Three StoogesThe Three Stooges were an American comedy act in the 20th century. Commonly known by their first names, Larry, Moe, & Curly (sometimes spelled "Curley"); Larry, Moe & Shemp; and other lineups became famous for their work in movies and starred in many short features that consisted of masterful ways of showcasing their extremely physical and sometimes controversial brand of slapstick comedy. The most familiar and popular Three Stooges lineup: (L to R) Moe, Curly, and Larry. This headshot is the official logo for Stooges' merchandising company, Comedy III Productions.HistoryThe boys with Ted Healy in the 1933 film, Dancing Lady. Joan Crawford looks on.Ted Healy and His StoogesThe Stooges got their name and their start from a vaudeville act called Ted Healy and His Stooges (originally called "Ted Healy and His Southern Gentlemen"), which was founded in 1922. Brothers Harry Moses Howard (Moe) and Samuel Howard (Shemp) (original last name Horwitz) were later joined by violinist Larry Fine (born Louis Feinberg). Shemp acquired his name from his mother's attempts to pronounce his name, "Sam", in spite of her thick accent. By 1930, Ted Healy and His Stooges were appearing in Hollywood feature films, such as Soup to Nuts. Shemp left the act in 1931 for a career in feature films, notably as trainer Knobby Walsh in the Joe Palooka films, and in The Bank Dick with W.C. Fields. When Shemp left the act, Ted and the two remaining stooges (Moe and Larry) needed a third stooge, so Moe offered his baby brother, Jerome. Ted took one look at Jerome and with his long black locks and facial hair, stated he was not a character like Moe and Larry, so Jerome left the room and returned moments later with a shaved head and face, thus, Curly was born. According to Moe Howard in his autobiography, Moe Howard and the Three Stooges, the Stooges split with Ted Healy in 1934 once and for all because of his alcoholism and abrasiveness. Columbia Short Subjects, 1934-1959The same year, the Three Stooges (as the Howard brothers and Fine renamed their act) signed on to appear in two-reel comedy short subjects for Columbia Pictures at just a few hundred dollars a week. The Stooges went on to star in 190 film short subjects over the next twenty-three years, the longest such series in history. Del Lord directed more than three dozen of the Three Stooges shorts. Jules White directed many others, and his brother Jack White directed several under the pseudonym "Preston Black". According to a published report,[1] Moe, Larry, and director Jules White considered their best film to be You Nazty Spy (1940). This 18-minute short subject starring Moe as a Hitler-like character satirized the Nazis in a period when America was still neutral and isolationist about WWII. You Nazty Spy was the first Hollywood film to spoof Hitler, and was released nine months before the more famous Charlie Chaplin film The Great Dictator. The Stooges, Mark I, with Curly on board. Promotional photo from 1938's, Wee Wee Monseiur.Curly suffered a stroke on May 6, 1946, curtailing his output at 97 shorts. Brother Shemp reluctantly rejoined the act to take Curly's place. Curly did make one brief cameo appearance (doing his "Rrrowf! Rrrowf!" routine) in the third film after Shemp returned to the trio, Hold That Lion!, in an effort to boost his morale. It was the only film that contained all three Howard brothers simultaneously (Curly's cameo appearance was recycled in the 1953 remake Booty and the Beast). Shemp Howard was hesitant to rejoin the Stooges, as he had a successful solo career going at the time of Curly's untimely illness. However, he realized that Moe and Larry's careers would be finished without the Stooge act. Shemp wanted some kind of assurance that his rejoining was indeed temporary, and that he could leave the Stooges once Curly recovered. Unfortunately, Curly's condition grew worse. He died in January, 1952. With Shemp on board, the Stooges went on to appear in 77 more shorts and a mediocre feature entitled Gold Raiders (1951). During this period, Moe, Larry, and Shemp also made a pilot for a Three Stooges television show called Jerks of All Trades in 1949. The series was never picked up, although the pilot is today in the public domain and is available on home video, as is an early TV appearance from around the same time on a vaudeville-style comedy series starring Ed Wynn. The Three Stooges, Mark II, during the Shemp years (1947-1956). Shemp takes it like a man in A Snitch In Time (1950).The quality of the Stooge shorts took a nosedive in 1952 when director Edward Bernds was fired from Columbia Pictures. Bernds took producer Hugh McCollum with him, and Columbia Short Subjects head Jules White was left to both produce and direct the remainder of the Stooge shorts. Remakes of earlier Shemp shorts occurred on a regular basis as a cost-saving tactic. To add insult to injury, death paid the Stooges another visit just three years after Curly's demise. Shemp Howard died of a sudden heart attack at age 60 on November 22, 1955. Archived footage of Shemp, combined with new footage of his stand-in, Joe Palma (filmed from behind or with his face hidden), were used to finish the last four films on Shemp's contract. Joe Besser then replaced Shemp in 1956 and 1957, appearing in 16 shorts. Besser had a clause in his contract specifically prohibiting him from being hit too hard, though this restriction was lifted as Besser's tenure continued (ironically, Besser was the only "third" stooge that dared to hit Moe back). Unfortunately, the market for short subjects had all but dried up by the time Besser joined the trio. Television was the new popular medium, and the Stooges were practically dinosaurs. Columbia Pictures, the last studio still producing shorts, unceremoniously fired the trio in 1957 at the end of production of their final short, Flying Saucer Daffy. Because of a production backlog, the final Stooges short, Sappy Bullfighters, did not reach theatres until 1959. The Stooges, Mark III, with Joe Besser on board. Moe takes some abuse in 1958's Guns A-Poppin'.RebirthIn 1959, Columbia syndicated the entire Stooges film library to television (through its TV subsidiary, Screen Gems), and the Stooges were rediscovered by the baby boomers. A "Stooge fandom" quickly developed, and Howard and Fine found themselves back in demand again with the public. Besser's wife had had a heart attack, however, and he withdrew from the act. Moe quickly signed Joe DeRita as his replacement; DeRita shaved his head and became "Curly-Joe" because of his resemblance to the original Curly Howard. This version of the Three Stooges went on to make a series of moderately popular full-length films during the late 1950s and through the 1960s. The trio also filmed 39 short comedy skits that were broadcast as introductions and closings for a 1965 animated television series based upon the comedy team. The Three Stooges, Mark IV, with "Curly-Joe" DeRita filling the role of the third stooge. From 1961's feature film flop Snow White & the Three Stooges.In 1969, the Three Stooges filmed a pilot episode for a new TV series entitled Kook's Tour which would have been a combination travelogue and sitcom that would have seen the "retired" Stooges travelling around the world, with the episodes filmed on location. During production of the pilot, Larry suffered a paralyzing stroke, ending his acting career, as well as future plans for the TV series. A 50-minute version of Kook's Tour was edited together from usable material and initially only made available for the home movie market (years before the popularity of home video); it has subsequently been released to DVD, though unrestored. Later yearsLarry suffered another stroke in December 1974. The following month, he suffered a more serious stroke, which Larry did not survive. In January 1975, Larry Fine was gone. After his death, it was decided that long-time Stooge supporting actor Emil Sitka would replace him, and be dubbed "The Middle Stooge". Several movie ideas were considered, including one called Blazing Stewardesses according to Leonard Maltin, who also uncovered a pre-production photo (the film was ultimately made with the last surviving Ritz Brothers). However, Moe passed on a few months later, and it was inconceivable that the Three Stooges continue without a Howard, although Curly-Joe did do some live performances with a new group of Stooges in the early 1970s. It's interesting to note that in 1975, we lost both Larry and Moe, but also Moe's wife of 50 years, Helen. Curly-Joe passed away in 1993, making him the last Stooge to die. Curly-Joe often stated that his time with the Three Stooges were the 'best years of his life.' Post-historyThroughout their career, Moe was the heart and soul of the troupe, acting as both their main creative force and business manager. Comedy III Productions, Inc., formed by Moe, Larry and Curly-Joe DeRita in 1959, is today the owner of all of the Three Stooges' trademarks and merchandising (the company is currently operated by DeRita's two stepsons). In Spring of 2000, a TV-movie about the life and careers of the Stooges was produced for and broadcast on ABC. This movie was based on Michael Fleming's authorized biography on the Stooges, The Three Stooges: From Amalgamated Morons to American Icons. MembersMoe Howard Larry Fine Curly Howard Shemp Howard Joe Besser Curly-Joe DeRita Emil Sitka
CatchphrasesAlthough The Three Stooges are best known for their physical comedy, the group's dialogue is also highly quotable, with many of their lines (or signature nonverbal vocalizations) having become popular catchphrases. Here are some examples:
SlapstickExamples of archetypical Stooge slapstick: One Stooge pokes the other in the eyes with the first and second fingers of one hand. After a while, the other Stooge catches on and holds his palm perpendicular to the edge of his nose to block this. The first Stooge then uses the index finger of each hand to jab both eyes at once. Here is an example:
or:
There were many variants to this classic move, one over the phone, and it being done in two episodes... in 3-D, giving you a Stooge's POV of Moe dishing out the two-finger eyepoke! One Stooge, usually Moe, strikes his own outstretched fist with his other fist. After being struck, the hand revolves downward, back and onto another Stooge's head. In a variant of this maneuver, one Stooge strikes his own outstretched fist with his other fist; usually, it is either Curly or Larry who is the one that does this, except after being struck, the clever trick backfires as the hand revolves downward, back and onto Curly's or Larry's own head. The triple slap: a straight man slaps the faces of all three Stooges in one energetic sweep. One Stooge, typically Moe, grasps another Stooge's nose then vertically strikes the grasping fist, making the sound of a honking horn-like device. In some brief scenes for certain episodes, Moe would be seen with his hair standing straight in fright as he yelled in terror. This was done with an air hose off-camera (usually below as it takes an extreme close-up of him) blowing his hair upward as he yells. His voice was later dubbed in. And in some episodes, there were sight gags involved Curly, who supposedly has a very hard head. See [2] for more examples. Sound effectsThe use of clever sound effects was important to the overall effect of the action. A good example would be Moe whacking one of his fellow Stooges on the head with a hammer. Typically, the sound of a hammer striking an anvil or a block of wood was used, suggesting the characters were "hard-headed" in more ways than one. A blow to a kettle drum accompanied blows to the stomach, and for pokes to the eye, a plucked violin string made the sound, or sometimes a high pitched piano sound. MusicSeveral instrumental tunes were played over the opening credits at different times in the production of their short features. The most commonly used themes were:
Feature motion picturesThe Three Stooges also made appearances in many feature length movies in the course of their careers:
TelevisionIn addition to the unsuccessful television series pilots, Jerks of All Trades (1949) and Kook's Tour (1970), the Stooges appeared in a short-lived television show called The New Three Stooges which ran from 1965 to 1966. This series featured a mix of thirty-nine live action segments which were used as wrap-arounds to 156 animated Stooges shorts. An episode of Hanna-Barbera's The New Scooby-Doo Movies aired in the early 1970's featuring animated Stooges as guest-stars. Due to this guest appearance there was a short-lived animated series, also produced by Hanna-Barbera, entitled The Three Robonic Stooges featuring Moe, Larry, and Curly as bionic cartoon superheroes with extendable limbs, similar to the later Inspector Gadget. In John Badham's movie Short Circuit, Johnny 5, while watching T.V., sees the original Three Stooges in their first short for Columbia Pictures, Women Haters, made in 1934 at Stephanie's (Ally Sheedy) house. He later reprograms three of the Nova Robots into a breed of the Three Stooges, almost in their likeness. Public Domain ShortsThere are four Three Stooges shorts that are in the public domain, and which can be downloaded at no charge from the Prelinger Archive: [3] Disorder in the Court (1936) Tributes
Trivia
This page about 3 Stooges includes information from a Wikipedia article. Additional articles about 3 Stooges News stories about 3 Stooges External links for 3 Stooges Videos for 3 Stooges Wikis about 3 Stooges Discussion Groups about 3 Stooges Blogs about 3 Stooges Images of 3 Stooges |
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[3] Disorder in the Court (1936) Due to this guest appearance there was a short-lived animated series, also produced by Hanna-Barbera, entitled The Three Robonic Stooges featuring Moe, Larry, and Curly as bionic cartoon superheroes with extendable limbs, similar to the later Inspector Gadget. Since then, several other countries have gone on to capture the trophy. An episode of Hanna-Barbera's The New Scooby-Doo Movies aired in the early 1970's featuring animated Stooges as guest-stars. However India refused to play in the final that year in protest against the South African government's apartheid policies, thus handing South Africa a walk-over victory. This series featured a mix of thirty-nine live action segments which were used as wrap-arounds to 156 animated Stooges shorts. Their domination was broken in 1974, when South Africa and India qualified for the final. In addition to the unsuccessful television series pilots, Jerks of All Trades (1949) and Kook's Tour (1970), the Stooges appeared in a short-lived television show called The New Three Stooges which ran from 1965 to 1966. Up to 1973, the Davis Cup had only ever been won by the U.S.A., Great Britain, France and Australia/Australasia. The Three Stooges also made appearances in many feature length movies in the course of their careers:. has won the event the most times (31), followed by Australia (23 [28 including Australasia]), France and Great Britain (9 each)[Includes British Isles 5], Sweden (7), and Australasia (5). The most commonly used themes were:. Since inception, the U.S.A. Several instrumental tunes were played over the opening credits at different times in the production of their short features. From 1950 to 1967, Australia dominated the competition, winning the Cup 15 times in 18 years. A blow to a kettle drum accompanied blows to the stomach, and for pokes to the eye, a plucked violin string made the sound, or sometimes a high pitched piano sound. (Dwight Davis became a prominent politician in the United States in the 1920s, serving as Secretary of War from 1925-29 and as Governor General of the Philippines from 1929-32.). Typically, the sound of a hammer striking an anvil or a block of wood was used, suggesting the characters were "hard-headed" in more ways than one. It was renamed the Davis Cup following the death of Dwight Davis in 1945. A good example would be Moe whacking one of his fellow Stooges on the head with a hammer. The tournament was initially known as the International Lawn Tennis Challenge. The use of clever sound effects was important to the overall effect of the action. By 1905 the tournament expanded to include Belgium, Austria, France, and Australasia, a combined team from Australia and New Zealand that competed together until 1913. See [2] for more examples. The following year the two countries did not compete but the US won the next match in 1902. And in some episodes, there were sight gags involved Curly, who supposedly has a very hard head. The American team, of which Dwight Davis was a part, surprised the British by winning the first three matches. His voice was later dubbed in. The first match, between the United States and Great Britain was held in Boston, Massachusetts in 1900. This was done with an air hose off-camera (usually below as it takes an extreme close-up of him) blowing his hair upward as he yells. Davis, designed a tournament format and spent the money from his own pocket to purchase an appropriate sterling silver trophy. In some brief scenes for certain episodes, Moe would be seen with his hair standing straight in fright as he yelled in terror. Once the idea received the go ahead from the respective lawn tennis associations, one of the four Harvard players, Dwight F. One Stooge, typically Moe, grasps another Stooge's nose then vertically strikes the grasping fist, making the sound of a honking horn-like device. The tournament was conceived in 1899 by four members of the Harvard University tennis team who came up with the idea of challenging the British to a tennis showdown. The triple slap: a straight man slaps the faces of all three Stooges in one energetic sweep. . In a variant of this maneuver, one Stooge strikes his own outstretched fist with his other fist; usually, it is either Curly or Larry who is the one that does this, except after being struck, the clever trick backfires as the hand revolves downward, back and onto Curly's or Larry's own head. The women's equivalent of the Davis Cup is the Fed Cup (known as the Federation Cup before 1995). After being struck, the hand revolves downward, back and onto another Stooge's head. If a team has clinched the rubber before all 5 matches are played, any remaining reverse singles matches are shortened to best-of-3 sets. One Stooge, usually Moe, strikes his own outstretched fist with his other fist. All rubbers are normally best-of-5 sets. in 3-D, giving you a Stooge's POV of Moe dishing out the two-finger eyepoke!. There is no restriction on which of the playing team members plays the doubles match: the two singles players, two other players (usually doubles specialists) or a combination. There were many variants to this classic move, one over the phone, and it being done in two episodes.. In the past, teams could only substitute final day singles players when the result of the tie had already been determined, but nowadays the rules allow teams to select any playing team member to play the last two singles matches provided that first day matchups are not repeated. or:. On the Thursday before play starts schedule of play is randomly drawn to decide the pairings of the nominated singles players in the first two rubbers. Here is an example:. The captain of each nation is able to nominate a squad of four players for each tie and he decides which of these players will compete in the first three rubbers. The first Stooge then uses the index finger of each hand to jab both eyes at once. If the tie has already been decided in favour of one of the teams, it is common for younger lower-ranked team members to play the remaining 'dead-rubbers' in order for them to gain Davis Cup experience. After a while, the other Stooge catches on and holds his palm perpendicular to the edge of his nose to block this. On the third day, the final two matches are typically reverse singles in which the first-day contestants traditionally play again, but swap opponents from the first day's singles matches. One Stooge pokes the other in the eyes with the first and second fingers of one hand. A doubles match is played on the second day. Examples of archetypical Stooge slapstick:. On the Friday, the first two matches are singles, generally between the two best available players of each country. Here are some examples:. Each World Group 'tie' between two competing nations consists of 5 matches (known as 'rubbers') carried out over the course of three days, usually Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Although The Three Stooges are best known for their physical comedy, the group's dialogue is also highly quotable, with many of their lines (or signature nonverbal vocalizations) having become popular catchphrases. Countries aspire to compete in the elite World Group of 16 nations which comprises four rounds of competition spread over four weekends during the year. Emil Sitka Curly-Joe DeRita Larry Fine Comedy III Productions, Inc., formed by Moe, Larry and Curly-Joe DeRita in 1959, is today the owner of all of the Three Stooges' trademarks and merchandising (the company is currently operated by DeRita's two stepsons). Argentina. Throughout their career, Moe was the heart and soul of the troupe, acting as both their main creative force and business manager. Croatia vs. Curly-Joe often stated that his time with the Three Stooges were the 'best years of his life.'. Slovakia 3-0 in Rancagua, Chile. Curly-Joe passed away in 1993, making him the last Stooge to die. Chile def. It's interesting to note that in 1975, we lost both Larry and Moe, but also Moe's wife of 50 years, Helen. United States leads Romania 2-1 in La Jolla, California, United States. However, Moe passed on a few months later, and it was inconceivable that the Three Stooges continue without a Howard, although Curly-Joe did do some live performances with a new group of Stooges in the early 1970s. Netherlands 3-0 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Several movie ideas were considered, including one called Blazing Stewardesses according to Leonard Maltin, who also uncovered a pre-production photo (the film was ultimately made with the last surviving Ritz Brothers). Russia def. After his death, it was decided that long-time Stooge supporting actor Emil Sitka would replace him, and be dubbed "The Middle Stooge". Germany 3-0 in Halle, Germany. In January 1975, Larry Fine was gone. France def. The following month, he suffered a more serious stroke, which Larry did not survive. Australia are level with Switzerland 2-2 in Geneva, Switzerland. Larry suffered another stroke in December 1974. Spain 3-0 in Minsk, Belarus. A 50-minute version of Kook's Tour was edited together from usable material and initially only made available for the home movie market (years before the popularity of home video); it has subsequently been released to DVD, though unrestored. Belarus def. During production of the pilot, Larry suffered a paralyzing stroke, ending his acting career, as well as future plans for the TV series. Sweden 3-0 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 1969, the Three Stooges filmed a pilot episode for a new TV series entitled Kook's Tour which would have been a combination travelogue and sitcom that would have seen the "retired" Stooges travelling around the world, with the episodes filmed on location. Argentina def. The trio also filmed 39 short comedy skits that were broadcast as introductions and closings for a 1965 animated television series based upon the comedy team. Austria 3-0 in Graz, Austria. This version of the Three Stooges went on to make a series of moderately popular full-length films during the late 1950s and through the 1960s. Croatia def. Moe quickly signed Joe DeRita as his replacement; DeRita shaved his head and became "Curly-Joe" because of his resemblance to the original Curly Howard. 1900 - United States wins 3-0 over Great Britain. Besser's wife had had a heart attack, however, and he withdrew from the act. 1901 - no tournament. A "Stooge fandom" quickly developed, and Howard and Fine found themselves back in demand again with the public. 1902 - United States wins 3-2 over Great Britain. In 1959, Columbia syndicated the entire Stooges film library to television (through its TV subsidiary, Screen Gems), and the Stooges were rediscovered by the baby boomers. 1903 - Great Britain wins 4-1 over the United States. Because of a production backlog, the final Stooges short, Sappy Bullfighters, did not reach theatres until 1959. 1904 - Great Britain wins 5-0 over Belgium. Columbia Pictures, the last studio still producing shorts, unceremoniously fired the trio in 1957 at the end of production of their final short, Flying Saucer Daffy. 1905 - Great Britain wins 5-0 over the United States. Television was the new popular medium, and the Stooges were practically dinosaurs. 1906 - Great Britain wins 5-0 over the United States. Unfortunately, the market for short subjects had all but dried up by the time Besser joined the trio. 1907 - Australasia wins 3-2 over Great Britain. Besser had a clause in his contract specifically prohibiting him from being hit too hard, though this restriction was lifted as Besser's tenure continued (ironically, Besser was the only "third" stooge that dared to hit Moe back). 1908 - Australasia wins 3-2 over the United States. Joe Besser then replaced Shemp in 1956 and 1957, appearing in 16 shorts. 1909 - Australasia wins 5-0 over the United States. Archived footage of Shemp, combined with new footage of his stand-in, Joe Palma (filmed from behind or with his face hidden), were used to finish the last four films on Shemp's contract. 1910 - no tournament. Shemp Howard died of a sudden heart attack at age 60 on November 22, 1955. 1911 - Australasia wins 5-0 over the United States. To add insult to injury, death paid the Stooges another visit just three years after Curly's demise. 1912 - Great Britain wins 3-2 over Australasia. Remakes of earlier Shemp shorts occurred on a regular basis as a cost-saving tactic. 1913 - United States wins 3-2 over Great Britain. Bernds took producer Hugh McCollum with him, and Columbia Short Subjects head Jules White was left to both produce and direct the remainder of the Stooge shorts. 1914 - Australia wins 3-2 over the United States. The quality of the Stooge shorts took a nosedive in 1952 when director Edward Bernds was fired from Columbia Pictures. 1915 to 1918 - no tournament due to World War I. The series was never picked up, although the pilot is today in the public domain and is available on home video, as is an early TV appearance from around the same time on a vaudeville-style comedy series starring Ed Wynn. 1919 - Australia wins 4-1 over Great Britain. During this period, Moe, Larry, and Shemp also made a pilot for a Three Stooges television show called Jerks of All Trades in 1949. 1920 - United States wins 5-0 over Australia. With Shemp on board, the Stooges went on to appear in 77 more shorts and a mediocre feature entitled Gold Raiders (1951). 1921 - United States wins 5-0 over Japan. He died in January, 1952. 1922 - United States wins 4-1 over Australia. Unfortunately, Curly's condition grew worse. 1923 - United States wins 4-1 over Australia. Shemp wanted some kind of assurance that his rejoining was indeed temporary, and that he could leave the Stooges once Curly recovered. 1924 - United States wins 5-0 over Australia. However, he realized that Moe and Larry's careers would be finished without the Stooge act. 1925 - United States wins 5-0 over France. Shemp Howard was hesitant to rejoin the Stooges, as he had a successful solo career going at the time of Curly's untimely illness. 1926 - United States wins 4-1 over France. It was the only film that contained all three Howard brothers simultaneously (Curly's cameo appearance was recycled in the 1953 remake Booty and the Beast). 1927 - France wins 3-2 over the United States. Curly did make one brief cameo appearance (doing his "Rrrowf! Rrrowf!" routine) in the third film after Shemp returned to the trio, Hold That Lion!, in an effort to boost his morale. 1928 - France wins 4-1 over the United States. Brother Shemp reluctantly rejoined the act to take Curly's place. 1929 - France wins 3-2 over the United States. Curly suffered a stroke on May 6, 1946, curtailing his output at 97 shorts. 1930 - France wins 4-1 over the United States. You Nazty Spy was the first Hollywood film to spoof Hitler, and was released nine months before the more famous Charlie Chaplin film The Great Dictator. 1931 - France wins 3-2 over Great Britain. This 18-minute short subject starring Moe as a Hitler-like character satirized the Nazis in a period when America was still neutral and isolationist about WWII. 1932 - France wins 3-2 over the United States. According to a published report,[1] Moe, Larry, and director Jules White considered their best film to be You Nazty Spy (1940). 1933 - Great Britain wins 3-2 over France. Jules White directed many others, and his brother Jack White directed several under the pseudonym "Preston Black". 1934 - Great Britain wins 4-1 over the United States. Del Lord directed more than three dozen of the Three Stooges shorts. 1935 - Great Britain wins 5-0 over the United States. The Stooges went on to star in 190 film short subjects over the next twenty-three years, the longest such series in history. 1936 - Great Britain wins 3-2 over Australia. The same year, the Three Stooges (as the Howard brothers and Fine renamed their act) signed on to appear in two-reel comedy short subjects for Columbia Pictures at just a few hundred dollars a week. 1937 - United States wins 4-1 over Great Britain. According to Moe Howard in his autobiography, Moe Howard and the Three Stooges, the Stooges split with Ted Healy in 1934 once and for all because of his alcoholism and abrasiveness. 1938 - United States wins 3-2 over Australia. Ted took one look at Jerome and with his long black locks and facial hair, stated he was not a character like Moe and Larry, so Jerome left the room and returned moments later with a shaved head and face, thus, Curly was born. 1939 - Australia wins 3-2 over the United States. When Shemp left the act, Ted and the two remaining stooges (Moe and Larry) needed a third stooge, so Moe offered his baby brother, Jerome. 1940 to 1945 - no tournament due to World War II. Fields. 1946 - United States wins 5-0 over Australia. Shemp left the act in 1931 for a career in feature films, notably as trainer Knobby Walsh in the Joe Palooka films, and in The Bank Dick with W.C. 1947 - United States wins 4-1 over Australia. By 1930, Ted Healy and His Stooges were appearing in Hollywood feature films, such as Soup to Nuts. 1948 - United States wins 5-0 over Australia. Shemp acquired his name from his mother's attempts to pronounce his name, "Sam", in spite of her thick accent. 1949 - United States wins 4-1 over Australia. Brothers Harry Moses Howard (Moe) and Samuel Howard (Shemp) (original last name Horwitz) were later joined by violinist Larry Fine (born Louis Feinberg). 1950 - Australia wins 4-1 over United States. The Stooges got their name and their start from a vaudeville act called Ted Healy and His Stooges (originally called "Ted Healy and His Southern Gentlemen"), which was founded in 1922. 1951 - Australia wins 3-2 over the United States. . 1952 - Australia wins 4-1 over the United States. Commonly known by their first names, Larry, Moe, & Curly (sometimes spelled "Curley"); Larry, Moe & Shemp; and other lineups became famous for their work in movies and starred in many short features that consisted of masterful ways of showcasing their extremely physical and sometimes controversial brand of slapstick comedy. 1953 - Australia wins 3-2 over the United States. The Three Stooges were an American comedy act in the 20th century. 1954 - United States wins 3-2 over Australia. They rarely say anything, but are occaisionally spotted in the background. 1955 - Australia wins 5-0 over the United States. In the TV show The Simpsons, two regulars of Moe's Tavern are named Larry and Curly. 1956 - Australia wins 5-0 over the United States. In the 1950s, after numerous complaints by parents of children imitating the Stooges' eyepoke, they went on TV to demonstrate how exactly they did it safely. 1957 - Australia wins 3-2 over the United States. The illusion looked real on television. 1958 - United States wins 3-2 over Australia. The contact point of the "eye poke" was actually the brow bone, not the eyes. 1959 - Australia wins 3-2 over the United States. She comments, "I wonder what's wrong with that man?" as she looks up, and gets the pie right in the face. 1960 - Australia wins 4-1 over Italy. Finally the guest asks, "Young man, what's wrong with you? You act as if the Sword of Damocles was hanging over your head.", to which Moe replies, "Lady, you must be psychic!" and walks away. 1961 - Australia wins 5-0 over Italy. One of the guests starts talking with Moe Howard, who is getting increasingly nervous as the pie starts coming loose. 1962 - Australia wins 5-0 over Mexico. The legend of the Sword of Damocles gets mentioned in Half-Wits' Holiday (1946), when a pie get thrown up and stuck to the ceiling during a party. 1963 - United States wins 3-2 over Australia. Stooges folklore has it that the Soviet government asked permission for the aging Stooges shorts to be shown on Soviet TV, and that the Stooges declined, their theory being that the Soviets planned to use the Stooges as Cold War propaganda, i.e., evidence that the American people were pathologically violent and/or stupid. 1964 - Australia wins 3-2 over the United States. Legend has it that the eye poke started when Shemp accused Larry of cheating in a card game, and Shemp poked him in the eyes! Moe, watching all this, laughed so hard he fell off his chair and through his patio glass door. 1965 - Australia wins 4-1 over Spain. The appearance of the Second Doctor in the British science fiction series, Doctor Who, played by Patrick Troughton, was often compared to that of Moe Howard, although it's not known if this was intentional. 1966 - Australia wins 4-1 over India. The folk trio Modern Man perform the song "Moe" (written by pianist/singer George Wurzbach), about a boy whose father looks like Moe Howard. 1967 - Australia wins 4-1 over Spain. An episode of MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch featured the stooges, who were brought to the present age via a time machine invented by "Stone Cold" Steve Austin to battle the Three Tenors. 1968 - United States wins 4-1 over Australia. Another Vulcan, who is depicted as being familiar with human pop culture, agrees with the assessment. 1969 - United States wins 5-0 over Romania. One of the Vulcans is annoyed at being nicknamed "Moe" because of his resemblance to "something called a 'Stooge'". 1970 - United States wins 5-0 over West Germany. The Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Carbon Creek" features a group of Vulcans stranded in a small American town in the 1950s. 1971 - United States wins 3-2 over Romania. In Louis Sachar's children's novel The Boy Who Lost His Face, a group of three children (one of which being a girl called Mo) is nicknamed after the Stooges. 1972 - United States wins 3-2 over Romania. Doctor John Zoidberg from the Futurama TV show makes Curly's trademark "Woo, woo, woo" sound when running away from trouble (sometimes after squirting ink), and sometimes makes Shemp's trademark "Heep, heep, heep" sound when frustrated. 1973 - Australia wins 5-0 over the United States. (Source: http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/RushInspirations.htm; and...first-hand experience at multiple Rush concerts). 1974 - South Africa wins over India (walkover). A picture of the Stooges and their names is included in the Counterparts linernotes, and they are included in the "assistance, inspiration, comic relief" listing. 1975 - Sweden wins 3-2 over Czechoslovakia. The Stooges television series theme music, a derivative of "Three Blind Mice", was used by Rush as introductory music during the Signals through Hold Your Fire tours, and again for the Vapor Trails tour. 1976 - Italy wins 4-1 over Chile. Tribute to a famous trio by...another famous trio: the legendary Canadian rock group Rush. 1977 - Australia wins 3-1 over Italy. The movie was executive produced by Mel Gibson. 1978 - United States wins 4-1 over Great Britain. Moe was played by Paul Ben-Victor, Larry by Evan Handler, Shemp by John Kassir, and Curly by Michael Chiklis. 1979 - United States wins 5-0 over Italy. The Stooges were brought back to life (so to speak) in a 2000 TV movie. 1980 - Czechoslovakia wins 4-1 over Italy. Homer Simpson from the TV show The Simpsons imitates Curly occasionally, while character Mr Burns suffers from 'Three Stooges Syndrome', where he has every disease known to man, but survives because they all cancel each other out. 1981 - United States wins 3-1 over Argentina. The Super NES RPG Final Fantasy VI features as bosses the "Three Dream Stooges" (also named Larry, Curly and Moe), who entered Cyan Garamonde's mind while he was facing his inner demons in Doma Castle. 1982 - United States wins 4-1 over France. The King of the Hill episode "A-Fire Fighting We Will Go" contains several references to the Stooges. 1983 - Australia wins 3-2 over Sweden. Larry", Pinky and The Brain are inexplicably joined by a third wheel Larry in their plan to get into the White House posing as wallpaperers, whose unwelcome addition to the team causes Stooge-style antics to ensue. 1984 - Sweden wins 4-1 over the United States. In an episode of the cartoon Pinky and the Brain entitled "Pinky & The Brain And.. 1985 - Sweden wins 3-2 over West Germany. These three guards are none other than the three stooges. 1986 - Australia wins 3-2 over Sweden. In the computer game remake of Quest for Glory 1, three guards attempt to kill the hero in the Brigand fortress. 1987 - Sweden wins 5-0 over India. In the 1995 computer game Space Quest 6, there was a minigame called Stooge Fighter, which was a humorous tribute to the stooges. 1988 - West Germany wins 4-1 over Sweden. The game was also ported to the NES in 1989 by Activision, and then to Game Boy Advance in 2002 Metro 3D (M3). 1989 - West Germany wins 3-2 over Sweden. A 1987 computer game by Cinemaware, The Three Stooges, has the stooges trying to save an orphanage where they engage in wacky adventures and engage in some of their classic comic scenes. 1990 - United States wins 3-2 over Australia. The 1994 Song, "Two Reelers" by Frank Black tells the story of the four "original" stooges and Jules White, and protests the dismissal of the Three Stooges as mere low-brow slapstick: "If all you see is violence/Well then I make a plea in their defense/Don't you know they speak vaudevillian?". 1991 - France wins 3-1 over the United States. Among these: the blood flowing in the basement in Evil Dead (an homage to 1940's A-Plumbing We Will Go), the fight with his hand in the kitchen in Evil Dead 2, and the fight with the skeleton hands and with the little Ashes in Army of Darkness. 1992 - United States wins 3-1 over Switzerland. The Evil Dead film series has a number of stooge inspired moments. 1993 - Germany wins 4-1 over Australia. The 1985 film, Stoogemania tells the story of an obsessed Three Stooges fan, and includes clips of their classic Shorts. 1994 - Sweden wins 4-1 over Russia. The 1984 song "The Curly Shuffle," recorded by Jump N'The Saddle Band, expressed admiration for the Stooges and included several Curly imitations in the chorus. 1995 - United States wins 3-2 over Russia. Kook's Tour (1970). 1996 - France wins 3-2 over Sweden. The Outlaws Is Coming (1965). 1997 - Sweden wins 5-0 over the United States. 4 for Texas (1963) (Cameo). 1998 - Sweden wins 4-1 over Italy. It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963) (Cameo). 1999 - Australia wins 3-2 over France. The Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze (1963). 2000 - Spain wins 3-1 over Australia. The Three Stooges in Orbit (1962). 2001 - France wins 3-2 over Australia. The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962). 2002 - Russia wins 3-2 over France. Snow White and the Three Stooges (1961). 2003 - Australia wins 3-1 over Spain. Have Rocket, Will Travel (1959). Tommy Robredo (ESP) 7-6 (8), 6-2. Columbia Laff Hour (1956). Mardy Fish (USA) def. Gold Raiders (1951). Andy Roddick (USA) 6-2, 7-6 (1), 7-6 (5). Swing Parade of 1946 (1946). Carlos Moyà (ESP) def. Rockin' in the Rockies (1945). Juan Carlos Ferrero/Tommy Robredo (ESP) 6-0, 6-3, 6-2. Yates (1943) (scenes deleted). Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan (USA) def. Good Luck, Mr. Andy Roddick (USA) 6-7 (6), 6-2, 7-6 (6), 6-2. My Sister Eileen (1942) (Cameo). Rafael Nadal (ESP) def. Time Out for Rhythm (1941). Mardy Fish (USA) 6-4, 6-2, 6-3. Start Cheering (1938). Carlos Moyà (ESP) def. The Captain Hates the Sea (1934). 2004 - Spain wins 3-2 over the United States
Fugitive Lovers (1934). Mario Ančić (CRO) def. Myrt and Marge (1933). Ivan Ljubičić (CRO), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. Dancing Lady (1933). Dominik Hrbatý (SVK) def. Meet the Baron (1933). Dominik Hrbatý/Michal Mertinak (SVK), 7-6 (5), 6-3, 7-6 (5). Turn Back the Clock (1933). Mario Ančić/Ivan Ljubičić (CRO) def. Soup to Nuts (1930). Mario Ančić (CRO), 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-4. Ironically, the actual song is mournful. Dominik Hrbatý (SVK) def. The verse portion of "Listen to the Mockingbird", played in a comic way, complete with sounds of cuckoo birds and such. Karol Kučera (SVK), 6-3, 6-4, 6-3. Another version was played fast all the way through. Ivan Ljubičić (CRO) def. "Three Blind Mice", beginning as a slow but straightforward presentation, often breaking into a "jazzy" style before ending. 2005 - Croatia wins 3-2 over Slovakia
Larry: (points out) That's an eye. Moe: (pointing to his left eye) What's that?. Curly: YEOW!!. (Moe immediately pokes Curly in the eyes.). Curly: (pointing out Moe's first and second fingers) One, two!. Moe: (holding out his hand) Pick out two fingers. "Poifect!". (after Moe kicks his right foot causing his right fist to hit his chin). Moe: "This!". Curly and/or Larry: "What happens now?". (After Moe gets Larry or Curly to put his right fist up to his chin and puts his right knee up to his right elbow)
"Buint toast 'n' a rotten egg?" (any of the Stooges). "I'll take some buint toast 'n' a rotten egg." (any of the Stooges)
Curly and/or Larry: "Wait a minute! What're you gonna do?". "Get out (of here)! (Moe to Larry, Curly, or Shemp)
"Mammy!" (Larry gets on his knees to Moe). (After Moe tells them to do something). "I'm tryin' to think, but nothin' happens!" (Curly). (Moe pokes them in the eyes again). Curly and/or Larry: "I got my eyes closed.". Moe: "What'sa matter?". Curly and/or Larry: "I can't see! I can't see!". (After Moe pokes them in the eyes)
"Hold Hands, You Love Birds" (Emil Sitka). "Hey Lorna, How ya do'in?" (Shemp introduction to Lorna Doone). "Meep-meep-meep-meep!". "Vee-vee-vee-vee!". "Bee-bee-bee-bee!". "Hee-hee-hee-hee!". "Heep-heep-heep-heep!". "Mee-mee-mee-mee!" (Shemp, frightened or surprised): Uttered very fast, difficult to transcribe exactly; some other attempts:
(or "Woop-oop-oop-oop-oop-oop!"). (or "Whoop-whoop-whoop-whoop!"). "Woo-woo-woo-woo!" (Curly)
Fine, Dr. Howard, Dr. "Calling Dr. "Okay, buddy boy" (Curly-Joe DeRita). "Come on and fight like a man!" (Joe Besser). "that's good for you! "that's good for you! (get's hit by something) that's bad for me! (Joe Besser). "You crazy you!" (Joe Besser). "Oh, cut it ouuuuuut!" (Joe Besser). "That huuuuurts!" (Joe Besser). "Not so haaaaaard!" (Joe Besser). "Cotton!!" (Stooges to each other whenever performing surgery). "Seenophran!" (Moe, demanding another surgical instrument). "Anakanapuner!" (Moe, demanding a surgical instrument). "I'm sorry, Moe, it was an accident!" (Larry). "Say a few syllables!" (Curly to Moe when trying to wake him). Yuhhh-uh-uh-uh!. Other attempts: "Nyuhhh-uh-uh!". "Nyahhh-ah-ah!" (Stooges frightened)
"Niagara Falls! Slowly I turn, step by step, inch by inch..." (Moe or Larry). "Hello (Moe, low tone), Hellooo (Larry, a note higher, with Moe still holding his 'o'), Hellooooo (Curly, another note higher, with Larry and Moe both holding their 'o's)!". "I'll make a note of it!" (Larry or Curly). "Remind me to kill you later!" (Moe, to others)
"I'll moider ya!" (Moe). "Hey, porcupine!" (Moe, to Larry). "I'm a victim of soicumstance" (circumstance) (Curly). "Oh, you're an intelligent imbecile!" (Moe). "Oh, a wise guy, eh?" (Curly). "You knucklehead!" (Moe, to others). (Sometimes Moe on some Shemp and Joe shorts). Other attempt: (Ruff! Ruff!)
"Rrrowf! Rrrowf!" (Curly) (when angry or defiant)
"You nitwit!" (Moe, to others). "You imbecile!" (Moe, to the others). "Soitenly!" (certainly) (Curly). "Hey, Moe! Hey, Larry!" (Curly, Shemp). "Why I oughta..." (Moe). "Spread Out!" (Moe, to others). "Come 'ere!" (Moe, to others). "Why you...!" (Moe, to others). "A hot stake is better than a cold chop." (Curly, on why he would rather be burned at the stake instead of decapitated). "Ngah-ngah-ngah!" (Curly frightened). "Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk!" (Curly laughing). Sitka was officially named a member of the Stooges following Larry Fine's stroke, but never got to appear in a movie with the group. |