Three Stooges Bibliography - Books

Paperback:  182 pages
Publisher:  Bantam Books (1963)
In Print?  No

Novelization of 4 FOR TEXAS (1963), the comedy-western feature film starring Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Ursula Andress, Anita Ekberg, Charles Bronson, and a guest appearance by The Three Stooges.

Paperback:  271 pages
Publisher:  Perigree Books / Putnam (1991)
In Print?  No

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	(10.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-11-15 20:48:02)

From the back cover...
"A definitive behind-the-scenes look at the making of Abbott and Costello's thirty-six feature films, written by the personal archivist of the Abbott and Costello estates and the founder of the Official Abbott and Costello Fan Club. If you're a fan, you cannot be without this book!"

Each of the 5 films featuring Shemp Howard (and Joe Besser) is given a thorough historical analysis, covering everything from script development, production, cast, theatrical release, reviews, and even more.

Hardback:  88 pages
Publisher:  Fantagraphics Books (2012)
In Print?  Yes

Hardcover edition, re-released in 2012. Same interior content as the 1985 edition.

Hardback:  92 pages
Publisher:  Fantagraphics Books (1986)
In Print?  No

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	(10.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2010-02-06 20:06:41)

Same interior content as softcover edition; only the cover is different.

Paperback:  92 pages
Publisher:  Fantagraphics Books (1985)
In Print?  No

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	(10.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2010-02-06 20:06:20)

The satirical and slightly off-center dark humor of Drew and Josh Friedman created this beautifully illustrated collection of comic strips, highlighting/targeting an eclectic group of celebrities from cult & pop culture... Tor Johnson, William Frawley, Jackie Gleason & Art Carney, Jack Webb, Joe Franklin, Bob Hope, Don Knotts & Andy Griffith, Arnold Stang, Doodles Weaver, Bud Abbott & Lou Costello, William Bendix, Jimmy Durante, Ernest Borgnine, John Wayne, Wayne Newton, Arthur Q. Bryan, Mantan Moreland, El Brendel, Jim Nabors, Rock Hudson, Dick York, Bert Lahr, Joe E. Brown, Jackie Coogan, Our Gang, Frank Sinatra, Wally Cox, Ed Platt, and more.

Drew Friedman's caricature tribute to Shemp Howard is featured on the cover, and other Stooge entries include Joe Besser in "Attack of the 50 Foot Stinky," Larry in "Larry Finearama Nitemare," Curly Joe in "Joe DeRita of the Apes," Mousie Garner, Sammy Wolf, Larry and Shemp in "Laugh Makers," Shemp in "Screw," and full-page portraits of Larry Fine, Ted Healy, Moe, Larry & Curly, and Moe, Larry & Shemp (w/Eddie Cantor).

Paperback:  343 pages
Publisher:  The Directors Guild of America (1993)
In Print?  No

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	(9.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 19:14:11)

Softcover reissue of The White Brothers: Jack, Jules & Sam White.

Hardback:  192 pages
Publisher:  Papercutz (2012)
In Print?  Yes

From the back cover...
"This book isn't just a book, it's also a time capsule filled with old, well-read, beat-up comics starring the funniest men who ever lived... THE THREE STOOGES. When you open this book up, you'll uncover a collection of old comic books that are not only funny and fun to read, but that are drawn by two of the best cartoonists ever... Norman Maurer and Peter Alvarado.

So, get comfortable and enjoy "The Best of The Three Stooges Comic Books!"

Introduction by Joan Howard Maurer
Representing classic Three Stooges comic books...
- The Three Stooges # 1 (St. John Publ., 1953)
- The Three Stooges # 4 (St. John Publ., 1954)
- The Three Stooges # 5 (St. John Publ., 1954)
- Four Color Comics # 1043 (Western Publ. / Dell, 1959)
- Four Color Comics # 1078 (Western Publ. / Dell, 1960)
- Four Color Comics # 1127 (Western Publ. / Dell, 1960)

Hardback:  192 pages
Publisher:  Papercutz (2012)
In Print?  Yes

From the back cover...
"Nyuk! Nyuk! Nyuk! A new collection of classic funny books starring The Three Stooges.

Volume 2 collects more work by Norman Maurer and Pete Alvarado, plus comics drawn by award-winning artist Joe Messerli, the designer of THE TWILIGHT ZONE logo. Also, meet THE LITTLE STOOGES, the offspring of Moe, Larry, and Curly [Joe]! It's all here in "The Best of The Three Stooges Comicbooks Volume 2!"

Includes a 1984 interview with Norman Maurer
Representing classic Three Stooges comic books...
- The Three Stooges # 6 (St. John Publ., 1954)
- The Three Stooges # 7 (St. John Publ., 1954)
- Four Color Comics # 1127 (Western Publ. / Dell, 1960)
- Four Color Comics # 1170 (Western Publ. / Dell, 1961)
- Four Color Comics # 1187 (Western Publ. / Dell, 1961)
- The Little Stooges # 1 (Western Publ. / Gold Key, 1972)
- The Little Stooges # 2 (Western Publ. / Gold Key, 1972)

Paperback:  173 pages
Publisher:  Writers Club Press (2001)
In Print?  No

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	(0.00 - 3 votes - Last rating: 2010-06-13 10:31:56)

Beyond the Laughter is totally fiction, a novel chronicling the never-was story of the life of the most famous Stooge after his Stooge years. It "reveals" an assassination of the most beloved president of the 20th Century. A story of rape, murder, molestation, kidnapping, lust, and underworld affliations. Through all of which evolves a forgettable love story.

Very loosely adapting Frank Sinatra's 1950-1960s life, the author poorly adapted it around Curly Howard to avoid litigations from the Sinatra estate. Even as fiction, the book should be avoided based on its general merit... worthy of your better septic tanks.

Paperback:  229 pages
Publisher:  McFarland & Company (2005)
In Print?  No

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	(7.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:07:52)

Includes a chapter written by Larry Fine's grandson, Eric Lamond.

From the back cover...
"Living in the shadow of a famous parent can have powerful effects. Some children of stars are proud of their roots while others live in secrecy. Here is a rare look into the private lives of the children and grandchildren of Hollywood icons, revealing the stresses and inspirations of living with great performers who may or may not have been great parents.

From the bedtime stories Harpo Marx and his wife told their four adopted children to explain where they'd come from, to the studded belt Bing Crosby used to punish his sons, this work tells the best and worst of growing up in a celebrity home."

Families covered include those of W. C. Fields, The Marx Brothers, Eddie Cantor, Mario Lanza, Ruth Hussey, Jerry Lewis, Douglas Fairbanks and Boris Karloff. Research is drawn from interviews with celebrity offspring, who also provided never-before-published snapshots of Hollywood legends at home.

Paperback:  84 pages
Publisher:  Lulu.com (2009)
In Print?  No

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	(1.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-06-07 09:47:01)

From the back cover...

"Classic Comedy Teams: A Screenshots Book is a collection of more than 100 images from public domain films, TV shows and movie trailers of Abbott and Costello, Laurel and Hardy, Martin and Lewis, The Marx Brothers, The Three Stooges, and more. This "first of its kind" book captures many memorable moments from the days when movie comedy teams truly were king."

Hardback:  262 pages
Publisher:  McFarland & Company (1986)
In Print?  No

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	(10.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 16:57:33)

Columbia produced over 500 two-reel shorts from 1933 through 1958, with Hollywood's finest comics: The Three Stooges, Andy Clyde, Buster Keaton, Harry Langdon, Charley Chase, others. Fully illustrated with never-before-published photographs, the book chronicles the history of all, including interviews with the veterans. The filmography covers all of the 526 two-reelers, with credits, dates and synopsis.

Paperback:  272 pages
Publisher:  McFarland & Company (1998)
In Print?  No

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	(10.00 - 2 votes - Last rating: 2011-04-26 01:39:47)

See Hardcover edition's entry for details.

Hardback:  400 pages
Publisher:  Crown Publishers (1989)
In Print?  No

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	(5.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:08:20)

The short subjects of Columbia barely receive a mention, with the Stooges' contribution to the studio mostly restricted to their mention in feature film synopses. But the history of Columbia remains fascinating, and the book presents a detailed history of their home studio's history and heritage. From the book jacket...

The Columbia Story offers a year-by-year presentation of all Columbia Pictures feature films, including its many serials, westerns and series offerings. Wittily and perceptively written, and lavishly illustrated with more than 1400 photographs, more than 500 of which are in color, this book is the kind of aide memoire no movie enthusiast will want to be without.

Paperback:  247 pages
Publisher:  Citadel Press (1993)
In Print?  No

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	(8.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:08:38)

Shemp Howard and Joe Besser receive chapters in this tribute to familiar, beloved supporting actors. Stooge fans can also enjoy segments dedicated to Vernon Dent, Dudley Dickerson, Billy Gilbert, Bud Jamison, Jack Norton, Benny Rubin, and scores more whose paths crossed the Stooges (and Healy) over five decades.

From the back cover...

"Comic Support is a tribute to those overlooked actors whose job was to take the brunt of the jokes and make the leading stars look good. Whether they played cops (Edgar Kennedy), society dowagers (Margaret Dumont), prissy sales clerks (Franklin Pangborn), crusty valets (Eric Blore), or full-time drunks (Jack Norton), these 2nd bananas would set themselves up for a fall so that the leads could get even louder laughs. Then there were the sidekicks: Allen Jenkins and Frank McHugh for James Cagney, Una O'Connor who offered a laugh break in Boris Karloff's "Frankenstein" films, and Thurston Hall who played indignant fathers and bankers for the likes of Bette Davis and Loretta Young. These supporting players, along with more than a hundred-and-fifty others, were invaluable to the success of both the movies and the actors with whom they appeared. They live on here again in words and photographs."

Paperback:  562 pages
Publisher:  Comedy III Productions Inc (2002)
In Print?  No

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	(10.00 - 4 votes - Last rating: 2009-11-21 12:12:29)

The Three Stooges are the greatest comedy team of all time. Their great body of work spanned almost forty years and includes over 200 films. This book pays tribute to the great comedy genius of The Three Stooges with a detailed study and analysis of all of their films. This is the definitive source book from respected Stooge expert Professor Jon Solomon. This is a one of a kind book. The 562 page book presents all of the film work of The Three Stooges from their beginning in 1930 to their last in 1970. Each film is meticulously analyzed and added to the chapters are anecdotes and information regarding the film itself, the supporting players, directors and producers. There is no book quite like this. It is a Stooge fans dream, but it is also informative and quite entertaining for non-stooge fans who are interested in entertainment.

Paperback:  332 pages
Publisher:  Monograph Publishers (2007)
In Print?  No

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	(1.00 - 2 votes - Last rating: 2009-07-02 18:39:35)

The author uses a series of essays to chart his transition from liberalism to conservatism, including a review of THE THREE STOOGES MEET HERCULES (1962).

Hardback:  224 pages
Publisher:  Citadel Press (1985)
In Print?  No

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	(9.00 - 2 votes - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:00:51)

Moe's daughter Joan explores a loving biography of her Uncle Jerome (Curly) Howard. A personal history of Curly, rather than a professional one, Joan visited numerous cousins and Curly-in-laws to examine and understand the extremely private and introverted man. The youngest Howard brother, who became an extroverted and hilariously energetic comic in front of the camera. Her Uncle Curly, whose personal issues led to a debilitating illness and early death.

Illustrated with photos from the Howard family archives, plus artwork from Joan's brother Paul Howard, who also provided a Howard/Horwitz family tree. Many members of the extended Howard family revisited and/or mended family ties due to Joan's efforts on this book... Curly's two daughters met each other for the first time in 1988 at a Three Stooges Convention in Philadelphia, largely due to the contacts made for this book.

A family affair for the Howards, and a love affair for fans of Curly Howard of The Three Stooges.

Paperback:  224 pages
Publisher:  Citadel Press (1985)
In Print?  No

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	(7.50 - 2 votes - Last rating: 2010-03-24 17:24:41)

Several reissues of a softcover version were printed from 1985 - early 1990s, with no editorial changes from its initial 1985 publication.

Paperback:  240 pages
Publisher:  Chicago Review Press (2013)
In Print?  Yes

Revised reissue of the original 1985 edition.

Paperback:  134 pages
Publisher:  Daniel Volk (1988)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(4.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:09:19)

From the back cover...

"Did you ever wonder in what films Larry, Curly and Moe rode a bicycle built for three? Or slept in a triple bunk bed? What were the names of their racehorses? Their restaurants? Their wives and girlfriends? In what short did they sing the song "We Just Droppped in to Say Hello"? It's all here and more, The Films of the Stooges: Larry, Curly & Moe... The Columbia Shorts, an indepth look at the 97 shorts made with Larry, Curly & Moe at Columbia Studios from 1934 to 1947."

Paperback:  325 pages
Publisher:  McFarland & Company (2004)
In Print?  No

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	(6.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:09:41)

From the back cover...

Eddie Mannix and Howard Strickling are virtually unknown outside of Hollywood and little-remembered even there, but as General Manager and Head of Publicity for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, they lorded over all the stars in Hollywood's golden age from the 1920s through the 1940s -- including legends like Garbo, Dietrich, Gable and Garland. When MGM stars found themselves in trouble, it was Eddie and Howard who took care of them -- solved their problems, hid their crimes, and kept their secrets. They were "The Fixers." At a time when image meant everything and the stars were worth millions to the studios that owned them, Mannix and Strickling were the most important men at MGM. Through a complex web of contacts in every arena, from reporters and doctors to corrupt police and district attorneys, they covered up some of the most notorious crimes and scandals in Hollywood history, keeping stars out of jail and, more importantly, their names out of the papers. They handled problems as diverse as the murder of Paul Bern (husband of MGM's biggest star, Jean Harlow), the studio-directed drug addictions of Judy Garland, the murder of Ted Healy (creator of The Three Stooges) at the hands of Wallace Beery, and arranging for an unmarried Loretta Young to adopt her own child -- a child fathered by a married Clark Gable.

Through exhaustive research and interviews with contemporaries, this is the never-before-told story of Eddie Mannix and Howard Strickling. The dual biography describes how a mob-related New Jersey laborer and the quiet son of a grocer became the most powerful men at the biggest studio in the world.

Hardback:  272 pages
Publisher:  Darien House / Bonanza Books (1972)
In Print?  No

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	(6.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:10:31)

Screen images from W. C. Fields' films are combined with captioned dialogue to recreate many of his classic comedy routines. Shemp Howard appears on several pages, as the book recreates "Black Pussy Cafe" scenes from THE BANK DICK (1940).

Other recreated comedy sketches are taken from TILLIE AND GUS (1933), INTERNATIONAL HOUSE (1933), YOU'RE TELLING ME (1934), IT'S A GIFT (1933), MAN ON THE FLYING TRAPEZE (1934), THE OLD FASHIONED WAY (1935), MY LITTLE CHICKADEE (1940), YOU CAN'T CHEAT AN HONEST MAN (1939) and NEVER GIVE A SUCKER AN EVEN BREAK (1941).

Hardback:  752 pages
Publisher:  Arlington House (1979)
In Print?  No

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	(5.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:10:52)

From the dust cover:

They could pop up in any movie, as plumbers or secretaries or bank tellers; as wives or husbands or (would-be) lovers. They could be pompous or scatterbrained. What they all shared in common was a genius for making funny faces at life. They made us laugh at our world, and ourselves. They are The Hollywood Funsters: the comics, the clowns, and the jesters of the Silver Screen.

Their ranks include Charles Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Lucille Ball, Milton Berle, Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Phyllis Diller, Woody Allen, Jimmy Durante, The Three Stooges, and dozens more. Now the funniest men and women the world has ever known have a reference volume worthy of their outsized talents.

Hardback:  238 pages
Publisher:  Crown Publishers (1978)
In Print?  No

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	(8.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:07:03)

From the dust jacket...

Since the birth of motion pictures, audiences around the world have looked to the great movie comedians for the welcome laughter and the comic view of life their films provide. Today a new generation is discovering the same films that made people laugh forty, fifty, even sixty years ago, learning that great comedy is timeless.

Now film historian Leonard Maltin, whose earlier subjects have ranged from Walt Disney to Our Gang, provides fascinating new insights to the great movie comedians... what made each unique, how their careers developed, which films stand out among their work and why. His cogent essays are spiced with memorable incidents from the films and fresh anecdotes and observations on their creation. Each critique is accompanied by an exhaustive filmography and a gallery of rare photographs, many of which have never appeared in print before.

The book examines not only the classic clowns --- Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd, Langdon, Laurel & Hardy --- but also some of the neglected figures of film history: Mabel Normand, the screen's first great comedienne; Charley Chase, comedy's unsung hero; Raymond Griffith, the comedian's comedian; the scandal-plagued Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle; and Will Rogers, whose reputation as a homespun philosopher has tended to obscure his long and interesting film career.

From the sound era Maltin takes a look at such luminaries as W. C. Fields, Mae West, The Marx Brothers, Joe E. Brown, Danny Kaye, the new "talking" comics such as Bob Hope and Red Skelton, as well as the combined slapstick and verbal mayhem of comedy teams like The Three Stooges and Abbott & Costello. Here too are the great movie comedians of our own time: Jerry Lewis, who almost single-handedly carried the banner of film comedy through the 1960s, when television drained the screen of comic talent; and Woody Allen, the movies' latest comedy superstar who, in the tradition of the earlier comedians, writes and directs as well as stars in his own films.

Perhaps more than anything else, The Great Movie Comedians points up the continuity in screen comedy, the progression that has nurtured new ideas and welcomed individual talents, while building upon the foundations of the past. This fresh, thoughtful, and appreciative look at the great funny men of the last half century will be of immense interest to all film buffs.

Hardback:  236 pages
Publisher:  Bonanza Books (1972)
In Print?  No

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	(10.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:06:40)

The Three Stooges and their Columbia Pictures shorts are prominently featured, with a full chapter, in this necessary reference tool for any serious film historian and fan. From the book jacket...

"Time was," says Pete Smith in his foreward to this book, "when an exhibitor would no more think of omitting one or more shorts and a newsreel from his program than he would have kept his theatre closed on New Years Eve." Well, times have changed, and the day when going to the movies meant seeing a cartoon, a comedy or a musical, and a newsreel is gone forever. But this book brings that exciting era alive again in an informative and nostalgic look at the great short subjects of the 1930s and 1940s [and 1950s] --- the wonderful "Our Gang" comedies, Robert Benchley's tongue-in-cheek lectures, the bedroom farces of Leon Errol, the fascinating exposes of "Crime Does Not Pay" and many, many more. The biggest names in show business were part of this wonderful world --- Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Laurel & Hardy, W. C. Fields, Buster Keaton, Harry Langdon, Ruth Etting. And the field created its own stars as well: Edgar Kennedy, Andy Clyde, Thelma Todd and Patsy Kelly, John Nesbitt, Pete Smith and Charley Chase.

They're all here, in pictures and words, as Leonard Maltin tells the story of these dedicated people who did more with ten or twenty minutes on the screen than many people could do with ninety.

The Great Movies Shorts is an invaluable reference work with complete data (cast, director, release date, studio, synopsis) of over 1,000 short subjects --- in large part, material that has never appeared in print. With the proliferation of talent in front of and behind the camera, these filmographies will be of great use to film scholars, students and buffs. From slapstick to newsreels, from musicals to travelogues, The Great Movie Shorts tells the whole story of a bygone era of moviemaking that grows more fascinating with every passing year.

Hardback:  445 pages
Publisher:  Arlington House (1975)
In Print?  No

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	(4.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:15:36)

The short subjects of Columbia barely receive a mention, with the Stooges' contribution to the studio mostly restricted to their mention in feature film synopses. But the history of Columbia remains fascinating, and the book presents a detailed history of their home studio's history and heritage. From the book jacket...

In this overdue tribute to the most underrated of all studios, entertainment historian Rochelle Larkin recalls all the great movies and stars that came from there; nutty comedies like 20th CENTURY; social dramas like DEATH OF A SALESMAN and THE LAST HURRAH; neat little melodramas starring Ralph Bellamy, Richard Dix and Jack Holt; outstanding film biographies; Frank Capra's classics IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN and LOST HORIZON; and recent influential movies like FIVE EASY PIECES and EASY RIDER that have sparked new film trends.

Whether recalling the origins of Columbia, or analyzing the special magic of Oscar winners like ALL THE KING'S MEN, this anniversary volume is a profusely illustrated blend of nostalgia, movie lore and witty reporting. With 12 appendices, including an alphabetical listing of more than 1600 Columbia movies.

Paperback:  356 pages
Publisher:  Public Affairs Books (2001)
In Print?  No

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	(8.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2011-02-26 22:49:05)

From the back cover...
"For the past century and more, American comedy has drawn its strengths and soul from the comic genius of Jewish performers and writers. An incomplete listings of names makes the point... The Marx Brothers, Jack Benny, Fanny Brice, George Burns, Milton Berle, Jackie Mason, Joan Rivers, Rodney Dangerfield, Sid Caesar, Mel Brooks, Alan King, Mort Sahl, Buddy Hackett, Woody Allen, Lenny Bruce, Andy Kaufman, Richard Belzer, Jerry Seinfeld. These men and women, among others, form the canon of Jewish American comedy, and in The Haunted Smile Epstein offers us a deep and subtle understanding of how Jewish culture and American openness gave birth to a new style of entertainment."

The Three Stooges are discussed several times, covering... their distinct physical style of comedy, their verbal talents, the use of Jewish humor like Yiddish references, and the lampooning of the Nazis, particularly Moe's depiction of Adolph Hitler.

Hardback:  352 pages
Publisher:  Pegasus Books (2007)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(4.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:15:57)

Publishers Weekly (June 2007)...

The 14 stories in this entertaining anthology from Shamus Award-founder Randisi span Tinsel Town history from the 1930s to the present and intersect, literally, at Hollywood and Vine. Top billing should go to Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch story, "Suicide Run," and to Lee Goldberg's "Jack Webb's Star"—the former for the detection and the latter for biggest laughs. Other highlights include Max Allan Collins and Matthew V. Clemens's reinvention of one of the Three Stooges, Moe Howard, as a detective in their clever "Murderlized," about the 1937 death of the Stooges' mentor, vaudevillian Ted Healy. Robert S. Levinson delivers a wicked portrait of gossip columnist Hedda Hopper in "And the Winner Is...," which turns on her lackey's efforts to stop a Nazi sharpshooter at the 1960 Academy Awards. From Harry Bosch's visit to a photographer at Hollywood & Vine Studios to Moe's meeting at a coffee shop at that intersection, all the tales pay homage to the storied Hollywood street corner.

Paperback:  241 pages
Publisher:  Chicago Review Press (2013)
In Print?  Yes

Reissued edition of "Moe Howard and the Three Stooges." Refer to that title [below] for details.

Hardback:  320 pages
Publisher:  Simon and Schuster (2000)
In Print?  No

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	(8.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:16:18)

Mike Douglas' parade of celebrity recollections includes two pages praising the professionalism and enthusiasm of Moe Howard. From the dust jacket...

In I'll Be Right Back, Mike Douglas shares his memories of more than 50 exciting, challenging years in show business. In a style that is as breezy, witty and intimate as the conversations that made his show so delightful, Mike delivers delicious, and ocassionally mischievious, anecdotes about the exciting personalities who made his show so much fun. The list of guests and cohosts read like a virtual "who's who" of American and international celebrities.

Hardback:  219 pages
Publisher:  Last Gasp of San Francisco (1984)
In Print?  No

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	(8.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:16:41)

"The Stooges weren't worth a damn without Larry." - Ed Bernds, director of many of The Three Stooges best films.

What was it about this entertaining and funny little guy that led to five generations of fans to sidesplitting and mindless mirth?

Morris "Moe" Feinberg, Larry's younger brother, sifts through 80 years of rich memories and tells true stories from Larry's career, such as:
- The immortal Al Jolson shoving our hero into the bizarre world of Stoogedom.
- The birth of the famous "poke in the eye" routine.
- The times the Stooges narrowly escaped injury on the set.
- The complete script of Howard, Fine & Howard's very first act as a vaudeville threesome.

Paperback:  219 pages
Publisher:  Last Gasp of San Francisco (1984)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(8.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:17:01)

The paperback version was re-released in 2001. One extra page was added to an appendix, and several new pictures appear throughout the book's text; otherwise, it is the same as the 1984 softcover release.

Paperback:  129 pages
Publisher:  Contemporary Books (1986)
In Print?  No

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	(3.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:17:48)

From the back cover...

Hey Moe! Hey Larry! Hey Pablo! That's right. Pablo. It's finally time for us to acknowledge the enormous debt we owe to the universal genius of The Three Stooges. To honor the great figures of the twentieth century... such as Picasso, Freud, Lennon, McCartney, the Pope, Richard Milhous Nixon... by placing them in the company of their even greater mentors. Yes, the time has come to expose the horrendous coverup that has labeled the Stooges merely players, not innovators. The time has come to give Curly, Larry and Moe their rightful position in all our history books. The time has come to reveal what we all have somehow always senses... that the only logical explanation for this twentieth century world of ours is... The Three Stooges! And this book does it.

Who but the Stooges first came up with the idea of bumbling plumbers so inept they could tape the Watergate doorlock backwards... twice! Oh, that copycat Nixon. Who but the Stooges could have translated Freud to the masses, spreading his gospel through living example, personifying the wacky id (Curly, of course), the middle-of-the-road ego (that Larry), and the ever-restraining superego (oh, that Moe!). What self-sacrifice! Could we truly understand the great Freud's theories without the Stooges? We think not. Where did the Beatles get those haircuts? Think about it. Vietnam. Gerald Ford. Professional wrestling. It's all here, scientifically proven. With pictures? Soitenly!

Hardback:  176 pages
Publisher:  Pomegranate Press, Ltd. (1988)
In Print?  No

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	(8.00 - 2 votes - Last rating: 2009-02-20 08:37:32)

Actress Kathryn Leigh Scott (DARK SHADOWS' "Maggie Evans" and "Josette Collins") collects a 2nd volume of hundreds of lobby cards, in this coffee-table hardcover treasury, focusing on Hollywood comedies of 1916 - 1949.

The Three Stooges are represented with HOI POLLOI (1935) and HALF-SHOT SHOOTERS (1936), and Shemp Howard can be found on a page dedicated to Abbott & Costello's BUCK PRIVATES (1941).

Note: This book (and the earlier Vol. I) is the source of most "bootleg" lobby card reproductions that have populated the collector market since the 1990s.

Paperback:  127 pages
Publisher:  Arcadia Publishing (2011)
In Print?  Yes

From the back cover...

"Los Angeles has reigned for more than a century as the world capital of the film industry, a unique and ever-changing city that has been remolded and recast thousands of times through the artistic visions and cinematic dreams of Hollywood's elite. As early as 1907, filmmakers migrated west to avoid lengthy eastern winters. In Los Angeles, they discovered an ideal world of abundant and diverse locales, blessed with a mild and sunny climate ideal for filming. Location Filming in Los Angeles provides a historic view of the diversity of locations that supplied the backdrop for Hollywood's greatest films, from the silent era to the modern age."

This pictorial history includes numerous images from the classic comedies, including location shots with Chaplin, Keaton, Laurel & Hardy, Harold Lloyd, and many others. The Three Stooges are seen in a section devoted to Bronson Canyon, where some of HAVE ROCKET -- WILL TRAVEL (1959) was shot.

Paperback:  54 pages
Publisher:  Superior Promotions (1993)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(2.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:18:26)

Booklet, published in conjunction with the video of LOVE THOSE STOOGES, a retitled re-release of 50 YEARS WITH THE FUNNIEST GUYS IN THE WORLD (1983). It features trivia questions about the Stooges and their shorts, and a Columbia short subject filmography.

Hardback:  141 pages
Publisher:  PAJ Publications (1988)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(1.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:18:44)

From the book jacket...
"Jaffe's post-modern fictions outline the savagely ironic spectacles of contemporary society whose actual and make believe characters interface in stagings of global impact... In a world play-acting at the edge of insanity, Madonna looks at the masks of power and pleasure created in this age."

Hardback:  384 pages
Publisher:  Twelve Books (2008)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(7.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 19:09:11)

From the most popular routines and the most ingenious physical shtick to the snappiest wisecracks and the most biting satire of the last century, MAKE 'EM LAUGH illuminates who we are as a nation by exploring what makes us laugh, and why. Authors Laurence Maslon and Michael Kantor draw on countless sources to chronicle the past century of American comedy and the geniuses who created and performed it-melding biography, American history, and a lotta laughs into an exuberant, important book. Each of the six chapters focuses a different style or archetype of comedy, from the slapstick pratfalls of Buster Keaton and Lucille Ball through the wiseguy put-downs of Groucho Marx and Larry David, to the incendiary bombshells of Mae West and Richard Pryor. And at every turn the significance of these comedians-smashing social boundaries, challenging the definition of good taste, speaking the truth to the powerful-is vividly tangible. MAKE 'EM LAUGH is more than a compendium of American comic genius; it is a window onto the way comedy both reflects the world and changes it-one laugh at a time. Starting from the groundbreaking PBS series, the authors have gone deeper into the works and lives of America's great comic artists, with biographical portraits, archival materials, cultural overviews, and rare photos. Brilliantly illustrated, with insights (and jokes) from comedians, writers and producers, along with film, radio, television, and theater historians, MAKE 'EM LAUGH is an indispensible, definitive book about comedy in America.

Paperback:  320 pages
Publisher:  Fantagraphics Books (2008)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(8.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 19:09:52)

In addition to Joe's legendary decades-long work at DC Comics, and acclaimed art school in Dover NJ, the book extensively covers the publishing partnership of Kubert and Norman Maurer. It includes many Stooge-related stories of those years, including production of Three Stooges comic books for St. John Publications, meeting Moe, attending Joan and Norm's wedding, and establishing the Kubert School's Norman Maurer scholarship. Recollections by Joan Howard Maurer are included.

Hardback:  218 pages
Publisher:  The University Press of Kentucky (1993)
In Print?  No

Same cover as the 2009 softcover rerelease.

Paperback:  218 pages
Publisher:  The University Press of Kentucky (2009)
In Print?  Yes

Legend paints Harry Cohn as an ogre, perhaps the most hated man in Hollywood. Author Bernard Dick's book provides a more level assessment, of a man who was tough, sometimes feared, and yet always respected. He ran Columbia with an iron fist, and his method created and maintained a successful movie studio, transforming it from its poverty-row beginnings, to one of Hollywood's finest. If you are looking for a pure biography, be prepared to read more about the business of Columbia, and Cohn the businessman.

The Three Stooges, and short subjects, barely receive a mention, limited to a few paragraphs. However, that is more than several other Columbia Studios histories over the years.

Hardback:  400 pages
Publisher:  Crown Publishers (1975)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(8.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:19:53)

The MGM short subjects of Ted Healy & His Stooges barely receive a mention, with their brief two-year contribution to the studio restricted to feature film synopses. But the history of MGM (@ 1975) remains fascinating, and the book presents a detailed history of the studio's history and heritage. From the book jacket...

For the first time in one volume, the films produced and distributed by MGM are individually covered in text and pictures. Enter the gates of the MGM Studio, and relive the glamour and nostalgia from 1924 - 1975. Meet the stars and learn the details of their careers. Meet the producers and directors, writers and photographers that donned the MGM set.

The author has drawn on his 38 years at MGM to amass the history, the legends, and the inside stories. Finally there are many previously unpublished stills among the vast collection. Here is Hollywood at your fingertips.

Paperback:  400 pages
Publisher:  Crown Publishers (1976)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(8.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:20:15)

Softcover edition

Hardback:  305 pages
Publisher:  Public Affairs (2004)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(7.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:24:48)

From the dust jacket...

The great American comedy teams were there for all of us during the rough years of the Twentieth Century and, as we head into a turbulent new era, they've made a surprise resurgence. Here for the first time, the complete story of America's comedy teams, revisiting some of their best-loved routines, revealing the personal stories that lay behind them, and showing how the comedians shaped and were shaped by their eras. From the rollicking twenties, to the threadbare thirties, on into the war years, and all the way through the social turmoil of the latter half of the century, Americans counted on the great comedy teams to respond to events, to make them laugh, and to show that though times might get tough, friendships and humor could always help you through.

From 19th century vaudeville to the stars of silent movies, radio and sitcoms... comedians like Burns & Allen, Laurel & Hardy, The Marx Brothers, The Three Stooges, Lucille Ball & Vivian Vance, Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis, The Smothers Brothers, the casts of "Friends" and "Seinfeld" and beyond... it was comedy teams and their witty or wild-eyed routines that have long provided wit and wisdom and created a particularly American kind of laughter. Comedy was the antidote to whatever was the problem: get a partner, create some laughs, and the whole country laughs with you.

Hardback:  208 pages
Publisher:  Citadel Press (1977)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(7.75 - 4 votes - Last rating: 2010-02-21 11:10:20)

(From the book jacket of the 1st hardcover printing, 1977...)

In the '30s and '40s one of the most popular film comedy teams in show business was the trio variously known as "Larry, Curly and Moe," "Howard, Fine and Howard" and, more universally, "The Three Stooges." Their slapstick comedy brought howls of laughter to audiences all over the world. And their poplarity, which zoomed and slipped and then zoomed again over four decades, is today undergoing a startling resurgence not only on television but in college screenings all over the country.

This book tells the story of The Three Stooges as remembered by Moe Howard, the chief stooge and mentor of the trio as long as it existed. As boss of the team, with his bowl-shaped haircut and manic rages, Moe was a one-man laugh factory. Here he remembers his more than half-century in show business... his youth as a general all-around actor in a riverboat stock company; his days in vaudeville, where he experimented with routines ranging from blackface to blackouts; and his fortuitous meeting with Ted Healy, who inspired him to enlist his brother Shemp and the wild-haired Larry Fine, in the trio which became The Three Stooges.

The Stooges did not invent slapstick but they certainly established such trademarks of American humor as cream pies in the face, pratfalls on banana peels, and the fast slap across two faces.

It is all here in Moe Howard's reminiscences... a glance backward at vaudeville, musical comedy, feature films and, most important, the myriad of short movies made for Columbia Pictures. The Stooges starred in more than 70 short films. In many of them inventiveness was stretched to the utmost, since often the studio did not bother to furnish a plot but merely allowed the imagination of the stars to develop the pratfalls and mayhem constituting the action.

For this book Mr. Howard's family made available family albums containing thousands of photographs. From this wealth of material we have selected hundreds of illustrations --- pictures showing the Stooges in action in every phase of their career. Over the decades Moe Howard and Larry Fine continued with the act, though the middle stooge role was assumed at various times by Shemp and Curly Howard, Joe Besser and Joe DeRita.

Moe Howard and The Three Stooges revives a concept that has somehow almost become lost in recent years: the purpose of comedy is to make people laugh.

Paperback:  208 pages
Publisher:  Citadel Press (1977)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(8.00 - 2 votes - Last rating: 2010-02-21 11:10:52)

See Hardcover version's entry for description.

The softcover version has been reissued several times since 1977... in 1979, 1992 and 1994. Reissues contained no editorial revisions, and the front cover image remained the same.

Paperback:  110 pages
Publisher:  Xlibris (1991)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(1.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:26:00)

From the back cover...

With humor as twisted as its stories' plots, Moe Howard Died For Our Sins takes readers on a rollicking, hilarious ride. Go to Hell, and see it as a tourist. Get lured into a pie-throwing cult. Peek backstage at the Second Coming. Encounter talking pigs, a tongue-twisting poet, levitating patients, militant tots and a song-and-dance act that's its own show-stopper. The misadventures just keep coming. Part fantasy, part satire, this collection of short fiction is totally bent.

Hardback:  218 pages
Publisher:  McFarland & Company (1999)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(8.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:33:12)

The last surviving member (d. 2004) of Ted Healy's stooges, Paul "Mousie" Garner came close, but no cigar, to becoming one of The Three Stooges... first in 1949 for the Stooges' aborted ABC television project, and again in 1958, when he was considered to fill the third Stooge slot which eventually went to Joe DeRita.

Mousie first became a Healy stooge in 1930 after Moe, Larry & Shemp went solo. His career encompassed vaudeville, the USO, radio, records, television and film. Never a star name, but always a professionial, and always entertaining.

Juvenile actor... Healy stooge... Spike Jones musician/comic... comedic character actor on THE MUNSTERS and SURFSIDE 6... Mousie's story of a lifetime spent in the entertainment business is found in this highly recommended book.

Hardback:  247 pages
Publisher:  McFarland & Company (1986)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(8.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2011-05-06 23:30:14)

Film historian James Neibaur presents historical and critical studies on film comedians. The Three Stooges are among the comedians highlighted with their own chapter. From Jim's introduction...

"The book will take us from the turn of the century, through the silent era, the talkies, right up to today's [1986] stars. The entire evolution of the movie comedians will be examined, with each of the important links acknowledged for their contributions. Their styles, techniques, creations, discoveries, experiments and films will be analyzed to show their merits as contributors to the most important and most popular of all forms of communication."

Paperback:  352 pages
Publisher:  Signet Books (1970)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(10.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:33:36)

From the back cover...

"They made you laugh! You made them immortal... Laurel & Hardy, Wheeler & Woolsey, The Ritz Brothers, Abbott & Costello, The Marx Brothers, Martin & Lewis, The Three Stooges, and many, many more...

Their names evoke a Golden Age of movie comedy, an age of slapstick and vaudeville, pratfalls and puns. In the first complete book on these famous comic teams, critic-historian Leonard Maltin tells how they got together and why they broke up, reveals their private sorrows and public triumphs, and lovingly analyzes the high (and low) points of their film careers. With a very personal introduction by veteran film comic Billy Gilbert."

Reprinted by Signet in 1974, with a more colorful cover design (also pictured). Interestingly, the 1970 cover photo collage features Moe, Larry and Joe Besser.

Paperback:  373 pages
Publisher:  Plume (1985)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(10.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:33:56)

Reissue edition; revised and updated with new material.

Hardback:  352 pages
Publisher:  Scarecrow Press (1999)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(9.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:14:56)

Reviewer: Scott MacGillivray (Massachusetts)

The late writer-director Edward Bernds has become a familiar name to movie comedy fans, through his association with The Three Stooges, The Bowery Boys, the Blondie series, and a host of other comedy stars.

But Mr. Bernds made his reputation as a recording engineer during the early-talkie years, and was the number-one sound man at Columbia Pictures until he took on more creative duties.

This book chronicles Bernds' early years, from his first radio jobs through his successful association with director Frank Capra. Bernds was a stickler for accuracy, and drew upon his old diaries to confirm his excellent memory for facts and faces. He was just as careful to spell things out for the reader, explaining a technical process or a business practice to amplify the point he was making. Bernds' attention to detail makes for good, solid reading.

This writer was disappointed that the book stops when the author stopped working as a soundman. But it's understandable because Bernds, in his thoroughness, would have written a mammoth volume if his entire career were to be discussed. Joseph McBride recognizes the "missing" material by appending a more general interview with Bernds, conducted by McBride and Leonard Maltin.

Film buffs and historians will enjoy Mr. Bernds. For those who want Bernds' observations and recollections of his Three Stooges years, read The Columbia Comedy Shorts by Ted Okuda and Edward Watz.

Paperback:  74 pages
Publisher:  iUniverse, Inc. (2006)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(6.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:50:35)

Three Stooges Fan Club member Rich Sanner talks about growing up as a Stooges fan and shares his correspondence with Moe Howard. "There have been many books written about the Three Stooges in the past 30 years, but none quite like this one. Here, a life-long Stooges fan tells what it was like growing up watching the Stooges during the 1960's, and shares the ultimate experience of becoming friends with Moe Howard, the "beetle-browed" leader of the famous slap-happy trio!"

Paperback:  234 pages
Publisher:  Excelsior Books (1984)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(9.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:34:50)

Not Just a Stooge is the autobiography of comic Joe Besser, the sissy-talking member of The Three Stooges comedy team, who has been dishing out laughs in front of audiences for more than half a century

Here Besser humorously recalls his heyday as a top vaudeville and Broadway comedian, as a motion picture, radio and TV star, as an overgrown brat named "Stinky" on THE ABBOTT & COSTELLO SHOW, and of course, "you crazy you-ou-ou," as a member of that screwball trio, The Three Stooges

But --- "Not so f-a-s-t!" --- there's more! Besser also reminisces about the four original Stooges (Moe, Larry, Curly and Shemp), and about his insights on such show business legends as Abbott & Costello, Ethel Merman, Olsen & Johnson, Milton Berle, Bing Crosby, Jerry Lewis, Debbie Reynolds, Jackie Gleason, Sammy Davis Jr., and others.

And, for true Besser addicts, 75 rare photographs from the comedian's personal collection are also included.

Paperback:  211 pages
Publisher:  Contemporary Books (1999)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(8.00 - 2 votes - Last rating: 2009-02-20 08:39:02)

From the back cover...

If you want to cook, go to the source... The Three Stooges. The Stooges are always cooking --- turkeys that squawk when carved, clams that bite, pies that fly through the air. It is impossible to watch The Three Stooges without craving burned toast and a rotten egg, or a plate full of Curly's Woo-woo-woo-woo Chinese Fondue.

The Official Three Stooges Cookbook stirs together all that is delicious in Three Stooges films. Some recipes, such as those for Cackle Soup, Roast Stooge, and Filet of Sole and Heel, are actually prepared by the Stooges in their films. Others, such as Sloppy Moes, Porcupine Potatoes, and Curly Fries, are inspired by the Stooges' hilarious, and sometimes baffling, relationship to food. No matter which, every Stooge recipe is paired with a real recipe to create something delicious and fulfilling.

In addition to more than 90 scrumptious recipes, discover the Ten Commandments of Stooge Cooking, find out Curly's weight (it will surprise you!), and learn the true art of seltzer bottle warfare.

Synthesizing all that is delightful and delicious in Three Stooges films, this cookbook contains 75 zany recipes inspired by the Stooges plus quotes and 60 original photos.

Hardback:  365 pages
Publisher:  Contemporary Books (1998)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(9.60 - 5 votes - Last rating: 2010-01-08 18:52:27)

From the book jacket...

Here at last is an exhaustive, exhilarating, and vastly entertaining compendium of all things Stooge. Inside, you'll find:

- More than 1400 entries identifying the slapstick-happy people, places, jokes and routines immortalized by The Three Stooges. If it appeared in a Stooge film, it's in this book.
- Film synopses, including a key gag, for each of the 190 short films and six full-length feature films The Three Stooges made between 1934 and 1965. You'll never again have to wonder why the Stooges were teaching a college classroom full of girls how to sing the alphabet!
- More than 140 action-packed photographs and film stills (some guaranteed to make you wince!), most of which have never been published until now.
- Biographies of each Stooge as well as notes on key supporting players such as Vernon Dent, Christine McIntyre and Emil Sitka, and an overview of the Stooges' development from touring slapstick players to worldwide sensation.
- A handy cross-referencing system that allows you to look up every hotel the Stooges ever ransacked, every set of girlfriends they ever wooed, every crook they ever collared.
- Sidebars revealing such Stooge tidbits as the secret to their classic sound effects and every insult Moe ever hurled at his partners. You blubberheads and mental midgets won't believe what you'll read!

Hilarious and authoritative, The Official Three Stooges Encyclopedia is every Stooge fan's bible.

Paperback:  365 pages
Publisher:  Contemporary Books (1998)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(9.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:36:20)

Softcover version; see the Hardcover edition's entry for details.

Hardback:  32 pages
Publisher:  Fantagraphics Books (2006)
In Print?  Yes

Avg. Member Rating:
	(7.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-06-07 09:47:42)

Portraits in the book include Larry Fine, Moe Howard (back cover), Paul "Mousie" Garner, Benny Rubin and Bud Abbott.

From Fantagraphics' webstore listing...
Allowing Drew Friedman to induldge his fondness for wrinkles and liver spots to the hilt, this portrait gallery of Jewish comedians born before 1930 includes the famous (Milton Berle, George Burns, Groucho Marx, Jerry Lewis, Alan King, Mel Brooks, Buddy Hackett, Phil Silvers, Jack Benny, Henny Youngman), the not-so-famous (Irwin Corey, Benny Rubin, Shelly Berman, Shecky Greene) and the largely unknown (Al Kelly, Menasha Skulnik). Old Jewish Comedians traces a direct link not only to the traditions of vaudeville and burlesque but to the once-thriving international Yiddish theatre and culture. Featuring a fascinating historical introduction by none other than Leonard Maltin! This is the latest Blab! storybook, a series showcasing sequential artists from the acclaimed anthology Blab!

Paperback:  248 pages
Publisher:  Knightsbridge Publishing (1990)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(9.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:36:48)

Newsstand paperback edition of Joe Besser's autobiography, originally titled Not Just a Stooge (1984).

Hardback:  248 pages
Publisher:  Roundtable Publishing (1988)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(9.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:37:18)

Hardcover edition of Joe Besser's autobiography, previously published in 1984 under its original title of Not Just a Stooge. Released subsequent to Mr. Besser's passing in March 1988.

Hardback:  288 pages
Publisher:  Cumberland House Publishing (2006)
In Print?  Yes

Avg. Member Rating:
	(10.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:41:45)

Top-notch, quality, biography of Larry Fine, the middle stooge of the 50-year entertainment comedy legacy known as The Three Stooges.

Based on Larry Fine's scrapbook and memoir archives, courtesy of co-author Jim Terry, the book is thoroughly researched, and lovingly presented without pulling any punches. Larry Fine's personal and professional life is told via insights and recollections from Fine family members, photos and memorabilia of life-long fans & researchers of the Three Stooges... and most importantly, Larry Fine's own memoirs fill the book with newly revealed stories and photos.

Cumberland House took the authors' efforts, and packaged everything into a first-class publishing effort. By far, the best written and best presented Stooge book in print today.

Author Steve Cox, who already has a long publishing resume filled with entertainment tributes to THE TONIGHT SHOW, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, and numerous TV sitcoms, has topped himself. If you're a fan of The Three Stooges, this book is required reading and demands a place in your library.

Hardback:  263 pages
Publisher:  Lighthouse Point Press (2004)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(5.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 19:10:55)

The Three Stooges only receive a couple pages, but they present a rare insight into one of their early 1950s personal appearances, and the author's love and respect for them warranted a picture on the cover of his autobiography. From the book jacket...

Aaron D. Cushman's early years as a publicist in the world of show business recount funny, poignant, and intimate anecdotes revealing the human side of celebrities in motion pictures, television, and nightclub entertainment. He offers first hand vignettes about Jane Russell, Milton Berle, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Jimmy Durante, The Three Stooges, and other notables.

The author provides a front-row seat on his 50 year roller coaster ride in the public relations business. He established his public relations firm with a handful of small, local retail accounts, and grew his agency to provide PR services to a host of Fortune 500 clients. Mr. Cushman reveals how, through all the ups and downs, he maintained his personal "passion for winning."

Hardback:  64 pages
Publisher:  Andrews McMeel Publishing (2002)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(5.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:14:33)

From the book jacket...

Pop, You're Poifect! is full of eye-poking, ear-twisting, nose-tweeking fun --- and it's the perfect way to tell Dad just how special his is! Featuring vintage black and white photos from The Three Stooges incredible archive and witty, original text for the trials kids put parents through, and words of thanks.

Paperback:  241 pages
Publisher:  McFarland & Company (2011)
In Print?  Yes

From the back cover...
"This collection of interviews, all conducted by the author, focuses on the children of Hollywood legends. Each child (and in one case, grandchild) talks about the joys and difficulties of growing up in the shadow of the Hollywood spotlight. While some were significantly influenced by their famous parents and chose a career in entertainment, others felt no attraction toward the glamour of Tinseltown fame.

Among the interviewees are the offspring of such major stars as Errol Flynn, Gary Cooper, Ingrid Bergman, Jimmy Stewart and Rosalind Russell, as well as such prominent supporting players as Jack Elam, Gene Lockhart, Billy Barty and Jesse White. The collection also includes a list of books and/or websites published by the children of the actors featured."

Chapter 15 features an interview with Moe Howard's children, Paul Howard and Joan Howard Maurer. Other comedy-related highlights are discussions with Bill & Minnie Marx (Harpo's children), Valentina Alonso (Red Skelton's daughter), and Noel Blanc (Mel's son).

Paperback:  236 pages
Publisher:  Da Capo Press (1983)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(10.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:11:25)

Softcover edition of The Great Movie Shorts.

Hardback:  320 pages
Publisher:  Scarecrow Press (1997)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(9.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:46:12)

Amazon.com review by Bart R. Kasper...

This wonderfully concise and well-written bio traces the life of Charles Parrott/Chase from his early days as an entertainer on the East Coast to his move to California and his two-reel comedy career. The book also focuses on many aspects of Charley's personal life, from his protective/co-dependent relationship with his brother, comedy director James Parrott to his own bouts with alcohol. The book is also full of wonderful photos and stills from his films. My favorite parts of the book are the chapters that pertain to his career at his final comedy home, Columbia Studios, where he not only churned out some excellent comedies (THE HECKLER, THE BIG SQUIRT, THE WRONG MISS WRIGHT), but directed [and wrote for] other two-reel comedy players of the day, most notably The Three Stooges [VIOLENT IS THE WORD FOR CURLY, TASSELS IN THE AIR, FLAT FOOT STOOGES, MUTTS TO YOU, SAVED BY THE BELLE].

Paperback:  111 pages
Publisher:  Triumvirate Productions (1981)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(7.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:46:57)

Early version, formulative basis, of Forrester's later book The Three Stooges: Triumphs and Tragedies (2003). From the back cover...

50 Years of Fun with America's Favorite Comedy Team. Half a century ago these men name Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Shemp Howard walked out onto a vaudeville stage for the first time as an independent comedy ensemble. Thus began the story of the most prolific comedy team of all time, The Three Stooges. And thus began a new era of comedy.

The Stooge Chronicles is the history of The Three Stooges, commemorating their golden anniversary as a comedy team. It is the story of a show business legend... the story of a comedy team that made more movies than any other in film history... that later achieved unprecedented popularity with the television generation... and eventually found itself among the most controversial comedy acts in entertainment.

Paperback:  154 pages
Publisher:  SPI Books (1993)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(5.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:47:38)

Newstand paperback version of the 1988 softcover edition.

Paperback:  103 pages
Publisher:  Contemporary Books (1988)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(5.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:48:00)

From the back cover...

Sharpen your nit wit! Flaunt your nyuk knowledge! Here's a first --- a quizbook that's full of yucks whether you know the answers or not! The Stooge Fan's I.Q. Test contains an incredible collection of photos and facts that nobody's ever seen before! Ron Smith has uncovered interviews from long-forgotten files and created comic questions based on his own correspondence with the Stooges and their relatives.

The answers to more than 400 Stooge stumpers are included in this zany book. With fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice, matching, and true-false questions, find out if you're as smart as you thought. There are plenty of wild and wacky tidbits of Stooge lore to be learned. There are even some pictures that are a sight for sorely poked eyes!

So tease your brain till it nearly falls on the floor and revolves in a circle... and try to up your Stooge I.Q.!

Paperback:  149 pages
Publisher:  Contemporary Books (1984)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(6.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:53:06)

From the back cover...

A made-for-the-fan guide to the Stooges, filled with the kind of nutty information you've got to know --- never-before-published photos, little-known facts, and the Ultimate Stooge Quiz, including 100 of the most challenging questions ever asked about the Stooges.

StoogeMania includes hundreds of Stooges-related collectible items, from comic books to Shemp's own cufflinks, shown with photos, a handy price guide to help you measure your fortune, and the addresses to help you find even the most obscure Stooges memorabilia. Want to join a Stooges fan club? StoogeMania tells you how. StoogeMania even takes you on a trip across the country, Stooges style! You'll find the lyrics, and dance steps, to "The Curly Shuffle," as well as the Anatomy of a Stooges fan. StoogeMania even uncovers a reprint of an authentic Stooges script, written years ago but never filmed!

Paperback:  272 pages
Publisher:  McFarland & Company (2007)
In Print?  Yes

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	(10.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:45:43)

In the world of slapstick comedy, few are more beloved than the Three Stooges. Throughout their 190 short films, they consistently delivered physical, verbal and situational comedy in new and creative ways. Following the trio from outer space to ancient Rome, this volume provides an in-depth look at their comedy and its impact on twentieth century art, culture and thought. This analysis reveals new insights into the language, literary structure, politics, race, gender, ethnicity and even psychology of the classic shorts. It discusses the elements of surrealism within the Stooges films, exploring the many ways in which they created their own reality regardless of time and space. The portrayal of women and minorities and the role of the mistake in Stooges' works are also addressed. Moreover, the book examines the impact that the Columbia Studios style and the austerity of its Short Subjects Department had on the work of the Three Stooges, films that ironically have outlasted more costly and celebrated productions.

Paperback:  132 pages
Publisher:  Contemporary Books (1982)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(5.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:44:59)

From the back cover...

Here, finally, is the one-of-a-king book of little-known facts and figures, guaranteed to fascinate and inform even the most knowledgeable Stooge fan. The Stoogephile Trivia Book includes a complete filmography of all the Stooge films, with dates, directors, producers, plots and starring Stooges. You will find the answers to ever-so-provocative Stooge stumpers. This book is filled with crucial information you can toss around at the next swanky society party you're invited to, for as a rule of thumb: "Tis better to toss trivia facts than custard pies. But then again, as the Stooges themselves proved time after time, rules were made to be broken..."

Paperback:  216 pages
Publisher:  BearManor Media (2008)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(9.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:44:38)

From The Three Stooges Journal # 125 (Spring 2008)...

A press release for the book describes its contents as follows:
"In this paparazzi-inundated world, it's hard to imagine that there was a time when genuine movie stars were accessible to members of the public. That was certainly the case in the 1970's with surviving members of the Three Stooges comedy team. Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly-Joe DeRita and Joe Besser routinely corresponded with their young admirers, invited them into their homes, and forged genuine friendships with them. Stooges Among Us is a record of these unique relationships told in the words of the fans themselves. Also sharing their insights are Stooges' family members, colleagues and close personal friends. Leonard Maltin, the renowned film critic and historian, provides the foreword to this affectionate tribute. Containing never-before published photographs and interviews with the Stooges, this is a book that will be treasured by classic comedy fans of all ages."

Some of the people who have contributed chapters to the book include Stooges relatives Joan Howard Maurer, Sandie Howard Isaac and Eric Lamond, as well as celebrities Adam West, Gary Owens and Rose Marie. Some of the others contributing chapters include writers Mark Evanier and Randy Skretvedt, andThree Stooges Fan Club members Bob Bernet, Scott Reboul and Gary Lassin.

Paperback:  128 pages
Publisher:  Contemporary Books (1988)
In Print?  No

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	(5.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:44:18)

Before the cable television and home video explosions, few knew of The Three Stooges beyond their 190 Columbia short subjects. The authors present analyses and reviews of fifty 'rarely-seen/known-circa-1988' Three Stooges films... feature films, shorts, television pilots and solo films, for other studios as well as their home base at Columbia.

The authors added to the filmography published in 1982's The Three Stooges Scrapbook (by Jeff & Greg Lenburg, with Joan Howard Maurer). Much information is based on the authors' Chicago-based television viewing experiences. Subsequent information over the past 20+ years in new books and The Three Stooges Journal has solidified, substantially added to, and even refuted the authors' findings. As a result, this book has become largely irrelevant today, other than as an interesting collectible.

Regardless, in 1988, this book was a welcome and fascinating report of The Three Stooges' non-Columbia film credits, a worthy credit to their bibliography.

Paperback:  111 pages
Publisher:  Scarecrow Books (1977)
In Print?  No

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	(2.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:43:53)

From a promotional flyer...

The only book that combines a Stooges tribute with the works of contemporary poets, a true first in the history of the literary arts. Anthology contains an excellent feature article on the Stooges by film critc Leonard Maltin, from his book The Great Movie Shorts, along with Maltin's lively and informative filmography which provides a comprehensive listing of the Stooges' shorts for Columbia Pictures. 61 poems are represented by 47 American and international poets, with 15 of the poems directly using the Stooges as inspirational subject matter. The poems vary in style from low burlesque to high satire, and today, many of the poets in this book have become well-known in their field.

Hardback:  293 pages
Publisher:  Siena Publishing Company (1973)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(6.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 19:11:39)

Larry Fine's autobiography. Self-published by James Carone, aka Siena, the book is poorly written and without benefit of a proper editor, riddled with grammatical, historical, and picture caption errors.

However, it was the first book about The Three Stooges, as told by one of the Stooges. Regardless of its problems, the book presents Larry's life and career from his personal perspective, and provided Three Stooges fans with something they wanted for years... an inside, first-hand insight and account of The Three Stooges' history.

2006's One Fine Stooge contains a detailed background of this book's creation, including the story behind its infamous author, James Carone... recommended reading. Due to its self-published status and disappointing mail-order distribution, Stroke of Luck is a rare collectible and commands high prices in better conditions. It received two limited printings in 1973, and a third in 1976. Many of the 3rd printing copies were acquired by the Fan Club, and sold thru The Three Stooges Journal in the early 1980s; unopened cartons of the 3rd printing have been found in distributor warehouses as late as 2000.

Be prepared for a difficult book to read, because of the punctuation and grammatical errors.

Paperback:  108 pages
Publisher:  Bear Manor Media (2006)
In Print?  No

From the back cover...

"You've heard Wilbur speak of Mr. Ed. Now it's Alan Young's time to go hoarse talking about the greats of radio and early television: Paul Whiteman, Tallulah Bankhead, Zero Mostel, George Burns, Jack Benny, Peter Lorre, Clifton Webb, Jane Russell, Mickey Rooney, Jane Powell, Elizabeth Taylor, Roddy McDowall, Red Skelton, Sonja Heinie, Dinah Shore, Bing Crosby...

Plus his classic films ANDROCLES AND THE LION, THE TIME MACHINE, voicing the classic Disney character Scrooge McDuck, and much more!"

Alan Young's recollection of his friend Joe Besser is included in chapter 8, On Stage Please!

Paperback:  64 pages
Publisher:  Boston America Corp. (1997)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(3.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:43:08)

From the Introduction...

You want to have a good party? Soitenly. So, grab yourself a couple of willing goils or if you are of the feminine gender, a couple of good looking guys like us. Then pick out a few games from this here book that have been poysunally selected by the three of us. Well, maybe 2 of us: Curly don't read so good. Your party is guaranteed to be successful and full of rambunctious fun. This book may not have too many namby pamby parlor games but it's full of raucous, sexy, sloppy boisterous ones that will bring the cops and keep up your neighbors. Okay, knuckleheads, enough of the reading stupid introductions. Your guests are arriving soon, so pick out a few games to start with.

Hardback:  256 pages
Publisher:  Citadel Press (1984)
In Print?  No

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	(10.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:42:49)

From the book jacket...

What can be said about The Three Stooges, the wild and wacky comedy trio, that hasn't already been spoken on hundreds of television news shows, written about in thousands of newspaper articles, thought about by millions of their fans and published in the popular books Moe Howard and The Three Stooges and The Three Stooges Scrapbook?

The answer is The Three Stooges Book of Scripts... Here is an invaluable memento for the collector of Stooges memorabilia that is totally different from anything published before now. This book presents three actual film scripts, complete with all the dialogue as well as all the 'business' thought up for the trio. The three scripts --- YOU NAZTY SPY!, THREE LITTLE PIGSKINS and MEN IN BLACK [and a bonus chapter featuring the Niagara Falls skit from GENTS WITHOUT CENTS] --- are illustrated with actual frame blowups from the films. Rounding out this unique concept are notes and sidelights about the filming of each script and biographical sketches of the stars, performers, writers, producers, cameramen and editors. It includes the inventive advertising campaigns, a Stooges action flip book and a comic strip of the infamous "Niagara Falls" routine.

This treasure chest of Stoogemania includes hundreds of photographs not printed in other books.

Hardback:  256 pages
Publisher:  Citadel Press (1987)
In Print?  No

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	(10.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:42:31)

From the book jacket...

Realizing that the contents of her attic, filled with Stooge memorabilia, should be shared with Stooge fans everywhere, Joan Howard Maurer, daughter of Moe Howard, put all of her creative projects on hold and has written her fourth book about her favorite comedy team, The Three Stooges. The catalyst for this decision was the same question asked by fans before she wrote The Three Stooges Book of Scripts [Volume I]: "Did the Stooges ad lib their comedies or were there actually scripts?" The Three Stooges Book of Scripts Volume II provides more answers to that question as well as to hundreds of others about this zany comedy team.

In this new book, Joan presents three more vintage film scripts with all the original, written dialogue intact. Her script choices, RESTLESS KNIGHTS, WE WANT OUR MUMMY and YES, WE HAVE NO BONANZA are compatible with the three films in Volume IX of RCA-Columbia's Three Stooges video cassette, enabling fans and collectors alike to follow a Three Stooges script at the same time they watch the completed film on their television screens.

Rounding out this unique format is a special, added chapter about the 1962 Columbia feature, THE THREE STOOGES MEET HERCULES, the most successful Stooges film in their half-century career.

The illustrations for the book are composed of both frame blow-ups from the films, and additional photos from Moe Howard's collection of 8x10 stills which have never been published in any of the previous Stooges books. Included are new biographical sketches on the stars, performers, writers, producers, cameramen and editors, as well as a chapter titled "More Respect," which contains the current highlights of the continual resurgence of these three fascinating comedians.

Hardback:  148 pages
Publisher:  Running Press (2011)
In Print?  No

From the dust cover...

"Since their debut in 1925, The Three Stooges have become worldwide comedy legends. Their slapstick humor and physical farce have given generations of fans a million smiles and gut-busting guffaws. Now, they're back to give something more -- career advice. What? The Three Stooges offering career advice? Why soitenly!

Who better than the Boys to impart scores of classic bits of working world wisdom for the recent grad or the longtim business man and woman? If you think about it, Moe, Larry and Curly may be the poster boys for the phrase "jack of all trades, master of none." From painting to plumbing to banking to teaching to much more, The Three Stooges have dilly-dabbled in so many professions that their knowledge can be shared by just about anyone in the working world, whether you're in a blue collar, white collar, or no-collar career!"

Paperback:  400 pages
Publisher:  Applause Theatre & Cinema Books (2011)
In Print?  Yes

From the press release...

"This lively, entertaining, and informative study of the Three Stooges focuses on the nearly 200 career-making two-reel short comedies the boys made at Columbia Pictures during the years 1934-57. Violent slapstick? Of course, but these comic gems are also peerlessly crafted and enthusiastically played by vaudeville veterans Moe, Larry, Curly, Shemp, and Joe - arguably the most popular and long-lived screen comics ever produced by Hollywood. Detailed production and critical coverage is provided for every short, plus information about each film's place in the Stooges' careers, in Hollywood genre filmmaking, and in the larger fabric of American culture. From Depression-era concerns to class warfare to World War II to the cold war to rock-and-roll - the Stooges reflected them all.

Seventy-five stills, posters, and other images - many never before published in book form - bring colorful screen moments to life and help illuminate the special appeal of key shorts. Exclusive sections include a Stooges biographical and career timeline; a useful, colorful history of the structure and behind-the-camera personnel of the Columbia two-reel unit; and personality sidebars about more than 30 popular players who worked frequently with the Stooges. Also included is a filmography that covers all 190 shorts, plus a bibliography, making this the ultimate guide for all Three Stooges fans!"

Paperback:  168 pages
Publisher:  Gazelle Inc. (1999)
In Print?  No

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	(4.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 19:12:44)

From the back cover...

Since 1929 The Three Stooges' style of humor has been enjoyed by millions. These legendary comics are illustrated in this hilarious collection of over 60 different golf cartoons in full color.

In addition to the cartoons, a Three Stooges photo album along with five question and answer-trivia sections have been included. A sixth segment, "Match and Play," highlights some of the legendary golfers during the early Stooge era.

With golf and The Three Stooges' popularity at an all-time high, this fun and informative spoof book would make the "Poifect" gift for the Golf'n Stooge.

Paperback:  111 pages
Publisher:  Gazelle Inc. (1998)
In Print?  No

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	(4.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 19:13:04)

From the back cover...

"Since 1929 The Three Stooges' style of humor has been enjoyed by millions. These "Masters of Mishaps" go at it again in this hilarious collection of over 60 different golf cartoons in full color.

In addition to the cartoons, nostalgic photos along with four question and answer-trivia sections have been included for your enjoyment. With golf and The Three Stooges popularity at an all-time high, this fun and informative spoof book would make the "Poifect" gift for the Golf'n Stooges."

Hardback:  288 pages
Publisher:  Citadel Press (1982)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(9.50 - 2 votes - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:12:42)

After a 25+ years in print, this 1982 book remains the best book for Three Stooges' fans, new and old, and film comedy historians/fans in general! Co-author Joan Howard Maurer (Moe's daughter) gave primary authors Jeff & Greg Lenburg access to Howard family archives, and together they compiled the best Stooges encyclopedia in print.

The Three Stooges' biographies, history, filmography (& individual filmographies), TV appearances, records, comic books, collectibles & memorabilia, cultural impact, and so much more encompassing the team's history and contribution to entertainment, can be found in this tome.

Decades of subsequent information from Stooge family members, the authors themselves, and fan researchers have recorded appropriate corrections for history, but overall, The Three Stooges Scrapbook remains the definitive reference tool.

The Three Stooges Scrapbook deserves an update for the 2000's, and hopefully the management of C3 will one day, on fair terms, allow the authors and copyright holders to move forward with such a project. Until then, you still can't go wrong with existing prints of The Three Stooges Scrapbook!

Paperback:  288 pages
Publisher:  Citadel Press (1983)
In Print?  No

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	(9.00 - 2 votes - Last rating: 2010-02-21 11:16:25)

See the Hardcover version's entry for a summary description.

The softcover version of The Three Stooges Scrapbook has been reissued numerous times since 1983... the latest in 1999. Reissues contained no editorial revisions, other than a handful of updated filmography notations, and recognition of Joe Besser's 1988 death. Softcover editions through the 1980s and early 1990s retained the original 1982 hardcover jacket design (see the Scrapbook hardcover entry in this Bibliography); in the early 1990s, the front cover was changed to the design you see with this entry.

Paperback:  355 pages
Publisher:  Chicago Review Press (2012)
In Print?  Yes

Revised edition of the perennial Three Stooges bible. Expanded to include almost 70 more pages, updated for Stooges history since the original's 1982 publication, filmography additons, expanded/new information and corrections, and much more.

The authors credit ThreeStooges.net several times as a source of new information. The chapter Three Stooges Impersonators utilized many entries from this website's "Film & TV Tributes" page for its expanded text.

Hardback:  32 pages
Publisher:  Abdo & Daughters (1991)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(6.00 - 2 votes - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:39:32)

Children's text and picture book adaptation of The Three Stooges' A GEM OF A JAM (1943).

Hardback:  32 pages
Publisher:  Abdo & Daughters (1991)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(6.00 - 2 votes - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:39:56)

Children's text and picture book adaptation of The Three Stooges' BUSY BUDDIES (1944).

Hardback:  32 pages
Publisher:  Abdo & Daughters (1991)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(6.00 - 2 votes - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:40:16)

Children's text and picture book adaptation of The Three Stooges' DIZZY PILOTS (1943).

Hardback:  32 pages
Publisher:  Abdo & Daughters (1991)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(6.00 - 2 votes - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:39:10)

Children's text and picture book adaptation of The Three Stooges' HOW HIGH IS UP? (1940).

Hardback:  32 pages
Publisher:  Abdo & Daughters (1991)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(6.00 - 2 votes - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:38:50)

Children's text and picture book adaptation of The Three Stooges' I CAN HARDLY WAIT (1943).

Hardback:  32 pages
Publisher:  Abdo & Daughters (1991)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(6.00 - 2 votes - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:38:24)

Children's text and picture book adaptation of The Three Stooges' PHONY EXPRESS (1943).

Hardback:  299 pages
Publisher:  Doubleday (1999)
In Print?  No

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	(8.00 - 2 votes - Last rating: 2009-11-26 12:32:02)

From the dust jacket...

"More people today can name the members of the Three Stooges than can name three justices of the Supreme Court. The Stooges are comedy icons whose enduring appeal and slapstick legacy have made them one of the most famous and beloved comedy troupes in the world. Michael Fleming's The Three Stooges is the first complete, authorized biography of the men who made pie fights part of our national cultural heritage.

A juggernaut of wise guys, headlocks, and unforgettable insults, this book tells the whole history of the Stooges, starting with their origins in the golden years of vaudeville, when the boys from Brooklyn honed their craft. Moe, Curly, and Shemp Howard were born Moses, Jerome, and Samuel Horwitz--and were believed for many years to be the three least accomplished sons of their Lithuanian immigrant parents. Ultimately, of course, the Three Stooges reinvented the rules of slapstick comedy: never be caught unprepared in a pie fight, never slap one wise guy in the face if you can slap three in a row, and never underestimate the value of a good poke in the eye.

Signed in 1934 by Columbia Pictures to a renewable contract that had them making at least nine short films a year, the Stooges learned firsthand about the sharks swimming through Hollywood's early waters. And after nearly a quarter century of producing the short films for which the Stooges are so well known and loved, the studio declined to renew their contract in 1954, and the pioneering pie-throwing professionals lost their jobs. Fittingly, though, Moe & Co. were destined to have the last laugh: the advent of television revived their careers after the decline of vaudeville and Hollywood shorts, and a new generation of belly laughs was born.

From the Stooges' humble origins to movie stardom to comedy legends, there's something here for every level of fan--from folks who watched them on television as a kid to Stooge scholars and certified "knuckleheads." Featuring over two hundred photographs, many of them rare; interviews with Stooge friends and families; and a complete filmography with every "woob-woob" and crashed society cocktail party lovingly detailed, this book will be treasured by all Stoogedom."

Paperback:  299 pages
Publisher:  Broadway Books (2002)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(7.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:49:07)

Softcover version; see Hardcover edition's entry for details.

Paperback:  48 pages
Publisher:  Malibu Graphics (1991)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(5.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:37:57)

Color reprint collection of selected Three Stooges comic book stories, originally published by Western (Dell, Gold Key) between 1960 - 1967. Art by Peter Alvarado, Sparky Moore and Joe Messerli.

Hardback:  111 pages
Publisher:  Chelsea House Publishers (1995)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(5.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:26:53)

Excerpt from the books's foreword by Leeza Gibbons...

"The books in this series examine the lives and careers of pop culture legends, and the society that places such great value on their work. Each book considers the extraordinary talent, the stubborn commitment, and the great personal sacrifice required to create work of enduring quality and influence in today's world."

Very nice little book that gets to the point in describing the history of the Three Stooges. Lots of very good pictures, some rare, and a full index. This book would be excellent for older children because of its size.

Paperback:  111 pages
Publisher:  Chelsea House Publisher (1995)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(5.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:27:15)

Book cover and content the same as the hardcover edition.

Paperback:  153 pages
Publisher:  Malibu Graphics (1989)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(7.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:27:50)

Presenting stories from The Three Stooges comic books published in the 1950s by St. John, and the 1960s by Western (Dell, Gold Key). Artwork by Norman Maurer, Pete Alvarado, Cecil Beard, Sparky Moore and Joe Messerli.

From the back cover...
"The knuckleheads are back in this collection of their classic comic misadventures including: "Up an' Atom," an atomic laugh riot with the Stooges hot on the trail of spies and a missing atom bomb; "Bogus Takes a Beating," the Stooges swap their restaurant for a firecracker factory; "The Mark of Zero," "Ali Blah Blah and the Forty Thieves," "Knights in a Daze," and full-length adaptations of two of their hit movies, "The Three Stooges Meet Hercules" and "The Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze."

Paperback:  200 pages
Publisher:  Donaldson Books (2003)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(7.00 - 2 votes - Last rating: 2011-03-07 19:27:52)

From the back cover...

"Did Stooge favorites Curly, Shemp and Larry suffer cerebral hemorrhages as a result of being repeatedly hit on the head? What role did the Stooges' creator Ted Healy play in the mysterious death of comedienne Thelma Todd? Was Healy himself fatally beaten by a group of tough guys (including Oscar-winning actor Wallace Beery and gangster Pat DiCicco) during a nightclub brawl on Hollywood's Sunset Strip? What did Beery's boss, MGM president Louis B. Mayer, do to cover up the incident? And what was the connection between the New York Mafia, Columbia Pictures rajah Harry Cohn, and the Stooges themselves? And just who were all 18 (that's right, 18) of the men who played one of the Three Stooges throughout the team's rollercoaster career in show business? These and many other fascinating questions are addressed in this authors' look at the Most Popular Comedy Team of All Time.

Unlike recently-published Stooge histories, this book features never-before-revealed and humorous stories and anecdotes from the people who were there when it happened, all of whom were interviewed by the authors. The book is highlighted by a treasure trove of publicity stills, as well as rare snapshots from The Three Stooges' own family album collections. More than 350 rare images are featured, including photographs, programs, advertisements, and much more!"

Hardback:  336 pages
Publisher:  Santa Monica Press (2012)
In Print?  Yes

From the dust jacket...
"Exploring the film settings of one of the most popular comedy teams in American history. ,b>The Three Stooges: Hollywood Filming Locations documents the sites of the Stooges' most famous Columbia Pictures short films mad in and around Hollywood between 1934 and 1958.

These famous and hilarious shorts are covered in detail through a wealth of archival photographs, many of which are rare and previously unpublished. Also included are candid shots, contemporary photographs, aerial views, and maps detailing the various filming locations.

Featuring exclusive quotes from The Three Stooges' directors, supporting actors, and family members, this collection is a treasure trove of memorabilia for the Stooges fan and an important document in Hollywood's cinematic history."

Hardback:  193 pages
Publisher:  Fantagraphics Books (2010)
In Print?  Yes

Avg. Member Rating:
	(10.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2010-09-18 15:12:38)

From the dust cover's front leaf...
"Too Soon? you ask? It's a collection of the last 15 years' worth of Drew Friedman's illustrations, caricatures and portraits lampooning the rich, the famous, the infamous, and the never-will-be-famous. Too Soon? casts its net over the entirety of the forced-smiling-celebrity/Politico congregation, political animals on one side of the aisle, showbiz beasts on the other... and the sad, innocent victims of their crimes that languish in the middle. Too Soon? is naturally replete with liver spots, wrinkles, burst capillaries, blood, sweat and tears. No one is spared, no matter which side of the aisle he or she inhabits."

Page 107 features a full-page reproduction of Drew's portrait "The Three Stooges & Vernon Dent." (A smaller reproduction of this artwork can be found on the back cover of Bill Cassara's book "Vernon Dent: Stooge Heavy.")

Paperback:  260 pages
Publisher:  Bear Manor Media (2010)
In Print?  Yes

Avg. Member Rating:
	(10.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2010-09-07 15:38:03)

From the press release...
"Vernon Dent. You may not know the name, but you've seen him in countless Three Stooges comedies, usually playing the gruff authority figure. After years of working in the shadows of Moe, Larry, Curly (and Shemp), as well as the great silent film comedian Harry Langdon, Vernon Dent is finally receiving the attention he deserves with this outstanding biography. Written by Bill Cassara (Edgar Kennedy: Master of the Slow Burn), "Vernon Dent: Stooge Heavy" contains never-before-seen photographs and a massive filmography. Vernon's story is told with the respect it deserves; it is funny, touching, and true. Once read, you'll never forget his name again."

Back cover illustration by Drew Friedman; foreword by Ed Watz ("The Columbia Comedy Shorts").

Hardback:  455 pages
Publisher:  McFarland & Company (2003)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(9.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:20:53)

A comprehensive filmography of the Vitaphone short subject film library, including production data, cast, plots, and a brief history of the studio and revolutionary Vitaphone film sound technology.

Listed are the Brooklyn NY productions featuring late 1920s Broadway acts, musical novelties, and the studio's progression into comedy two-reelers starring Fatty Arbuckle, Gus Shy, Ben Blue, Edgar Bergen, Harry Gribbon, Roscoe Ates, Daphne Pollard... and Shemp Howard, including his "Joe Palooka" series.

Also covered are all the West Coast Vitaphones of the 1930s - 1960s, which include the entire Looney Tunes & Merrie Melodies libraries, Warner Brothers' two-reel specialties, the "Joe McDoakes" one-reelers, and hundreds more...

Paperback:  463 pages
Publisher:  McFarland & Company (2010)
In Print?  Yes

Softcover; same content as 2003 hardcover edition.

Hardback:  78 pages
Publisher:  Crescent Books (1992)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(1.50 - 2 votes - Last rating: 2009-02-14 19:14:56)

Briefly presented, a nicely bound & packaged hardcover book with glossy paper, and totally amateurish. Carefully, and adeptly just-short of plagiarism, the book freely adapted narratives from A Stroke of Luck, Moe Howard and The Three Stooges, and The Three Stooges Scrapbook.

Joan Howard Maurer's review of this book was published in The Three Stooges Journal # 83, Fall 1997 issue.

Paperback:  401 pages
Publisher:  Bantam Books (1977)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(4.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:23:41)

Featuring a chapter on Joe Besser.

Hardback:  303 pages
Publisher:  Crown Publishers (1982)
In Print?  No

In the nostalgia-crazy 1970s, before the internet and home video, information on the actors and actresses from Late Show movies was scant, and sometimes non-existent. The general public only knew the supporting celebrities of television and film in terms of... "whatever happened to...?" Richard Lamparski filled that information void with a series of books, featuring a couple pages each on known, still-living celebrities who had left the public eye.

Relying on a staff of assistants and minimal editorial control, Lamparski's books were often filled with errors. But in their time, were welcomed by fans who had no other source of information on their favorite actors and actresses, and the books became bestsellers as a result.

This 8th volume is a mix of past, updated entries from earlier volumes, as well as new chapters. The tribute to The Three Stooges is reprinted from Volume 4 (1973).

Paperback:  304 pages
Publisher:  Bantam Books (1975)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(4.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:24:00)

Paperback edition

Hardback:  207 pages
Publisher:  Crown Publishers (1973)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(4.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:23:22)

In the nostalgia-crazy 1970s, before the internet and home video, information on the actors and actresses from Late Show movies was scant, and sometimes non-existent. The general public only knew the supporting celebrities of television and film in terms of... "whatever happened to...?" Richard Lamparski filled that information void with a series of books, featuring a couple pages each on known, still-living celebrities who had left the public eye.

Relying on a staff of assistants and minimal editorial control, Lamparski's books were often filled with errors. But in their time, were welcomed by fans who had no other source of information on their favorite actors and actresses, and the books became bestsellers as a result.

This 4th volume featured an extremely brief tribute to The Three Stooges, and in this pre-Stroke of Luck era, Stooge fans ate it up.

See THE MIKE DOUGLAS SHOW 12/21/73, in this website's "TV Guest Appearances Filmography"; Mr. Lamparski appeared to promote this edition, and Moe Howard joined him as a surprise guest.

Hardback:  479 pages
Publisher:  Scarecrow Press (1990)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(9.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 19:14:30)

"A fascinating book length collection of separate interviews with the brothers... the reader is swept up in their world --- a place peopled with talents as diverse as D. W. Griffith and George Stevens, Edward Dmytryk and Edgar Kennedy, Thelma Todd and Max Steiner... truly, the brothers' careers encompass a lot of film history." - David J. Hogan, Filmfax Magazine

"This is a don't-miss book for any Stooge fan... covering all phases of the White Brothers, whose careers virtually span the entire life of the two-reel comedy short in America." - Gary Lassin, President of The Three Stooges Fan Club

"For people who can't get enough reading about the Stooges, for those who care about how the shorts department of a major studio functioned, and for a look at B-filmmaking from men who were in the thick of it, this is must reading." - Paul Holbrook, The Big Reel

Hardback:  256 pages
Publisher:  Darien House / Bonanza Books (1972)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(7.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:12:08)

Screen images from Abbott & Costello films are combined with captioned dialogue to recreate many of the comedy duo's classic routines. Shemp Howard appears on pgs. 92 - 139, as the book recreates the "Lemon Bit" and "7 x 13 = 28" routines from IN THE NAVY (1941), and a few cameo shots taken from IT AIN'T HAY (1943).

Other recreated comedy sketches are taken from BUCK PRIVATES (1941), BUCK PRIVATES COME HOME (1947), KEEP 'EM FLYING (1942), IN SOCIETY (1944), HIT THE ICE (1943), HERE COME THE CO-EDS (1945), and of course, "Who's on First?" from THE NAUGHTY NINETIES (1945).

Hardback:  64 pages
Publisher:  Andrews McMeel Publishing (2002)
In Print?  No

Avg. Member Rating:
	(5.00 - 1 vote - Last rating: 2009-02-14 17:11:47)

From the book jacket...

"Why I Oughta..., Wish You a Happy Birthday celebrates birthdays in trademark Three Stooges slapstick style. Chock full of head bonking, nose-tweeking, face-slapping fun, Why I Oughta... pairs vintage black and white photos from The Three Stooges incredible film archive with short and snappy text that's an encouraging reminder that getting older doesn't have to be painful."