(in which Curly had to be coached by Moe on camera), Micro-Phonies
and A Bird in the Head
were examples of Bernds factoring in the reality that Curly was no longer in his prime. Other directors, such as Jules White
, simply shifted the action to Moe and Larry. Films like Beer Barrel Polecats
and Uncivil War Birds
were mediocre at best and clearly showed that Curly was suffering.
On June 7, 1937, Curly married Elaine Ackerman, who gave birth to their first child, Marilyn, the following year. The couple divorced in 1940. After this divorce, Curly gained a great deal of weight and developed hypertension. Curly was also insecure about his shaved head, believing it made him unappealing to women; he increasingly drank to excess and caroused as a coping mechanism. He took to wearing a hat in public to convey an image of masculinity, saying he felt like a little kid with his hair shaved off. However, he was popular with women all his life. In fact, many who knew him said women were Curly's main weakness. Moe's son-in-law Norman Maurer
even went so far as to say he "was a pushover for women. If a pretty girl went up to him and gave him a spiel, Curly would marry them. Then she would take his money and run off. It was the same when a real estate
agent would come up and say 'I have a house for you,' Curly would sell his current home and buy another one."
During World War II
, for seven months out of each year, the trio's filming schedule would go on hiatus, which allowed them to make personal appearances. The Stooges entertained servicemen constantly, and the intense work schedule took its toll on Curly. He never drank while performing in film or on stage, as Moe would not allow it. However, once away from Moe's watchful eye, he would find the nearest nightclub, down a few drinks, and enjoy himself. His drinking, eating, and carousing increased. He had difficulties managing his finances, often spending his money on wine, food, women, homes, cars, and especially dogs and was often near poverty. Moe eventually helped him manage his money and even completed his income tax
returns.
Curly found constant companionship in his dogs and often befriended strays whenever the Stooges were traveling. He would pick up homeless dogs and take them with him from town to town, until finding them homes somewhere else on the tour. When not performing, Curly would usually have a few dogs waiting for him at home as well.
Moe urged Curly to find himself a wife, hoping it would convince his brother to finally settle down and allow his health to somewhat improve. After a two-week courtship, Curly married Marion Buxbaum on October 17, 1945, a union which lasted approximately three months. The divorce proceeding was a bitter one, exacerbated by exploitation in the local media. After this divorce, Curly's health began a rapid and devastating decline.
The extent to which Curly's performing had slipped can be clearly seen in the 1946 short Beer Barrel Polecats
, which uses extensive stock footage from So Long Mr. Chumps
, made five years earlier.
Two of Jules White's efforts—Three Loan Wolves
and Rhythm and Weep
—clearly display a sick Curly as indicated by his much slower movements. Ed Bernds, however, was lucky enough to capture the ailing Stooge on an "up" day when filming Three Little Pirates
. Curly seemed better and there was some hope that his illness was finally under control. "I guess I should be thankful that Curly was in one of his 'up' periods," Bernds said later. "In Three Little Pirates, he was terrific. It was the last flash of the old Curly."
Half-Wits Holiday
would be Curly's final appearance as an official member of the Stooges. The film was a remake of the comedy, Hoi Polloi
. During filming on May 6, 1946, Curly suffered a severe stroke while sitting in director Jules White's chair while waiting to film the last scene of the day. When Curly was called by the assistant director to take the stage, he did not answer. Moe went looking for his brother: he found Curly with his head dropped to his chest. Moe later stated that Curly's mouth was distorted, and he was unable to speak: all he could do was cry. Moe quietly alerted director Jules White of Howard's situation, leading White to quickly rework the scene to be divided between Moe and Larry. Curly was then rushed to the hospital, where Moe joined him after filming for Half-Wits Holiday wrapped. After being discharged, Curly took up residence at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital
in Woodland Hills, California
.
Curly had to leave the team to recuperate. Shemp returned to the trio, to replace him in the Columbia shorts; an extant copy of the Stooges' 1947 Columbia Pictures contract was signed by all four Stooges and stipulated that Shemp's joining "in place and stead of Jerry Howard" would be temporary, until Curly recovered sufficiently to return to work full time.
During the last two years of Curly's career, Shemp had been recruited occasionally to substitute for him during live performances; now the replacement became permanent.
Curly, now with his hair fully regrown, made a brief cameo appearance (doing his barking-dog routine) in the third film after brother Shemp returned to the trio, Hold That Lion!
. It was the only film that featured Larry Fine and all three Howard brothers, Moe, Shemp and Curly, simultaneously; director Jules White later said he spontaneously staged the bit during Curly's impromptu visit to the soundstage:
Curly filmed a second cameo as an irate chef two years later for the short Malice in the Palace
, but his illness caused his scenes to eventually be cut. A lobby card for the short shows him with the other Stooges, though he never appeared in the final product.
Later that year, Curly suffered a second massive stroke, which left him partially paralyzed. He used a wheelchair by 1950 and was fed boiled rice and apples as part of his diet to reduce his weight. Curly's condition failed to improve. Valerie admitted him into the Motion Picture Country House and Hospital on August 29, 1950. After several months of treatment and medical tests, Curly was released, though he would return periodically up until his death.
In February 1951, Curly was placed in a nursing home where he suffered another stroke a month later. In April, he took up residence at the North Hollywood Hospital and Sanitarium.
in San Gabriel, California
.
On January 7, 1952, Moe was contacted on the Columbia set while filming He Cooked His Goose
to assist in moving Curly for what would be the last time. Eleven days later, on January 18, Curly died of a massive cerebral hemorrhage; he was 48. Curly was given a Jewish funeral and was laid to rest at Home of Peace Cemetery
in East Los Angeles
.
went on to say that Curly was one of the "most original yet seldom recognized comic geniuses."
The Ted Okuda
/Edward Watz-penned book The Columbia Comedy Shorts puts Curly's appeal and legacy in critical perspective:
In 2000, long-time Stooges fan Mel Gibson
, produced a TV-movie for ABC
about the life and careers of the Stooges. In an interview promoting the film, Gibson revealed that Curly was his favorite of the Stooges. In the film, Curly was played by Michael Chiklis
. For the 2012 Farrelly Brothers' film The Three Stooges
, Curly will be portrayed by Will Sasso
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
and vaudevillian
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
. He is best known as a member of the American slapstick
Slapstick
Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which may exceed the boundaries of common sense.- Origins :The phrase comes from the batacchio or bataccio — called the 'slap stick' in English — a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte...
comedy team the Three Stooges
Three Stooges
The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy act of the early to mid–20th century best known for their numerous short subject films. Their hallmark was physical farce and extreme slapstick. In films, the Stooges were commonly known by their first names: "Moe, Larry, and Curly" and "Moe,...
, along with his older brothers Moe Howard
Moe Howard
Moses Harry Horwitz , known professionally as Moe Howard, was an American actor and comedian best known as the leader of The Three Stooges, the farce comedy team who starred in motion pictures and television for four decades...
and Shemp Howard, and actor Larry Fine
Larry Fine
Louis Feinberg , known professionally as Larry Fine, was an American comedian and actor, who is best known as a member of the comedy act The Three Stooges.-Early life:...
. Curly is generally considered the most popular and recognizable of the Stooges. He is well known for his high-pitched voice, vocal expressions ("nyuk-nyuk-nyuk!","woo-woo-woo!", "soitenly!" and barking like a dog), as well as his inventive physical comedy, improvisations, and athleticism.
An untrained actor and natural comedian, Curly borrowed (and significantly exaggerated) the "woo woo" from "nervous" and soft-spoken comedian Hugh Herbert
Hugh Herbert
Hugh Herbert was a motion picture comedian. He began his career in vaudeville, and wrote more than 150 plays and sketches.-Career:...
, but was otherwise an original and inspired performer. Curly's unique version of "woo-woo-woo" was firmly established by the time of the Stooges' second film Punch Drunks
Punch Drunks
Punch Drunks is the second short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
in 1934.
Early life
Curly Howard was born Jerome Lester Horwitz in the BensonhurstBensonhurst, Brooklyn
Bensonhurst is a neighborhood located in the southwestern part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn.-Geography:Sometimes erroneously thought to include all or parts of such neighborhoods as Bath Beach, Dyker Heights, and Borough Park, or to be defined by the streets where the concentration of...
section of the Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
borough of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He was the fifth of the five Horwitz brothers and of Lithuanian Jewish
Lithuanian Jews
Lithuanian Jews or Litvaks are Jews with roots in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania:...
ancestry. Because he was the youngest, his brothers called him "Babe" to tease him. The nickname stuck with him all his life, although when his older brother Shemp married Gertrude Frank, who was also nicknamed "Babe," the brothers started calling him "Curly" to avoid confusion. His full formal Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
name was "Yehudah Lev ben Shlomo Natan ha Levi
Levi
Levi/Levy was, according to the Book of Genesis, the third son of Jacob and Leah, and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Levi ; however Peake's commentary suggests this as postdiction, an eponymous metaphor providing an aetiology of the connectedness of the tribe to others in the Israelite...
."
A quiet child, Curly rarely caused problems for his parents (something older brothers Moe
Moe Howard
Moses Harry Horwitz , known professionally as Moe Howard, was an American actor and comedian best known as the leader of The Three Stooges, the farce comedy team who starred in motion pictures and television for four decades...
and Shemp excelled in). He was a mediocre student academically, but excelled as an athlete on the school basketball team. He did not graduate from high school, but kept himself busy with odd jobs and constantly followed his older brothers, whom he idolized. Curly was also an accomplished ballroom dancer and singer, and regularly turned up at the Triangle Ballroom in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, occasionally bumping into George Raft
George Raft
George Raft was an American film actor and dancer identified with portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s...
.
When Curly was 12, he accidentally shot himself in the left ankle while cleaning a rifle. Moe rushed him to the hospital and saved his life. The wound resulted in his leg being noticeably thinner, and he also suffered a slight limp. Curly was so frightened of surgery that he never had the limp corrected. While with the Stooges, he developed his famous exaggerated walk to mask the limp on screen.
Curly was interested in music and comedy, and would watch his brothers Shemp and Moe perform as stooges in Ted Healy
Ted Healy
Ted Healy was an American vaudeville performer, comedian, and actor. He is chiefly remembered today as the original creator of the Three Stooges, but had a successful stage and film career of his own.- Early life :...
's vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
act. Curly also liked to hang around backstage, though he never participated in any of the routines.
Early career and the Three Stooges
From an early age, Curly was always "in demand socially," as brother Moe put it. He married his first wife, Julia Rosenthal, on August 5, 1930. The two divorced shortly afterwards.Curly's break onto the stage was as a comedy musical conductor in 1928 for the Orville Knapp Band. Moe later recalled that his performances usually overshadowed those of the band. Though Curly enjoyed the gig, he watched as older brothers Moe and Shemp (and partner Larry Fine
Larry Fine
Louis Feinberg , known professionally as Larry Fine, was an American comedian and actor, who is best known as a member of the comedy act The Three Stooges.-Early life:...
) made it big as some of Ted Healy
Ted Healy
Ted Healy was an American vaudeville performer, comedian, and actor. He is chiefly remembered today as the original creator of the Three Stooges, but had a successful stage and film career of his own.- Early life :...
's "stooges
Double act
A double act, also known as a comedy duo, is a comic pairing in which humor is derived from the uneven relationship between two partners, usually of the same gender, age, ethnic origin and profession, but drastically different personalities or behavior...
." Vaudeville star Ted Healy had a very popular stage act, in which he would try to tell jokes or sing, only to have his stooges wander on stage and interrupt him, or heckle and cause disturbances from the audience. By 1930, Healy and company appeared in their first feature film, Rube Goldberg
Rube Goldberg
Reuben Garrett Lucius Goldberg was an American cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer and inventor.He is best known for a series of popular cartoons depicting complex gadgets that perform simple tasks in indirect, convoluted ways. These devices, now known as Rube Goldberg machines, are similar to...
's Soup to Nuts
Soup to Nuts
Soup to Nuts is an American feature film written by Rube Goldberg and directed by Benjamin Stoloff, which marks the film debut of the comic trio who would go on to become known as the Three Stooges...
.
Shemp, however, disliked Healy's abrasiveness, bad temper and heavy drinking. In 1932, he was offered a contract at the Vitaphone Studios in Brooklyn. (Contrary to stories told by Moe, the role of "Knobby Walsh" in the Joe Palooka
Joe Palooka
Joe Palooka was an American comic strip about a heavyweight boxing champion, created by cartoonist Ham Fisher in 1921. The strip debuted in 1930 and was carried at its peak by 900 newspapers....
series did not come along until late 1935, after Shemp had been at Vitaphone for three years and had already appeared in almost thirty short subjects.) Shemp was thrilled to be away from Healy, but, as was his nature, worried incessantly about brother Moe and partner Larry. Moe, however, told Shemp to pursue this opportunity:
With Shemp gone, Moe suggested that Curly (then still known as Jerry) fill the role of the third stooge. However, Healy felt that Curly, with his thick, chestnut-red hair and elegant waxed mustache, did not look like a funny character. Curly left the room and returned minutes later with a shaved head (the moustache remained very briefly). Healy quipped, "Boy, don't you look girlie?" Moe misheard the joke as "curly" and all who witnessed the exchange realized that the nickname "Curly" would be a perfect fit. In one of the few interviews Curly gave in his lifetime, he complained about the loss of his hair: "I had to shave it off right down to the skin." In 1934, MGM was building Ted Healy up as a solo comedian in feature films and Healy dissolved the act to pursue his own career. Like Shemp, the team of Howard, Fine and Howard were tired of Healy's alcoholism and abrasiveness and renamed their act the "Three Stooges." The same year, they signed on to appear in two-reel comedy short subject
Short subject
A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all...
s for Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
. The Stooges soon became the most popular short-subject attraction, with Curly playing an integral part in the trio's rise to fame.
Prime years
By the end of the 1930s, Curly Howard was clearly the star of the Three Stooges. His childlike mannerisms and natural comedic charm made him a hit with audiences, particularly children. He was famous in the act for having an "indestructible" head, which always won out by breaking anything that assaulted it, including saws. Although having no formal acting training, his comedic skills were exceptional. Many times, directors would simply let the camera roll freely and let Curly improvise. Jules WhiteJules White
Jules White born Julius Weiss was a film director and producer best known for his short-subject comedies starring the Three Stooges.-Early years:...
, in particular, would leave gaps in the Stooge scripts where Curly could improvise for several minutes. In later years, White commented "If we wrote a scene and needed a little something extra. I'd say to Curly, 'Look, we've got a gap to fill this in with a 'woo woo' or some other bit of business.' And he never disappointed us."
By the time the Stooges hit their peak in the late 1930s, their films had almost become vehicles for Curly's unbridled comic performances. Classics like A Plumbing We Will Go
A Plumbing We Will Go
A Plumbing We Will Go is the 46th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
, We Want Our Mummy
We Want Our Mummy
We Want Our Mummy is the 37th short subject starring American slapstick team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:Two museum curators We Want Our Mummy is the 37th short subject starring American slapstick team the Three Stooges....
, An Ache in Every Stake
An Ache in Every Stake
An Ache in Every Stake is the 57th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
, and Cactus Makes Perfect
Cactus Makes Perfect (film)
Cactus Makes Perfect is the 61st short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
display his ability to take inanimate objects (like food, tools, pipes, etc.) and turn them into comic genius. Moe later confirmed that Curly forgetting his lines merely allowed him to improvise on the spot rather than stop the shot:
Curly also developed a set of reactions and expressions that the other Stooges would imitate long after he had left the act:
- "N'yuk, n'yuk, n'yuk" - Curly's traditional laughter, accompanied by a manic finger snapping routine, was often used when Curly had amused himself
- "Woob, woob, woob" - used when he was either scared, dazed, or flirting with a "dame"
- "N'gyahh-ahhh-ahhh!" - scare reaction (this was the most-often used reaction by the other Stooges after Curly's departure)
- "Ruff, ruff" - a dog bark, used to give an enemy a final push before departing the scene
- "I'm a victum of circumstance"
- "Soitenly" ("certainly")
- "Ah-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba!" - used during his later years, a sort of nonsensical, high-pitched yelling that signifies being scared or overly excited.
Curly also had a number of physical attributes and skills he performed as a Stooge, including:
- Dancing in place and swinging his arms around himself, usually done when he is overtly excited.
- Kicking one leg backwards and shuffling back on his stationary foot, usually done when dancing or marching.
- A dismissive hand waving gesture, starting from his head and ending with an extended arm at who/whatever he is dealing with (one of his most recognizable traits)
On several occasions, Moe was convinced that rising star Lou Costello
Lou Costello
Louis Francis "Lou" Costello was an American actor and comedian best known as half of the comedy team of Abbott and Costello, with Bud Abbott...
(a close friend of Shemp) was siphoning material from Curly. Costello was known to acquire prints of the Stooges' films from Columbia Pictures on occasion, presumably to study Curly. Inevitably, Curly's routines would show up in Abbott and Costello
Abbott and Costello
William "Bud" Abbott and Lou Costello performed together as Abbott and Costello, an American comedy duo whose work on stage, radio, film and television made them the most popular comedy team during the 1940s and 1950s...
features, much to Moe's chagrin (it did not help that Columbia Pictures president Harry Cohn
Harry Cohn
Harry Cohn was the American president and production director of Columbia Pictures.-Career:Cohn was born to a working-class German-Jewish family in New York City. In later years, he appears to have disparaged his heritage...
would not give the Stooges a chance to make feature-length films like contemporaries Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy were one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema...
, the Marx Brothers
Marx Brothers
The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in Vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950...
, and Abbott and Costello).
Slow decline
By 1944, Curly's energy began to wane. Films like Idle RoomersIdle Roomers (1944 film)
Idle Roomers is the 80th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Synopsis:...
and Booby Dupes
Booby Dupes
Booby Dupes is the 84th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
present a Curly whose voice was deeper and his actions slower. After the filming of Idiots Deluxe
Idiots Deluxe
Idiots Deluxe is the 85th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
, Curly finally checked himself (at Moe's insistence) into Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
on January 23, 1945 and was diagnosed with extreme hypertension
Hypertension
Hypertension or high blood pressure is a cardiac chronic medical condition in which the systemic arterial blood pressure is elevated. What that means is that the heart is having to work harder than it should to pump the blood around the body. Blood pressure involves two measurements, systolic and...
, a retinal hemorrhage and obesity
Obesity
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
. Curly's ill health forced him to rest, leading to only five shorts released in 1945 (the normal output was six to eight films per year). It is also believed that Curly suffered the first in a series of mild stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
s at this time. Moe pleaded with Harry Cohn to allow Howard some time off upon discharge to regain his strength. Cohn would not halt the production of his profitable Stooge shorts and flatly refused Moe's request. Author Michael Fleming stated that "...it was a disastrous course of action."
The first film produced after Curly's stroke was the lackluster If a Body Meets a Body
If a Body Meets a Body
If a Body Meets a Body is the 86th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
, and his actions and mannerisms were noticeably slower. In the hands of a sympathetic director like novice Edward Bernds
Edward Bernds
Edward Bernds was an American screenwriter and director, born in Chicago, Illinois.-Career:While in his junior year in Lake View High School, he and several friends formed a small radio clique and obtained amateur licenses...
, Curly could produce decent work. This was because Bernds painstakingly devised ways that the ailing Stooge could still be the star without actually contributing a great deal. Films like Monkey Businessmen
Monkey Businessmen
Monkey Businessmen is the 92nd short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(in which Curly had to be coached by Moe on camera), Micro-Phonies
Micro-Phonies
Micro-Phonies is the 87th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
and A Bird in the Head
A Bird in the Head
A Bird in the Head is the 89th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
were examples of Bernds factoring in the reality that Curly was no longer in his prime. Other directors, such as Jules White
Jules White
Jules White born Julius Weiss was a film director and producer best known for his short-subject comedies starring the Three Stooges.-Early years:...
, simply shifted the action to Moe and Larry. Films like Beer Barrel Polecats
Beer Barrel Polecats
Beer Barrel Polecats is the 88th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
and Uncivil War Birds
Uncivil War Birds
Uncivil War Birds is the 90th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges . The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
were mediocre at best and clearly showed that Curly was suffering.
Personal life
Curly's offscreen personality was the antithesis of his onscreen manic persona. An introvert, he generally kept to himself, rarely socializing with people unless he had been drinking (which he would increasingly turn to as the stresses of his career grew). In addition, he came to life when in the presence of brother Shemp. Curly could not be himself around brother Moe, who treated his younger brother with a fatherly wag of the finger. Never an intellect, Curly simply refrained from engaging in "crazy antics" unless he was in his element: with family, performing, or intoxicated.On June 7, 1937, Curly married Elaine Ackerman, who gave birth to their first child, Marilyn, the following year. The couple divorced in 1940. After this divorce, Curly gained a great deal of weight and developed hypertension. Curly was also insecure about his shaved head, believing it made him unappealing to women; he increasingly drank to excess and caroused as a coping mechanism. He took to wearing a hat in public to convey an image of masculinity, saying he felt like a little kid with his hair shaved off. However, he was popular with women all his life. In fact, many who knew him said women were Curly's main weakness. Moe's son-in-law Norman Maurer
Norman Maurer
Norman Albert Maurer , a comic book artist and writer, was also a director and producer of films and television shows.-Comic books:...
even went so far as to say he "was a pushover for women. If a pretty girl went up to him and gave him a spiel, Curly would marry them. Then she would take his money and run off. It was the same when a real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
agent would come up and say 'I have a house for you,' Curly would sell his current home and buy another one."
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, for seven months out of each year, the trio's filming schedule would go on hiatus, which allowed them to make personal appearances. The Stooges entertained servicemen constantly, and the intense work schedule took its toll on Curly. He never drank while performing in film or on stage, as Moe would not allow it. However, once away from Moe's watchful eye, he would find the nearest nightclub, down a few drinks, and enjoy himself. His drinking, eating, and carousing increased. He had difficulties managing his finances, often spending his money on wine, food, women, homes, cars, and especially dogs and was often near poverty. Moe eventually helped him manage his money and even completed his income tax
Income tax
An income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate...
returns.
Curly found constant companionship in his dogs and often befriended strays whenever the Stooges were traveling. He would pick up homeless dogs and take them with him from town to town, until finding them homes somewhere else on the tour. When not performing, Curly would usually have a few dogs waiting for him at home as well.
Moe urged Curly to find himself a wife, hoping it would convince his brother to finally settle down and allow his health to somewhat improve. After a two-week courtship, Curly married Marion Buxbaum on October 17, 1945, a union which lasted approximately three months. The divorce proceeding was a bitter one, exacerbated by exploitation in the local media. After this divorce, Curly's health began a rapid and devastating decline.
Illness
By early 1946, Curly's voice had become even more coarse than before, and he had increasing difficulty remembering even the simplest dialogue. He had lost a considerable amount of weight and lines had creased his face. The quality of his performances seriously declined; as his strength and energy plummeted, his final twelve films became the nadir of a once-bright career.Beer Barrel Polecats
Beer Barrel Polecats is the 88th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
, which uses extensive stock footage from So Long Mr. Chumps
So Long Mr. Chumps
So Long Mr. Chumps is the 53rd short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
, made five years earlier.
Two of Jules White's efforts—Three Loan Wolves
Three Loan Wolves
Three Loan Wolves is the 93rd short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
and Rhythm and Weep
Rhythm and Weep
Rhythm and Weep is the 95th short subject film starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
—clearly display a sick Curly as indicated by his much slower movements. Ed Bernds, however, was lucky enough to capture the ailing Stooge on an "up" day when filming Three Little Pirates
Three Little Pirates
Three Little Pirates is the 96th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
. Curly seemed better and there was some hope that his illness was finally under control. "I guess I should be thankful that Curly was in one of his 'up' periods," Bernds said later. "In Three Little Pirates, he was terrific. It was the last flash of the old Curly."
Half-Wits Holiday
Half-Wits Holiday
Half-Wits Holiday is the 97th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
would be Curly's final appearance as an official member of the Stooges. The film was a remake of the comedy, Hoi Polloi
Hoi Polloi (1935 film)
Hoi Polloi is the tenth short film starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
. During filming on May 6, 1946, Curly suffered a severe stroke while sitting in director Jules White's chair while waiting to film the last scene of the day. When Curly was called by the assistant director to take the stage, he did not answer. Moe went looking for his brother: he found Curly with his head dropped to his chest. Moe later stated that Curly's mouth was distorted, and he was unable to speak: all he could do was cry. Moe quietly alerted director Jules White of Howard's situation, leading White to quickly rework the scene to be divided between Moe and Larry. Curly was then rushed to the hospital, where Moe joined him after filming for Half-Wits Holiday wrapped. After being discharged, Curly took up residence at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital
Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital
The Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital is a retirement community, with individual cottages, and a fully licensed, acute-care hospital, located at 23388 Mulholland Drive in Woodland Hills, California...
in Woodland Hills, California
Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California
Woodland Hills is a district in the city of Los Angeles, California.Woodland Hills is located in the southwestern area of the San Fernando Valley, east of Calabasas and west of Tarzana, with Warner Center in its northern section...
.
During the last two years of Curly's career, Shemp had been recruited occasionally to substitute for him during live performances; now the replacement became permanent.
Curly, now with his hair fully regrown, made a brief cameo appearance (doing his barking-dog routine) in the third film after brother Shemp returned to the trio, Hold That Lion!
Hold That Lion!
Hold That Lion! is the 100th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
. It was the only film that featured Larry Fine and all three Howard brothers, Moe, Shemp and Curly, simultaneously; director Jules White later said he spontaneously staged the bit during Curly's impromptu visit to the soundstage:
Curly filmed a second cameo as an irate chef two years later for the short Malice in the Palace
Malice in the Palace
Malice in the Palace is the 117th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
, but his illness caused his scenes to eventually be cut. A lobby card for the short shows him with the other Stooges, though he never appeared in the final product.
Retirement
Still not fully recovered from his stroke, Curly met Valerie Newman, whom he married on July 31, 1947. A friend, Irma Leveton, later recalled, "Valerie was the only decent thing that happened to Curly and the only one that really cared about him." Although his health continued to decline after the marriage, Valerie gave birth to a daughter, Janie, in 1948.Later that year, Curly suffered a second massive stroke, which left him partially paralyzed. He used a wheelchair by 1950 and was fed boiled rice and apples as part of his diet to reduce his weight. Curly's condition failed to improve. Valerie admitted him into the Motion Picture Country House and Hospital on August 29, 1950. After several months of treatment and medical tests, Curly was released, though he would return periodically up until his death.
In February 1951, Curly was placed in a nursing home where he suffered another stroke a month later. In April, he took up residence at the North Hollywood Hospital and Sanitarium.
Final months and death
In December 1951, the North Hollywood Hospital and Sanitarium supervisor advised the Howard family that Curly was becoming a problem to the nursing staff at the facility because of his mental deterioration. They admitted they could no longer care for him and suggested he be placed in a mental hospital. Moe refused and relocated him to the Baldy View SanitariumSanitarium
Sanitarium may refer to:*An alternate spelling of sanatorium, a medical facility for long-term illness or a summer resort.*Sanitarium, California, in Napa County*Battle Creek Sanitarium, made famous by John Harvey Kellogg...
in San Gabriel, California
San Gabriel, California
San Gabriel is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is named after the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, founded by Junipero Serra. The city grew outward from the mission and in 1852 became the original township of Los Angeles County. San Gabriel was incorporated in 1913...
.
On January 7, 1952, Moe was contacted on the Columbia set while filming He Cooked His Goose
He Cooked His Goose
He Cooked His Goose is the 140th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
to assist in moving Curly for what would be the last time. Eleven days later, on January 18, Curly died of a massive cerebral hemorrhage; he was 48. Curly was given a Jewish funeral and was laid to rest at Home of Peace Cemetery
Home of Peace Cemetery
The Home of Peace Cemetery is a Jewish cemetery located at 4334 Whittier Boulevard west of Interstate 710 in East Los Angeles, California.The cemetery is located across from Calvary Catholic Cemetery and next to Beth Israel Cemetery and Mount Zion Cemetery .There are a number of famous rabbis...
in East Los Angeles
East Los Angeles (region)
East Los Angeles is the portion of the City of Los Angeles that lies east of Downtown Los Angeles, the Los Angeles River and the unincorporated areas of Lincoln Heights, west of the San Gabriel Valley, East Los Angeles and City Terrace, south of Cypress Park, and north of Vernon, California and...
.
Legacy
Curly Howard is considered by fans and critics alike to be their favorite member of The Three Stooges. In a 1972 interview, Larry Fine recalled, "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's mannerisms, behavior and personality, along with his catchphrases of "n'yuk, n'yuk, n'yuk," "woo, woo, woo", and "soitenly!" have become a part of American pop culture. Steve AllenSteve Allen
Steve Allen may refer to:*Steve Allen , American musician, comedian, and writer*Steve Allen , presenter on the London-based talk radio station LBC 97.3...
went on to say that Curly was one of the "most original yet seldom recognized comic geniuses."
The Ted Okuda
Ted Okuda
Ted Okuda is an American non-fiction author and film historian. He has many books and magazine features to his credit, under his own name and in collaboration with others.-Career:...
/Edward Watz-penned book The Columbia Comedy Shorts puts Curly's appeal and legacy in critical perspective:
In 2000, long-time Stooges fan Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
, produced a TV-movie for ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
about the life and careers of the Stooges. In an interview promoting the film, Gibson revealed that Curly was his favorite of the Stooges. In the film, Curly was played by Michael Chiklis
Michael Chiklis
Michael Charles Chiklis is an American actor, voice actor, occasional director and television producer. Some of the previous roles for which he is best known include Commissioner Tony Scali on the ABC police drama The Commish, LAPD Detective Vic Mackey on the FX police drama The Shield, Thing in...
. For the 2012 Farrelly Brothers' film The Three Stooges
The Three Stooges (film)
The Three Stooges is an upcoming slapstick comedy film based on the mid-20th century comedy shorts of the same name. It was produced, written and directed by the Farrelly brothers and co-written by Mike Cerrone...
, Curly will be portrayed by Will Sasso
Will Sasso
William "Will" Sasso is a Canadian comedian and actor. He is most notable for his membership in the recurring cast of comedians on the American sketch comedy series MADtv, spending five seasons on the show.-Early life:...
.
Features
- Turn Back the ClockTurn Back the Clock (film)Turn Back the Clock is an MGM comedy drama film directed by Edgar Selwyn, written by Edgar Selwyn and Ben Hecht, and starring by Lee Tracy and Mae Clarke...
(1933) - Broadway to Hollywood (1933)
- Meet the BaronMeet the BaronMeet the Baron is a comedy film starring Jack Pearl, Jimmy Durante, Edna May Oliver, Zasu Pitts, Ted Healy and the Three Stooges.-Plot:...
(1933) - Dancing LadyDancing LadyDancing Lady is a 1933 musical film starring Joan Crawford and Clark Gable, and featuring Franchot Tone, the fourth of eight collaborations between Crawford and Gable. It was directed by Robert Z. Leonard, produced by John W. Considine Jr. and David O. Selznick, and was based on the novel of the...
(1933) - Myrt and MargeMyrt and Marge (radio)Myrt and Marge was a popular radio program during the period 1932-1946. It was created by Myrtle Vail based on anecdotal stories of her vaudeville career.-Characters and story:...
(1933) - Fugitive LoversFugitive LoversFugitive Lovers is a MGM feature film starring Madge Evans and Robert Montgomery. Also starring:Nat Pendleton, C. Henry Gordon, Ruth Selwyn and Ted Healy and His Stooges,who made appearance as stage performers travelling on the bus. Writers: Frances Goodrich Albert Hackett...
(1934) - Hollywood PartyHollywood Party (1934 film)Hollywood Party is a musical film starring Jimmy Durante. It was distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film had no director credited, although it has been asserted that Richard Boleslawski, Allan Dwan, Edmund Goulding, Russell Mack, Charles Reisner, Roy Rowland, George Stevens and Sam Wood...
(1934) - The Captain Hates the SeaThe Captain Hates the SeaThe Captain Hates the Sea is a 1934 comedy film directed by Lewis Milestone and released by Columbia Pictures. The film, which involves a Grand Hotel-style series of intertwining stories involving the passengers on a cruise ship, is notable as the last film starring one-time silent film icon John...
(1934) - Start CheeringStart CheeringStart Cheering is a musical motion picture starring Jimmy Durante, Walter Connolly and Joan Perry. It is best remember today for a cameo appearance by The Three Stooges as Campus Firemen, who were Columbia Pictures' short subject headliners at the time...
(1938) - Time Out for RhythmTime Out for RhythmTime Out for Rhythm is a 1941 musical comedy film starring Rudy Vallée, Ann Miller and The Three Stooges. Alan Hale, Jr., best known for his role as Skipper Jonas Grumby on Gilligan's Island, also makes a brief appearance early on, marking one of his first film appearances.To date, there has been...
(1941) - My Sister EileenMy Sister EileenMy Sister Eileen originated as a series of short stories by Ruth McKenney that eventually evolved into a book, a play, a musical, a radio play , two films, and a CBS television series in the 1960-1961 season....
(1942) - Good Luck, Mr. Yates (1943) (scenes deleted, reused in Gents Without Cents)
- Rockin' in the RockiesRockin' in the RockiesRockin' in the Rockies is a musical western film starring the Three Stooges . It was one of the Stooges' few feature films made during the run of their more well-known series of short subjects for Columbia Pictures, although the group had appeared in supporting roles in other features...
(1945) - Swing Parade of 1946Swing Parade of 1946Swing Parade of 1946 is musical comedy film. In it the Three Stooges help an aspiring singer, Carol Lawrence , and a nightclub owner, Danny Warren , find love...
(1946) - Stop! Look! and Laugh!Stop, Look and LaughStop! Look! and Laugh! is a 1960 feature-length Three Stooges compilation featuring Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Curly HowardEleven of the Stooges shorts were shown and bridged together with segments featuring Paul Winchell and his dummies, Jerry Mahoney and Knucklehead Smiff...
(1960) (scenes from Stooge shorts)
Short subjects
- Nertsery RhymesNertsery RhymesNertsery Rhymes is the first short film starring "Ted Healy and His Stooges", a musical comedy released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Some footage was from the unfinished MGM musical The March of Time , which was originally to feature Healy and the Three Stooges.-Synopsis:The Stooges are children and...
(1933) - Beer and PretzelsBeer and PretzelsBeer and Pretzels is the second of five short subjects starring Ted Healy and His Stooges released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. A musical-comedy film, the short also featured Bonnie Bonnell, Healy's girlfriend at the time.-Plot:...
(1933) - Hello Pop!Hello Pop!Hello Pop! was the third of five short subjects starring Ted Healy and His Stooges released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. A musical-comedy film, the short also featured the Albertina Rasch Dancers and Bonnie Bonnell. The film is now considered a lost film. The last known copy was at MGM's vault no.7...
(1933) - Plane NutsPlane NutsPlane Nuts is the fourth of five short subjects starring Ted Healy and His Stooges released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. A musical-comedy film, the short also featured Bonnie Bonnell as Healy's love interest....
(1933) - Roast Beef and MoviesRoast Beef and MoviesRoast Beef and Movies is a short subject starring George Givot, along with Curly Howard , Bobby Callahan, and the Albertina Rasch Dancers...
(1934) - Jailbirds of Paradise (1934)
- Hollywood on ParadeHollywood on ParadeHollywood on Parade is a series of short subjects released by Paramount Studios.-Production background:One short is frequently misidentified as Curly Howard's first appearance on film, as cited by historians, because it was mistaken for a 1932 short when Criterion Pictures acquired the shorts for...
# B-9 (1934) - Woman HatersWoman HatersWoman Haters is the first short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1934) - The Big IdeaThe Big Idea (film)The Big Idea is a short film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer , starring Ted Healy and His Stooges: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Curly Howard.-Production:...
(1934) - Punch DrunksPunch DrunksPunch Drunks is the second short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1934) - Men in BlackMen in Black (1934 film)Men in Black is the third short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1934) - Three Little PigskinsThree Little PigskinsThree Little Pigskins is the fourth short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1934) - Horses' CollarsHorses' CollarsHorses' Collars is the fifth short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Synopsis:...
(1935) - Restless KnightsRestless KnightsRestless Knights is the sixth short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1935) - Screen Snapshots Series 14, No. 6 (1935)
- Pop Goes the EaselPop Goes the EaselPop Goes the Easel is the seventh short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Synopsis:...
(1935) - Uncivil WarriorsUncivil WarriorsUncivil Warriors is the eighth short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1935) - Pardon My ScotchPardon My ScotchPardon My Scotch is the ninth short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1935) - Hoi PolloiHoi Polloi (1935 film)Hoi Polloi is the tenth short film starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1935) - Three Little BeersThree Little BeersThree Little Beers is the 11th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1935) - Ants in the PantryAnts in the PantryAnts in the Pantry is the 12th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1936) - Movie ManiacsMovie ManiacsMovie Maniacs is the thirteenth short subject film starring American slapstick comedy trio the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1936) - Screen Snapshots Series 15, No. 7 (1936)
- Half Shot ShootersHalf Shot ShootersHalf Shot Shooters is the 14th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1936) - Disorder in the CourtDisorder in the CourtDisorder in the Court is the 15th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1936) - A Pain in the PullmanA Pain in the PullmanA Pain in the Pullman is the 16th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1936) - False AlarmsFalse Alarms (1936 film)False Alarms is the 17th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1936) - Whoops, I'm an Indian!Whoops, I'm an Indian!Whoops I'm an Indian! is the 18th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1936) - Slippery SilksSlippery SilksSlippery Silks is the 19th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1936) - Grips, Grunts and GroansGrips, Grunts and GroansGrips, Grunts and Groans is the 20th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1937) - Dizzy DoctorsDizzy DoctorsDizzy Doctors is the 21st short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1937) - 3 Dumb Clucks3 Dumb Clucks3 Dumb Clucks is the 22nd short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:The Stooges are in jail when their mother sends them a letter...
(1937) - Back to the WoodsBack to the Woods (1937 film)Back to the Woods is the 23rd short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1937) - Goofs and SaddlesGoofs and SaddlesGoofs and Saddles is the 24th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1937) - Cash and Carry (1937)
- Playing the PoniesPlaying the PoniesPlaying the Ponies is the 26th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1937) - The Sitter DownersThe Sitter DownersThe Sitter Downers is the 27th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1937) - Termites of 1938Termites of 1938Termites of 1938 is the 28th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1938) - Wee Wee MonsieurWee Wee MonsieurWee Wee Monsieur is the 29th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1938) - Tassels in the AirTassels in the AirTassels in the Air is the 30th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1938) - Healthy, Wealthy and DumbHealthy, Wealthy and DumbHealthy, Wealthy and Dumb is the 31st short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1938) - Violent Is the Word for CurlyViolent Is the Word for CurlyViolent Is the Word for Curly is the 32nd short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1938) - Three Missing LinksThree Missing LinksThree Missing Links is the 33rd short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1938) - Mutts to YouMutts to YouMutts to You is the 34th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1938) - Flat Foot StoogesFlat Foot StoogesFlat Foot Stooges is the 35th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1938) - Three Little Sew and SewsThree Little Sew and SewsThree Little Sew and Sews is the 36th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1939) - We Want Our MummyWe Want Our MummyWe Want Our Mummy is the 37th short subject starring American slapstick team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:Two museum curators We Want Our Mummy is the 37th short subject starring American slapstick team the Three Stooges....
(1939) - A Ducking They Did GoA Ducking They Did GoA Ducking They Did Go is the 38th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:The Stooges are once again unemployed...
(1939) - Screen Snapshots: Stars on Horseback (1939)
- Yes, We Have No BonanzaYes, We Have No BonanzaYes, We Have No Bonanza is the 39th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1939) - Saved by the BelleSaved by the BelleSaved by the Belle is the 40th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1939) - Calling All CursCalling All CursCalling All Curs is the 41st short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges, first released on August 25, 1939. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1939) - Oily to Bed, Oily to RiseOily to Bed, Oily to RiseOily to Bed, Oily to Rise is the 42nd short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:Once again, the Stooges are three hapless tramps...
(1939) - Three Sappy PeopleThree Sappy PeopleThree Sappy People is the 43rd short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1939) - You Nazty Spy! (1940)
- Screen Snapshots: Art and Artists (1940)
- Rockin' thru the RockiesRockin' thru the RockiesRockin' thru the Rockies is the 45th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1940) - A Plumbing We Will GoA Plumbing We Will GoA Plumbing We Will Go is the 46th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1940) - Nutty but NiceNutty But NiceNutty but Nice is the 47th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1940) - How High Is Up?How High Is Up?How High is Up? is the 48th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1940) - From Nurse to Worse (1940)
- No Census, No FeelingNo Census, No FeelingNo Census, No Feeling is the 50th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1940) - Cookoo CavaliersCookoo CavaliersCookoo Cavaliers is the 51st short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1940) - Boobs in ArmsBoobs in ArmsBoobs in Arms is the 52nd short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1940) - So Long Mr. ChumpsSo Long Mr. ChumpsSo Long Mr. Chumps is the 53rd short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1941) - Dutiful but DumbDutiful But DumbDutiful but Dumb is the 54th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1941) - All the World's a StoogeAll the World's a StoogeAll the World's a Stooge is the 55th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1941) - I'll Never Heil AgainI'll Never Heil AgainI'll Never Heil Again is the 56th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1941) - An Ache in Every StakeAn Ache in Every StakeAn Ache in Every Stake is the 57th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1941) - In the Sweet Pie and PieIn the Sweet Pie and PieIn the Sweet Pie and Pie is the 58th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1941) - Some More of SamoaSome More of SamoaSome More of Samoa is the 59th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:In a nice, upper-scale house, old Mr...
(1941) - Loco Boy Makes GoodLoco Boy Makes GoodLoco Boy Makes Good is the 60th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.- Plot :...
(1942) - What's the Matador?What's the Matador?What's the Matador? is the 62nd short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.- Plot :...
(1942) - Cactus Makes Perfect (1942)
- Matri-PhonyMatri-PhonyMatri-Phony is the 63rd short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.- Plot :...
(1942) - Three Smart SapsThree Smart SapsThree Smart Saps is the 64th short film starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.- Plot :...
(1942) - Even As IOUEven As IOUEven As IOU is the 65th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.- Plot :...
(1942) - Sock-a-Bye BabySock-a-Bye BabySock-a-Bye Baby is the 66th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.- Plot :...
(1942) - They Stooge to CongaThey Stooge to CongaThey Stooge to Conga is the 67th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1943) - Dizzy DetectivesDizzy DetectivesDizzy Detectives is the 68th short film starring the American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1943) - Spook LouderSpook LouderSpook Louder is the 69th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1943) - Back from the FrontBack from the FrontBack From the Front is the 70th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1943) - Three Little TwirpsThree Little TwirpsThree Little Twirps is the 71st short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1943) - Higher Than a KiteHigher Than a KiteHigher Than a Kite is the 72nd short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1943) - I Can Hardly WaitI Can Hardly Wait"I Can Hardly Wait" is the 73rd short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1943) - Dizzy PilotsDizzy PilotsDizzy Pilots is the 74th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1943) - Phony ExpressPhony ExpressPhony Express is the 75th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1943) - A Gem of a JamA Gem of a JamA Gem of a Jam is the 76th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1943) - Crash Goes the HashCrash Goes the HashCrash Goes the Hash is the 77th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1944) - Busy BuddiesBusy Buddies (film)Busy Buddies is the 78th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges.-Plot:The Stooges run the Jive Cafe, and are in heavy debt. They reluctantly take a second job hanging posters , earning a penny for each poster hung...
(1944) - The Yoke's on MeThe Yoke's on MeThe Yoke's on Me is the 79th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1944) - Idle RoomersIdle Roomers (1944 film)Idle Roomers is the 80th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Synopsis:...
(1944) - Gents Without CentsGents Without CentsGents Without Cents is the 81st short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1944) - No Dough BoysNo Dough BoysNo Dough Boys is the 82nd short subject starring the slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1944) - Three Pests in a MessThree Pests in a MessThree Pests in a Mess is the 83rd short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1945) - Booby DupesBooby DupesBooby Dupes is the 84th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1945) - Idiots DeluxeIdiots DeluxeIdiots Deluxe is the 85th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1945) - If a Body Meets a BodyIf a Body Meets a BodyIf a Body Meets a Body is the 86th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1945) - Micro-PhoniesMicro-PhoniesMicro-Phonies is the 87th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1945) - Beer Barrel PolecatsBeer Barrel PolecatsBeer Barrel Polecats is the 88th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1946) - A Bird in the HeadA Bird in the HeadA Bird in the Head is the 89th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1946) - Uncivil War BirdsUncivil War BirdsUncivil War Birds is the 90th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges . The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1946) - The Three TroubledoersThe Three TroubledoersThe Three Troubledoers is the 91st short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1946) - Monkey BusinessmenMonkey BusinessmenMonkey Businessmen is the 92nd short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1946) - Three Loan WolvesThree Loan WolvesThree Loan Wolves is the 93rd short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1946) - G.I. Wanna HomeG.I. Wanna HomeG.I. Wanna Home is the 94th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1946) - Rhythm and WeepRhythm and WeepRhythm and Weep is the 95th short subject film starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1946) - Three Little PiratesThree Little PiratesThree Little Pirates is the 96th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1946) - Half-Wits HolidayHalf-Wits HolidayHalf-Wits Holiday is the 97th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1946) - Hold That Lion!Hold That Lion!Hold That Lion! is the 100th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1947, cameo appearance) - Malice in the PalaceMalice in the PalaceMalice in the Palace is the 117th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1949, cameo appearance filmed, but not used) - Booty and the BeastBooty and the BeastBooty and the Beast is the 145th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1953, recycled footage from Hold That Lion!) - Guns a Poppin!Guns a Poppin!Guns a Poppin! is the 179th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1957, lines from "Idiots Deluxe used in recycled footage")
Further reading
- Curly: An Illustrated Biography of the SuperstoogeCurly: An Illustrated Biography of the SuperstoogeCurly: An Illustrated Biography of the Superstooge is a biography of Three Stooges member Jerome Howard written by his niece, Joan Howard Maurer. It recounts her own memories of her uncle, along with interviews with various living relatives that had memories of the rotund stooge.One of the...
, by Joan Howard Maurer (Citadel Press, 1988). - The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion, by Jon Solomon, (Comedy III Productions, Inc., 2002).
- One Fine Stooge: A Frizzy Life in Pictures, by Steve Cox and Jim Terry, (Cumberland House Publishing, 2006).