Joe Besser was a gifted comedian, and the most important thing, he didn't try to imitate Curly (as Curly-Joe tried to do) or Shemp, but only did his OWN character, and that is a remarkable aspect of his Three Stooges act. He performed in many TV shows and feature films as well, next to big stars, and that is not something that you get without talent. He was a gentleman in real life, welcomed visitors to his home many times, and received the Walk of Fame star on behalf of the Stooges, and it's a shame many so-called fans didn't understand his unique type of humor.
I agree, Stoogeophile. Ok, so maybe Joe wasn't exactly Stooges material, but he did have his moments. I may not be that crazy about his work with The Boys, but I do have a certain respect for him as a comedian; he
did bring a different persona to the team, instead of trying to recreate Shemp or Curly. That 'big sissy' character was totally his own. C'mon, Joe, the giant sissy, pissing off a much older, more anger-prone Moe?
Somewhat humorous.
As for Joe's resume… he didn't work with the best because of his looks. Give the guy some credit. Yeesh. And I, too, have heard stories that he dedicated much of his time to helping children’s causes, talking to fans, etc.
Like a lot of people, my thoughts on Joe used to be, "Eeh, I don't like Joe. He's not a Stooge." But, when I saw footage of the Star ceremony, it completely changed my mind about him. I've always felt that, despite the fact that he was only a Stooge for 2 years, he represented them so well that day. He just came across as thankful and truly appreciative of everyone that was in attendance. Watching his little speech and hearing him say how his tenure with The Stooges were some of his best years, that the departed Stooges were looking down on them that day, etc, I couldn’t help but think, “Aww, he seemed like such a nice guy. I guess the word ‘endearing’ would be appropriate. He gets major kudos from me for all that.
If Sony puts out the Besser shorts, I'd definitely get them. I agree Jazz... only a true fan would buy the 16 Bessers.