The Three Stooges Analysis

The story of The Three Stooges began in 1922 with Ted Healy, Moe Howard and Samuel “Shemp” Howard. From a young age, Moe Howard desired to go about the career of acting. He started in smaller positions, taking most anything, such as performing in Shakespearean plays. However, nothing for Moe stuck or became massively successful. That was until he re-encountered a long-time friend, and now Vaudeville entertainer, Ted Healy, at the Brooklyn Prospect Theatre. Healy needed a replacement act, and Moe and his older brother Samuel Howard were in the crowd (“Bios Archives.”). Together Ted Healy, Moe Howard and Samuel “Shemp” Howard formed a comedy group known as “Ted Healy and His Stooges” (Santoso). The act’s focus was Healey with Moe and Shemp playing the butt of his …show more content…
Their contract lasted until 1957 and around 190 short films were shot in that time. The first of which being Woman Haters in 1934, this was just the first of their many slapstick comedies. During this time the men formed the characters which became well known and loved. First was their style which was created by Ted Healy’s when the group started. The stooges all had strange hairstyles, Moe having a bowl cut, Shemp with unkempt/messy hair, Larry with a curly/frizzy mad scientist styled hair, and Curly was bald (though he had a full head of hair and mustache prior). Aside from appearances the character traits were also formed. Moe took Healy’s position of the abusive leader, Curly took on the character of being easily controlled/ manipulated and Larry became the timid one. Each character also had common actions or phrases: Moe often slapping or eye poking the others, Curly would often create distinct sounds and Larry would have the common phrase of ““I’m sorry, Mo, it was an accident”” (Erickson). They possessed a very animated, energetic and over the top style which drew many to