... putting Curly through the paces when what he needed most was-- a Nice Long Rest!!
It is true that Curly shouldn't have been working at this time. But there's too much blame placed on Columbia.
There was a 5-month period between UNCIVIL WAR BIRDS (produced 8/24 - 8/28/45) and MONKEY BUSINESSMEN (produced 1/30 - 2/2/46). From what we know of Curly's impending retirement, that 5-month period was the time to rest... but they didn't. After WAR BIRDS they left on a
grueling 2-months/7-shows-per-week personal appearance gig on the east coast. Add to that, a disastrous marriage for Curly during that 5-month period.
Their work at Columbia was leisurely by comparison, with each short only a 4-day production. The event of May 6, 1946 probably had more to do with those 5 months than a Columbia work schedule.
• 9/14/45 – 9/16/45 State Theater, Hartford CT
• 9/21/45 – 9/27/45 Earle Theater, Philadelphia PA
• 5 weeks beginning 9/28/45 Strand Theater, New York NY
• 10/17/45 Curly marries Marion Buxbaum
• 11/7/45 – 11/13/45 RKO Golden Gate Theater, San Francisco CA
• 11/14/45 – 1/29/46 no recorded live appearances; no film work
• 1/14/46 Curly and Marion separate
• 4 working days, 1/30/46 – 2/2/46 Production of MONKEY BUSINESSMEN
• 4 working days, 2/27/46 – 3/2/46 Production of THREE LOAN WOLVES
• 4 working days, 3/22/46 – 3/26/46 Production of G. I. WANNA HOME
• 4 working days, 4/15/46 – 4/18/46 Production of THREE LITTLE PIRATES
• 4 working days, 4/23/46 – 4/26/46 Production of RHYTHM AND WEEP
• 4 working days, 5/2/46 – 5/6/46 Production of HALF-WITS HOLIDAY