Changes

After two more years and several films, it was apparent to the Stooges that Ted Healy was treating them as stooges off the stage; contracts were made to Healy's advantage, and at one point Healy prevented the signing of the Stooges to a contract with 20th Century Film.  On March 6, 1934, the Stooges broke with Healy and a short time later signed with Columbia Pictures; their first short film without Healy premiered two months later (''Women Haters''[http://www.stoogeworld.com/_Videography/Filmography/WomanHaters.htm]) and was an immediate success.   

After two more years and several films, it was apparent to the Stooges that Ted Healy was treating them as stooges off the stage; contracts were made to Healy's advantage, and at one point Healy prevented the signing of the Stooges to a contract with 20th Century Film.  On March 6, 1934, the Stooges broke with Healy and a short time later signed with Columbia Pictures; their first short film without Healy premiered two months later (''Women Haters''[http://www.stoogeworld.com/_Videography/Filmography/WomanHaters.htm]) and was an immediate success.   

On the screen Moe was portrayed as "controlling" - in charge of the three, who would generally obey him after a hair pull, eye gouge, or a hit on the head with a large blunt object.  Larry was the calming influence, while Curly was a cauldron of insanity, doing a battle of wits with a plumbing system[http://www.stoogeworld.com/_Videography/Filmography/APlumbing.htm][http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akBX-KCUPMg] to the same degree he would use in serving liquor [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNNZGj4Dsfg&feature=related] or fighting a clam in his soup[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaHLlGtOZbg].

On the screen Moe was portrayed as "controlling" - in charge of the three, who would generally obey him after a hair pull, eye gouge, or a hit on the head with a large blunt object[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jocRd-aajW0&feature=related].  Larry was the calming influence, while Curly was a cauldron of insanity, doing a battle of wits with a plumbing system[http://www.stoogeworld.com/_Videography/Filmography/APlumbing.htm][http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akBX-KCUPMg] to the same degree he would use in serving liquor [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNNZGj4Dsfg&feature=related] or fighting a clam in his soup[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaHLlGtOZbg].

97 shorts were made by Moe Larry, and Curly up until 1947; during this period it became evident that Curly was having health problems, exasperated by several failed marriages.  During the filming of ''Half-Wits' Holiday''[http://www.stoogeworld.com/_Videography/Filmography/Half-Wits.htm] he suffered a major stroke.  His last appearance was a cameo in ''Hold That Lion'' (1947)[http://www.stoogeworld.com/_Videography/Filmography/HoldLion.htm][http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPFuMKgTvN8&feature=related], but he would not recover.  Curly passed away in 1952 at the age of 48.   

97 shorts were made by Moe Larry, and Curly up until 1947; during this period it became evident that Curly was having health problems, exasperated by several failed marriages.  During the filming of ''Half-Wits' Holiday''[http://www.stoogeworld.com/_Videography/Filmography/Half-Wits.htm] he suffered a major stroke.  His last appearance was a cameo in ''Hold That Lion'' (1947)[http://www.stoogeworld.com/_Videography/Filmography/HoldLion.htm][http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPFuMKgTvN8&feature=related], but he would not recover.  Curly passed away in 1952 at the age of 48.   

By then, Shemp was back with the troupe, having had a successful career on his own, and the three would star in 76 more shorts.  After the last one was made[http://www.stoogeworld.com/_Videography/Filmography/CommotionOcean.htm] Shemp would suffer a massive heart attack in a taxi in 1956; his death was thought to have ended the act as far as Moe was concerned, but he was persuaded by Columbia executives that it should continue with a new Stooge.  Between 1957 and 1959 fifteen shorts were made with Moe and Larry starring with '''Joe Besser''', a long-time friend from their Vaudeville days who's comedy act consisted of child-like behavior [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQvDBdUtx-E] and his catchprase "Not Sooooo Faaaassst!"  After his contract was up, he was replaced by '''Joe DeRita''', and the three were able to take advantage of a resurgence of the Stooges in television; feature films and commercials[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DATpxpOeCbg] were added to the act.

By then, Shemp was back with the troupe, having had a successful career on his own, and the three would star in 76 more shorts.  After the last one was made[http://www.stoogeworld.com/_Videography/Filmography/CommotionOcean.htm] Shemp would suffer a massive heart attack in a taxi in 1956; his death was thought to have ended the act as far as Moe was concerned, but he was persuaded by Columbia executives that it should continue with a new Stooge.  Between 1957 and 1959 fifteen shorts were made with Moe and Larry starring with '''Joe Besser''', a long-time friend from their Vaudeville days who's comedy act consisted of child-like behavior [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQvDBdUtx-E] and his catchprase "Not Sooooo Faaaassst!"  After his contract was up, he was replaced by '''Joe DeRita''', and the three were able to take advantage of a resurgence of the Stooges in television; feature films and commercials[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DATpxpOeCbg][http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iEPB_No5Qo&feature=related] were added to the act.