The Seven Stooges

The Three Stooges is still among the funniest shows ever produced in the history of moving pictures. But did you realize that there were actually 7 different people to play the roles of the stooges at one point or another in the act's evolution?

As I have mentioned in an earlier post, I have a rather unusual hobby of visiting the gravesites of notable people. Among the categories I look for is famous actors and actresses who have passed on. But, when I was doing research on the gravesites of the Three Stooges, I kept running across different names that totaled a lot more than three. Finally tonight, I spent a productive two hours doing research on this mystery, so now, as a public service, I offer you the explanation of the Stooges.

In 1922, brothers Moe Howard and Shemp Howard and their friend Ted Healy created a vaudeville show that, little-known to them at the time, would become internationally famous in a few years' time.

In 1930, The Three Stooges had their movie debut with the release of Soup to Nuts. In that film, Moe and Shemp appeared (Shemp playing the role of "Curly"), but Ted Healy was replaced by the somber-faced Larry Fine, who, along with Moe, would remain in his role for the next 40 years until the end of the act in 1970.

However, while Larry and Moe achieved an impressively-stable run by the same actors, Curly wasn't so lucky. In 1932, Shemp decided to pursue his own acting career, so he was replaced by his brother Jerome Howard.

Jerome is the one who gave Curly many of the unique characteristics for which that character is remembered today. In order to provide a contrast to the look of Larry and Moe, he shaved his head, thus becoming the first bald Curly. Also, Jerome had a horrible time remembering his lines, so he would fill in the gaps in his memory with a "woo-woo-woo-woo" sound, which was humorous in itself, caught on, and now is forever-associated with Curly and the Stooges shows.

Sadly, in 1946, Jerome suffered a stroke while on the set filming their 97th show. This ended Jerome's acting career, although he gained much of his health back, enough so that he remarried and had a daughter. But he had several more strokes and ended up dying six years later in 1952.

When Jerome had his stroke in 1946, brother Shemp agreed to return to the role of Curly. From 1946 to 1955, he appeared in 73 Stooges movies. But then, while riding in a car in 1955, Shemp suffered a heart attack which killed him, once again leaving the role of Curly vacant.

At this point, Joe Besser was selected to become the third person to play the role of Curly. In 1956 he appeared in 16 episodes, but then Columbia Pictures canceled The Three Stooges at the end of that year.

It was thought that the impressive run of over 200 movies (a record) was over at that point, but in 1958, the movies were released to an amazing new innovation called television, and there was a resurgence in the group's popularity, giving rise to a demand for new movies.

At the time, Joe Besser's wife was ill, so he was unable to return, so once again a new Curly had to be found, and Joe DeRita was the man to fill the role. As the last of the Curlys, he appeared in the final six films produced during the 1960's.

In 1970, Larry Fine had a stroke, and that ended The Three Stooges for good.