Facts About “The Three Stooges” That Only Die-Hard Fans Know About

Comedy has gone through many evolutions since the early days of slapstick. Now you cand find something to laugh at if you're into raunchy standup, witty sketch shows, feature-length comedic movies, or fail compilations on YouTube. All of those forms of comedy emerged, in some way or another from The Three Stooges. This trio was making people laugh long before televised sitcoms or stadium comedy tours.

In 2012, all of The Three Stooges shorts were released on one convenient DVD. Fans fell in love with these silly men all over again.

Curly's Hair Isn't Curly

Curly Howard's name is kind of ironic. The comedian doesn't have much hair at all. At least, he doesn't have hair in The Three Stooges sketches. Before becoming a part of the iconic trio, Curly Howard had a great head of hair. Ted Healy, who was the mastermind behind the group's success, didn't think that Curly's huge head of hair was funny enough.

Curly took his opinion to heart, immediately went backstage, and shaved all of his hair off.

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A Magical Marriage

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On June 7th, 1925, Moe Howard (AKA Moe from The Three Stooges) married Helen Schonberger. Helen Schonberger just so happens to be magician Harry Houdini's cousin. Houdini was known for his escape artistry and wild stunts. Moe and Helen had two children together: a daughter named Joan and a son named Paul.

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Joan still attends Three Stooges conventions across the country. Helen and Moe's marriage was clearly full of magic. Whether that had anything to do with Helen's famous cousin remains to be seen.

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The Truth About Moses Harry Horwitz

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This is a photo of Moses Harry Horwitz, who is better known as Moe Howard, or just Moe. Moe was the leader of The Three Stooges. He was the mastermind behind all of their silliness.

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Moe's acting career began when he started working as an errand boy for Vitagraph Studios in Brooklyn, New York. The studio started giving him work and he eventually joined a Mississippi River showboat's acting troupe. He met up with Curly and Larry shortly after that.

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Larry Fine Is Actually Louis Feinberg

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Larry of The Three Stooges was born Louis Feinberg. He was a part of The Three Stooges ever since the trio formed. Unfortunately, while filming a Three Stooges comeback series titled "Kook's Tour" in 1970, Larry suffered a stroke that left him paralyzed on the left side of his body.

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"Kook's Tour" never happed and the footage that was already flmed was turned into a movie. Larry died on January 24th, 1975 due to complications after a stroke. He was 72 years old at the time.

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Jerome Lester Horwitz Was The Real Curly Howard

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Jerome Lester Horowitz was Samuel Horowitz's younger brother. Jerome played Curly Howard in The Three Stooges from 1932 to 1946. Curly was always the most popular out of all of the Stooges. While filming the movie Half-Wits Holiday, the New York City native suffered a stroke that caused him to leave show business for good. He was only 48 when he died of a cerebral hemorrhage.

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He made a huge impact on the world while he was in it.

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Curly's Memorable Walk

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One of the most memorable things about Curly Howard was his walk. Unfortunately, that wasn't something he taught himself in acting school. When he was 12 years old, he was cleaning a rifle and accidentally shot himself in the left ankle. Since he didn't want to get surgery, he was left with a limp. His on-screen walk was designed to hide the injury.

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It's strange how flaws become strengths in the wild world of comedy.

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How Ted Healy Died

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The death of "The Three Stooges" founder Ted Healy confused a lot of people. A spokesperson at MGM stated that he died from a heart attack, but some wounds on his face indicated that he died from an altercation at the Trocadero. After an autopsy, it was confirmed that he had died from acute toxic nephritis.

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This man was always clouded in mystery. He is responsible for the Stooges though, and for that, we are forever grateful.

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Replacing Curly Howard

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When Curly Howard suffered a stroke, the producers behind the show went on a search for a replacement. One of the people asked to come on the show was comedian Buddy Hackett, who is best known for his work in the films "The Music Man" and "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World." He turned down the role due to his family commitments.

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Imagine if Buddy Hacket had been one of the Three Stooges. What a weird parallel universe.

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Their Only Oscar Nomination

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"The Three Stooges" have appeared in 220 films, but they only received an Oscar nomination for one. Their 1934 short film Men In Black gained a nomination for Best Short Subject - Comedy. It lost to the film La Cucaracha, which was produced by Kenneth Macgowan. A colorized version of the film was released in 2004.

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These men may not have taken home the trophy, but they found other ways to prove their worth.

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Joe DeRita Was Curly Joe

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Joe DeRita is known by many as Curly Joe, and was on the show from 1958 to 1969. Before becoming a part of the iconic group, the Philadelphia native landed roles in "People Are Funny," "The Sailor Takes a Wife," and "High School Hero." DeRita died from pneumonia at the age of 83.

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The era of the Stooges that involves Joe DeRita is now referred to as the era of Larry, Moe and Curly Joe.

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Adam West (AKA Batman) Was In A Three Stooges Movie

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Adam West, who famously went on to play Batman in the iconic 1960s television series, appeared in a Three Stooges film. The Outlaws Is Coming, which was the Stooges’ final feature-length film, as released in 1965. West played an editor-turned-town sheriff named Kenneth Cabot in the movie.

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It's nice to see a familiar face when you go back and watch old movies and TV shows. Adam West was amazing as the town sheriff.

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Samuel Horwitz Was Shemp Howard

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GIVE US WINGS, SHEMP HOWARD, 1940
GIVE US WINGS, SHEMP HOWARD, 1940
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If you're not very familiar with the Three Stooges, you may only know of Larry, Curly, and Moe, but Shemp was also a member of the Stooges on and off from 1930 to 1955. Shemp was born as Samuel Horwitz.

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Aside from being a part of the Stooges, the New York City native also had a career in film with roles in Pittsburgh, Strictly in the Groove, and Moonlight and Cactus. This man could do it all.

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How Much They Got Paid

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The Three Stooges have become uber famous, but fame and fortune don't always go hand in hand. When they first started out, all three Stooges split a weekly $1,000 check. Yes, $1,000 meant more back then than it does now, but still, even accounting for inflation that's not a lot of money.

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After their Oscar-nominated film Men In Black was released, their pay was increased to $7,500 a week. They still had to split the money, though.

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Branching Out Into Other Arenas

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After the decline of films in "The Three Stooges" catalog, Larry Fine blew his money on various things. One of the things he poured money into was Stoogeburgers, which was a chain of themed restaurants in the area. Unfortunately, this didn't last long. In 2014, C3 Entertainment Inc., which owns "The Three Stooges" brand, announced the Three Stooges Burger House.

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Are the Stooges really trustworthy burger makers, though? They should just stick to what they do best.

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The Origins Of The Eye Poke Gag

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The Three Stooges pioneered some of the most iconic gags in cinema history. Back in the day, you couldn't just use CGI to get an eye-gouging effect. The eye poke gag is one of the most talked-about gag that the stooges created.

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The eye poke gag came about while Larry and Shemp were playing a game of bridge. The pair argued because Larry supposedly cheated. Shemp was angry so he gave Larry two pokes in the eye.

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A Physical Kind Of Comedy

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Moe takes control of the situation by placing his fingers in the nostrils of Larry and Curly.
John Springer Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images
John Springer Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images
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It's safe to say that "The Three Stooges" have seen their fair share of injuries on set. For the short film Three Little Pigskins, there is a scene where they have to get attacked by some professional football players. The three men wanted nothing to do with the scene, so they allowed stuntmen to take their place.

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Most of the time the trio did their own stunts, though. These men definitely got slapped a lot.

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Lucille Ball Has The Stooges To Thank For Her Career

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You probably know Lucille Ball from her epic movie and television career. She rose to prominence after getting her own TV show called I Love Lucy.

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Before she became a household name (and a five-time Emmy winner) Ball had a small role in the 1934 film Three Little Pigskins. Ball played Daisy Simms in that short movie. The Three Stooges are often credited for giving the actress her big break. Some would say that they even discovered her.

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Stooge Fever All Over Again

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If you are under the age of 50 or 60, you probably didn't grow up watching The Three Stooges. If slapstick is your thing, though, it's never too late to become a fan of the trio. In 2012, a DVD containing all of The Three Stooges' sketches was released.

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A lot of the sketches are also widely available on the internet. It's never been easier to access content, and there is tons of Three Stooges content out there.

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Joe Besser Was One Of The Stooges

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From 1956 to 1958, Joe Besser was a member of the Stooges. The St. Louis native was best known for playing Mr. Jillson on "The Joey Bishop Show." He also landed several voice roles in "Shirt Tales," "Yogi's Space Race," and "The Houndcats." Besser died from heart failure at the age of 80, in 1988.

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Besser was brought in to replace Shemp after Shemp died in the late 1950s. People often say that Besser was the weakest Stooge.

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How Moe Got His Iconic Bowl Cut

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One of Moe's most noticeable features was his bowl cut hairstyle. As a kid, his hair was shoulder length because his mother wouldn't allow him to cut it. After consistently being teased from classmates, Moe hid in a shed in the back and cut his own hair.

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Larry, Curly, and Moe all had very distinctive hairstyles, but Moe's bowl cut may be the most iconic of the three. We can't really imagine Moe without his bowl cut.

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Larry Fine Played The Violin

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Larry Fine's musical instrument of choice was the violin. Unfortunately, it wasn't something that he decided to get into on his own. When he was a kid, he grabbed a bottle of what he thought was a tasty beverage.

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In reality, it was a bottle of acid. His father smacked the bottle out of his hand, and the acid landed on his arm. In order to strengthen his muscles, he decided to take violin lessons.

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Coming Up With Show Titles

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Like most TV shows, some of the titles of "The Three Stooges" episodes are a play on various phrases. Some episode titles include "Jail Birds of Paradise," "Disorder In The Court," and "Yes, We Have No Bonanza." Some titles ("3 Dumb Clucks" and "Beer and Pretzels") were based on movie titles from that era.

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Even slapstick comedy can be clever and witty when it wants to be. The Stooges knew their audience would appreciate the references.

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Moe Grew Into An Old Man

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After retiring from acting, Moe turned to selling real estate to make money. On May 4, 1975, he died from lung cancer at the age of 77. His last movie appearance was in the 1973 film "Doctor Death: Seeker of Souls." Moe’s wife died of a heart attack just a few months after he passed away.

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It's so strange to see Moe with grey hair looking like an old man. He's almost unrecognizable in this photo.

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Moe Was A True Romantic

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Moe’s wife Helen Schonberger said that he was a lifelong romantic, and recounted this story about their 10th wedding anniversary, reprinted in a book titled The Three Stooges Scrapbook. “[T]he phone rang and a strange voice on the other end asked me if I would take Moe Horwitz for my lawful wedded husband.

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The voice then proceeded to perform the entire wedding ceremony, with me on one end and Moe (the mystery voice) on the other… at the end of the ceremony, in a beautiful baritone voice, he sang 'Oh Promise Me,' the song sung at our wedding."

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How The Brothers Got Started In Hollywood

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Moe was hired by Ted Healy to work in a vaudeville act in 1921. While on stage during a performance two years later, he spotted his brother Shemp in the audience. Moe cried out to Shemp from the stage, and their interaction was an instant hit. Healy hired Shemp on the spot.

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These men always had great chemistry both on and off screen. We imagine they had a ton of fun performing together year after year.

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Shemp Came And Went

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Larry Fine was initially brought into the vaudeville mix in 1925 when Shemp decided to leave the act he’d been doing with Moe. Larry gave a performance that Shemp, Moe and Ted Healy attended when Shemp announced his departure. Healy offered Larry the position, for $90 a week. Larry accepted, and of course, Shemp returned later.

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The Stooges had something of a revolving door policy. People would come and go, but they were never gone for too long.

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A Mural For Larry

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Larry Fine was born in Philadelphia. A commemorative mural was painted near his birthplace, at the corner of 3rd and South Streets and above a restaurant called Jon's Bar and Grill. Fine’s sister attended the dedication ceremony. The painting depicts fine playing his violin, with a silly expression on his face.

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This is how we're always going to remember Larry Fine. He always had that crazed look in his eye, and audiences loved him for it.

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Shemp Had A Lot Of Fears

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Shemp Howard suffered from a number of phobias. The comedian was terrified of cars, planes, dogs, and even water. He was in a car accident when he was young, which explains the automobile phobia. In scenes where he’s behind the wheel, the cars are being towed rather than driven by him.

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His fears really impacted how he lived his life and went about his acting career. He never really got over his fear of cars.

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Shemp's Ironic Method Of Dying

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Shemp ended up dying in a car, but not in a collision. On November 22, 1955, he attended a boxing match with a friend. After the bout, they were riding home together. As Shemp told a joke and lit a cigar, he suddenly slumped over, dead. The friend thought it was a prank but unfortunately, it wasn’t.

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Shemp always thought that cars were dangerous, and maybe he was right. Still he probably didn't enjoy being in that car in his final moments.

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Curly's Wonderful Faces

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Curly Howard was responsible for coining many of the Stooges’ trademark phrases. These included nyuk, nyuk, nyuk; nyahh-ahhh-ahhh; a WISE guy, eh?; say a few syllables; oh, look; I'll moider you; and soitenly! The other Stooges continued to use Curly’s favorite expressions after his death.

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I bet you've even said some of these expressions in your day to day life without even realizing that it was Curly who popularized them. His comedy has become a part of our language.

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Curly's Cameo Appearances

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In 1947's Hold That Lion! Curly appeared as a sleeping train passenger. His hair had regrown by this time. This was the only film to include all three of the Howard brothers and Larry Fine in the same scene. Curly also shot another cameo appearance in 1949 but that part was cut.

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Curly was great as a sleeping train passenger. He didn't really have to do anything, but he was great at doing nothing.

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Curly's Unhappy Marriage

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In the early 1940s, Moe was concerned for Curly’s worsening health and heavy drinking. Moe encouraged him to marry a woman named Marion Buxbaum, thinking this would help Curly to change his hard-living ways. The marriage ended up being a disaster, with Curly squandering a fortune on Marion. The two were divorced only months later.

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Let this be a lesson to you all: getting married won't solve your problems. Only introspection, accountability, and therapy can do that.

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Curly Was Always The Favorite

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Many fans cite Curly as their favorite Stooge. In an interview, Larry Fine said “Personally, I thought Curly was the greatest because he was a natural comedian who had no formal training. Whatever he did, he made up on the spur of the moment. When we lost Curly, we took a hit.” Curly is buried at the Home of Peace Cemetery in Los Angeles.

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People sill visit Curly's grace to this day. This man made quite an impact.

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The Stooges Museum

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There is a museum dedicated to all things Stooge. The “Stoogeum,” located in Ambler, Pennsylvania, is open only on Thursdays and displays an impressive collection of Stooge artifacts. Exhibits include artwork, movie posters, costumes, novelties, props, rare photos and more. There are even interactive Stooge-themed arcade games!

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This is a place that every Three Stooges fan would love to visit. It's like a paradise for lovers of slapstick comedy. How much Stooges merch is too much?

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Their Star On The Walk Of Fame

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The Stooges always felt slighted by the fact that they didn’t have a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame despite their success. In 1983, they were finally awarded with their star. Sadly, Moe, Curly and Larry were already dead when they received the honor. The Stooges’ star can be found at 1560 Vine Street.

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The Stooges definitely earned this true honor. Hollywood just wouldn't be the same without their influence and amazing star power.

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Pop Culture References To The Three Stooges

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“The Three Stooges” certainly made a huge impact on future generations. Numerous films, television shows, songs, and books have referenced the comedic trio. Movies ranging from This Is Spinal Tap, Pulp Fiction, Ice Age, and Grease all pay homage to the Stooges, as do songs from artists as varied as Chris Brown, Frank Black, and Toby Keith.

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These references prove just how influential the Stooges were. They are still popping up in pop culture to this day.

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Another Group Of Stooges

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Rock icons The Stooges borrowed their name from Moe, Larry, and Curly. The band, formed in the 1960s and headed by lead singer Iggy Pop, got its moniker from watching "The Three Stooges."

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In an interview with Clash Magazine, Pop said of co-founder and guitarist Ron Asheton, “It was inevitable that anything creative that Ron did in his life was gonna come back to the Stooges, because he’d already spent probably seventeen thousand man hours watching The Three Stooges’ films when he was supposed to be doing something else since he was twelve.”

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Women Like The Stooges Too

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It’s frequently said that women don’t enjoy “The Three Stooges.” This is a huge overgeneralization – many females do like the Stooges – but the primary theory behind this is that women tend not to prefer physical or slapstick comedy.

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One AMC writer attempted to explain the phenomena this way: “Women respond to seeing someone they dislike suffering pain with empathy, and men with pleasure at another’s misfortune.” This is a generalization, though. Lots of women like slapstick comedy.

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Mel Blanc Voiced A Character In A Stooges Movie

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Mel Blanc, known as "The Man of a Thousand Voices," lent his special talent to the film Snow White and the Three Stooges. In the 1961 movie, a puppet named Quinto is voiced by Blanc. Edson Stroll, Patricia Medina, and Guy Rolfe co-star alongside the Stooges.

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Blanc went on to voice iconic characters such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig. He's basically all of the Looney Toons characters.

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A Stooge Reboot In The Works?

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In 2012, the Stooges were reinvented in the form of a brand-new movie starring Chris Diamantopoulos (Moe), Sean Hayes (Larry), and Will Sasso (Curly).

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Produced by the Farrelly brothers, the film is divided into three shorter stand-alone stories. In a statement, Peter and Bobby Farrelly said of The Three Stooges: The Movie, “It's by far the riskiest project we've ever done, without question, but it is also the one closest to our hearts.” The Stooges live on!