As the Three Stooges gained more and more popularity in television and the movies, they soon turned to music as a new platform to display their multi-faceted talents. In 1959, with the rising popularity of the Stooges among children, the three Stooges would embark on their career as recording artists. Though many different rival record companies fought over the rights to release the Stooges’ first record, after much negotiation, it was the record division of Columbia Pictures that emerged victorious, thus earning the right to publish the Stooges’ first music record. And so, in 1959, the Stooges’ first musical record was released. Titled, Have Rocket, Will Travel, the trio’s first recorded song was taken from one of their musical numbers involving the Three Stooges entering the Space Race.
While this record, originally titled Race for the Moon, did not in fact make the nation’s Top 40 songs that year, despite the songs ranking, the Stooges’ first album still sold remarkably well. While not among the top songs, as a result of the record’s positive record sales, the Stooges gained much needed exposure within the music industry. Thus, the Stooges’ image as profitable, talented emerging vocal artists became increasingly know among many other top record companies in the music business. Following Columbia Pictures’ release of their first record, many others would follow. The Stooges’ next record would be released under Golden Records, who distributed three more singles, plus the groups’ first album. Of the many musical albums recorded and released by the Stooges, perhaps the most notable is the release of a comedy collaboration record featuring the voice of Yogi Bear, titled “Yogi Bear and The Three Stooges Meet the Mad, Mad, Mad Dr. No-No.”
Throwing Pies in the Face of Adversity
Many credit The Three Stooges' appeal largely to their ability to relate to the general public. For fans, the Stooges and their comedy served as an escape for many, providing them with comic relief during the harsh economic challenges so many Americans faced during the times of the Great Depression. Especially as tensions between social classes rose following the stock market’s crash, and as the country, as well as the world, fell deeper and deeper into a period of great sadness and despair, the Stooges emerged at a seemingly perfect time. With their whimsical antics, ability to relate to the working class and the common man, and their unwillingness to quit despite economic adversity, made them the perfect act for this point in US history.
As opposed stories of glamorous and lavish on-screen lifestyles, the Stooges were greatly successful in there ability to relate to those of the working class, and often mocked the wealthy, “hoity-toity” social elitists. During the Stooges’ on screen performances, the elite, upper class society was victimized and mocked, often times with a pie thrown in their faces. Of the main recurring themes in the The Three Stooges’ acts, ideas of anti-aristocracy and anti-wealth were prevalent, and thus appealed to the general masses, as these ideas were widely popular among the common classes during this era of the Depression. The stooges silly antics and references to the socio-economical issues of that time provided much needed distraction for those experiencing great losses and debt. The comedic acts of the Stooges significantly uplifted the moral of the majorly disheartened population of Depression-ridden America.
Cinema Killed The Vaudeville Star… But Not The Stooges
Despite the decrease in Vaudeville comedy with the rise of Cinema, because the Three Stooges transitioned their live Vaudeville act over to film, the arrival of the movie only made The Stooges and their work stronger. Though Ted Healy & His Stooges made their first film debut in Soup to Nuts (1930)—a Fox Studios feature film—the movie was considered a huge flop.
Though Healy’s act, which relied largely on ad libs and improvisation, was popular on stage, unfortunately this style of performance did not translate well onto the big screen. Despite Healy’s failed attempt at film, Fox Studios was largely impressed by the performance of the Stooges, and offered the three Stooges a contract. Healy was not included in this film contract; a decision which created tension and hostility between the furious Healy, and the three Stooges (Larry, Moe and Shep).
Who Doesn’t Scooby-Doo Know? - And Other Stooge Cameos
Throughout the Stooges’ career, in addition to their own television work, the trio was also featured in several television show cameos. Most notable of the Stooges’ television cameos, was their guest appearance on ABC’s Off to See the Wizard. This television cameo led to many others, including their role as “Three Men in a Tub” during the television episode, Who’s Afraid of Mother Goose?—another ABC show—which was broadcast on October 13, 1967.
Though the names and likeness of the Three Stooges were used in Scooby-Doo movies, “Ghastly Ghost Town” and “The Ghost of the Red Baron,” the voices of the Stooges were actually played by skilled voice imitators, and not the original Stooges themselves.
The Official Three Stooges Fan Club
In addition to existing as the home of The Stoogeum museum, Ambler, PA is also home to The original Three Stooges Fan Club. With consent from Moe Howard and Larry Fine, the official Three Stooges fan Club was formed in 1974.
Today, The Three Stooges Fan Club is recognized as one of the nation’s oldest fan clubs, and holds a total of over 2,000 fan club members worldwide.