History of The Three Stooges (Part IX: 25 Years and What Do You Get? - 1957-1959)

The Three Stooges entered the late 1950s with a looming question: who will be their third Stooge? On November 22, 1955, Shemp Howard tragically passed away at the age of 60, though before his passing, he filmed four shorts that were released in 1956. Following those posthumously released shorts, which served as Shemp's final films, Columbia Pictures filmed four final shorts with Joe Palma standing in for the late Shemp Howard, doing so to fulfill Shemp's two year deal. Those four shorts brought the Shemp Howard era to a final end, but the act wasn't done. A third Stooge was needed.

One thing I have to address. For years, I read stories about an idea that would have seen Moe Howard and Larry Fine to continue as a duo, but the owner of the idea has always been a conflict. I first read that it was Columbia president Harry Cohn who suggested the "Two Stooges" idea. Later, I read that it was Moe's idea. Honestly, I truly think that "Two Stooges" idea belonged to Cohn; he's the only one crazy enough to even consider that. No way would Larry consider it, and you know good and damn well that Moe would never even think of reducing a trio that's lasted this long into a duo.

Moe was recruiting, he was looking. And I recently learned that he had a very interesting choice:

I actually learned about this here on Vocal. Following brother Shemp's passing, Moe actually had his eye on comedian Mantan Moreland to fill that void. Moe had been watching Moreland's act for years, and he offered Moreland a chance to join the act and replace the late Shemp Howard. Moreland was excited over this, but Columbia insisted on "having a comedian that's already under contract." Even so, Moreland with the Stooges--the first Black Stooge. That really would have been truly epic!

A story I've also heard that there were two final choices to fill that void: Joe DeRita and Joe Besser--both of them having done solo shorts for Columbia. When the Moreland option fell through, Moe wanted DeRita, but he had a prior engagement and couldn't do it. As a result:

Hello, Joe!

This was the intro used during the Joe Besser era of The Three Stooges; the trio standing live doing the famous, "Hello, hello, hello!" introduction that we've seen in past performances with Curly and Shemp. Similar to Shemp, Joe Besser (born on August 12, 1907 in St. Louis) was quite accomplished entering his time with the Stooges. He had done several solo shorts for Columbia beforehand, and he worked with Abbott and Costello a lot. This includes being featured in A&C's 1949 film, Africa Screams, which also featured Shemp Howard, and also playing Stinky on A&C's TV show.

And now, let the Joe Besser era begin:

1957

Hoofs and Goofs, released on January 31, 1957, was the first Stooge short to feature Besser, and I truly think that this was an overdue tribute to Shemp. The short centers on the Stooges coming off the loss of their sister, Birdie, who (according to Moe) has been deceased for over a year (that line is a definite sign that this is a tribute to Shemp). Joe was shown reading a book on reincarnation, and voicing his belief that Birdie is back in some form. Moe imitates Birdie and sets up a meeting with Joe, but when the trio arrives, they hear Birdie's voice (provided by Ruth Godfrey White) and learn that Birdie really did return... as a horse. The boys take Birdie home, where they actually learn that she's expecting.

I have to talk about this. Muscle Up a Little Closer, the second short with Besser, featured a first for the Stooges. Take a look at Moe and Larry. Moe's bangs are combed back. Larry's hair is absolutely styled! I remember the first time I saw this, and I was in awe over what I call the "Pimped Out Stooges." Regarding the look, it was Joe's idea, he wanted the Stooges to look like gentlemen. As for the plotline, a ring belonging to Joe's fiancée, Tiny, is gone, and they suspect Elmo, who works at the Stooges' workplace, of being behind the theft.

A Merry Mix-Up was a wild, crazy, and even emotional short that featured the Stooges playing three sets of identical triplets who all lost touch with each other. Each set had their own distinct traits. Set #1 (Moe, Larry, and Joe): wore striped ties and are confirmed bachelors. Set #2 (Max, Louie, and Jack): no ties, and they're married... and henpecked. Set #3 (Morris, Luke, and Jeff): wore bow ties, and are engaged. The emotion comes in when the brothers are finally reunited, but it comes after immense confusion by all six women. Speaking of, I absolutely loved the collection of actresses in this short, which included the late, great B-movie icon Jeanne Carmen. The other five women were known Stooge actresses, and regarding one of them, it's a somber note. This short marked the final performance of Stooge actress Nanette Bordeaux, who passed away on September 20, 1956 at the age 45. Bordeaux appeared in seven Stooge shorts, with this short (released posthumously) being her only appearance in the Besser period.

Space Ship Sappy, the first sci-fi Stooge short, has the boys taking a job offer that is revealed to be a trip to the planet Sunev ("That's Venus spelled backwards," says Professor Rumple, "but don't you tell somebody!"). The boys arrive and encounter, among other things, a trio of gorgeous Amazons--who turn out to be cannibals. One of them was played by Marilyn Hanold, a future Playboy Playmate (Miss June 1959), and one of the few surviving Stooge actors. Another was played by Harriette Tarler in her lone villainous Stooge role. Guns a Poppin! was next, and it's my favorite from 1957, as well as the first remake in the Besser period. The short, a remake of 1945's Idiots Deluxe, has Joe and Larry suing Moe for the abuse he put them through, and there are a few differences. While both have Moe claiming that his nerves were a problem, the original doesn't give a cause. This short does:

"As I said before, Your Honor... you see, Your Honor, I'm a very sick man. Firstly, my creditors closed up my business. Secondly, I have to pay $10,000 or they'll put me in bankruptcy, and because of that, I had a nervous breakdown. So only a few days ago, I was terribly sick, and my doctors said I must have quiet. Absolute quiet!"

Another difference is the added angle of a criminal known as Mad Bill Hookup (played by Joe Palma) crashing the cabin the Stooges were staying in. This short is the last to feature any footage of Vernon Dent, whose actual Stooge finale came three years prior in Knutzy Knights. Next up was Horsing Around, which was the sequel to Hoofs and Goofs and released just over seven months after the original. In this, the boys rush to save Schnapps, a horse who was Birdie's long lost love, from being euthanized. Rusty Romeos, a remake of 1952's Corny Casanovas, has the same plot: the Stooges preparing their home for their fiancées, only to discover that they're engaged to the same woman. Connie Cezon reprises her signature villainous role from the original, with the main difference being that she's named in this one (three different names, but still). There's also a big difference in the ending. In the original, the villainess gets away scot-free after fooling the boys. In this, Joe gets her back big time, doing so by firing that rifle full of tacks at her and whacking her with said rifle.

1957 ended with another sci-fi short, Outer Space Jitters, which has the boys on Sunev again, this time with Professor Jones (Emil Sitka). What started out as a friendly visit turned into the Stooges and Jones discovering a plot to destroy the Earth, as well as dealing with a giant goon played by Dan Blocker, aka Hoss Cartwright from Bonanza.

1958

1958 kicked off with Quiz Whizz, a hilarious short that features Joe as a sweepstakes winner who is bilked out of his prize, leading to the Stooges' quest to regain their moolah seeing them encounter a gang who looks to eliminate them. This short features two Stooge debuts; one, Milton Frome, who appeared in a few Besser shorts, and two, Greta Thyssen, who appeared in three shorts--with this being her lone villainous role. Next, Fifi Blows Her Top was a rom-com, of sorts, that sees Joe fret over his one time love interest, the titular Fifi, only to be elated to see that she's living in their apartment building. However, the elation halts when Joe learns she's married. Larry and Moe's stories of their romantic pasts are told via stock material from 1950's Love at First Bite, making this the final short to feature any footage of Christine McIntyre, and we would see some other pieces from that short as well (the dog's scenes, and Moe vs the gum). A sequence from Joe's flashback always amuses me:

Joe: "I come from Brooklyn, where them Bums are."

Fifi: "Bombs? They explode!"

Joe: "I'll say they explode; they fall apart!"

Joe was referencing the old Brooklyn Dodgers (who had moved to LA by 1958); they were referred to as the "Bums" due to their inability to win the big one (which they finally did in 1955). Vanda Dupre truly stole the entire short as the titular Fifi, especially when she goes into a rage and totally lashes out at her husband, Mort, after overhearing his plans to leave her for another woman. Mort was played by Phil Van Zandt, and this was his final appearance in a Stooge short. Van Zandt, who appeared in several Stooge shorts (often as an antagonist), took his own life less than two months prior to the short's release.

Next up was Pies and Guys, the second and last "remake of a remake" short. In this case, this short was a remake of 1947's Half-Wits Holiday (the final Curly short), which was a remake of 1935's Hoi Polloi. The short has the same plot as both previous shorts, but is a copy of the first remake, bit by bit. I'm going to talk more on this later, but a few of the bits were funnier with Joe than with Curly, especially the stolen ring and silverware bit:

Larry: "Where's that diamond?"

Joe: "In the safety deposit box."

Moe: "You kleptomaniac!"

Joe: "If that means what I think it does..."

Moe: "Yeah?"

Joe: "I'm guilty."

When Joe's conked and the silverware falls out: "Well, what do you know? Somebody framed me!"

Sweet and Hot is a hilarious short that individuated the trio very well. The short actually centered on Tiny, a farm girl played by Muriel Landers, who has talent for music (mainly singing). She and her brother Joe are visited by Larry, who wants Joe and Tiny to be part of his nightclub act in New York. One problem: Tiny has immense stage fright. Larry takes Tiny to psychiatrist Hugo Gansamacher (Moe) to remedy Tiny's stage fright. There are many highlights to this, mainly Moe's German accent; he totally stole that entire short big time.

1958-1959 (End of an Era)

Next up was Flying Saucer Daffy, another short that kinda individuated the Stooges, also one of the few that featured Moe and Larry's "pimped out" looks. In this one, Joe walks in Cinderella's shoes, living with his fiendish aunt and his bullying cousins (Moe and Larry), who make him do literally all of the housework. A camping trip has Joe using his camera to take pictures that would get him a cash prize, but Moe and Larry get their hands on one of Joe's photos of what they assume is a flying saucer, and enter it themselves. The pair collects, and Joe's still in that Cinderella role, but it's revealed to be a paper plate, and Moe and Larry are arrested. Joe's ejected by his aunt, and he hopes to get an actual UFO pic--and does when a pair of alien beauties land. Joe's pic isn't believed, and after finally letting Moe, Larry, and his auntie have it. Joe turns in the pic, wins the contest, and gets his happy ending, while Moe and Larry are institutionalized.

That, technically, is how the Stooges shorts era ended. Flying Saucer Daffy was filmed on December 19 and 20, 1957, and released just under 10 months later on October 9, 1958. It was not the last short released, but it was the final short filmed, as Columbia closed their shorts department mere hours after filming was finished. It was also the last to feature an actual villainess, with Gail Bonney as Joe's Lady Tremaine-esque aunt. Just like that, it was over. No farewell, no wrap party, no "Thanks for carrying Columbia on your backs or a quarter-century." Nothing. But there were still just a few more shorts left to be released.

Oil's Well That Ends Well (the Stooges' antepenultimate short) is actually my favorite out of the final eight shorts released, and it's the second of only two without a supporting cast. In this one, the Stooges need money to pay for their father's surgery, but their fortunes increase when they read a letter from their father regarding an oil well. Similar to 1939's Oily to Bed, Oily to Rise, Joe has wishing powers; anything and everything he wishes for comes true. The short was released on December 4, 1958, and two months later on February 2, 1959, Triple Crossed (the Stooges' penultimate short) was released. A remake of 1952's He Cooked His Goose, the short has the same plot: Larry as a pet shop owner trying to make a play for Joe's fiancée, Millie, while also carrying on with Moe's wife, Belle. While Mary Ainslee did not physically reprise her role as heel adulteress Belle in new material (the character is shown from the back and played by Connie Cezon), Angela Stevens did return as Millie, reprising the role she played in her Stooges debut.

And finally, there's Sappy Bull Fighters, released on June 4, 1959, the 190th and final short released by Columbia Pictures. A remake of 1942's What's the Matador?, the opening--in art imitating life fashion--sees the Stooges fretting over being fired. However, vivacious beauty Greta managed to get the Stooges a gig to do their comedy bullfight act, but while they celebrate, they realize that they have Greta's suitcase, and that she has theirs. That's one attribute from the original. Another is Greta's jealous husband assuming that the boys are making a play for Greta, and when he sees them performing their act, he sends in a real bull to mess with the trio. Much like Curly did in the original, Joe knocks out the bull, and gets a hero's celebration.

And that, my friends, brings the Stooges short era to an overall end.

My Thoughts on Joe Besser

You just knew I'd address this. To say that Joe Besser is an acquired taste is like saying the Super Bowl is "just a game." A lot of today's Stooges fans are not crazy about Joe Besser. The repeated story about Joe is that he wasn't a fan of slapstick comedy, and that he flat out refused to be smacked by Moe, leading many to flat out dismiss his contributions to the Stooges. The more I watch Besser's shorts, the more I think it's a bunch of bull. Joe has said in interviews that his character is the type to fight back. The ending of Rusty Romeos proved that. I read a comment recently that, IMO, put it in the proper perspective. It said that Joe probably wasn't used to how the Stooges do things, but with time, he was into it. Look at the later shorts. Joe did get smacked around a bit more than earlier as time went by.

And to the people who say that Joe's not funny because "he's not Curly and Shemp," just stop. Stop. I really hate that type of gatekeeping; I've seen it way too much as a sports fan. Imagine if I had that attitude about Nathan MacKinnon because "he's not Joe Sakic." Thankfully, I don't have that attitude. Joe Besser had his own brand of humor and it worked for him. I honestly think that the Besser remakes of Curly and Shemp's stuff, at times, is funnier than the original. It's not just Pies and Guys. Guns a Poppin saw some material with Joe that was funnier than the stuff with Curly in Idiots Deluxe; for example, the scene where Joe and Larry sell Moe on a relaxing vacation--the two of them bickering before Joe conks Larry with that drumstick was hilarious.

The Stooges Deserved Better

The Stooges definitely deserved better from Columbia. Harry Cohn used them for years, lied about Columbia having money problems to keep them in shorts instead of letting them flourish in features, overworked an ailing Curly, and after all those years, they were unceremoniously fired. No pomp, no circumstance, and Moe being stopped at the gate and not even let in after everything closed down. Let's get one thing straight: the Stooges stayed even as non-animated shorts were becoming passé. Even Andy Clyde, who had been with Columbia for decades, was out by 1956, but the Stooges stayed. Through thick, through thin, and as Moe lost two of his brothers, they stayed. And what thanks did they get? The old heave-ho.

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Shemp's final 16 shorts (covered in Part VIII) and the Joe Besser shorts, are all part of the eighth and final volume of The Three Stooges Collection, which is a three-disc set that was released on June 1, 2010. The Three Stooges would bounce back from this, and they would do it very quickly as well. That will be an amazing and emotional story saved for another time.