Everyone thinks they know the cast of the Three Stooges. You picture the eye-pokes, the "nyuk-nyuks," and the bowl cuts. But if you sit down and actually look at the filmography spanning from 1922 to 1970, it’s a chaotic game of musical chairs. Most people can name Moe, Larry, and Curly. That's the gold standard. Yet, the group’s history is a lot messier—and frankly, a lot sadder—than the slapstick on screen suggests. It wasn't just three guys who stayed friends forever; it was a grueling business enterprise run by Moe Howard, a man who navigated strokes, heart attacks, and studio contract disputes to keep the act alive.
The Stooges weren't born as a trio. They started as "Ted Healy and His Stooges." Moe Howard, his brother Shemp, and their friend Larry Fine were essentially props for Healy’s vaudeville act. Healy was a functional alcoholic and, by many accounts, a bit of a nightmare to work for. He’d slap them around for real. Eventually, the power dynamic shifted.
The Moe, Larry, and Shemp Era (The Forgotten Start)
Before Curly was even a thought, the cast of the Three Stooges featured Shemp Howard. Shemp was the "original" third stooge. He had this incredible, natural comedic timing that relied on his "ugly" face and high-pitched yelps. Honestly, Shemp was arguably the most talented actor of the bunch. He didn't need a gimmick; he just had a face that looked like it was made of melted wax and a nervous energy that killed in vaudeville.
But Shemp wanted out.
He got tired of Healy's drinking and the constant touring. In 1932, Shemp left to pursue a solo career in Vitaphone shorts, which actually went pretty well for him. This created a massive hole. Moe had another brother, Jerome. Jerome was a handsome guy with a thick head of hair and a waxed mustache. Moe told him that if he wanted to join the act, he had to lose the hair. Jerome shaved his head, dubbed himself "Curly," and the most iconic era of the group began.
Why the Curly Years Almost Didn't Happen
When we talk about the cast of the Three Stooges, Curly Howard is the sun everything else orbits around. Between 1934 and 1946, the trio produced nearly 100 shorts for Columbia Pictures. Curly was a force of nature. His movement was fluid, almost like a dancer, which makes sense because he was surprisingly athletic despite his weight.
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But here is the grim reality: Columbia Pictures, led by the notoriously cheap Harry Cohn, treated them like disposable labor. The Stooges were kept on one-year contracts. They never knew if they’d have a job the following year. Cohn would famously lie to them, telling them their shorts weren't popular so he wouldn't have to give them a raise. Because they were so busy filming—often churning out eight shorts a year—they didn't realize they were the biggest stars on the lot.
Curly's health started cratering in the mid-40s. He was drinking heavily, eating poorly, and the physical toll of the slapstick was real. If you watch the shorts from 1945, like The Three Troubledoers, you can see it. His voice is deeper. His timing is sluggish. He’s a ghost of himself. In 1946, while filming Half-Wits Holiday, Curly suffered a massive stroke while sitting in a director’s chair waiting for his next scene. Moe found him with his head slumped on his chest. He couldn't speak.
That was effectively the end of the "classic" lineup.
The Return of Shemp and the "Fake" Shemp
The show had to go on. Moe and Larry begged Shemp to come back. He didn't want to; he had a solid solo career and he hated the physical violence of the Stooges act. But he did it to save his brothers. From 1946 to 1955, Shemp rejoined the cast of the Three Stooges, filming 73 shorts.
Then, tragedy struck again. Shemp died of a sudden heart attack in the back of a taxi after a boxing match in 1955.
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This led to one of the weirdest moments in Hollywood history: "The Fake Shemp." Columbia still owed the theaters four more Stooge shorts, but they only had three guys... and one was dead. They used a body double named Joe Palma. They’d film him from behind or with his face obscured by a newspaper to trick the audience into thinking Shemp was still there. It’s some of the most awkward footage you’ll ever see.
Joe Besser and the "Soft" Stooge
By 1956, the cast of the Three Stooges needed a permanent third member. They hired Joe Besser. Fans usually hate the Besser era. Joe had a clause in his contract that he couldn't be hit too hard. He was "sissy" character—lots of "Not so haaaaard!" and "You're crazy!"
It didn't fit the vibe.
The Stooges were about cartoonish violence, and Besser’s refusal to take a slap ruined the chemistry. It wasn't entirely his fault; the writing was getting lazy and the budgets were shrinking. TV was killing the theatrical short subject. In 1957, Columbia didn't renew their contract. After 24 years, Moe and Larry were essentially fired. They walked off the lot and weren't even allowed to say goodbye to the crew.
The "Curly Joe" DeRita Renaissance
The Stooges should have been dead and buried by 1958. Instead, Columbia sold their old shorts to TV. Kids went nuts for them. Suddenly, Moe and Larry were in demand again. Joe Besser didn't want to travel because his wife was ill, so they found Joe DeRita.
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DeRita looked a bit like Curly, so they shaved his head and called him "Curly Joe." This version of the cast of the Three Stooges was the most commercially successful in terms of live appearances and feature films. They made The Three Stooges Meet Hercules and Around the World in a Daze. They were elder statesmen now. They stopped the heavy hitting because they were in their 60s. They became "cuddly."
The Final Curtain for Moe and Larry
The story ends in 1970. They were prepping a new show called Kook's Tour. While filming, Larry Fine suffered a massive stroke. He was paralyzed on one side. That was it. Moe tried to replace him with Emil Sitka—a long-time supporting actor in their shorts—but it never really got off the ground. Moe passed away in 1975, followed shortly by Larry.
When you look at the cast of the Three Stooges, don't just see the laughs. See the resilience. They survived the death of three lead members, the transition from black-and-white to color, the death of vaudeville, and the rise of television.
How to Properly Navigate the Stooge Filmography
If you’re trying to deep-dive into the Stooges today, don't just watch whatever is on YouTube. You need to categorize your viewing by the "Third Man" to understand the evolution of film comedy.
- The Curly Era (1934–1946): This is the peak of surrealism and physical choreography. Watch Hoi Polloi or An Ache in Every Stake. This is where the "stooge language" was invented.
- The Shemp Era (1947–1955): Watch these for the verbal wit. Shemp was a master of the "mumble." Films like Brideless Groom show a trio that was more mature and relied on situation over pure slapstick.
- The Feature Films (1960s): These are great for seeing how the Stooges adapted to a younger, more sensitive audience. The violence is toned down, but the chemistry between Moe and Larry is like an old married couple.
The best way to appreciate the cast of the Three Stooges is to recognize the individual contributions of the "Third Stooge." Curly brought the energy, Shemp brought the acting chops, Besser brought the (admittedly polarizing) character work, and DeRita brought the longevity that allowed them to retire as legends. Check out the "C3" official Three Stooges website or the "Three Stooges Fan Club" for archives on their actual contracts—it’s a fascinating look at how the studio system really worked.
Next Steps for Stooge Fans:
To truly understand the group's legacy beyond the screen, look up the biography Moe Howard and the Three Stooges. It's written by Moe himself and provides a firsthand account of the Shemp-to-Curly transition that no documentary has quite captured with the same level of emotional detail. You should also look for the "lost" pilot of Kook's Tour to see the very last moments Larry and Moe performed together before the final curtain call.