Changes

The Three Stooges began as a foil for vaudeville actor Ted Healy in 1922; he had known the Horwitz brothers since childhood, and when part of his ensemble walked out on him before a performance at the Brooklyn Prospect Theatre in New York, he contacted them and asked them to be part of his show; the new change called for them to be cast as hecklers in the audience before being brought to the stage as part of the act, which included scenes of physical, slapstick comedy.  

The Three Stooges began as a foil for vaudeville actor Ted Healy in 1922; he had known the Horwitz brothers since childhood, and when part of his ensemble walked out on him before a performance at the Brooklyn Prospect Theatre in New York, he contacted them and asked them to be part of his show; the new change called for them to be cast as hecklers in the audience before being brought to the stage as part of the act, which included scenes of physical, slapstick comedy.  

Five children were born to New York tailor Solomon and Jennie Horwitz; three of them would take to the stage under the surname "Howard".  The two who heckled Healy only to be slapped by him comprised the new act of "Ted Healy and his Stooges"; they were '''[[Samuel Horwitz]]''' (March 17, 1895 – November 23, 1955), and his brother '''[[Moses Horwitz|Moses]]''' (June 19, 1897 – May 4, 1975).  Moses went by the nickname "Moe", and Samuel was called "Shemp", partly as a result of the thick Yiddish accent of their mother.  By 1925 the act was very successful, both commercially and critically, and a third man was added to the cast: '''[[Louis Feinberg]]''' (October 5, 1902 – January 24, 1975), a man who had his own act at the time and was adept at the violin; his stage name was "Larry Fine", and his part was considered more straight compared to the other two.  

Five children were born to New York tailor Solomon and Jennie Horwitz; three of them would take to the stage under the surname "Howard".  The two who heckled Healy only to be slapped by him comprised the new act of "Ted Healy and his Stooges"; they were '''[[Shemp Howard|Samuel Horwitz]]''' (March 17, 1895 – November 23, 1955), and his brother '''[[Moses Horwitz|Moses]]''' (June 19, 1897 – May 4, 1975).  Moses went by the nickname "Moe", and Samuel was called "Shemp", partly as a result of the thick Yiddish accent of their mother.  By 1925 the act was very successful, both commercially and critically, and a third man was added to the cast: '''[[Louis Feinberg]]''' (October 5, 1902 – January 24, 1975), a man who had his own act at the time and was adept at the violin; his stage name was "Larry Fine", and his part was considered more straight compared to the other two.  

The four appeared in an acclaimed 1929 stage musical entitled ''A Night in Venice'', and from there they were signed by Fox Film (which later merged with 20th Century Pictures in 1935 to form [[20th Century Fox]], now 20th Century Studios) to do their first motion picture, ''Soup to Nuts'' (1930).  But friction existed between Shemp and Healy, which reached a climax when their fourth film was finished in 1932; Shemp left, and his role was taken over by the youngest of the Horwitz brothers, a kid with brown locks of hair and a mustache who was considered the handsomest of the family, '''[[Jerome Horwitz]]''' (October 22, 1903 – January 18, 1952); the shaving of his head for the stage led to the nickname "Curly".

The four appeared in an acclaimed 1929 stage musical entitled ''A Night in Venice'', and from there they were signed by Fox Film (which later merged with 20th Century Pictures in 1935 to form [[20th Century Fox]], now 20th Century Studios) to do their first motion picture, ''Soup to Nuts'' (1930).  But friction existed between Shemp and Healy, which reached a climax when their fourth film was finished in 1932; Shemp left, and his role was taken over by the youngest of the Horwitz brothers, a kid with brown locks of hair and a mustache who was considered the handsomest of the family, '''[[Jerome Horwitz]]''' (October 22, 1903 – January 18, 1952); the shaving of his head for the stage led to the nickname "Curly".