Contrary to the old saying that opposites attract, in the case of Moe Howard, it would be stagecraft that attracted stagecraft. On June 7, 1925, Stooge Moe Howard would marry Helen Schonberger, cousin of the world-renowned magician Harry Houdini, a man infamous for daring stunts like the ‘Milk Can Escape’ and the ‘Chinese water torture cell’ stunt. Though it was never clear if Moe ever actually met the legendary magician in person, given that they both performed vaudeville acts during the height of the American theater movement, it is quite possible that the two may have crossed paths a time or two.
It may also be possible that the two met during Houdini’s later attempt to begin a career in film, a mission he began upon seeing other vaudeville acts turning to the new technology of film. The couple would go on to have two kids: Joan and Paul. To this day, Joan is still among the attendees at “Three Stooges” conventions all across the country.
The Potential Replacements for Curly
When Curly suffered from a severe stroke, which left him far too ill to return to work, the producers of the show were faced with the major challenge of finding a replacement to complete the now incomplete cast of The Three Stooges. According to the book ‘I Only Roast the Ones I Love’, written by comedian Jeffrey Ross, in the frantic search for Curly’s replacement, longtime Stooges’ Director Jules White made a call to notable comedian Buddy Hackett, who was best known for his roles in the films “The Music Man” and “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World”.
During the call, White asked Hackett to move to Hollywood to stand in for Curly while he was healing. However, to White’s dismay, Hackett turned down the offer, in order to support his pregnant wife and child. To him, it did not make sense to relocate his pregnant wife and child, and did not believe this opportunity would be conducive to creating high quality comedy. “I just didn’t want to wake up every morning and wonder how the other two guys were feeling,” said Hackett.
A Critic-Defying Oscar Nomination
Though the Stooges have appeared in as many as 220 much-adored films, as it goes for everyone in the entertainment industry, there will always be a critique: this was no exception for the work of the Stooges. Despite many critics disapproval of the Stooges’ unique style of comedy, all cynics were put to shame with the Stooges’ 1934 Oscar-worthy short film, Men In Black, which earned a nomination for Best Short Subject in Comedy.
While the Stooges were sadly beaten out by producer Kenneth Macgowan’s film, La Cucaracha, the Stooges would continue to change the world of comedy for generations to come. In 2004, a colorized version of the Stooges’ Oscar-worthy film was released, making the Three Stooges phenomenon in recent years just as widespread as it was at the height of their career.
The Stooge Burger Barons
After the decline of “The Three Stooges” films, unable to find acting work and in an attempt to save the franchise, Larry Fine impulsively blew his fortune on a number of money-making schemes, one of which was the restaurant chain “Stoogeburgers”, a business venture managed by both Larry and Moe. The idea? To co-run a restaurant, selling Stoogeburgers, a burger said to be three times larger than the classic hamburger made by competitors.
Though this series of themed restaurants intended to open across the U.S., and eventually all over the world, sadly the franchise was short-lived. Later on, in 2014, C3 Entertainment Inc.—owner of “The Three Stooges” brand—announced the opening of the first Three Stooges Burger House: an attempt to relaunch the burger line, with better advertising, and varying menu options.
“How to Duck”: Lucille Ball’s First Role
Prior to her accolades as a five-time Emmy award-winning comedian, actress Lucille Ball—considered one of the most iconic television stars of all time—landed one of her first roles in the 1934 Stooges’ film, “Three Little Pigskins”, in which she played the role of Daisy Simms.
This film is later credited as the actresses’ big break in the Hollywood acting scene. When asked what she learned from the infamous comedy trio, Ball replied, “How to duck.”