That's an interesting question--I think he was both. Obviously, the career Moe was working rather hard, touring, making films, etc. I don't recall if a figure was ever given about how many days out of the year they worked (I seem to recall nine for some reason), so I'd say he was definitely career oriented. In his later years, he was almost obsessively work oriented, for both the need to perform as well as the love of performing--how else can we explain the fact that he (and the New
New Stooges) were to star in "Blazing Stewardesses" mere weeks before his death?
As far as the family Moe, I think the overwork was part of his being a family man. He wanted to provide a comfortable living for his family, he wanted to keep an eye on Curly, etc. Obviously when Curly's strokes started, you have to wonder why Moe ignored the facts (unless Curly received significant rest, he was NOT going to get better), but you could say that that was a family thing too--to keep things going as long as possible.
It's rather complex--I usually hate when people try to over-analyse people's actions after the fact (though I've done it with the Stooges more times than I can count), but it is an interesting subject. As far as I'm concerned, it had to do a lot with the time, as well as Moe's temperament. Whatever business venture he decided upon, it was an all-out effort, whether or not the results were good. (His 1920s venture into real estate). To sum it all up (finally
), it's hard to say--he seems to have been both.
