Curly Howard
Curly Howard
real name Jerome
Lester Horwitz was born on October 22, 1903. He was best
known as a member of the American farce comedy
team the Three Stooges which also featured his elder
brothers Moe and Shemp Howard and actor Larry Fine.
Curly
Howard was generally considered the most popular and recognizable of the
Stooges. He was well known for his high-pitched voice and vocal expressions
("nyuk-nyuk-nyuk!", "woob-woob-woob!",
"soitenly!"(certainly), and barking like a dog) as well as his
physical comedy (e.g., falling on the ground and pivoting on his shoulder as he
"walked" in circular motion), improvisations, and
athleticism. An untrained actor, Curly borrowed (and significantly
exaggerated) the "woob woob" from "nervous" and soft-spoken
comedian Hugh Herbert
Howard's
childlike mannerisms and natural comedic charm made him a hit with audiences,
particularly children. Many times, directors would simply let the camera roll
freely and let Howard improvise. Writers would leave gaps in the Stooge scripts where
Curly could improvise for several minutes.
Off
screen, Curley was an introvert, he generally kept to himself, rarely
socializing with people unless he had been drinking (which he would
increasingly turn to as the stresses of his career grew.) Curly simply refrained from engaging in
"crazy antics" unless he was in his element: with family, performing
or intoxicated.
By
the time the Stooges hit their peak in the late 1930s, their films had almost
become vehicles for his uninhibited comic performances. Moe Howard later
confirmed that when Curly forgot his lines, that merely allowed him to
improvise on the spot so that the "take" could continue
uninterrupted.
In 1944, Howard's energy began to fall.
After the filming of the feature-length Rockin; in the Rockies (December 1944), he finally checked himself
(at Moe's insistence) into Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California on January 23, 1945, and was diagnosed with extreme hypertension, a retinal hemorrhage, and obesity. His ill health forced him to rest, leading
to only five shorts being released in 1945.
In January 1945, Shemp had been recruited to
substitute for a resting Curly during live performances in New Orleans. After Curly's 1946 stroke, Shemp agreed
to replace him, but only until his younger brother was well enough to rejoin
the act.
Curly suffered a
second massive stroke in 1947, which left him partially paralyzed. In February
1951, he was placed in a nursing home, where he suffered another stroke a month
later.
During World War II, the Stooges entertained servicemen constantly, and the
intense work schedule took its toll on Curly. He found constant companionship
in his dogs and often befriended strays whenever the Stooges were traveling.
After
three failed marriages, on July 31, 1947, he married Valerie Newman, and
remained married until his death.
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