The New SHEMP BOOK

Kopfy2013 · **on:** December 21, 2023, 11:09:35 AM

Has anyone had a chance to look/read the new Shemp book?

metaldams · **Reply #1 on:** December 21, 2023, 06:23:37 PM

Had no clue one was even out. I pretty much avoid social media and this site is my only source for Stooge news. Doing a Google search is this it?

I would love to hear from those who have read it.

Dunrobin · **Reply #2 on:** December 22, 2023, 03:12:52 PM

Yep, that's the one. I just read about it in the latest issue of the Journal. I haven't read it yet, but I've ordered a copy and am looking forward to it.

metaldams · **Reply #3 on:** December 23, 2023, 08:35:01 AM

Quote from: Dunrobin on December 22, 2023, 03:12:52 PM

Yep, that's the one. I just read about it in the latest issue of the Journal. I haven't read it yet, but I've ordered a copy and am looking forward to it.

Man, I have to renew my subscription, frankly, I don’t know why I haven’t. Thanks Rob, I’ll be getting this book soon. Looking forward to reading it.

HomokHarcos · **Reply #4 on:** December 26, 2023, 04:13:11 PM

I want to read this eventually, I have quite the backlog of books in my collection first though!

Umbrella Sam · **Reply #5 on:** December 28, 2023, 06:25:01 PM

This is my first time hearing about this too. Much like HomokHarcos, I have a backlog of books I’m working on too (including the new Chaplin biography that came out this year), but plan on ordering this eventually. That being said, upon further looking, I noticed that this book is published by BearManor Media, which is definitely a good sign for me; the books/biographies they publish generally are of very high quality.

Knobby522 · **Reply #6 on:** January 02, 2024, 06:28:11 PM

Half way through reading it currently. First let me see I am thrilled there is finally a Shemp biography published and available to read. I also don’t want to be too critical, but could have been edited better. Having said that, it is clearly a labor of love, I sincerely appreciate the amount of time and sweat equity Geoff Dale put into this, and it is very informative. Thank you again to Geoff Dale to putting in all of the hard work and finally providing us with a Shemp biography!

Dunrobin · **Reply #7 on:** January 03, 2024, 07:32:43 AM

I started reading the book a couple of nights ago, and was very pleasantly surprised to find a very nice mention of ThreeStooges.net and Moronika early on in it.

metaldams · **Reply #8 on:** January 03, 2024, 11:26:19 AM

Oh man, this is killing me. I made a vow to have a 90 day break from buying leisurely things that don’t involve hanging out with friends because I spent so much on blu rays and to a lesser financial extent, the excellent Gary Lassin Stooge book the past six months. That 90 days ends mid March. I even purposely avoided listening to the Spotify podcast with the author to resist temptation (and I will listen once I buy the book).

I will post my thoughts on this. If it’s around mid March that I do so, you folks know my discipline was excellent. If it’s earlier, I caved in, but am reading a nice new Shemp book.

metaldams · **Reply #9 on:** January 31, 2024, 04:50:57 PM

I’ve maintained my discipline and will guarantee come mid March, I am ordering this book first thing.

In the meantime, has anybody read the book? Any new revelations or interesting thoughts?

umbdae · **Reply #10 on:** February 01, 2024, 08:08:44 AM

I've finished the book and was a little disappointed. I was hoping for more biographical information and it just wasn't there (or at least, it wasn't there in the quantity I wanted).

One thing I did like was that the author dismissed the calumny that Shemp was a bed-wetter (what was Moe thinking when he put that smear in his autobiography?)

All in all I'm glad I have the book. I hope its the first of many more.

Umbrella Sam · **Reply #11 on:** February 06, 2024, 05:28:23 PM

I caved in and bought the book. Haven’t started reading yet, but I skimmed through quickly and already found some information that kind of blew my mind. Definitely looking forward to this.

PresidentWardRobey · **Reply #12 on:** February 25, 2024, 12:42:52 PM

Quote from: Kopfy2013 on December 21, 2023, 11:09:35 AM

Has anyone had a chance to look/read the new Shemp book?

Thanks for letting us know about the book. As I went to look it up and save it to my wish list, I noticed that there will be another Shemp biography coming out later this year. The title is: SHEMP!: The Biography of The Three Stooges’ Shemp Howard, The Face of Film Comedy. The book is written by Burt Kearns and is scheduled for release on October 1st.

HomokHarcos · **Reply #13 on:** April 01, 2024, 03:04:40 PM

There’s another Shemp biography coming out later this year, it looks quite interesting.

QuinceHead · **Reply #14 on:** April 09, 2024, 07:13:43 AM

Quote from: HomokHarcos on April 01, 2024, 03:04:40 PM

There’s another Shemp biography coming out later this year, it looks quite interesting.

Oh?? Do tell!

QuinceHead · **Reply #15 on:** October 01, 2024, 10:52:26 AM

Today’s the release date for the new biography SHEMP! by Burt Kearns!

Is anyone going to bite the bullet on this one??

Kopfy2013 · **Reply #16 on:** October 01, 2024, 12:10:29 PM

I will be biting the bullet ....

Dunrobin · **Reply #17 on:** October 03, 2024, 09:56:16 AM

I had pre-ordered a copy on Amazon back when the news first came out in April, and I received my copy last night. I'm looking forward to starting it later today.

metaldams · **Reply #18 on:** October 03, 2024, 10:09:23 AM

Just ordered!

Freddie Sanborn · **Reply #19 on:** October 06, 2024, 11:41:24 AM

After reading the first couple of chapters, the only glaring error I saw was giving the year of Vitagraph’s start as 1893. Projected movies hadn’t even been perfected yet. Vitagraph was founded in 1897.

I do appreciate that the author looks at Moe’s autobiography with a skeptical eye. There was a certain amount of sibling rivalry between Shemp and Moe, so Moe’s stories about Shemp’s cowardice and timidity should be taken with a grain of salt.

metaldams · **Reply #20 on:** October 06, 2024, 06:04:58 PM

Quote from: Freddie Sanborn on October 06, 2024, 11:41:24 AM

After reading the first couple of chapters, the only glaring error I saw was giving the year of Vitagraph’s start as 1893. Projected movies hadn’t even been perfected yet. Vitagraph was founded in 1897.

I do appreciate that the author looks at Moe’s autobiography with a skeptical eye. There was a certain amount of sibling rivalry between Shemp and Moe, so Moe’s stories about Shemp’s cowardice and timidity should be taken with a grain of salt.

Agreed. I like the fact Shemp’s end of service during WWI was documented with an “honorable discharge” paper pictured in the book, which puts the kabosh on Moe’s bed wetting story.

I just received my copy today and am only in the middle of chapter four - so quite early. It’s been forever and a day since I’ve read any bio after doing so a lot years ago, so this is nice to do. I might check out the other Shemp bio too that came out earlier in the year.

Kopfy2013 · **Reply #21 on:** October 07, 2024, 01:41:16 PM

I read the one that came out earlier in the year. It is solid. I would rate it a 6 or a 7. ... Not much new on his early life ... to me it was more about his career .... A little sterile writing style 'Just the facts' .... Still if a big fan you have to get it.

HomokHarcos · **Reply #22 on:** October 08, 2024, 04:47:55 AM

I forgot I pre-ordered this until it came out, I've been reading the book.

What's most interesting is that the author concludes that Shemp was specifically hired in 1943 as a back-up for The Three Stooges in case Curly's health declined even more and had to be replaced, this is the first time I ever heard of that.

metaldams · **Reply #23 on:** October 08, 2024, 06:40:52 AM

Quote from: HomokHarcos on October 08, 2024, 04:47:55 AM

I forgot I pre-ordered this until it came out, I've been reading the book.

What's most interesting is that the author concludes that Shemp was specifically hired in 1943 as a back-up for The Three Stooges in case Curly's health declined even more and had to be replaced, this is the first time I ever heard of that.

Oh wow, that’s fascinating. Haven’t gotten that far yet. Can’t wait to be able to get a chance to dig into this further.

HomokHarcos · **Reply #24 on:** October 09, 2024, 03:25:29 AM

I have an issue with the Who Killed Shemp? chapter. It explains the negative health effects the years of travelling and repeated blows to the head may have had on the stooges. Fair enough, that is a valid topic to discuss. But the author then makes the leap that Moe hitting his stooge partners and wanted to tour all the time made him a money hungry man that put financial rewards over his own brothers’ safety.

All in all, I think this book has some very good debunking and other interesting facts: contract from when Shemp joined The Three Stooges again proving he actually was only supposed to be temporary and the discharge letter proving that he was not let go because of bed wetting.