How Many Stooges Were There?

Now, I'm not talking about the diabolical 2012 film, but the original series of comedy films from the 1930s to 1970s.


In the 1930s, it all started as Moe (Moe Howard), Larry (Larry Fine) and Shemp (Shemp Howard) formed a group known as Ted Healy and his Southern Gentlemen. There was only one film done, called Soup To Nuts before Shemp left to go solo. Shemp was replaced by his brother, Curly Howard, and from then on, they were to be known as The Three Stooges.

Shemp joined the original two Stooges after Curly suffered a stroke. This team stayed together for nearly ten years until Shemp passed away from a heart attack. Shemps replacement was Joe (Joe Besser) who was himself replaced a couple of years later by Curly Joe (Joe DeRita).

Moe, Larry and Curly Joe were the main characters for 13 years before Larry suffered a paralysing stroke which took him out of show business for good. The character of Larry was played for one final time by a close friend Emil Sitka before Larry Fine passed away from a series of strokes in January 1975. Just four months later, the last remaining original Stooge, Moe passed away of lung cancer.