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 Healy complained, stating that they were his employees so the contract offer was withdrawn.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

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