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When did Curly begin to slip?
Peter:
--- Quote from: ArPharazon on October 25, 2008, 02:28:52 AM ---quote from wikpedia: " In Paul "Mousie" Garner's 1985 biography of the Three Stooges, co-written by Joan Howard Maurer, Shemp's wife Gertrude is quoted as saying that after his mild stroke in 1952, Shemp was prescribed an unknown heart medication despite never being otherwise treated for a heart problem. "
So Shemp did have a stroke, and I think they were hinting that the medication for that might have caused the heart attack. But like you said, we'll never really know.
--- End quote ---
Paul "Mousie" Garner is about as much a member of The Three Stooges as my backside. I should take anything said by him with a huge pinch of salt.
Larrys#1:
I know many of us always dwell on Curly's stroke and like to always think to ourselves, "What if Curly's health never was an issue and stayed as a stooge?" But when you think about it, he was a stooge for 12 good years (or 13 if you count the Ted Healy shorts). After 1946, how long did the stooges stay at their peak before things declined with reused footages and reduced slapstick? I would say around 1953 is when reused footages were starting to creep up. So if Curly would have stayed, he would only have had about 6-7 years until things started to decline.
Curly started out when the stooges were at their peak... they were young, energetic and really were at their prime. Things already were headed for the decline at the late Shemp years. So while I'm just as sad as everyone that Curly had to end his career as a stooges, I'm thankful for the 12-13 years he's put in as a stooge.
Tony Bensley:
--- Quote from: Paul Pain on August 31, 2021, 08:03:32 AM ---Reading this makes me want to think of a different question along the same lines. We know how Curly was: he pissed his money away as soon as it was in his hands (despite Moe's warnings) and he was a sucker for a lady, being ready for marriage after the first date.
Suppose Jerry had taken Moe's warnings and calmed down his personal life (pick a year... say 1940!). He takes it easier with the ladies and stops being so wild. Yeah, he still loves his dogs, but as long they don't eat up the money they're OK. He takes better care of himself overall, even if he's basically average for the day. Jerry Howard gets his life back to normal.
Now, given the character Curly is in the shorts, how long does a more-controlled Curly last? Remember that Curly was already in his forties when he had all the strokes that eventually claimed his life. The role requires a spastic manchild, and I can't see that lasting him beyond say 1952 just because of age. What do you all think?
--- End quote ---
Sounds about right.
CHEERS! [3stooges]
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