In later years, did Moe Howard really work as a gofer on the Columbia lot? If so, was he compelled by economic circumstances to do so, or did he only do it so he could remain in the studio?
While not rich, he wasn’t in dire straights due to good real estate investments and a pension, so it wasn’t purely for money. (Curly, on the other hand, spent his money faster than he earned it and was living on Moe’s handouts by this time, so maybe that’s what the money was for.) They later recouped some of their missing revenues as a highly successful nightclub act.
I find it hard to believe. It’s not as if the Three Stiooges weren’t working – I don’t think there’s a blank period in their filmography where they weren’t turning out something. They went through Curly, then Shemp, then got Joe Besser in the fifties and then Joe deRita after that. From Moe’s memoirs, I know that they were doing nightclubs at the time, and even added “blue” material to the act. (Risque Stooges – it boggles the mind). There were Stooges comic books in the 1950s, an enterprise overseen (as much was) by son-in-law Norman Maurer.
Of course, the Stoioges nig break came when they got a lot of exposure on TV – but that happened in the 1950s, too. There was enough interest to enable them to make the movie Have Rocket, Will Travel in 1959 – the same year they released the short Sappy Bullfighters. After that they appeared in at least one movie (as opposed to shorts) a year until 1965.
So I think the biopic was exaggerating for effect. Have a look at Moe’s listing on the IMDB:
The Official Stooge Site doesn’t say anyhing about Moe being a gofer.
Didn’t Curly die before Moe would have had a chance to work as a gofer on a lot? IIRC my Stooge history, the shemp films we see were after Curly got sick.
Speaking of Stooges, aren’t they making a feature film about them? I always thought Jon Lovitz would make a good Larry.
Shemp was part of the original 3. He got a big head and decided to go solo. Curly came in. Curly died and Shemp came back. Shemp died. Then the 2 other Joes. After Larry died, Moe had selected a replacement but Moe died just before filming began.
The advent of TV in the 1950s recharged the Stooges’ careers. The 40s + a few surrounding years were the poorest times.