The Three Stooges: An Illustrated History, from Amalgamated Morons to American Icons
The Three Stooges are admittedly an acquired taste. To fully appreciate them, as withNASCARracing, practical jokes, and Steely Dan, it helps to be a guy. But there's no denying the durability of the Stooges' fearless physical performances. Every eye poke, noggin crack, face slap, and nyuk-nyuk-nyuk feels as edgy today as it did in their earliest two-reelers, and it's safe to say that their routines, for better or worse, helped pave the way for the Farrelly brothers, the Zucker brothers, Adam Sandler, and Jim Carrey.Michael Fleming, a columnist forDaily Variety, has diligently compiled the history of the Stooges, from their vaudeville days through the height of their fame in the '30s to the '50s and beyond. WhatAn Illustrated Historylacks in clear organization it more than makes up for in attention to detail, about the lives of Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Curly Howard (plus the other "third Stooges," Shemp Howard, Joe Besser, and Curly Joe DeRita); the genesis of their routines; and the heavy-handed business deals that left them, the most successful comedians of their day, with virtually no residual income. The book's best segment dissects each two-reeler and film (includingMen in Black, the only Stooge short to be nominated for an Oscar), with a wealth of publicity photos and a tally of slaps, eye pokes, and head conks. Might Fleming make even non-Stooge fans appreciate their humor? Why,soitenly.--Anne Hurley