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Close-Ups (The Movie Star Book)
STEEL PIER, ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (1938)
Film Pick of the Day
Monday, September 28, 2026
The Three Stooges clown with model Barbara Bradford and her husband George Mann, on the Steel Pier Boardwalk in Atlantic City NJ, July 1, 1938. That holiday week, the Stooges were appearing onstage at the Steel Pier, along with the comedy dance team of Barto & Mann.
Moe, Larry and Curly appear in their Stooge personas, each trying to flirt with Barbara. Moe and Larry strike out, while Curly's attempt is interrupted by the tall and angry George Mann.
Although this is actually a home movie, it is historical as rare, color footage of Moe, Larry & Curly performing a comedy sketch. George K. Productions has packaged it as a mini-short. As such, this website is treating it as a worthy entry in the Stooges' Filmography. In 2012, Mann and Bradford's son, Brad Smith, began digitizing his father's home movies and making them available on his On Bunker Hill website collection of his father's photography archive. Brad has also made it available on Youtube.
Barto & Mann were George Mann and Dewey Barto. They were popular vaudeville and Broadway performers from 1926 - 1943. Barto was the father of actress-comedienne Nancy Walker.
Candid B&W photos of the Stooges in Atlantic City that weekend are on display at The Stoogeum. Bud Abbott appears in one of those photos, clowning with the Stooges; the team of Abbott & Costello were appearing that entire summer season on the other Steel Pier stage. The photos appear to be taken at the same time as this home movie, leading us to speculate that Bud Abbott was a witness to the filming of this colorful entry.
Other Mann home movies that Brad Smith has released include George visiting Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy on the golf course location of SHOULD MARRIED MEN GO HOME? (1928), visiting the Hal Roach Studios backlot and clowning with Charley Chase, W. C. Fields onstage in a skit for THE EARL CARROLL VANITIES (1928), and Fields at home.
Details
Average Rating:  [ 8.00/10 ] 1 votes |
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| Featuring | Moe, Larry and Curly |
|---|---|
| Release Date | Friday, July 1, 1938 |
| Studio | Geo. K. Mann Productions |
| Production Type | Home Movie |
| Duration | 2.25 min. |
