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The Three Stooges
The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy act
of the early to mid–20th century best known for their numerous short subject films.
Their hallmark was physical farce and extreme slapstick.
In films, the stooges were commonly known by their first names:
"Moe, Larry, and Curly" and "Moe, Larry, and Shemp," among other lineups.
The film trio was originally composed of Moe Howard,
brother Shemp Howard and longtime friend Larry Fine.
Curly Howard replaced brother Shemp, who later returned when
Curly suffered a debilitating stroke in 1946.
After Shemp's death in 1955, he was replaced by comedian Joe Besser,
after the use of stuntman Joe Palma to record several "Shemp" shorts after his death.
Eventually Joe "Curly-Joe" DeRita (born Joseph Wardell) replaced Joe Besser.
Larry suffered a serious stroke in 1970, and was unable to continue performing.
Emil Sitka, a longtime actor in Stooge comedies, was contracted to replace Larry,
but no film was ever made with him in the role,
although publicity photographs exist of him with his hair combed similarly to Larry's,
posing with Moe and Curly-Joe (see below).
However, Larry's paralyzing stroke in 1970 effectively marked the end of the act.
He died in January 1975.
Moe died of cancer a few months later.
From Wikipedia
MOE HOWARD
Born: June 19, 1897 in Bensonhurst, New York
Died: May 4, 1975 at the age of 77
Moe Howard was born on June 19, 1897, in Bensonhurst, New York,
a small Jewish community on the outskirts of Brooklyn.
Moe's real name was Moses Horwitz.
Moe's mother's name was Jennie Horwitz, and his father
was clothing cutter Solomon Horwitz.
Moe was the fourth eldest of five Howard brothers.
Two of Moe's brothers, Jerome (Curly),
and Shemp performed with him as members of The Three Stooges.
Moe's other two brothers, Jack and Irving, never entered show business.
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LARRY FINE
Born: October 5, 1902 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died: January 24, 1975 at the age of 72
Larry Fine was born Louis Fienberg on October 5, 1902
on the south side of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
His father, Joseph Fienberg, and mother Fanny Lieberman,
owned a watch repair and jewelry shop. Larry had two brothers,
Morris, a younger brother Phillip who died prematurely, and a sister,
Lila, who became a school teacher.
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CURLY HOWARD
Born: October 22, 1903 in Brooklyn, New York
Died: January 18, 1952 at the age of 48
Curly Howard's real name was Jerome Lester Horwitz.
He was born to Jenny and Solomon Horwitz on October 22, 1903 in Bath Beach,
a summer resort in a section of Brooklyn.
He was the fifth and youngest of the five Horwitz brothers.
Curly's interest in show business grew as he watched his brothers,
Shemp and Moe perform as stooges in Ted Healy's act.
After Shemp left the Healy act, Moe suggested to Healy that his kid brother
Jerome was available and would make an excellent replacement for Shemp.
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SHEMP HOWARD
Born: March 17, 1895 in Brooklyn, New York
Died: November 23, 1955 at the age of 60
Shemp was born Samuel Horwitz in Brooklyn, New York on March 17, 1895.
He acquired the name "Shemp" when his mother, with her broad European accent,
would call him "Sam," which sounded like "Shemp." Shemp graduated from P.S. 163
in Brooklyn. Shemp enrolled along with Moe at the Baron De Hirsch Trade School
in New York where Shemp took up plumbing and Moe studied to be an electrician.
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JOE BESSER
Born: August 12, 1907 in St. Louis, Missouri
Died: March 1, 1988 at the age of 80
After Shemp Howard died in 1955, the Stooges replaced him with Joe Besser.
Joe Besser was born in Saint Louis, Missouri on August 12, 1907 to Fannie and Morris Besser.
His parents were Orthodox Jews and moved to the United States from Poland in 1895
where Morris worked as a baker.
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CURLY JOE DERITA
Born: July 12, 1909 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died: July 3, 1993 at the age of 83
Joe DeRita's real name was Joseph Wardell. He was born July 12, 1909 in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. Joe was the only one of the Stooges to come from a show biz family.
His mother, Florenz DeRita, was a dancer and his father,
Frank Wardell, was a stage technician.
Joe was in show business from the age of seven. Joe's roles included the title role
in the stage version of "Peck's Bad Boy" with his mother and father.
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