Three Stooges FAQ

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!

David J. Hogan has written about film since 1973. He has contributed essays to numerous multiauthor books and is a prolific magazine reviewer. A onetime entertainment journalist formerly based in L.A., Hogan has worked on the editorial side of Chicago book publishing for more than twenty-five years, conceiving, editing, and cowriting books on history, aviation, vintage cars, popular music, the military, politics, television, and, yes, movies. He lives with his family in Arlington Heights, Illinois.