In addition to his role as one of the Three Stooges, Curly almost cameo in a number of other on-screen performances, including “Hold That Lion” in 1947, during which he played a sleeping train passenger, almost unrecognizable due to the fact that his hair had grown a lot since shaving his head for the Stooges.
Notably, this film was the only film that included all three of the Howard brothers, plus Larry Fine, all in the same scene. Additionally, the Stooges also have a split-second cameo in the movie, “It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World.” Curly also appeared in another cameo in 1940, but his part was later cut from the film.
An Ironic Death
Ironically reflecting his fear of cars, Shemp would actually die in a car, though not in a car crash. On November 22, 1955, while driving home from a Los Angeles boxing match with a friend, Shemp would tell his last and final joke.
Soon after lighting his cigar and telling his joke, Shemp suddenly slumped over, appearing dead. Though the friend first believed this to be another one of his pranks, this time, the actor was actually dead.
The Many Expressions Of Curly
As the most popular of the three stooges, Curly Howard was the brains behind the majority of the Stooges’ iconic catchphrases, the most well known being nyuk, nyuk, nyuk; nyahh-ahhh-ahhh; a WISE guy, eh?; say a few syllables; oh, look; I’ll moider you; and soitenly!
Even after his death, the Stooges continued to use many of Curly’s most-loved expressions during their performances.
An Unhappy Union
Regarded by fans as the most popular of the Stooges, there was a dark side to Curly’s popularity. This Stooge was notoriously known to drink in excess, and blew almost all of his fortune on wine, cars, dogs and houses. Above all of Curly’s weaknesses, his greatest by far was his weakness for women. Immensely insecure, unbeknownst to Curly, women often took great advantage of the actor, who carried his heart on his sleeve.
In the early ‘40s, concerned for Curly’s worsening health and heavy drinking, Moe encouraged his fellow Stooge to marry a woman by the name of Marion Buxbaum, believing that this union would help Curly change his unhealthy habits. Sadly, Moe was horribly wrong. This marriage was largely turbulent. By the end of the marriage, Curly had already squandered much of his income on jewelry and fur coats, in an attempt to please his wife. Just nine months after getting married, the couple filed for divorce, resulting in a highly public, and horribly bitter legal battle.
Curly’s Fatal Price of Fame
For many fans, Curly is notably the most favorite of the Stooges. “Personally, I thought Curly was the greatest because he was a natural comedian who had no formal training. Whatever he did, he made up on the spur of the moment. When we lost Curly, we took a hit,” said Fine in an interview. Curly’s spur of the moment comedic style lead to many of his signature moves, including his classic running-in-circles move, which was actually an improv move he commonly used when the Stooge forgot his line. Sadly, following his messy divorce, Curly’s health quickly declined as he succumbed to old, unhealthy habits. As his obesity worsened, so too did his health and hypertension.
It was not long before Curly’s body reached its breaking point. Eventually, hypertension lead to retinal hemorrhages, ultimately leading to a fatal stroke. At 47, Curly’s rapidly declining health and mental deterioration forced him into a nursing home, where he became increasingly problematic for staff. Though his family was advised to admit Curly to a mental hospital, Moe ignored the doctor’s recommendations. Despite Moe’s defiance, eventually Curly was sent to View Sanitarium in San Gabriel, California, where he “died bedridden and alone” at the age of 48. Curly was put to rest at the Home of Peace Cemetery in Los Angeles, CA.