Painful Facts About The Three Stooges, The Kings Of Slapstick
Few faces are as instantly recognizable as the Three Stooges. Even over a half-century after the end of their careers, Moe, Larry, Curly, and Shemp's can still make even the stoniest faces crack.
But behind all the laughs and fun were real people trapped in the messed-up world of Old Hollywood. For every gag, there's some kind of twisted story behind the scenes, so let's dive into the dark history of the kings of slapstick.
1. Some Of Them Are Related
Some like to paint the Three Stooges as a family act—but were they really? The answer is...sort of yes, and sort of no. Essentially all incarnations of the group consisted of Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and a third stooge.
While Moe and Larry shared no real-life familial relation, the two most famous “third” stooges—Curly Howard and Shemp Howard—were both real-life brothers of Moe’s (and of each other’s).
When you go through what the Stooges did, it's good to have family by your side...
2. They Built New Identities
Moe, Shemp, and Curly were all brothers in real life, but their last name was not really Howard. As brothers, they all took on the last name “Howard”
as a shared stage name—despite their brotherly relationship not playing any overt part in their act. Their real last name was Horwitz, and they had two other brothers in addition to the ones in the act.
But life for the boys wasn’t always fun and games growing up.
3. Tragedy Struck Early On
Larry Fine’s original name was “Louis Feinberg.” He grew up in a modest, working-class Russian Jewish family in Philadelphia. Tragically, the family suffered a horrific loss during Fine’s childhood.
The future lost his infant brother when he was still just a boy—a grief that would haunt his family forever. And the misfortunes didn’t end there.
4. He Had A Horrific Accident
Fine’s parents supported the family by running a jewelry store. On one occasion, young Larry was hanging around the store and spotted something he assumed to be an appetizing beverage. He didn't realize his terrible mistake until it was too late. He picked up the bottle and was about to start drinking when his father abruptly smacked it out of his hands—spilling some of the liquid onto the future star’s arm.
As it turns out, this liquid was a poisonous acid used to test jewelry for its levels of gold content. Larry’s father narrowly saved his life—but as the acid burned up the boy's arm, I doubt he had time to feel grateful.
