Curly Howard | |
|---|---|
 Howard c. 1930s | |
| Born | Jerome Lester Horwitz October 22, 1903 Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. |
| Died | January 18, 1952 (aged 48) San Gabriel, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Home of Peace Cemetery, Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Jerry Howard Jerome Howard |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1928–1952 |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Moe Howard (brother) Shemp Howard (brother) Joan Howard Maurer (niece) |
| Website | ThreeStooges.com |
Jerome Lester Horwitz (October 22, 1903 – January 18, 1952), better known by his stage name Curly Howard, was an American comedian and actor. He was a member of the comedy team The Three Stooges, which also featured his elder brothers Moe and Shemp Howard, as well as actor Larry Fine. In early shorts, he was billed as Curley. Curly Howard was generally considered the most popular and recognizable of the Stooges.[1]
He was well known for his high-pitched voice and vocal expressions ("nyuk-nyuk-nyuk!", "woob-woob-woob!", "soitenly!" [certainly], "I'm a victim of soikemstance" [circumstance], 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.[1] An untrained actor, Curly borrowed (and significantly exaggerated) the "woo woo" from "nervous" comedian Hugh Herbert.[2] Curly's unique version of "woob-woob-woob" was firmly established by the time of the Stooges' second Columbia film, Punch Drunks (1934).[1]
Howard had to leave the Three Stooges act in May 1946 when a massive stroke ended his show business career. He suffered serious health problems and several more strokes until his death in 1952 at age 48.
- ^ a b c Maurer, Joan Howard; Jeff Lenburg; Greg Lenburg (1982). The Three Stooges Scrapbook. Citadel Press. ISBN 0-8065-0946-5.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Okuda 1986 63was invoked but never defined (see the help page).