[virgil283]

"He was born Jerome Lester Horwitz in Brooklyn, New York, on October 22, 1903. Born to Solomon and Jennie Horwitz, Jerry was youngest of the five Horwitz (later Howard) brothers. Up until he became a world-famous “Stooge,” his life was fairly uneventful.

By the mid-1920's, Jerry had managed to score a steady gig conducting the Orville Knapp Band. It was a comedy bit of shtick, where Jerry would conduct the band, and as he did, bits of his clothing would fall off, until at last he was left standing in a big diaper. At the age of 29, he replaced his older brother “Shemp", as the third stooge in the Three Stooges slapstick comedy act.

Shemp, Moe, and a frizzle-haired violinist named Larry Fine had made up a comic trio for several years, along with their leader at the time, a man named Ted Healy. But by 1932, Shemp decided he wanted to try making it on his own and left the act. Jerry was brought into the act.

Jerry had spent the early years of his life with thick, brown curly hair and a big mustache. When he joined the act, the first step was shaving off the facial hair and cutting off all his hair. The story goes that Jerry actually was crying when they cut his hair off.

“If you want me, call me ‘Curly,’ he said, and his lifelong (soon world-famous) monicker was set. Being the youngest of five children in the Howard household, he was known lovingly as “Babe." Another version of the “Curly" derivation story has Ted Healy seeing Jerry with a shaved head and saying, “Don't you look girly.” Moe misheard him and thought he said “Curly' and the new nickname was soon adopted.

Curly's comic character became fully fleshed out and nothing quite like him has ever been seen on the movie screen- before or since. Curly was a surreal kind of man-child. To everyone's happy surprise, it was quickly discovered that Curly was a master of invention and was a virtuoso at slapstick comedy. He had a zest and enthusiasm for life and all of it's adventures. He was Moe's most frequent target for a slap, a poke in the eyes, or a pie in the face.....

By the mid-'50s the demand for short films had petered out. So, in 1957, Columbia unceremoniously announced they weren't renewing the Stooges' contracts. Moe and Larry were devastated. After 23 years, what else would they do? Moe was rich from real estate investments, but Larry was broke - which made it even harder. They decided to get a third Stooge (Curly and Shemp were dead) and go back on tour. Joe DeRita, "Curly Joe," was selected.

They started making appearances in third-rate clubs, just to have work. Meanwhile, Columbia, hoping to get a few bucks out of its old Stooge films, released them to TV at bargain prices. They had no expectations, so everyone (particularly Moe and Larry) was shocked when, in 1959, the Stooges emerged as the hottest kids' program in America. Suddenly the Stooges had offers to make big-time personal appearances and new films. And they've been American cult heroes ever since.....

.....;

[GeronL]

Apparently he had some sad things in his life

[Responsibility2nd]

The Curly Shuffle.

[US_MilitaryRules]

Yuk Yuk, bump.

[dhs12345]

Thanks. Excellent story.

[Buckeye McFrog]

They came up in Vaudeville, where you a) had to learn very quickly what appealed to “the common man” while, at the same time b) not crossing any of the boundaries of the much stricter social norms of the day.

So they learned how to play it just right. For the hoi palloi, but not offensive.

As compared to today’s entertainment aimed at low-info audiences.

[dynachrome]

“Curly shuffle”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBiHysKnvGs

[skeeter]

A FReeper once recounted here a time he met Larry & Moe in a hotel lobby in a town they were doing a routine in.

I wish I could remember his/her name, it was an interesting insight into the personalities of other two stooges.

[laker_dad]

Mo! Larry! The CHEESE!

[Tulane]

His best quote:

“I’m tryin’ to think, but nothin’ happens!”

[AlaskaErik]

Nyuk nyuk nyuk nyuk!

[aomagrat]

I love the Stooges. Back then you had to be talented to be an entertainer.

[ViLaLuz]

My favorite of Curly’s antics... Some guy unknowingly had a picture of Hitler stuck to his butt... Every time he bent over Curly would do the heil salute and say “Schicklgruber.”

[MarineBrat]

Niagara Falls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-A9c6VNeRQ

[greene66]

Interesting. I’d never known there was ever a connection between Curly and Orville Knapp’s band. Knapp died in a plane crash in 1936. His sister, Evalyn Knapp, was a leading-lady in a lot of early-mid-1930s b-films.

The Stooges shouldn’t have been surprised or caught off-guard when Columbia ended their short-subject department. All other studios had pretty much axed theirs long before. The writing had been on the wall for many years. I’ve sometimes gotten the notion that the Stooges were actually a little oblivious to how they’d become such a popular staple for the kiddie-matinee audience at the cinemas in the post-war years. Quotes always seem to indicate they still somehow thought they were playing to the same old-time 1920s/30s vaudeville-going ‘adult’ crowd. Which time had passed by. They were even trying some kind of Vegas show/revue in the late-50s (which apparently was a big flop). Seemed to finally wake up, when reruns of the shorts got monster ratings with the kid set, and they started making feature-films specifically geared for them, in 1959-65.

[bramps]

I was in a teenage friends driveway many years ago when a lady pulled up and asked where Water St. was. With extremely quick wit, one of my friends replied, ‘turn on anything, you’ll get it”.

As a hard core stooges fans, we were cracking up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xzIFw_IKoI

[bkopto]

Joe DeRita, "Curly Joe," was selected.

Joe was in the pee-wee league, compared to Curly and Shemp.

Personally, I favor Shemp over Curly. Curly was great but Shemp is really wacky.

[Envisioning]

“I’m a victim of circumstance!” (((ping)))

[dainbramaged]

Moe to Curly: “Remind me to murder you later.”

[pallmallman]

Curly was magnificent....I love the Stooges...and I can’t decide whether the funniest was Curly or Shemp....all I know is that they make me forget all the unfunny shit in this world...and I split my sides laughing!!

[Gay State Conservative]

Before he had his strokes Curly proved himself to be an absolute comic genius...physical comedy included.