Joe Palma
Encyclopedia
Joe Palma was an American
film actor. Born in New York, New York, Palma appeared in over 120 films between 1937
and 1968
.
in 1937, and played scores of bit parts over 30 years.
With his lean build, brushed-back hair, and unassuming appearance, Joe Palma almost always played incidental roles, which is probably why he lasted so long as a Columbia contract player. He was usually in the background, and at most, he would be given only a few lines of dialogue. In the 1945 Three Stooges
comedy Beer Barrel Polecats
, for instance, Palma plays an angry convict who dares Curly Howard
to punch him in the nose.
Palma can be glimpsed in all kinds of movies, including crime dramas, musical comedies, costume epics, westerns, serials, and two-reel comedies. Several of his many roles consisted of the following:
Palma's largest speaking role is probably in the Schilling & Lane short Training for Trouble
, in which Palma attempts a Jewish dialect: "This is Goldstein, Goldberg, Goldblatt, and O'Brien, booking agents. O'Brien speaking" (a gag borrowed from the Stooges' A Pain in the Pullman
).
member Shemp Howard died of a sudden heart attack
. At the time, the Stooges still had four short films left to deliver on their annual contract with Columbia Pictures. By 1955, budget cuts had forced them to utilize stock footage
from previous shorts as a matter of survival. As a result, the Stooges managed to complete the four films without Shemp. To do this, Palma was made up to resemble the late Stooge, complete with wig, and would be filmed only from the back or side. On occasion, Palma was required to add a brief line of dialogue or sound (most notably in Hot Stuff
). The few new shots Palma appeared in were then edited together with the recycled footage containing the real Shemp, and "new" films were born.
. He appears as "Mr. Palma," the mailman, in Lemmon's 1964 Columbia comedy Good Neighbor Sam
. His final film appearance was as a butcher in Lemmon's 1968 Paramount
film The Odd Couple
. He died of natural causes on August 14, 1994.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film actor. Born in New York, New York, Palma appeared in over 120 films between 1937
1937 in film
The year 1937 in film involved some significant events, including the Walt Disney production of the first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.- Events :*April 16 - Way Out West premieres in the US....
and 1968
1968 in film
The year 1968 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* October 30 - The film The Lion in Winter, starring Katharine Hepburn, debuts.* November 1 - The MPAA's film rating system is introduced.-Top grossing films :- Awards :...
.
Early years
Palma grew up in New York City, and worked as a mortician in the Provenzano Funeral Home, owned by his parents. Eventually, Hollywood called, and Palma headed west. He joined the stock company at Columbia PicturesColumbia 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...
in 1937, and played scores of bit parts over 30 years.
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,...
comedy 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:...
, for instance, Palma plays an angry convict who dares Curly Howard
Curly Howard
Jerome Lester "Jerry" Horwitz , 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...
to punch him in the nose.
Palma can be glimpsed in all kinds of movies, including crime dramas, musical comedies, costume epics, westerns, serials, and two-reel comedies. Several of his many roles consisted of the following:
- a railroad brakeman picking up runaway Scotty BeckettScotty BeckettScott Hastings "Scotty" Beckett was an American child actor. He starred in the Our Gang and Rocky Jones, Space Ranger series.-Early career:...
in The Jolson StoryThe Jolson StoryThe Jolson Story is a 1946 musical biography which purports to tell the life story of singer Al Jolson. It stars Larry Parks as Jolson, Evelyn Keyes as "Julie Benson" , William Demarest as his manager, Ludwig Donath and Tamara Shayne as his parents, and Scotty Beckett as the young Jolson.The... - a plainclothes detectiveDetectiveA detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
making a positive identification in the Jean Porter musical Little Miss Broadway - a bandit defying authority in the Three Stooges' 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:...
- a waiter in Sam KatzmanSam KatzmanSam Katzman was an American film producer and director. Born into a poor Jewish family, Katzman went to work as a stage laborer at the age of 13 in the fledgling East Coast film industry...
's production Rock Around the ClockRock Around the Clock"Rock Around the Clock" is a 12-bar-blues-based song written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers in 1952. The best-known and most successful rendition was recorded by Bill Haley and His Comets in 1954...
.
Palma's largest speaking role is probably in the Schilling & Lane short Training for Trouble
Training for Trouble
-Plot Summary:The Hardy Boys decide to go to a sports facility in Bayport. They see many competing, but they find out about a mysterious figure creating 'accidents'. Now they must find him before more accidents happen....
, in which Palma attempts a Jewish dialect: "This is Goldstein, Goldberg, Goldblatt, and O'Brien, booking agents. O'Brien speaking" (a gag borrowed from the Stooges' A Pain in the Pullman
A Pain in the Pullman
A 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:...
).
"The Fake Shemp"
Today, Palma is best known as Shemp Howard's posthumous double. In 1955, Three StoogesThree 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,...
member Shemp Howard died of a sudden heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
. At the time, the Stooges still had four short films left to deliver on their annual contract with Columbia Pictures. By 1955, budget cuts had forced them to utilize stock footage
Stock footage
Stock footage, and similarly, archive footage, library pictures and file footage are film or video footage that may or may not be custom shot for use in a specific film or television program. Stock footage is of beneficial use to filmmakers as it is sometimes less expensive than shooting new...
from previous shorts as a matter of survival. As a result, the Stooges managed to complete the four films without Shemp. To do this, Palma was made up to resemble the late Stooge, complete with wig, and would be filmed only from the back or side. On occasion, Palma was required to add a brief line of dialogue or sound (most notably in Hot Stuff
Hot Stuff (1956 film)
Hot Stuff is the 172nd 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 few new shots Palma appeared in were then edited together with the recycled footage containing the real Shemp, and "new" films were born.
Later years
Palma spent his last years in the entertainment industry as an assistant to Jack LemmonJack Lemmon
John Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III was an American actor and musician. He starred in more than 60 films including Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, Mister Roberts , Days of Wine and Roses, The Great Race, Irma la Douce, The Odd Couple, Save the Tiger John Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III (February 8, 1925June...
. He appears as "Mr. Palma," the mailman, in Lemmon's 1964 Columbia comedy Good Neighbor Sam
Good Neighbor Sam
Good Neighbor Sam is a 1964 American comedy movie co-written and directed by David Swift and starring Jack Lemmon and Romy Schneider.It was based on the novel by Jack Finney. The screenplay was the motion picture debut of James Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum, who had written many American...
. His final film appearance was as a butcher in Lemmon's 1968 Paramount
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
film The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple (film)
The Odd Couple is a 1968 comedy film written by Neil Simon, based on his play The Odd Couple, directed by Gene Saks, and starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau...
. He died of natural causes on August 14, 1994.
Selected filmography
- The Odd CoupleThe Odd Couple (film)The Odd Couple is a 1968 comedy film written by Neil Simon, based on his play The Odd Couple, directed by Gene Saks, and starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau...
(1968) - The Great RaceThe Great RaceThe Great Race is a 1965 slapstick comedy film starring Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, and Natalie Wood, directed by Blake Edwards, written by Blake Edwards and Arthur A. Ross, and with music by Henry Mancini and cinematography by Russell Harlan. The supporting cast includes Peter Falk, Keenan Wynn,...
(1965) - Sappy Bull FightersSappy Bull FightersSappy Bull Fighters is the 190th and final 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 :...
(1959) - Flying Saucer DaffyFlying Saucer DaffyFlying Saucer Daffy is the 187th 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:...
(1958) - Fifi Blows Her TopFifi Blows Her TopFifi Blows Her Top is the 184th 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 reminisce about their wartime romances in Europe...
(1958) - Outer Space JittersOuter Space JittersOuter Space Jitters is the 182nd short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The five made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1957) - Guns A Poppin (1957)
- Hoofs and GoofsHoofs and GoofsHoofs and Goofs is the 175th 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) - Commotion on the OceanCommotion on the OceanCommotion on the Ocean is the 174th 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:...
(1956) - Scheming SchemersScheming SchemersScheming Schemers is the 173rd 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:...
(1956) - Hot StuffHot Stuff (1956 film)Hot Stuff is the 172nd 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:...
(1956) - Rumpus in the HaremRumpus in the HaremRumpus in the Harem is the 171st 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:...
(1956) - Hook a CrookHook A CrookHook A Crook is an American comedy short released by Columbia Pictures on November 24, 1955. It starred Joe Besser and Jim Hawthorne.- Plot :...
(1955) - Stone Age RomeosStone Age RomeosStone Age Romeos is the 163rd 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:...
(1955) [archival footage] - Fling in the RingFling in the RingFling in the Ring is the 159th 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:...
(1955) - Shot in the FrontierShot in the FrontierShot in the Frontier is the 157th 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:...
(1954) - Knutzy KnightsKnutzy KnightsKnutzy Knights is the 156th 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:...
(1954) - Pals and GalsPals and GalsPals and Gals is the 155th 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:...
- Musty MusketeersMusty MusketeersMusty Musketeers is the 154th 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:...
(1954) - Income Tax SappyIncome Tax SappyIncome Tax Sappy is the 153rd 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:...
(1954) - Fraidy CatFraidy CatFraidy cat is a slang term for a person who is very skittish or fearful.Fraidy Cat may refer to:*Fraidy Cat , a 1942 Tom and Jerry cartoon short...
(1951) - Hugs and MugsHugs and MugsHugs and Mugs is the 121st 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:...
(1950) - Punchy CowpunchersPunchy CowpunchersPunchy Cowpunchers is the 120th 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:...
(1950) - 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) - I'm a Monkey's UncleI'm a Monkey's UncleI'm a Monkey's Uncle is the 110th 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:...
(1948) - Fiddlers ThreeFiddlers Three (1948 film)Fiddlers Three is the 107th 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. It is a partial remake of Restless Knights.-Plot:...
(1948) - Squareheads of the Round TableSquareheads of the Round TableSquareheads of the Round Table is the 106th 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:...
(1948) - Shivering SherlocksShivering SherlocksShivering Sherlocks is the 104th 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:...
(1948) - Boston Blackie and the Law (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) - 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) - 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) - The Bells of St. Mary'sThe Bells of St. Mary'sThe Bells of St. Mary's is a 1945 American film which tells the story of a priest and a nun at a school who set out, despite their good-natured rivalry, to save the school from being shut down. It stars Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman...
(1945) - A Hit with a Miss (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) - Boston Blackie Booked on Suspicion (1945)
- Pick a Peck of PlumbersPick A Peck Of PlumbersPick A Peck Of Plumbers was an American comedy short produced and directed by Jules White and released by Columbia Pictures on July 23, 1944. It stars El Brendel and Shemp Howard, both of whom receive top-billing in the short.-Plot:...
- Louisiana HayrideLouisiana HayrideLouisiana Hayride was a radio and later television country music show broadcast from the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana, that during its heyday from 1948 to 1960 helped to launch the careers of some of the greatest names in American music...
(1944) - A Blitz on the Fritz (1943)
- From Nurse to WorseFrom Nurse to Worse (1940 film)From Nurse To Worse is the 49th 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) - Blondie Brings Up Baby (1939)
- Adventure in Sahara (1938)
- 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)