Shemp Howard
Known for: Acting
Born: March 11, 1895
Died: November 22, 1955
Place of birth: Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
Samuel (born Shmuel) Horwitz (March 11, 1895 – November 22, 1955), known professionally as Shemp Howard, was an American actor and comedian. He is best known today for his role as the third stooge in the Three Stooges, a role he first portrayed at the beginning of the act in the early 1920s (1923–1932) while the act was still associated with Ted Healy and known as "Ted Healy and his Stooges", and again from 1946 until his death in 1955. Between his times with the Stooges, Shemp had a successful film career as a solo comedian. He was born in Manhattan, New York and raised in Brooklyn, the third-born of five Horwitz brothers, sons of Lithuanian Jewish parents. Moses - professionally known as Moe Howard - and Jerome - professionally known as Curly Howard - were his younger brothers. Throughout his career Shemp seldom stuck to the script and would liven up scenes with ad-libbed incidental dialogue or wisecracks. This became a trademark of his performances. His most notable characteristic as a Stooge was a high-pitched "bee-bee-bee-bee-bee-bee!" sound, a sort of soft screech done by inhaling. It became his signature sound. He used his somewhat homely appearance for comic effect, often mugging grotesquely or allowing his hair to fall in disarray. Shemp was married to the former Gertrude Frank, whom he wed in September 1925. The couple had one child, Morton (1926–1972). On November 22, 1955, while returning home in a taxicab following attending a boxing match with friends, Shemp, age 60, died of a sudden massive heart attack. The Three Stooges have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1560 Vine Street.
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Filmography
198 movies · 4 TV shows, newest first
NR
Three Stooges Comedy Collection
2024
NR
Stooge O-Rama: The Men Behind the Mayhem - And Even More Mayhem!
2023
8.7
The Three Stooges: Hey Moe! Hey Dad!
2015
2.2
The Three Stooges in 3D
2012
NR
The Three Stooges: Five of Their Greatest Shorts
2009
NR
Shemp Cocktail: A Toast to the Original Stooge
2008
8.5
Three Stooges 75th Anniversary Special
2003
NR
The Three Stooges Story
2001
NR
The Three Stooges: Kings Of Laughter
20016.0
The Three Stooges - Simply Hilarious
2000
7.0
The Three Stooges Greatest Hits!
19979.0
The Lost Stooges
1990
7.0
Classic Comedy Teams
19869.0
Three Stooges: Greatest Routines
1964
5.3
Triple Crossed
1959
5.0
Commotion on the Ocean
1956
6.0
Scheming Schemers
1956
5.7
Hot Stuff
1956
5.7
Rumpus in the Harem
1956
6.7
For Crimin' Out Loud
1956
6.0
Flagpole Jitters
1956
6.0
Creeps
1956
6.7
Husbands Beware
1956
7.0
Columbia Laff Hour
1956
8.2
Blunder Boys
1955
6.2
Hot Ice
1955
6.7
Wham-Bam-Slam!
1955
6.6
Stone Age Romeos
1955
7.1
Gypped in the Penthouse
1955
6.7
Bedlam in Paradise
1955
6.3
Of Cash and Hash
1955
6.0
Fling in the Ring
1955
5.8
Scotched in Scotland
1954
5.6
Shot in the Frontier
1954
6.5
Knutzy Knights
1954
5.8
Pals and Gals
1954
6.0
Musty Musketeers
1954
7.7
Income Tax Sappy
1954
7.3
Goof on the Roof
1953
6.9
Bubble Trouble
1953
6.8
Rip, Sew and Stitch
1953
6.1
Pardon My Backfire
1953
6.4
Spooks!
1953
7.0
Tricky Dicks
1953
7.0
Loose Loot
1953
6.3
Booty and the Beast
1953
6.3
Up in Daisy's Penthouse
1953
5.4
Cuckoo on a Choo Choo
1952
7.0
Three Dark Horses
1952
6.8
Gents in a Jam
1952
5.8
He Cooked His Goose
1952
7.3
Listen Judge
1952
7.2
Corny Casanovas
1952
7.0
A Missed Fortune
1952
6.0
Pest Man Wins
1951
5.8
Hula-La-La
1951
6.6
The Tooth Will Out
1951
6.6
Gold Raiders
1951
6.0
Merry Mavericks
1951
7.3
Scrambled Brains
1951
6.0
Don't Throw That Knife
1951
6.1
Baby Sitters Jitters
1951
7.8
Three Arabian Nuts
1951
6.1
A Snitch in Time
1950
6.8
Slaphappy Sleuths
1950
7.2
Studio Stoops
1950
6.9
The Colgate Comedy Hour
1950
6.7
Three Hams on Rye
1950
6.0
Self Made Maids
1950
6.4
Love at First Bite
1950
7.3
Dopey Dicks
1950
5.8
Hugs and Mugs
1950
6.0
Punchy Cowpunchers
1950
6.8
Jerks of All Trades
1949
5.8
Dunked in the Deep
1949
7.7
Vagabond Loafers
1949
5.8
Malice in the Palace
1949
6.9
Hokus Pokus
1949
5.8
Africa Screams
1949
7.1
Fuelin' Around
1949
7.6
Who Done It?
1949
6.6
The Ghost Talks
1949
7.1
Crime on Their Hands
1948
6.6
Mummy's Dummies
1948
6.1
I'm a Monkey's Uncle
1948
7.5
Heavenly Daze
1948
7.0
The Hot Scots
1948
6.7
Fiddlers Three
1948
7.0
Squareheads of the Round Table
1948
6.4
Pardon My Clutch
1948
6.3
Shivering Sherlocks
1948
6.8
All Gummed Up
1947
6.2
Sing a Song of Six Pants
1947
6.1
Brideless Groom
1947
7.6
Hold That Lion!
1947
7.3
Out West
1947
7.0
Bride and Gloom
1947
6.8
Fright Night
19477.5
The Three Stooges 75th Anniversary Edition: Tales from the Three Stooges Vol. 1
1947
6.9
Blondie Knows Best
1946
7.0
Society Mugs
1946
9.0
Dangerous Business
1946
6.5
One Exciting Week
1946
8.0
Jiggers, My Wife
1946
7.3
Mr. Noisy
1946
8.0
The Gentleman Misbehaves
1946
6.7
A Hit with a Miss
1945
6.5
Where the Pest Begins
1945
8.0
Trouble Chasers
1945
7.3
Off Again, On Again
1945
5.2
Crazy Knights
1944
7.0
Open Season for Saps
1944
6.2
Strange Affair
1944
5.5
Moonlight and Cactus
1944
6.7
Pick a Peck of Plumbers
1944
7.0
Three of a Kind
1944
6.0
Crazy House
1943
5.8
Keep 'Em Slugging
1943
6.5
It Ain't Hay
1943
4.8
How's About It
1943
6.0
Arabian Nights
1942
6.4
Pittsburgh
1942
9.0
Strictly in the Groove
1942
5.0
Private Buckaroo
1942
6.5
Mississippi Gambler
1942
5.2
The Strange Case of Doctor Rx
1942
8.0
Butch Minds the Baby
1942
7.2
Hellzapoppin'
1941
NR
The Three Stooges: Live and Hilarious
1941
6.8
Hold That Ghost
19418.0
Too Many Blondes
1941
6.6
The Flame of New Orleans
1941
7.0
Cracked Nuts
1941
7.0
Hit the Road
1941
7.0
San Antonio Rose
1941
10.0
Tight Shoes
1941
6.4
In the Navy
1941
8.0
Mr. Dynamite
1941
5.6
Road Show
19417.0
Meet the Chump
1941
6.8
Buck Privates
1941
5.8
Six Lessons From Madame La Zonga
1941
5.7
The Invisible Woman
1940
7.3
Give Us Wings
1940
6.2
Murder Over New York
1940
6.5
The Bank Dick
1940
8.0
The Leather Pushers
1940
6.3
Pleased to Mitt You
1940
6.1
Millionaires in Prison
1940
7.5
Boobs in the Woods
1940
6.4
The Lone Wolf Meets a Lady
1940
6.3
Money Squawks
1940
5.7
Glove Slingers
1939
7.1
Another Thin Man
1939
6.0
Home on the Rage
19389.0
Not Guilty Enough
1938
10.0
Headin' East
1937
5.3
Hollywood Round-Up
1937
8.0
Taking the Count
1937
9.0
Kick Me Again
1937
7.0
The Blonde Bomber
1936
8.0
The Choke's on You
1936
7.0
Punch and Beauty
1936
9.0
Here's Howe
1936
7.0
Absorbing Junior
1936
9.0
For the Love of Pete
1936
10.0
While the Cat's Away
1936
10.0
The Officer's Mess
1935
8.0
Convention Girl
1935
10.0
On the Wagon
1935
7.3
Serves You Right
1935
10.0
Why Pay Rent?
1935
9.0
His First Flame
1935
8.0
A Peach of a Pair
1934
6.5
Dizzy & Daffy
1934
3.5
So You Won't T-T-T-Talk
1934
7.0
Smoked Hams
1934
10.0
Daredevil O'Dare
1934
8.5
My Mummy's Arms
1934
6.4
Art Trouble
19347.0
I Scream
1934
5.0
Rambling 'Round Radio Row #9
1934
8.0
The Three Stooges
19346.0
Corn on the Cop
19347.0
Pure Feud
19346.5
Very Close Veins
1934
NR
Everybody Likes Music
19349.0
Pugs and Kisses
1934
5.3
The Knife of the Party
19349.0
Mushrooms
1934NR
The Wrong, Wrong Trail
1934
3.5
Henry the Ache
19348.0
Howd' Ya Like That?
19347.0
Here Comes Flossie!
19336.5
In the Dough
1933
5.3
Gobs of Fun
1933NR
Paul Revere, Jr.
19337.0
Close Relations
1933
6.2
Salt Water Daffy
1933
5.9
Soup to Nuts
1930
8.0
Spring Fever
1919
NR
The Three Stooges + Comedy Gold Standard
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