Three Stooges FAQ—Everything Left to Know About the Eye-Poking, Face-Slapping, Head-Thumping Geniuses.
By David J. Hogan (Applause Books, 2011)
Distinctive in how it divides the Stooge canon not into its various line-ups (Moe & Larry plus Curly, Shemp, Curly Joe…) but into their preferred foils and themes: “The Stooges and the Fairer Sex,” “The Stooges on the Job,” “…Out West,” “. Rewrite History,” “…Puncture High Society,” “…and Show Biz,” “…Go to War.” All headings which would fit the Marx Brothers just as well, or Neil Simon for that matter. So whether or not you’re particularly fond of the Stooges (I’m a Shemp man myself, which puts me in a misunderstood subcult of their fan base), this is a useful study of 20th century film comedy in general. It’s augmented with profiles of essential Stooge co-stars. Books like this help me appreciate them for their ability to sustain their act for their entire lifetimes, refine their knucklehead artform and create a vast body of work that, I see now, is underestimated as social satire. So many Stooges books are created for a frat-boy fanbase. This one’s for the classmates who do their homework.