Topic: Does anyone here wish Curly had never left the group?

[xraffle]

I figured I’d start a little interesting stooge discussion. We all know Curly had a stroke, which forced him to leave the group, and Shemp had to take over as 3rd stooge. Does anyone here wish Curly never had a stroke and was with the group until 1970?

The reason I ask is because, in a way, I’m not really disappointed that Curly had to retire. Yeah, it was sad he had a stroke and it would’ve been nice if he was able to continue with the stooges until the very end, but I think Shemp brought about a new type of comedy to the group. His style is very different than Curly’s. When I was a kid, I used to like Curly a lot more than Shemp. But as I get older and mature, I start to appreciate Shemp more. In fact, I’m at the point where I like Curly and Shemp equally now. I don’t really like one over the other. They both had their own unique way of being funny and I’m very happy that both of them got the opportunity to work with the group. I think the stooges major loss was when Shemp died. Besser and DeRita really made the stooges go downhill, so it was disappointing that Shemp couldn’t work with the group until 1970.

What do you guys think?

[Boid Brain]

Xraf: In my mind Curly was not replaceable. He was utterly unique in my book. His facial expressions, his sounds and his physicality was awfully good. I don't concider Shemp as a replacement. Too different type of comic. Besser and De Rita were the "replacements" for Curly. They sucked like hell.

I know what you are saying about Shemp, but I liked him from the jump. I thought he was good then, and still do. I thought Curly was great, and still do. You know, even w/o the stroke I think Curly would have went downhill. Unlike Moe, he was a party man. Drinking and carrousing and eating like Babe Ruth....too many excesses.

When Shemp died I think that best  possible next stooge would have been Buddy Hacket. A man so goofy looking...and a natural comedian...and Jewish...and short. I know he was considered.

[BeAStooge]

I know he was considered.

No, he was not. A Hackett tale, that grew every time he told it.

Never mentioned by Moe... Ed Bernds denied it... Jules White told an interviewer point-blank that Hackett was "full of shit."

[BenStooge9]

Dudley Dickerson would have been a great choice.

[Boid Brain]

No, he was not. A Hackett tale, that grew every time he told it.

Never mentioned by Moe... Ed Bernds denied it... Jules White told an interviewer point-blank that Hackett was "full of shit."

I must defer to you here, as my info is 3rd hand at best. But what's to say that Buddy could'nt have run into Moe at some time and discussed it?  Most stories have SOME basis of thuth.

[xraffle]

I know what you are saying about Shemp, but I liked him from the jump.

When I was a kid, I preferred Curly over Shemp, but I still liked Shemp. Now, I really have no preference. Both have two totally different styles, so it's very hard to say one is better. And yeah, Curly was irreplaceable and so was Shemp.

[Boid Brain]

When I was a kid, I preferred Curly over Shemp, but I still liked Shemp. Now, I really have no preference. Both have two totally different styles, so it's very hard to say one is better. And yeah, Curly was irreplaceable and so was Shemp.

And so was Moe! Who could have replaced HIM?

[Moron4392]

Hello Everyone:

If I may be able to toss my two cents in here, my personal opinion, is that NONE OF THE STOOGES could be replaced.  They all had their unique personalities and ways of being a Stooge, that to me is why they were so good, and what makes them still popular 80 years later.


Hoekstra
Moron4392

{At one time late in the game, in the 70's Moe and Larry were considering "Emil Sitka" to be the third Stooge, but that ended when Moe had his stroke}:

[Boid Brain]

Hello Everyone:

If I may be able to toss my two cents in here, my personal opinion, is that NONE OF THE STOOGES could be replaced.  They all had their unique personalities and ways of being a Stooge, that to me is why they were so good, and what makes them still popular 80 years later.


Hoekstra
Moron4392

{At one time late in the game, in the 70's Moe and Larry were considering "Emil Sitka" to be the third Stooge, but that ended when Moe had his stroke}:

I don't know that Larry was nearly as good as Moe, Curly and Shemp. He had his moments, but mostly he was the strait man of the group. Not to be confused with real strait men like Abbot  or even Dean.

[Moron4392]

Hello Boid Brain:

If my memory serves me correctly, wasn't it Abott and Costello who stole all of their ideas from the Stooges, or was it Laurel and Hardy?  {I know for a fact it was one of them, that is why I never could cozy up to either groupe}:


Hoekstra
Moron4392

[metaldams]

Hello Boid Brain:

If my memory serves me correctly, wasn't it Abott and Costello who stole all of their ideas from the Stooges, or was it Laurel and Hardy?  {I know for a fact it was one of them, that is why I never could cozy up to either groupe}:


Hoekstra
Moron4392

Laurel and Hardy came out years before The Three Stooges, and in fact The Three Stooges used some of the same gags and plot lines Laurel and Hardy previously used.

All the classic comedians, going back to the silent era, used the same routines and even used a lot of the same writers.  All the great comedians could take an old routine and make it their own to match the character.  The Three Stooges used plenty of recycled gags, believe me, but they also had the unique characters to make the old gags fresh more times than not.  Same with Stan and Ollie, same with Bud and Lou.

[Curly4444]

I wouldn't consider Shemp a replacement for curly either. Shemp, like the others said was totally unique and different, and was bringing his own style to the mix. To me the stooges were just re-booting the act at that time. Shemp was a stooge before the short days(Ted Healy era), so wouldn't they be returning back to basics so to speak? So with that, i wouldn't call him a replacement.


I would have loved it if Curly had never left the group. If he lived a better life, and was able to be with the group longer, it would have been awesome to see what he would have done comedic-ally. Then again maybe his wild life is what made him curly, and a clean cut life would have made him less funny??? Like how some musicians say drugs make them better musicians.

[BeAStooge]

If my memory serves me correctly, wasn't it Abott and Costello who stole all of their ideas from the Stooges, or was it Laurel and Hardy?  {I know for a fact it was one of them, that is why I never could cozy up to either groupe}:

Get better facts.

Metaldams just explained the underlying errors in your statement. In the context of your specific point about A&C, it is not true.

[Desmond Of The Outer Sanctorum]

Well, as long as we're wishing...

Sure, I wish both Curly and Shemp got to spend longer in the team, and that neither one had to die as soon as he did. I understand Curly's popularity but I prefer Shemp personally.

I wish Joe B. hadn't joined -- not so much because he wasn't a good Stooge (I think he could have done pretty well if the team had had better material and budgets at the time), but because his Stooge time made him both better known and worse liked than he would have been without it.

Joe D. just never needed to be in the Stooges, period. I don't care if Moe liked him a lot better than Joe B.

[BeAStooge]

{At one time late in the game, in the 70's Moe and Larry were considering "Emil Sitka" to be the third Stooge, but that ended when Moe had his stroke}:

Moe did not have a stroke. He died of lung cancer.

[Dunrobin]

{At one time late in the game, in the 70's Moe and Larry were considering "Emil Sitka" to be the third Stooge, but that ended when Moe had his stroke}:

Moe did not have a stroke. He died of lung cancer.

Just to further clarify, Emil was going to be Larry's replacement, following his stroke, but that plan obviously fell through with Moe's death.

[xraffle]

It's hard to believe that the stooges worked for as long as they did. Moe, Larry, Curly and Shemp all worked as stooges until their health failed. What troopers!

It's funny though how getting a third stooge was a big issue. Moe and Larry worked with the stooges until the very end, but there was always an issue with a third stooge.

That’s why I give Curly-Joe a lot of credit, even though many people may think he doesn’t deserve it. He stayed with the stooges until the very end. His style of comedy was rather disappointing, I must say. But in his defense, the stooges significantly cut down on their slapstick and mayhem. And also Moe and Larry were getting older, so the group, in general, wasn’t as energetic as they were in their younger age. Plus the plots of the movies weren’t all that great to begin with. I think Curly-Joe would’ve been a better stooge if he would’ve worked during their shorts period where there was more slapstick. I’m not saying he would be better than Curly or Shemp. I doubt he would be, to be honest. But, I’m just saying that he would’ve been funnier if he had more to work with.

Regarding Larry, I think he started to shine during the Shemp era. He really didn’t do much during the Curly era because they pretty much made Curly the center of attention and Larry only had a few lines here and there. When Shemp took over, I noticed they started giving Larry more parts and that gave him an opportunity to show us how funny he really is.

[BeAStooge]

Just to further clarify, Emil was going to be Larry's replacement, following his stroke, but that plan obviously fell through with Moe's death.

Thanks Rob. I completely missed that gem.

[metaldams]

To answer the original question, I was born after Moe and Larry died and grew up with 97 Curly shorts and 77 Shemp shorts.  Curly being replaced by Shemp is all I know, and I'm perfectly OK with this.  I enjoy both Stooges and am thankful having them both.

Of course I wish Curly could have lived a longer and healthier life, especially tragic as he had young daughters when he passed.  That to me is the true tragedy.   

[Liz]

I love Shemp, but Curly made the Stooges the Stooges.  Shemp was terrific, but it just wasn't the same without Curly.

[xraffle]

Of course I wish Curly could have lived a longer and healthier life, especially tragic as he had young daughters when he passed.  That to me is the true tragedy.    

I've always wondered why Curly suffered a final stroke and died. I read that his last wife, Valerie, was very good to him and she did the best she could to help him recover. But he still suffered another stroke and died. A lot of sources say he was getting better (hence his appearance in "Hold That Lion") and that he was being cared for. So, it puzzles me why his recovery was not successful.

[Desmond Of The Outer Sanctorum]

I think Curly-Joe would’ve been a better stooge if he would’ve worked during their shorts period where there was more slapstick. I’m not saying he would be better than Curly or Shemp. I doubt he would be, to be honest. But, I’m just saying that he would’ve been funnier if he had more to work with.

I would have to agree. Just as I think Joe would be somewhat better regarded if the scripts and budgets were better, I suspect I would think very differently toward Curly-Joe if he had been in Stooge shorts rather than just the movies.