The Three Stooges, years after they made their last film together, are still wildly popular with both adults and children alike. Their films are available on DVD and appear on television, they’re referenced in pop culture, and even have music dedicated to them, like the popular song The Curly Shuffle. The last surviving Stooge, Curly Joe DeRita, died in 1993.

Curly Joe was also the last Stooge to join the act that that began with Moe Howard and his brother Shemp, and performer Larry Fine, in 1925. The three performed as part of a vaudeville act called “Ted Healy and His Stooges.” They weren’t called the Three Stooges until they broke out on their own, years later. They played Healy’s bumbling assistants who were abused each time they interrupted Healy’s performances, which was the point of the act.

In 1930, the three Stooges appeared in their first film, Soup to Nuts. Though the film wasn’t a commercial success, the trio was offered a contract without Healy. Healy complained, stating that they were his employees so the contract offer was withdrawn. The three left Healy once they learned what he had done, and went off to form their own traveling act. Later, Moe and Healy came to an agreement and were booked together again, but Shemp reportedly didn’t like Healey’s methods, so he left the act.

Moe suggested another brother to fill Shemp’s shoes, the youngest of the 5 Howard brothers, Jerry, who would become Curly. In 1933, Healy and the boys were given a contract by MGM where they appeared in shorts and films. In 1934, they split with Healy for the same reasons Shemp had left the act to find work on his own a year before. It was 1934 when the name The Three Stooges stuck. They performed in short subjects for Columbia, a total of 190 in all, and 5 feature films.

Curly’s health took a turn for the worse in 1945, thanks to overeating and heavy drinking, and in 1946 he suffered from a stroke that forced him to retire. Shemp came back as part of The Three Stooges, and his third film actually featured a cameo from Curly. Hold That Lion! became the only film to feature the four original Stooges, because of that brief appearance. Shemp was supposed to return only temporarily, but in 1952, Curly died at the age of 48.

Shemp appeared with The Three Stooges in 73 short films and a comedy, then in 1955 Shemp died of a sudden heart attack at age 60, only 3 years after Curly’s death. Joe Besser replaced Shemp for two years, but didn’t want to travel, so the last Stooge, Curly Joe DeRita joined Moe and Larry in 1959 to continue the act. Once Larry suffered a stroke in 1970, the Stooges never performed again.

Three Stooges movies, especially some of their less-aired shorts, are great Stooge collectibles that can be found on eBay, as well as candid shots of the original Howard brothers and longtime Stooge Larry Fine.

Originally posted 2008-12-25 14:00:30. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

• Roy Rogers Toys Memorabilia -> United States -> 1940-49 Roy Rogers toys weren't just the popular playthings of a generation who viewed Roy as an authentic cowboy and a real American hero, they're a representation of an entire generation. They stand today as an example of mid-20th century culture and one of the......
• John Wayne Movies Memorabilia -> Movie Memorabilia John Wayne movies have been a favorite of movie buffs, Western fans and those who like “tough guys” in their films, for many years. Though John Wayne has been gone for almost 30 years, his presence is still such a part of American culture that almost......
• Grace Kelly Memorabilia -> Celebrity Grace Kelly, who became Princess Grace of Monaco, is a film legend and one of the most recognizable names the world over. Her life seemed to be rather like a fairy tale, at least once she began acting. A leading lady who starred opposite huge stars like......
• Looney Tunes Cartoons Memorabilia -> Entertainment-Memorabilia -> Movie-Memorabilia While many of us recognize Looney Tunes cartoons from their run on television, they actually ran in movie theaters for 39 years, from 1930 to 1969. They were Warner Bros.'s first theatrical animated series. The term Looney Tunes also refers to the animated cast of......
• Andy Warhol Paintings Memorabilia -> Entertainment Memorabilia Andy Warhol paintings today are housed in museums, owned by private collectors and released as prints for public consumption. He was born Andrew Warhola in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1928. Though he died in 1987 from complications after gall bladder surgery, his name is still well known......

• Third Round Victories, Upsets and Postponements at Wimbledon This week in Wimbledon has seen many different changes and challenges in the ability of those competing for the title to be able to move forward. While the second round had some expected victories and not many surprises, there were a few surprises which no one really saw coming. Among......
• Andy Murray Already on Great Start Defending St Petersburg Title Andy Murray has already made an excellent start to defending his St Petersburg title and could be back on familiar territory with champagne as early as Sunday. However, some days you simply have to make do without the models ad the champagne. Murray, for example, celebrated his win back at......
• Joe DiMaggio   Sports Memorabilia Even today's modern kids who might not even watch baseball or be able to name one single player have heard the name Joe DiMaggio. His name is synonymous with baseball and sports, as he was part of the game during its glory days, when it seemed every......
• Bob Hope Classic 2011 The PGA season continue to get underway, with players taking part in the Bob Hope Classic held at, among other courses, the PGA West Palmer Course in La Quinta, CA. The tournament featured a wide variety of both rookies and well known players and was five rounds of golf instead......
• Musician Profile for Joshua Bell Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell was born on December 9th, 1967 in Bloomington, Indiana. Legend has it that his mother started him in violin lessons after finding that he had stretched rubberbands across the handles of his dresser in order to play notes he had overheard when she played piano. In......

• Cure, The C Rock, Pop Music Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia
• Novelties Madonna M Rock, Pop Music Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia
• Pre-1940 Originals-US Posters Movie Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia
• 1970-79 Pressbooks Movie Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia
• Black & White 1990-99 Photos Television Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia