Looking Back
From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History
accessible at www.djnfoundation.org
70 | FEBRUARY 23 • 2023
The Three Stooges
I
’m going to finish what I started. I recently wrote about Detroit’s own renowned
cancer researcher and Wayne State University professor Jerome Horwitz. I
discovered his story in the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit
History while searching for another Jerome Horwitz, the famous “Curly” of the
Three Stooges.
The Three Stooges, active from 1922-1970, were a comedy trio best known for
190 short films that still air on cable television. The Three Stooges performed the
slappiest of slapstick humor. They conducted many a pratfall, poked hundreds of
eyes, caught many a pie-in-the-face (almost as many as Soupy Sales), and generally
practiced all sorts of mayhem. However, there was never blood or gore. Even the
bad guys never received worse than a headache or a wrecked suit of
clothes.
The original Three Stooges were Orthodox Jews: Moses Horwitz
(Moe Howard), Jerome Horwitz (Curly Howard) and Larry Feinberg
(Larry Fine). After Curly’s passing at the relatively young age of 48, a
third brother, Samuel Horwitz (Shemp Howard) joined the troupe.
The Three Stooges became nothing short of legendary. They
soon became a ubiquitous, everyday reference to generic, but not
evil, buffoons. They are mentioned on many pages in the Archive
beginning in 1936.
A story in the May 23, 1947, Jewish Chronicle, the “Movie Score” column,
was a bit surprising. It reported that the PTA of Chicago declared that a new
Three Stooges episode was “ideal entertainment for children.
” I guess kids
soon figured out that, while Curly might be able to take a saw across his head
— to the ruin of the saw — this wasn’t something to do at home.
Sometimes, however, a Three Stooge’s episode was more than meets (or
pokes) the eye. In 1940, for example, before America entered World War II,
the trio released You Nazty Spy! This was the first Hollywood film to spoof
Hitler (played by Moe), Italy’s fascist dictator Mussolini and Nazi Hermann
Goring (Curly in a dual role), and Nazi Minister of Propaganda, Joseph
Goebbels (Larry). Perhaps as a double insult to the Nazis, Moe’s Hitleresque
rant included a good dose of Yiddish. Released a few months before Charlie
Chaplin’s famous The Great Dictator, it is also a forerunner of Mel Brook’s The
Producers.
Many consider watching the Three Stooges to be an issue of gender. “How
Do You Get Curly From Yehuda?” While mentioning Curly’s Hebrew name,
Yehuda Leyb, a question was raised: “Is there a single woman on the planet
who thought they [the Stooges] were funny?” (Oct. 9, 1998). Likewise, “Girls
Are Smarter Than Boys,
” suggested gender preferences as a sign of intelligence
(Oct. 22, 1993).
In another mention of Stooge-ology, the 1993 JN holiday gift guide featured
young Jennifer Beitzner. It noted that, among other gifts, she bought her father
a Three Stooges tie (Dec. 3, 1993). What more could a guy want?
Certain members of Detroit’s Jewish community might be Three Stooges aficionados. In the JN’s Torah portion in its Oct.15, 2009, issue,
for one example, Rabbi Baruch Cohen began his column with a reference to a famous Three Stooges line: “Wake up and go to sleep!”
Of course, I’m too sophisticated to have ever watched the Three Stooges. Any comments to the contrary would be complete
“Sabatoogee.
”
Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation archives, available for free at www.djnfoundation.org.
Mike Smith
Alene and
Graham Landau
Archivist Chair
The Three Stooges became nothing short of legendary. They
soon became a ubiquitous, everyday reference to generic, but not
evil, buffoons. They are mentioned on many pages in the Archive
soon figured out that, while Curly might be able to take a saw across his head
The
Are Smarter Than Boys,
” suggested gender preferences as a sign of intelligence
holiday gift guide featured
young Jennifer Beitzner. It noted that, among other gifts, she bought her father