Three Stooges, The, were a popular motion-picture comedy team famous for their slapstick, violent humor. The Three Stooges had one of the longest careers of any comedy team in movie history, making about 200 short, two-reel films from 1934 to 1958. After their short films became popular on television, the team made several feature-length movies between 1959 and 1965. The Three Stooges broke up in 1970.
Most of the Stooges’ comedy consisted of members of the team hitting each other over the head, slapping each other, and poking each other in the eye. Many critics condemned the act as vulgar and witless, but fans of the team enjoyed the cartoonlike violence.
Moe Howard (Moses Harry Horwitz, 1897-1975) and his brother Shemp Howard (Samuel Horwitz, 1895-1955) formed a vaudeville act in 1917. In 1922, Moe left the act to join vaudeville star Ted Healy. Shemp joined Moe and Healy in 1925. Soon, Larry Fine (Louis Feinberg, 1902-1975) joined the act. Healy, Moe, Shemp, and Larry appeared as Ted Healy and His Stooges in a feature film called Soup to Nuts (1930). The team appeared in several Broadway revues and a few other films during the early 1930’s before starting their series of two-reel comedies. Shemp left the act in 1932 and was replaced by his brother Curly (Jerome Lester Horwitz, 1903-1952). The trio of Moe, Larry, and Curly split from Healy in 1934 and began working on their own as the Three Stooges. Moe was the bossy Stooge who was known for his bowl haircut and short temper. Larry had bushy hair and played the violin. Curly was bald, chubby, and often exclaimed in a high-pitched voice. Shemp had stringy hair and a nervous tic.
Curly left in 1946 after suffering a stroke, and Shemp Howard rejoined the team. The Stooges added Joe Besser (1907-1988) after Shemp’s death in 1955. Curly-Joe DeRita (Joseph Wardell, 1909-1993) replaced Besser in 1959.
Moe, Curly, and Shemp were born in New York City. Larry and Curly-Joe DeRita were born in Philadelphia. Joe Besser was born in St. Louis.
