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The Three Stooges: An Illustrated History, from Amalgamated Morons to American Icons
More people today can name the members of the Three Stooges than can name three justices of the Supreme Court. The Stooges are comedy icons whose enduring appeal and slapstick legacy have made them one of the most famous and beloved comedy troupes in the world. Michael Fleming's The Three Stooges TM is the first complete, authorized biography of the men who made pie fights part of our national cultural heritage.
A juggernaut of wise guys, headlocks, and unforgettable insults, this book tells the whole history of the Stooges, starting with their origins in the golden years of vaudeville, when the boys from Brooklyn honed their craft. Moe, Curly, and Shemp Howard were born Moses, Jerome, and Samuel Horwitz--and were believed for many years to be the three least accomplished sons of their Lithuanian immigrant parents. Ultimately, of course, the Three Stooges reinvented the rules of slapstick never be caught unprepared in a pie fight, never slap one wise guy in the face if you can slap three in a row, and never underestimate the value of a good poke in the eye.
Signed in 1934 by Columbia Pictures to a renewable contract that had them making at least nine short films a year, the Stooges learned firsthand about the sharks swimming through Hollywood's early waters. And after nearly a quarter century of producing the short films for which the Stooges are so well known and loved, the studio declined to renew their contract in 1954, and the pioneering pie-throwing professionals lost their jobs. Fittingly, though, Moe & Co. were destined to have the last the advent of television revived their careers after the decline of vaudeville and Hollywood shorts, and a new generation of belly laughs was born.
From the Stooges' humble origins to movie stardom to comedy legends, there's something here for every level of fan--from folks who watched them on television as a kid to Stooge scholars and certified "knuckleheads." Featuring over two hundred photographs, many of them rare; interviews with Stooge friends and families; and a complete filmography with every "woob-woob" and crashed society cocktail party lovingly detailed, this book will be treasured by all Stoogedom.
A juggernaut of wise guys, headlocks, and unforgettable insults, this book tells the whole history of the Stooges, starting with their origins in the golden years of vaudeville, when the boys from Brooklyn honed their craft. Moe, Curly, and Shemp Howard were born Moses, Jerome, and Samuel Horwitz--and were believed for many years to be the three least accomplished sons of their Lithuanian immigrant parents. Ultimately, of course, the Three Stooges reinvented the rules of slapstick never be caught unprepared in a pie fight, never slap one wise guy in the face if you can slap three in a row, and never underestimate the value of a good poke in the eye.
Signed in 1934 by Columbia Pictures to a renewable contract that had them making at least nine short films a year, the Stooges learned firsthand about the sharks swimming through Hollywood's early waters. And after nearly a quarter century of producing the short films for which the Stooges are so well known and loved, the studio declined to renew their contract in 1954, and the pioneering pie-throwing professionals lost their jobs. Fittingly, though, Moe & Co. were destined to have the last the advent of television revived their careers after the decline of vaudeville and Hollywood shorts, and a new generation of belly laughs was born.
From the Stooges' humble origins to movie stardom to comedy legends, there's something here for every level of fan--from folks who watched them on television as a kid to Stooge scholars and certified "knuckleheads." Featuring over two hundred photographs, many of them rare; interviews with Stooge friends and families; and a complete filmography with every "woob-woob" and crashed society cocktail party lovingly detailed, this book will be treasured by all Stoogedom.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published November 9, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 16, 2014
I was looking for a serious biography of the Three Stooges. While this had a relatively short section of the lives of the various Stooges, there was no meat to it. Most of the book was dedicated to the author's impressions of the shorts (which he spends half the book discussing).
If you're looking for lightweight commentary on the films, this book is good. If you want to read about the lives of the Stooges, look elsewhere.
If you're looking for lightweight commentary on the films, this book is good. If you want to read about the lives of the Stooges, look elsewhere.
February 7, 2020
For anyone looking for a general reference book regarding the stooges, this one is for you. It is full of pictures, details about their shorts and a basic biography of each stooge.
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August 18, 2023Whether due to the Stooges promoting a certain culture of illiteracy among their fans, or merely the widespread perception that the trio does not warrant critical attention, detailed books on this popular comedy team are few and far between. Thus, Fleming's work is probably the definitive work on the Stooges, as it includes a detailed biographical section, a chapter on the cultural/film influence of the group, and an extended treatment summarizing every 190 produced Columbia two-reel comedies. The history of the Stooges is good and meaty as Fleming extensively (but not exhaustively) chronicles the emergence, rise, stagnation, fall, and resurrection of the group. It details the production of shorts, the style of Stooge directors, and the internal finagling between Cohn and the Stooges over money. You will come away from the chapters a better watcher of the Stooges, even if the author is a overly critical of the underrated Shemp-era (sans recycled footage). Fleming is also more candid about the Stooges faults than Moe Howard in his own autobiography, including, especially, the Stooge's tight-fisted control over copyright and royalties to the detriment of Curly's heirs.
Yet, the latter two sections are quite dated. Written in 1999, Fleming devotes much of the second portion of the book on failed Stooge film projects of the 1980s and 1990s (which would eventually come into fruition with the critical-bomb "The Three Stooges" directed by the Farrelly Brothers). He speculates actors and directors who might best revive the Stooges on the silver screen. It is all pointless now that such a film came and went. The last section, the synopsis of every Stooge two-reel short, is the worst by far. If any future editions of this book are to be released (which will unlikely to happen due to the massive wane in Stooge relevance since 2000), these summaries must be excised. Fleming is writing at a time before the marvelous (if therebread) seven volume Three Stooge Collection was released on DVD in the mid-2000s. In 1999, trying to track down or watch every Stooge short was, while not impossible, impractical. His summaries filled the gap for busy Stoogeheads and provide a rough indication on which shorts were best. With the DVDs and the Internet, just summaries are not only wrong on a few occasions, but completely pointless. Fleming does not go into extended discussion about a given short's production or given any interesting critical evaluation (beyond saying X short had a bad plot, etc.). After having seen every Stooge short (sometimes 2-3-10 times over), reading this concluding portion of the text was drudgery.
Yet, the latter two sections are quite dated. Written in 1999, Fleming devotes much of the second portion of the book on failed Stooge film projects of the 1980s and 1990s (which would eventually come into fruition with the critical-bomb "The Three Stooges" directed by the Farrelly Brothers). He speculates actors and directors who might best revive the Stooges on the silver screen. It is all pointless now that such a film came and went. The last section, the synopsis of every Stooge two-reel short, is the worst by far. If any future editions of this book are to be released (which will unlikely to happen due to the massive wane in Stooge relevance since 2000), these summaries must be excised. Fleming is writing at a time before the marvelous (if therebread) seven volume Three Stooge Collection was released on DVD in the mid-2000s. In 1999, trying to track down or watch every Stooge short was, while not impossible, impractical. His summaries filled the gap for busy Stoogeheads and provide a rough indication on which shorts were best. With the DVDs and the Internet, just summaries are not only wrong on a few occasions, but completely pointless. Fleming does not go into extended discussion about a given short's production or given any interesting critical evaluation (beyond saying X short had a bad plot, etc.). After having seen every Stooge short (sometimes 2-3-10 times over), reading this concluding portion of the text was drudgery.
May 29, 2021
I've been going through and reading as much as i can in these guys lately. I have recently rediscovered them after about a ten year hiatus. Watching them now as an adult i find i am catching so much more of their genius then i ever did as a kid. That being said i am trying to learn as much as i can about them and sadly since they didn't get the recognition they deserved when they were around, their is not a whole lot a definitive information about them. Even reading their auto biographies, some dates are wrong but that is to be expected when you have men in their 70's reflecting over a 50 year career. This book was interesting and an enjoyable read! One issue I have is the author got Larry's name wrong. He called him Lawrance i believe when he name is actually Louis Fineberg. That along now made me take everything in this book with a grain of salt. I would still recommend any stooge fan to give this a read.
December 30, 2023
Lacking
The author left out some of the more interesting facts about the Stooges. It was never mentioned that the trio played minor roles in some Jimmy Durante movies. Shemp played a minor but credited role in the third Thin Man picture and he was hilarious in it. I don't get the author's preconceived idea that women hate the Stooges. Like a lot of people in my generation, I grew up watching them on TV and got a lot of laughs from them. The author is lacking sense on that account. It was atrocious that Mel Gibson wrote the introduction to the book. He claimed to have incorporated Stooge humor in some of his acting roles. I recall seeing three of his movies and he came across as unfunny and creepy. I have to delete this book from my device. Sothere.
The author left out some of the more interesting facts about the Stooges. It was never mentioned that the trio played minor roles in some Jimmy Durante movies. Shemp played a minor but credited role in the third Thin Man picture and he was hilarious in it. I don't get the author's preconceived idea that women hate the Stooges. Like a lot of people in my generation, I grew up watching them on TV and got a lot of laughs from them. The author is lacking sense on that account. It was atrocious that Mel Gibson wrote the introduction to the book. He claimed to have incorporated Stooge humor in some of his acting roles. I recall seeing three of his movies and he came across as unfunny and creepy. I have to delete this book from my device. Sothere.
April 7, 2018
This "authorized" biography of the Stooges is a stream-lined history of one of the most iconic comedy teams in history, with some anecdotes but not enough, which makes you hunger for more juicy information which could be found in each of the Stooges own memoirs. So this is a good introduction to the stooges with lots of photos and a detailed synopsis of every short they made, with little analytical comments. But for the more discernable Stooge-a-phile, you must look elsewhere.
July 28, 2025
This “official and authorised” history of the Stooges is nowhere near as good or informative as Joan Howard Maurer’s Three Stooges Scrapbook.
I was disappointed that, as an “official and authorised” book, it seemed fairly dismissive of the post Curly years. Sure, their best work was behind them but their are still terrific moments in later films from the Joes and, especially, Shemp.
I was disappointed that, as an “official and authorised” book, it seemed fairly dismissive of the post Curly years. Sure, their best work was behind them but their are still terrific moments in later films from the Joes and, especially, Shemp.
August 5, 2018
Loved revisiting the stooge shorts. Sorry the hoi-polli thought it was below them.
May 19, 2020
Really loved learning the history of the stooges.
October 25, 2022
A must read for Three Stooges fans with detailed accounts of the lives of the most famous three Stooges
November 13, 2022
Loved the book! Enjoyed learning more about the Stooges and the list of the episodes.
May 31, 2025
Got what I wanted! Ups and downs of their career, challenges in the cinema industry, relationships, photos and memories of watching some of their shorts. Laughed out loud reading various quotes.
June 19, 2016
The book wasn't anything great but I wanted to know the history and that's what I got. A quick read as a third of the book was pictures. Although I don't llike this type of humour now, I loved The Three Stooges as a kid and watched them every Saturday. I didn't realize they were actually "washed up" when Columbia studios decided to try the Stooges short movies on Tv and their fame rose a second time. That's when I saw them. Interesting history of how it all started.
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April 25, 2010very gooooood
January 14, 2016
One of my favorite Three Stooges books with Pictures! As an ardent fan of b/w movies and shorts, I loved the historic info and the pictures. Would recommend to any afficionado of old Hollywood.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews