NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Moe Howard

Moe Howard (June 19, 1897 – May 4, 1975) was the "leader" of the Three Stooges. His distinctive coiffure came about when he was a boy and cut off his curls with a pair of scissors, producing a ragged shape approximating a helmet. Image File history File links http://www. ... June 19 is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 195 days remaining. ... 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Bensonhurst Embankment is a common walkway in Bensonhurst Bensonhurst is a neighborhood located in the south-central part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... May 4 is the 124th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (125th in leap years). ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Nickname: City of Angels Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: State California County Los Angeles County - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Area - City 498. ... June 19 is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 195 days remaining. ... 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... May 4 is the 124th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (125th in leap years). ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Moe Howard, Curly Howard and Larry Fine The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy act in the early to mid 20th century. ... Species Sus barbatus Sus bucculentus Sus cebifrons Sus celebensis Sus domesticus Sus heureni Sus philippensis Sus salvanius Sus scrofa Sus timoriensis Sus verrucosus Pigs are ungulates native to Eurasia collectively grouped under the genus Sus within the Suidae family. ... Different types of scissors - sewing, kitchen, paper Scissors are a tool used for cutting thin material which requires little force. ... For other meanings, see Helmet (disambiguation). ...

Biography

Early life

Moe Howard was born Harry Moses Horwitz in the Brooklyn, New York neighborhood of Bensonhurst. He was the fourth of the five Horwitz brothers and of Levite and Lithuanian Jewish ancestry. Although his parents were not involved in show business, Moe, his older brother Samuel (Shemp), and younger brother Jerome (Curly), all became world famous as members of the Three Stooges. For other meanings, see Brooklyn (disambiguation). ... Bensonhurst Embrakement is a common walkplace in (Bensonhurst) A spectacular view of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (Brooklyn College) Snow melting on one of the streets in Bensonhurst Bensonhurst is a working class neighborhood located in the south-central part of New York City, USAs borough of Brooklyn. ... In the Jewish tradition, a Levite (×œÖµ×•Ö´×™ Attached, Standard Hebrew , Tiberian Hebrew ) is a member of the Hebrew tribe of Levi. ... Lithuanian Jews (known in Yiddish and Haredi English as Litvish (adjective) or Litvaks (noun)) are Ashkenazi Jews with roots Lita, a region much larger than present-day Lithuania and including much of Belarus. ... Shemp Howard, in the late 1940s. ... Curly Howard (real name Jerome Lester Horwitz) (October 22, 1903 â€“ January 18, 1952), was one of the Three Stooges, along with brothers Moe Howard and Shemp Howard, and Larry Fine. ...

In school, Moe originally did quite well, aided by a prolific memory, able to quickly memorize anything. In later years, this helped him in his acting career, making memorizing his lines quick and easy. Moe loved reading, as his older brother Jack commented "I had many Horatio Alger books and it was Moe's greatest pleasure to read them. They started his imaginative mind working and gave him ideas by the dozen. I think they were instrumental in putting thoughts into his head to become a person of good character and to become successful." Horatio Alger, Jr. ...

Moe's largest problem, in his early years, was undoubtedly his hair. Although his "bowl-cut" hair cut is now world famous, his mother had always wanted a daughter, so, as a child his mother refused to cut his beautiful hair, letting it grow to shoulder length. One day, he could not take his classmates' teasing any longer. Moe snuck off to a shed in their backyard, and with the help of a friend and a mixing bowl, cut his hair. The hair style stayed with him for the rest of his life. It is said that when he cut his hair, his mother cried. A 1920s Ukrainian poster A bowl cut, also known as a beach cut, pot haircut, and amushroom cut, is a haircut where the hair is cut short on the sides and back and allowed to grow long on the top, looking as though someone put a bowl on the head...

However, the allure of the stage started calling him, and the more he followed it, the worse he began doing in school. He began playing hooky from school in order to attend theater shows. Moe said, "I used to stand outside the theater knowing the truant officer was looking for me. I would stand there 'til someone came along and then ask them to buy my ticket. It was necessary for an adult to accompany a juvenile into the theatre. When I succeeded I'd give him my ten cents-that's all it cost-and I'd go up to the top of the balcony where I'd put my chin on the rail and watch, spellbound, from the first act to the last. I would usually select the actor I liked the most and follow his performance throughout the play."

Despite his decreasing attendance, Moe graduated from P.S. 163 in Brooklyn, but dropped out of Erasmus Hall High School after only two months, the end of his formal education. To please his parents, he took a class in electric shop, but dropped out after a few months to pursue a career in show business. Erasmus Hall High School is a high school in Kings County, New York (Brooklyn) in the New York City school system. ...

He began by running errands for no fee at the Vitagraph Studios in Midwood, Brooklyn (currently the home of the CBS Soap, As the World Turns), where he was rewarded with bit parts in movies being made there. Unfortunately, a fire at the studios in 1910 destroyed copies of most of Moe's work done there. In 1909, he met a young man named Ted Healy, who would later become a major impediment in his life. For the time, though, Moe and Ted became good friends. In 1912, they both held a summer job working in Annette Kellerman's aquatic act as diving "girls." American Vitagraph was a United States movie studio, founded by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith in 1897 and bought by Warner Brothers in 1925. ... Midwood has a substantial population of Haredi Jews and Modern Orthodox Jews, many of whom live and worship in the side streets around Kings Highway Midwood is a neighborhood located in the south central part of the Borough of Brooklyn, New York, USA, roughly halfway between Prospect Park and Coney... CBS is one of the largest radio and television networks in the United States. ... As the World Turns (ATWT) is the second longest-running American television soap opera (the first being Guiding Light), airing each weekday on CBS. It debuted on Monday, April 2, 1956 at 1:30pm. ... 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... Year 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Ted Healy (October 1, 1896 in Texas - December 21, 1937 in California; real name: Clarence Earnest Lee Nash) was an American vaudeville performer and actor. ... 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Annette Kellerman (born July 6, 1887 in Sydney, died November 5, 1975 in Southport, Australia) was an Australian professional swimmer, vaudeville and film star, and writer. ...

Career

Moe continued his attempts at gaining show business experience, by singing in a bar with his older brother Shemp (until their father put a stop to it), and in 1914 joining a performing troupe on a showboat for the next two summers. In 1922, he joined Ted Healy in a vaudeville routine, Ted Healy and his Racketeers - the group later changed its name to Ted Healy and his Stooges. 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Year 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar). ... Ted Healy (October 1, 1896 in Texas - December 21, 1937 in California; real name: Clarence Earnest Lee Nash) was an American vaudeville performer and actor. ...

On June 7, 1925, Moe Howard married Helen Schonberger, a cousin of magician Harry Houdini^{[citation needed]}, and truly lived happily ever after until his dying day. The next year, Helen pressured Moe to leave the stage, as she was pregnant and wanted Moe nearer to home. Moe attempted to earn a living in a succession of "normal" jobs, none of which were successful. He returned to working with Ted Healy afterwards. June 7 is the 158th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (159th in leap years), with 207 days remaining. ... 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Harry Houdini (March 24, 1874 â€“ October 31, 1926), born Erik Weisz, was a Hungarian magician, escapologist, stunt performer, as well as an investigator of spiritualists, and an amateur aviator. ... Ted Healy (October 1, 1896 in Texas - December 21, 1937 in California; real name: Clarence Earnest Lee Nash) was an American vaudeville performer and actor. ...

By 1930, Ted Healy and his Stooges were on the verge of "the big time," and made their first movie, Soup to Nuts - featuring Ted Healy, and his four stooges - Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, and Fred Sanborn for MGM. Shemp had not seen eye-to-eye with Healy, and left the group shortly after filming, in order to pursue an individual film career. Moe brought in his baby brother, Jerome ("Jerry" to his friends, "Babe" to Moe) as a replacement - after Healy had him shave off his mustache and hair, he took the stage name of "Curly." After a number of appearances in MGM films with Healy, in 1934 Ted Healy and his Stooges separated, with Healy pursuing his own career, and The Three Stooges (Fred Sanborn having previously left) began making short films at the Columbia film studio, where they stayed until December 1957, making 190 short films. Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link is to a full 1930 calendar). ... Soup to nuts is an English figurative expression (or idiom) conveying the meaning of from beginning to end. It is derived from the description of a complete meal, whose courses range from firstly Soup, to lastly Nuts. ... Larry Fine is the name of several people: Larry Fine, a US film comedian, and member of The Three Stooges. ... Samuel Shemp Howard / (Horwitz) (March 17, 1895 â€“ November 22, 1955) was part of the Three Stooges comedy team. ... MGM logo Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer or MGM, is a large media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of cinema and television programs. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

With Healy's departure, Moe's character assumed Healy's previous role of the aggressive, take-charge leader of the Three Stooges, short tempered and prone to slapstick violence against the other two stooges. In many ways, this was the antithesis of Moe Howard's true self; he was quiet, loving, and generous to his friends and family. In fact, he was one of those men who had problems showing affection — instead, he would shower his loved ones with gifts, increasing in quantity and expensiveness over time as his fortunes improved. He was also farsighted, and invested the money made from his film career wisely. However, the Stooges got no subsequent royalties from any of their many shorts: they were paid a flat amount for each one, and Columbia owned the rights (and profits) thereafter.

In 1934, they released their first Three Stooges, short subject for Columbia, Woman Haters, where their characters where not quite finalized. This was changed by their next film, Punch Drunks, the only short film that was written entirely by the Three Stooges. Their next short, Men in Black, was their first and only film to be nominated for an Academy Award (with the classic catchphrase, "Calling Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine, Dr. Howard"). They continued making short films at a record pace, such as Three Little Pigskins (with a very young Lucille Ball), Pop Goes the Easel, Hoi Polloi (where two professors make a bet trying to turn the Three Stooges into gentlemen), and many others. 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Lucille DÃ©sirÃ©e Ball (August 6, 1911 â€“ April 26, 1989) was an iconic American actress, comedian and star of the landmark sitcom I Love Lucy, a four time Emmy Award winner (awarded 1953, 1956, 1967, 1968) and charter member of the Television Hall of Fame. ...

In the 1940s, the Three Stooges become slightly political, making several anti-Nazi movies, including You Nazty Spy (1940), (Moe's favorite Three Stooges film), I'll Never Heil Again (1941), and They Stooge to Conga (1943). Moe's dead-on impression of Adolf Hitler augmented these shorts. Though unusual in their political commentary, these shorts were often hilarious as well. You Nazty Spy (1940) is an 18-minute short subject by the Three Stooges that satirized Nazi Germany. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Hitler redirects here. ...

By early 1945, Moe's brother Jerome (Curly) had been diagnosed as having extreme hypertension, a retinal hemorrhage and obesity. The next year, Curly suffered a massive stroke on May 6 during the filming of Half-Wits Holiday. Although Moe made certain that his baby brother received the best medical care, he had him replaced in the Three Stooges by Shemp, who returned to the group until Curly was well enough to rejoin the Stooges. Although he had recovered enough to appear in Hold That Lion! in a cameo appearance (the only Three Stooges film to contain all three Howard brothers; Moe, Curly, and Shemp), he suffered a series of strokes, leading to his death on January 18, 1952. Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... For other forms of hypertension, see Hypertension (disambiguation). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A stroke, also known as cerebrovascular accident (CVA),[1] is an acute neurological injury in which the blood supply to a part of the brain is interrupted. ... May 6 is the 126th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (127th in leap years). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... January 18 is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

The Three Stooges continued to make short films for Columbia into the 1950s—the era of television. On November 22, 1955, Moe's brother Samuel (Shemp) died, necessitating the need for another Stooge. Existing footage enabled the Stooges to complete the films that they had been working on until Moe hired Joe Besser in 1956, who worked with Moe and Larry making shorts until December 1957. With the death of Columbia's head of short subjects, the making of shorts came to an end, and Howard was forced to take a job as a lowly errand boy at Columbia: a broken, but proud man. November 22 is the 326th day (327th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Shemp Howard, in the late 1940s. ... Joe Besser Joe Besser (August 12, 1907 â€“ March 1, 1988) was a comedian, known for his impish humor, and is now best remembered for his brief stint as part of the Three Stooges. ... Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Fortunately for the Stooges, Columbia's sale of the library of short films to television under "Screen Gems" brand. With this, the Three Stooges quickly gained a new audience of young fans. Ever the businessman, Howard sought out Joe DeRita as the third Stooge and approached Columbia. The studio, and others, starred the revitalized trio in several feature-length movies - Have Rocket, Will Travel, Snow White and the Three Stooges, The Three Stooges Meet Hercules, The Three Stooges in Orbit, The Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze, and The Outlaws Is Coming. Have Rocket, Will Travel was a feature film starring Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Curly Joe Derita as The Three Stooges. ... Snow White and The Three Stooges (1961) was the second feature film to star the Three Stooges after their 1959 resurgance in popularity. ... The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962) was the third feature film to star the Three Stooges after their 1959 resurgance in popularity. ... The Three Stooges in Orbit is one of the Three Stooges feature length films. ... The Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze (1963) was the fifth feature film made by the Three Stooges after their 1959 resurgance in popularity. ... We dont have an article called The Outlaws Is Coming Start this article Search for The Outlaws Is Coming in. ...

Moe, Larry and Curly-Joe continued to make live appearances, many notable "guest appearances", notably in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) — as firemen! — and 4 for Texas. The boys tried their hand at a children's cartoon show titled The New 3 Stooges, with the cartoons sandwiched between live action segments of the boys. However, by 1965, it was clear that the trio were not immune to age. They were simply getting too old to do slapstick comedy. However, they did at least receive royalties from the movies, so they had some income. Its a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is a comedy movie that followed the Hollywood trend in the 1960s of producing gigantic and epic films as a way to woo audiences into movie theaters. ... The New Three Stooges was a TV series that ran from 1965-1966 starring those hard-boiled eggheads, the Three Stooges, of course, with That Little Old Bomb Maker as its first episode. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ...

Moe's professional life slowed down dramatically, although he still did minor roles and walk-on bits (Don't Worry, We'll Think of a Title (1966), Dr. Death: Seeker of Souls (1973)), television appearances ("Here's Hollywood", "Toast of the Town", "Masquerade Party", and several appearances on "The Mike Douglas Show"). The Stooges also made several appearances on late night television, particularly "The Tonight Show". There was also the Stooges final film in 1969, Kook's Tour, which was essentially an early "reality TV" show of Moe, Larry and Curly-Joe, out of character, touring the country and interacting with fans. Larry suffered a major stroke during the filming of Kook's Tour, and died on January 24, 1975, at 72. Soon afterwards, Moe asked long-time 3 Stooges supporting actor Emil Sitka to replace Larry, but this final lineup never recorded any material before Moe's death on May 4, 1975, just a month shy of his 78th birthday. For the Stargate SG-1 episode, see 1969 (Stargate SG-1). ... Kooks Tour is the title of an American short comedy film produced in late 1969-early 1970. ... Kooks Tour is the title of an American short comedy film produced in late 1969-early 1970. ... January 24 is the 24th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Emil Sitka (December 22, 1914 â€“ January 16, 1998) was a comedian and is now best remembered for his time as a supporting stooge of the Three Stooges. ... May 4 is the 124th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (125th in leap years). ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ...

Image File history File links Emilstooge. ... Image File history File links Emilstooge. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Oldmoe75. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Oldmoe75. ...

Death

A lifelong smoker, Moe Howard died of lung cancer on May 4, 1975 (not long after the passing of co-Stooge Larry Fine) in Los Angeles, California, USA and was cremated. His remains are interred at Hillside Memorial Park, Culver City, California. Lung cancer is the malignant transformation and expansion of lung tissue, and is the most lethal of all cancers worldwide, responsible for up to 3 million deaths annually. ... May 4 is the 124th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (125th in leap years). ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Larry Fine Larry Fine (October 5, 1902 â€“ January 24, 1975) was an American comedian and actor, who is best-known as a member of the comedy act The Three Stooges. ... Nickname: City of Angels Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: State California County Los Angeles County - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Area - City 498. ... Cremation is the practice of disposing of a corpse by burning. ... Culver City Seal Culver City is a city in western Los Angeles County, California. ...

Trivia

Hitler redirects here. ... August 30 is the 242nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (243rd in leap years), with 123 days remaining. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Paul Ben-Victor (born on 24 July 1965 in Brooklyn, New York, USA) is an American character actor. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... It has been suggested that Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners be merged into this article or section. ... Hitler redirects here. ... MAD is an acronym with several different uses and may refer to: MAD Magazine, an American magazine Mutual assured destruction, a military theory Moroccan dirham, an ISO currency code MAD, the IATA Airport Code for Barajas International Airport MPEG Audio Decoder, an audio decompression software Michigan Algorithm Decoder, a programming... The Beatles were an English rock band from Liverpool, comprised of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. ...

Contents

Biography

Early life

Career

Death

Trivia

Further reading

External links