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'''The Three Stooges''' was the stage name of an American comedy act of the middle 20th century, known for many short films characterized by the use of slapstick-laden violence and dialogue.  Their shorts and feature films - more than 200 made between 1930 and 1970 - are continually shown worldwide, and have influenced modern comedy stars such as [[Adam Sandler]] and [[Jim Carrey]].

'''The Three Stooges''' was the stage name of an American comedy act of the middle 20th century, known for many short films characterized by the use of slapstick-laden violence and dialogue.  Their shorts and feature films - more than 200 made between 1930 and 1970 - are continually shown worldwide, and have influenced modern comedy stars such as [[Adam Sandler]] and [[Jim Carrey]].

All of the Stooges are [[Secular Judaism|Jewish by heritage]].

All of the Stooges are [[Secular Judaism|Jewish by heritage]] except for Joe DeRita, who was of English and French-Canadian ancestry.

==History==

==History==

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][https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPFuMKgTvN8&feature=related], but he would not recover.  Curly passed away on January 18, 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][https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPFuMKgTvN8&feature=related], but he would not recover.  Curly passed away on January 18, 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 whose comedy act consisted of childlike behavior [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQvDBdUtx-E] and his catchprase "Not Sooooo Faaaassst!"  After his contract was up, he was replaced by '''Joe DeRita''' (who took the screen name "Curly Joe" because of his passing resemblance to Curly Howard), and the three were able to take advantage of a resurgence of the Stooges in television; feature films and commercials [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DATpxpOeCbg][https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iEPB_No5Qo&feature=related] 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 whose comedy act consisted of childlike behavior [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQvDBdUtx-E] and his catchprase "Not Sooooo Faaaassst!"  After his contract was up, he was replaced by '''Joe DeRita''' (born '''Joseph Wardell''', who took the screen name "Curly Joe" because of his passing resemblance to Curly Howard), and the three were able to take advantage of a resurgence of the Stooges in television; feature films and commercials [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DATpxpOeCbg][https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iEPB_No5Qo&feature=related] were added to the act.

The Stooges gained popularity with a new generation of fans when their theatrical shorts began being [[broadcast syndication|syndicated]] on television by Columbia Pictures' TV division Screen Gems (now Sony Pictures Television) in September 1958.  In 1965, Moe, Larry and Curly Joe also lent their voices to a syndicated Saturday morning cartoon series called ''The New Three Stooges'', as well as appearing in live-action wraparound segments on that show, though that series lasted for a single season.  In addition, the Stooges kept in the spotlight by making appearances on numerous talk, variety and game shows over the next few years.  The last project to feature the lineup of Howard, Fine and DeRita was a pilot episode for a planned syndicated TV series called ''Kook's Tour'', a sitcom/travelogue hybrid which was to have the Stooges traveling the world after retiring from show business, with each episode of the series filmed on location; out of a planned 39 episodes for its first season, only the pilot was completed.

The Stooges gained popularity with a new generation of fans when their theatrical shorts began being [[broadcast syndication|syndicated]] on television by Columbia Pictures' TV division Screen Gems (now Sony Pictures Television) in September 1958.  In 1965, Moe, Larry and Curly Joe also lent their voices to a syndicated Saturday morning cartoon series called ''The New Three Stooges'', as well as appearing in live-action wraparound segments on that show, though that series lasted for a single season.  In addition, the Stooges kept in the spotlight by making appearances on numerous talk, variety and game shows over the next few years.  The last project to feature the lineup of Howard, Fine and DeRita was a pilot episode for a planned syndicated TV series called ''Kook's Tour'', a sitcom/travelogue hybrid which was to have the Stooges traveling the world after retiring from show business, with each episode of the series filmed on location; out of a planned 39 episodes for its first season, only the pilot was completed.