The Three Stooges: A Fine Act

Larry FineRA Grani

When I was kid growing up in the 1960’s I used to love watching The Three Stooges on my mate’s  black and white television set (no colour or HD or plasma sets in those days).

Their slapstick humour was hilarious and every week night I’d be glued to the TV set to watch their latest antics.

My favourite Stooge was Curly whose actual name was Jerome Howard (brother to Moe and Shemp Howard). His ‘nyuk, nyk, nyuk’ and spinning on the floor used to crack me up.  Moe was the aggressive leader of the threesome. The other Stooge, Larry, the bald one, was just ‘sort of there’ and I didn’t pay too much attention to him until I recently read his life story. And, in particular, about his fine act of generosity which revealed a nature that I much admire.

Larry Fine, born Louis Feinberg, was not only a Stooge but a violinist and at one time a boxer.

In 1946 Curly suffered a stroke and had to be replaced by Shemp Howard. It was Larry who suggested – in fact he insisted – that each of the Stooges contribute $50 a week to care for Curly.

A fine act indeed!

Footnote: Herer’s a link to an interview with Larry in 1970, 1973

 

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