Gettin' Your Stooge On at the Stoogeum
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My first television memory is of my favorite children's program. Every afternoon I'd sit in front of a TV with bad reception and wait for Sally Starr to make her entrance. Starr hosted the Popeye Theater on WFIL-TV out of Philadelphia. Times being what they were, the rabbit ears on our TV didn't offer the best reception, but I didn't care. To me, Sally Starr represented everything a little girl would want to grow up to be. She was beautiful, with her long, blonde hair and fancy outfits. Oh, and best of all, she was a cowgirl, which made her adventurous as well as pretty. As the sixth of eight girls, I needed a little more dirt and a lot less primping. I was a tomboy to the core, so Sally Starr was the perfect role model for me.
Among the show's memorable guests were Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Jimmy Durante, Chief Halftown (a show regular) and the Three Stooges. In addition to guests, cartoons and good, wholesome fun, the Popeye Theater featured the Three Stooges' films. I didn't know that little girls were not supposed to like the Stooges, and I guess I figured that any friends of Sally's were okay in my book. After the show ended in 1971, she sort of disappeared from my world. I did get to see Chief Halftown once when I visited Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster County. He sat in a tee-pee, and kids could have their pictures taken with him. As for the Stooges, their movies played on throughout my childhood.
For me, it wasn't the eye poking or skull smashing that made me laugh until I nearly wet myself. It was and still is the over-the-top and unrealistic reaction to those things. It was the expressions on their faces. To this very day, if I see Shemp, I just laugh. His facial expressions and overall physical comedy is genius. I know, I know, I'm supposed to like Curly, because everyone likes Curly the best, but remember, I'm not supposed to enjoy the Stooges at all.
"Paging Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine, Dr. Howard."
The Stooges got their start when brothers Moe (born Moses Horwitz) and Shemp Howard (Samuel Horwitz) joined Ted Healy's Vaudeville act in 1922. Larry Fine later joined the act, after he was spotted playing his violin while doing a Russian dance. Ted and the boys felt that Fine would be perfect for their act, and they were right. In 1930, the Stooges starred in their first full-length film, "Soup to Nuts." Shemp left the act in 1931 to pursue a film career. After going solo, Shemp went on to star in many films for RKO, MGM and Monogram. Moe suggested that his little brother, Jerome, take Shemp's place, and Curly was born. In 1934, Moe, Larry and Curly signed with Columbia Pictures to make 18-minute comedy shorts as the Three Stooges.
After Curly suffered a stroke during the filming of "Half-Wits' Holiday" in 1946, his brother Shemp rejoined the Stooges. Curly's health continued to decline, and, in 1952 at the age of 48, he died. Moe, Larry and Shemp kept the laughs coming until 1955, when Shemp died of a heart attack. Moe and Larry debated whether the act should continue and decided that the show must go on - first with Joe Besser and later with Joe DeRita, known as "Curly" Joe.
In all, the Stooges made 190 film shorts for Columbia Pictures, which were put into syndication by the studio in 1958. This began an era of resurgence of popularity for the trio, as a whole new generation of fans was created.
"A wise guy, eh?"
Due in part to the politically incorrect style of humor, it is rare to see them on television today. But there may be hope on the horizon for Stooges fans. In 2010, the Farrelly Brothers are slated to release "The Three Stooges," a comedy based on the antics of Moe, Larry and Curly. At press time, Benicio Del Toro has been cast to play Moe, and Paul Giamatti will star as Larry. Jim Carrey has been rumored to take on the role as Curly, but there has been no confirmation of that. Whether the talented cast will do any justice to the pop icons is yet to be seen, but perhaps the film's popularity will again bring them into our living rooms.
Fortunately, you won't have to wait until the movie hits theaters to get your Stooge fix. The Stoogeum (Stooges-museum), located about 30 minutes outside Philadelphia, is a 10,000-square-foot museum devoted to all things Stooge. Thousands of Three Stooges memorabilia and artifacts adorn the walls, line the floors and even make the stairwell home. This vast treasure is the collection of Gary Lassin, who does it all when it comes to the Stoogeum.
Though he has been a Three Stooges fan since childhood, it wasn't until he met his future wife that Lassin's appreciation of the Stooges would rise to a whole new level. Gary's wife, Robin, is the grandniece of Larry Fine. Odd as it seems, her family wasn't very interested in the memorabilia that Fine's brother had collected. So, he passed it along to Lassin. After 30 years of collecting, Gary Lassin has accumulated a collection of approximately 100,000 pieces. You could say it's enough to fill a museum. And it does. Lassin opened the three-story museum in 2004 with the intention of putting his collection on display for hard-core fans. At first the Stoogeum was open by appointment only, and, even now, entrance to the museum requires an appointment, or visitors must come on one of the Stoogeum's monthly open houses. Lassin never expected the interest the museum has received from casual Stooges fans. In 2010, Lassin is hoping to open the museum twice a month with some Sunday and weekday openings.
From the moment you walk in the door, you are greeted with the familiar "Hello, hello, hello ... hello," but that really doesn't prepare you for what awaits you inside. Movie props, like the "flying submarine tank" from "The Three Stooges in Orbit," share the museum with costumes and scripts and other rare memorabilia. Visitors will find entire walls dedicated to Stooges comic books; photos of actors like Lucille Ball, who shared the stage with the trio; and movie posters galore.
Like today's celebrities, the Stooges lent their names to many products. From cereal to beer, the Stooges hocked just about anything. During the '50s and '60s, Stooge merchandise was popular with young fans that watched the movies in syndication. Action figures, puppets, board games, and trading cards are just few of the hundreds of these items Lassin has amassed at the Stoogeum.
Perhaps the most impressive parts of the collection are the personal items on display. The exhibit contains rare items like Shemp's Army discharge papers, Larry's studio I.D., candid photos and letters.
As a first-time visitor, I was pleasantly surprised to find a very up-scale, well-designed museum. There is an entire floor dedicated as an art gallery. Artist renderings of the Stooges in many different mediums can be viewed in a space where light streams in from skylights.
There is no better way to end your visit than by relaxing in the Stoogeum's 85-seat theater that continuously plays a loop of Stooges shorts. In fact, the museum has several flat screens that show the films while you browse through the exhibits.
"Why, I oughta...!"
The Stoogeum has to be the best-kept secret in Pennsylvania. Its location in a small business park may have something to do with that. On the day we went, my friend and I missed our turn and ended up going to an automotive store to ask for directions. They had no idea that the Stoogeum existed but were happy to give me directions to the address I had.
Thanks to Gary Lassin's passion, the comedic genius of the Stooges lives on in the Stoogeum if not on our television sets. On the day of my visit, there were few women in attendance, most of whom probably dragged to the Stoogeum by their husbands. But, what I noticed was that they were enjoying the exhibits as much as the men who brought them. The fact is that the Three Stooges are just plain funny no matter what your age or gender, and the Stoogeum is the only museum in the world dedicated solely to the goofy threesome.
There are a few things you should know before you visit. First, you'll need to check the Stoogeum's website for days the museum is open. There is no photography allowed inside the museum, but you may run into Moe, Larry and Curly, who are always happy to step outside and take a photo. On the day of my visit, Moe (Jay Novelli) and Curly (Ron Hites) where hamming it up at the Stoogeum. Don't be a knucklehead like me and forget to put batteries in the camera! And finally, admission is free, but donations are accepted.
Will I go back? Soitenly!
More on the Stoogeum founder:
Gary Lassin is also the president of the Three Stooges Fan Club, which has approximately 2,000 members worldwide. Members receive quarterly newsletters and meet annually at the Stoogeum, where Stooges relatives, supporting actors and impersonators gather with fans to celebrate the trio. More fan club information can be found on www.stoogeum.com.
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