Ironically, though Larry was known for his very curly hair, in contrast, Curly, despite his deceitful name, actually had a very bald head. In addition to his signature walk on the Stooges, Curly was also widely known as the character with a bald head. However, surprisingly, it wasn’t always this way. Prior to starring on “The Three Stooges,” Curly actually had a pretty great, curly set of hair.
But this would not last. Ted Healy, the brains behind the group’s success, decided Curly was not as funny with all this hair, and initially refused to hire Larry as a Stooge. Thus, to prove his worth, Curly shaved his head for his role on the show.
Curly’s Walk
For Curly Howard, of all the features of his hilarious character, his most memorable feature was by far his peculiar trademark walk. Though many thought this way of walking was intentional, and while he did in fact work to make his style of walking funnier, a major aspect of the Three Stooges act, in reality, his strange walk was actually the result of a tragic childhood accident which left him with a prominent limp.
According to his story, at just 12 years old, while cleaning a shotgun, Curly accidentally shot himself in the left ankle. Because he refused to see a doctor to receive surgery for his injury, the accident left him with a lifelong limp. Curly’s unusual on-screen walk was used to cover up the actors’ permanent impediment.
Larry Fine’s Violin
As every Stooge fan is well aware, Larry was extremely talented on the fiddle. However, the story behind his talent does not begin with his interest in music. Growing up with a jeweler father, there were always corrosive materials around the house, which his father used to test the quality of gold. Consequently, one day, during his childhood, a young Fine picked up what he believed to be a beverage, but what actually turned out to be a bottle of acid.
His father quickly smacked the acid out of Fine’s hand, causing the dangerous liquid to spill all over his arm, eating away his flesh right down to the muscle. In addition to receiving a skin graft for his injury, Fine also decided to start violin lessons, in an attempt to strengthen the damaged muscles on his impacted arm. At this point in time, this type of therapeutic technique was one largely accepted as a form of both physical and emotional healing. And so, the image of Larry Fine and his famous Violin was born.
Ted Healy’s Mysterious, Unnatural Death
Though childhood friend and vaudeville performer Ted Healy is to thank for first bringing together the “stooges” for his comedy act in 1922, and while Healy remained on tour with the comedy team for years, the stooges eventually became unable to deal with Healy’s notoriously acerbic attitude and excessive drinking habits, and separated themselves from Healy in 1934, in order to independently pursue their career in film. In 1937, Healy’s infamously foul behavior would allegedly lead to his brutal murder. Though there are many different accounts of the night that lead to Healy’s eventual death, it is believed by most that he was beaten to death outside of a bar on Sunset Strip, after getting into a violent altercation with an associate of legendary mobster Lucky Luciano.
Despite the events leading up to it, there was still much uncertainty surrounding the true reason behind Healy’s tragic death. According to one MGM spokesperson, Healy died from a heart attack. However, injuries to Healy’s face lead others to believe he died from the altercation that night at the Trocadero. After much debate, the public release of his autopsy revealed Healy’s death to be a result of “nephritis and alcoholism”. According to the surgeon conducting the medical examination, there was no signs of skull injury, brain or blood clots, or any evidence of cerebral hemorrhage. Despite the autopsy, there was still much debate over the true death of the Three Stooges founder. While there were allegations that Shemp may have possessed information about Healy’s last, fatal night, this evidence was withheld, most likely out of fear of the powerful mobster. No one was ever charged with this supposed murder.
The Eye Poke
Of the many memorable moments on “The Three Stooges,” by far one of the most known is the eye poke gag. The origins of this trademark move? An apparent real life altercation over a game of cards. As the story goes, during during one bridge game between fellow stooges, Sheep angrily accused Larry Fine of cheating, stood up, and in his rage, went up to Fine, and proceeded to poke him in not one, but both of his eyes.
In response, Moe as he watched the hilarious events unfold, he laughed so hard, he fell backwards, right through a glass door. Moe kept note of this occurrence, and eventually made it a part of the comedy group’s onscreen performance. This move was later added to their long list of physical attacks on the show.