"They beat
one another into pulps. One day, Moe socked Curly till he
staggered through the rest of the show simply stupefied, more
stupefied than usual, that is. The minute they were off stage,
Curly was at him. ‘What do you mean hitting me like that?’
he screamed. ‘Why the audience could hardly hear the slap.
Next time, Ill make it good and hard.’ And he meant it. Only
Moe missed Curly the next time and caught Larry a pipperino on
the jaw. Larry staggered and would have fallen, if the boys hadn’t
grabbed him and immediately gone into that football huddle of
theirs, which the audience thought planned and simply went crazy
over. Had they only known it, it was done to keep Larry off the
floor. Started as an accident, it is now the hit of their
act." (Fleming 23) Today, the Three Stooges are remembered
for the many years of laughter they brought to America through
performances on stage and on the big screen. The unique style
and fundamental appeal of The Three Stooges’ comedy have left
an entertainment legacy that has endured for generations and
which still is popular today.
The Three Stooges’ entertainment style of
slapstick, comedic violence, exaggerated sound effects and sight
gags, which originated in Vaudeville, appeals to the public’s
funny bone. Even their physical appearance was cartoon-like
(Forrester 1,15). Moe, with his soupbowl haircut, Larry with his
frizzy halo of hair, and Curly with his round, bald head, cause
us to laugh. Moe could triple-slap The Boys, twist their noses
with wrenches, and slam them into walls repeatedly and the
public roared with laughter.
The sound effects that accompanied the
twisting, punching and poking were as funny as the sight gags.
To simulate a face slap, they used a slap stick and if the slap
was especially violent, they added a wind whooshing sound. A
kettledrum was used to accomplish the sound of the stomach
punch, which was in almost every Stooge film made. Someone
offstage would pluck a violin or ukulele string to accompany the
eye poke, and they tore cloth to represent the hair tearing;
Larry was usually the victim of this gag. We’ve all seen the
Stooges get their ears twisted; this sound was made using a
ratchet (Forrester 2, 69-70).
Even now, as dated as their films appear, it
is difficult to watch Moe poke Curly in the eyes or punch him in
the stomach, resulting in the hollow kettledrum sound, without
laughing out loud.
Edward Berndts, who wrote and directed many of
their comedies, has pointed out that their crude behavior was
actually the basis for much of their appeal (Forrester 1, p.15).
He claimed that viewers saw the Stooges’ failings and
weaknesses – their stupidity and clumsiness – and felt
superior to the Stooges, making it appealing.
The Three Stooges never really gained respect
as a comedy team, although they were immensely popular with the
public; in fact, the Three Stooges comedy series lasted longer
than any other in movie history. (Forrester 1, p.15) He suggests
that even though Charlie Chaplin’s comedy was highly
respected, he often did not get as many laughs as The Stooges.
Just because Chaplin delivered his comedy with more finesse did
not make him funnier to the general public. Something about The
Stooges appeals to the everyday moviegoer.
Jeffrey Forrester, who has authored several
books about The Three Stooges, says that "Thanks to its
generic name, the group could easily shuffle around personnel
whenever necessary. When one of the Stooges died or simply
dropped out, a new member could always be brought in as a
replacement. This, perhaps, was the secret of the team’s
longevity." (Forrester 1, p.1)
The Three Stooges most of us remember were:
Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Curly Howard. Moe Howard’s actual
name was Moses Horwitz. He was born on June 19, 1897 in
Bensonhurst, New York. His parents were Jennie and Solomon
Horwitz. Moe was the fourth youngest of five brothers. Two of
his other brothers, Samuel (Shemp), and Jerome (Curly), joined
Moe to form The Three Stooges.
Samuel, better known as Shemp, was the oldest
of the five Horwitz brothers. He received the name
"Shemp" because when his mother would call him
"Sam" it sounded like "Shemp." Shemp was the
Howard brother with the contagious acting bug, which his
brothers Moe and Curly would catch. Samuel was the one
responsible for their start with Ted Healy. Shemp joined Healy’s
group in 1925, the same year he married Gertrude Frank, his life
long wife. Shemp then left the boys for a while to pursue a solo
career before the Stooges began making their short films in
1934. As we all know, he later returned in 1946 when Curly had
the stroke which took him almost completely out of his acting
career. Shemp made shorts with Moe and Larry until he died of a
heart attack in 1955.
The third Stooge, referred to as
"Porcupine" and "The Middle Stooge" was
Louis Feinberg, also known as Larry Fine. Larry was the only
Stooge who was not a member of the Howard family. Moe and Ted
Healy spotted Larry in a show doing a dance while playing a
fiddle. Due to his crazy hair and clothing, Moe and Ted
considered him a prospect as the third Stooge. After meeting
with him in his dressing room after that performance, the men
agreed on a $100 per week deal which thrilled Larry. He then
joined the group.
The Three Stooges started out doing amateur
comedy acts for very little money, most of them in Vaudeville,
where Moe met comedian Ted Healy in 1909. Moe and Shemp started
out working with Ted Healy on some of his presentations. They
did not really like Ted very much though. He was known to
underpay them, and beat them around the stage. He actually was
much more violent with The Stooges than they were with each
other once they formed their own team. Ted Healy became
responsible for the Stooges’ first jobs, and later when Moe
re-joined forces with Ted, he got them their contract with
Columbia Short Subjects Inc. With that contract, the Stooges
began making their famous short subjects on a regular basis.
Moe, Larry, Shemp, and Ted Healy starred in a
1930 movie called "Soup to Nuts." After this movie,
Ted left, taking Moe and Larry with him. Shemp stayed behind
starring with his current show. Short one Stooge, Moe suggested
that his brother Jerome (Curly), who was also known as
"Babe" in his family, take over for Shemp. To join the
group, Curly agreed to shave his mustache and head to make the
appearance of the Curly we all recognize today. In exchange, he
insisted on the name "Curly." Moe, Larry, and Curly
stayed together longer than any other combination of Stooges. In
the mid 1930's they were making their shorts, and were featured
in many movies, and on radio shows.
During the time Curly spent with the Stooges,
his famous style of comedy was not the only news spreading
throughout the United States. The Holocaust and the Nazi Party’s
domination of Europe sparked the imagination of the Stooges.
Being Jews, they took offense to the extermination of their
people in Europe, like any of us would. By this time, the
Stooges had their shorts being played in movie theaters every
week. Because of this tremendous influence they had on the
public, they began to make a series of shorts making fun of
Hitler and the Nazi Party. Although it is not documented, their
influence on the public made a difference in how people viewed
what was going on in Europe. Although the Stooges’ comedy
appears simple, they still have their own way of getting a point
across.
In the 1940's, Curly’s health began to
plummet. In 1949, Curly experienced a series of strokes which
eventually led to his death on January 18, 1952. Most people
agree that Curly was undoubtedly the most beloved and popular of
the Stooges, and probably the most widely imitated. People who
worked with him in show business admired Curly’s ability to ad
lib and to execute his comical moves with perfect timing.
After Curly’s stroke when the group was once
again short a Stooge, Moe suggested that Shemp come back to the
group. Shemp worked with Moe and Larry, and made seventy-seven
shorts. He continued to work with them until his sudden death in
1955. Moe, having lost two of his brothers in three years, was
battling depression. He did continue to work as one of the
Stooges, and he quickly found Joe Besser to take the place of
Shemp.
Joe Besser was an accomplished solo comedian
when Moe asked him to join the group in 1956 (Kurson, 36). He
had worked with Abbott and Costello, a very successful comedy
duo. Joe was with The Three Stooges only until 1958, when he
left the group to continue a successful television and film
career, appearing in several Jerry Lewis movies and providing
the voice for numerous cartoons (www.3stooges.net).
Once again, Moe and Larry were on a hunt to
find a third Stooge. They came across Joe DeRita, later known as
"Curly Joe." He had come from a family associated with
show business and had a lot of experience with comedy and the
theater. Curly Joe, like Joe Besser, was not with the Stooges
for very long. He made shorts and a series of full length films
until Larry had a stroke which left him paralyzed on the left
side of his body. Because Larry could not perform anymore, Moe
thought about finding someone to replace him, but decided not to
(Maltin, 21). After Larry’s stroke, the Stooges did not
continue to perform together.
The Three Stooges left behind an impressive
legacy of comedy. They have inspired celebrities who became
popular generations later, such as Robin Williams, Bruce Willis,
Mel Gibson, Michael Jackson and Whoopi Goldberg. Appearing
simple on stage, in films, and later on television, the Stooges
have a following which has lasted more than 65 years, and,
thanks to the technology of videotape and DVD, will continue to
entertain generations of people in the future. Most people find
it impossible to watch one of their films without laughing out
loud. The Three Stooges have had a tremendous effect on
entertainment and on the American public by appealing to the
everyday person’s "funny bone."
