The Three Stooges were an American comedy and vaudeville troupe that entertained audiences from 1922 to 1970. They are best known for their 190 short comedy films produced by Columbia Pictures, which featured their signature blend of slapstick humor, physical comedy, and farcical situations. Although six performers appeared as members throughout the group’s history, only three performed together at any one time.

The two permanent members of the act were Moe Howard (born Moses Horwitz), who remained with the group from 1922 until 1970, and Larry Fine (born Louis Feinberg), who joined in 1925 and stayed until the act ended in 1970. The role of the “third Stooge” changed over the years, beginning with Shemp Howard (born Samuel Horwitz), who performed from 1923 to 1932 before returning from 1946 to 1955. He was succeeded by Curly Howard (born Jerome Horwitz), who starred from 1932 to 1946, followed by Joe Besser (born Jessel Besser) from 1956 to 1958, and finally “Curly Joe” DeRita (born Joseph Wardell), who remained with the group from 1958 until 1970.

The act originated in 1922 as part of comedian Ted Healy’s vaudeville routine. Initially featuring Healy and Moe Howard, the group soon expanded to include Shemp Howard and Larry Fine, becoming known as Ted Healy and His Stooges, with “stooges” referring to comedic assistants in stage performances. The quartet made its feature-film debut in Soup to Nuts before Shemp left in 1932 to pursue a solo career. He was replaced by his younger brother, Jerome “Curly” Howard.

In 1934, after appearing in several films with Healy, Moe, Larry, and Curly parted ways with him and signed with Columbia Pictures. Performing simply as The Three Stooges, the trio starred in more than 90 short comedy films between 1934 and 1946, establishing themselves as one of America’s most recognizable comedy acts.

Curly Howard’s career was cut short after he suffered a severe stroke in May 1946. Shemp returned to the group, restoring the original lineup, and remained until his death from a heart attack on November 22, 1955. During the production of several unfinished shorts, actor Joe Palma served as a stand-in for Shemp, filmed from behind to conceal his identity. This technique later became known in the film industry as the “fake Shemp.”

Following Shemp’s death, Joe Besser joined the team as the third Stooge and appeared from 1956 to 1958. When Columbia Pictures discontinued its short-subject film division, Besser left the group to care for his ill wife. Columbia then distributed the Stooges’ films through its television subsidiary, Screen Gems, where frequent television broadcasts introduced the trio to a new generation of viewers. Their popularity surged during the early 1960s, making them a favorite among young television audiences.

In 1958, comic actor Joe DeRita adopted the stage name Curly Joe and replaced Besser as the third Stooge. This lineup starred in a series of feature-length films and enjoyed renewed success throughout the 1960s, fueled by widespread television exposure. The group’s performing career came to an end after Larry Fine suffered a debilitating stroke in January 1970 while filming a pilot for a proposed Three Stooges television series.

Although attempts were made in both 1970 and 1975 to revive the act with longtime supporting actor Emil Sitka replacing Larry Fine, neither effort came to fruition. The first ended when a planned film project was canceled and Moe Howard retired at his wife’s urging, while the second was halted by Moe’s death. Larry Fine died in January 1975 after suffering additional strokes, bringing the history of the legendary comedy team to a close.

best remembered for their 190 short-subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical, farce, and slapstick comedy. Six Stooges appeared over the act’s run, with only three working at any given time. The two constants were:

• Moe Howard (born Moses Horwitz), 1922–1970, and
• Larry Fine (born Louis Feinberg), 1925–1970

The “third stooge” was played in turn by:

• Shemp Howard (born Samuel Horwitz), 1923–1932 and 1946–1955
• Curly Howard (born Jerome Horwitz), 1932–1946
• Joe Besser (born Jessel Besser), 1956–1958
• “Curly Joe” DeRita (born Joseph Wardell), 1958–1970

The act began in 1922 as part of a vaudeville comedy act consisting originally of Ted Healy and Moe Howard. Over time, they were joined by Moe’s brother, Shemp Howard, and then Larry Fine. The troupe became known as “Ted Healy and His Stooges” (“stooges” being a show-business term for on-stage assistants). The foursome appeared in one feature film, Soup to Nuts, before Shemp left to pursue a solo career. He was replaced by his and Moe’s younger brother, Jerome “Curly” Howard, in 1932. Two years later, after appearing in several movies, the trio left Healy and signed on to appear in their own short-subject comedies for Columbia Pictures, now billed as “The Three Stooges”. From 1934 to 1946, Moe, Larry, and Curly starred in more than 90 short comedies for Columbia.

Curly suffered a debilitating stroke in May 1946. Shemp returned, reconstituting the original lineup, until his death of a heart attack on November 22, 1955, three years and ten months after Curly’s death of a cerebral hemorrhage. Film actor Joe Palma stood in (shot from behind to obscure his face) to complete four Shemp-era shorts under contract. The procedure of disguising one actor as another outside of stunt shots became known as the “fake Shemp“. Columbia contract player Joe Besser joined as the third Stooge for two years (1956–1958), departing in 1958 to nurse his ill wife after Columbia terminated its shorts division. The studio then released all the shorts via Screen Gems, Columbia’s television studio and distribution unit. Screen Gems then syndicated the shorts to television, whereupon the Stooges became one of the most popular comedy acts of the early 1960s.

Comic actor Joe DeRita became “Curly Joe” in 1958, replacing Besser for a new series of full-length theatrical films. With intense television exposure in the United States, the act regained momentum throughout the 1960s as popular kids’ fare, until Larry’s paralyzing stroke in the midst of filming a pilot for a Three Stooges TV series in January 1970. He died in January 1975 after a further series of strokes. Attempts were made in 1970 and 1975 to revive the act with longtime supporting actor Emil Sitka in Fine’s role, but they were each cut short—the first by a movie deal falling through and Moe’s wife persuading him to retire, the second by Moe’s death.

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The Three Stooges on Film and Television: A Lasting Comedy Legacy

Few comedy teams have enjoyed the longevity of The Three Stooges. Over the course of their career, the slapstick trio appeared in an incredible 220 films, with 190 short comedies produced for Columbia Pictures—the films that continue to define their legacy today.

Their Columbia journey began on May 5, 1934, with Woman Haters. The studio renewed the team’s contract year after year until it finally expired on December 31, 1957. Although production had ended, Columbia continued releasing previously completed shorts, with the final entry, Sappy Bull Fighters, premiering on June 4, 1959.

Columbia’s Feature-Length Compilation Films

Although The Three Stooges starred in numerous short films, Columbia also created several feature-length compilation movies by packaging together older shorts.

These included:

• Columbia Laff Hour (1956) – A mixed comedy program featuring The Three Stooges alongside Columbia favorites such as Andy Clyde, Hugh Herbert, and Vera Vague. The lineup varied from theater to theater.
• Three Stooges Fun-O-Rama (1959) – Released during the team’s television boom, this feature showcased only Three Stooges shorts, with selections differing by location.
• The Three Stooges Follies (1974) – Another compilation that combined Stooge classics with comedy shorts starring Buster Keaton and Vera Vague, plus a Batman serial chapter and a Kate Smith musical performance.

C3 Entertainment Keeps the Legacy Alive

In 1959, Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Joe DeRita established Comedy III Productions, later renamed C3 Entertainment, to oversee licensing, merchandising, and business affairs related to The Three Stooges.

Today, the company continues to manage the team’s intellectual property and licensing rights, ensuring that new generations can enjoy the Stooges through merchandise, streaming services, and other media.

The Three Stooges Find a New Audience on Television

Television played a huge role in transforming The Three Stooges from popular movie comedians into pop culture icons.

Their shorts first appeared on television in 1949, but the real breakthrough came in 1958, when Screen Gems syndicated a package of 78 shorts to TV stations across America. The package was later expanded to include the entire library of 190 Columbia shorts.

Throughout the following decades, local stations embraced the Stooges. In Los Angeles, KTTV and later KTLA became famous for airing the shorts, while Chicago viewers enjoyed them on WGN-TV with host Bob Bell. Boston’s WSBK-TV also became well known for its annual New Year’s Eve Stooges marathons.

Cable television introduced the trio to even more fans. Over the years, the shorts appeared on:

• The Family Channel
• AMC
• Spike TV (later Paramount Network)
• BBC America
• Antenna TV
• MeTV

AMC even created themed programming blocks such as Stooges Playhouse and N.Y.UK. (New Yuk University of Knuckleheads), hosted by Leslie Nielsen as the humorous “Professor of Stoogelogy.”

Modern Television and Streaming

Beginning in the 2000s, Sony Pictures Television shifted distribution away from local television stations, focusing instead on national cable and streaming platforms.

Although only around 100 shorts are currently included in Sony’s television syndication package, all 190 Columbia shorts have been preserved through home video releases.

Several classics have also received colorized editions, giving fans the option of watching the films in either their original black-and-white presentation or in color.

A major milestone arrived in January 2024, when C3 Entertainment announced the launch of the Three Stooges+ Channel. The dedicated streaming service offers all 190 Columbia shorts, along with additional Three Stooges programming, making it easier than ever for fans to enjoy the comedy legends.

The Columbia Shorts by the Numbers

Columbia Pictures produced 190 Three Stooges shorts between 1934 and 1959, released across eight production periods:

Production Period	Number of Shorts	Years
Season 1	19	1934–1936
Season 2	24	1937–1939
Season 3	23	1940–1942
Season 4	21	1943–1945
Season 5	25	1946–1948
Season 6	24	1949–1951
Season 7	22	1952–1954
Season 8	32	1955–1959

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A Timeless Legacy

More than 90 years after Woman Haters introduced audiences to The Three Stooges at Columbia Pictures, their slapstick comedy remains as entertaining as ever. Thanks to decades of television syndication, home video, and modern streaming services, the antics of Moe, Larry, Curly, Shemp, Joe Besser, and Curly Joe continue to delight longtime fans and introduce new audiences to one of comedy’s greatest teams.

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