Ted Healy, who originated the idea of The Three Stooges' brutal style of comedy, wasn't originally interested in hiring Curly to replace Shemp Howard, the original stooge, after Shemp left the group. Curly had wavy chestnut-brown hair and a waxed mustache. When he went out and completely shaved his head and (eventually) his mustache, Healy hired him on the spot.
According to one of his ex-wives, Curly was extremely musical. He could take almost anything lying around around and make music with it. She said when they went to night clubs, he would take two spoons and play along with the club's band, or tear the table cloth to music. Of course, they would find the cost of the table cloth added to the bill!.
After his stroke in 1947, he was left half paralyzed and unable to work, with expensive medical bills. Brothers Moe Howard and Shemp Howard, and fellow Stooge Larry Fine, set aside percentages of their weekly paychecks to help him.
Brother of Moe Howard.
Brother of Shemp Howard.
Despite his shy nature, the success and celebrity of The Three Stooges triggered his lifelong indulgences in drinking too much, overeating and womanizing. He was also a compulsive spender. Brother Moe Howard, the business manager of the group, tried to curtail Curly's spending habits but was unable to. Despite several hospitalizations for health problems due to his lifestyle, Curly stubbornly refused to change it.
During a visit to The Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara in January, 1945, he was diagnosed as having extreme hypertension, a retinal hemorrhage and obesity thus explaining his ragged appearance in all of the shorts released in 1946-47, his last year with the group.
During the Long Beach earthquake of 1933, he thought the house shaking was the result of a trick Ted Healy was playing on them, and was found by his brother Moe Howard pounding on Healy's door yelling at him to stop whatever it was he was doing.
Fourth member of The Three Stooges team, of which, over time, there were six altogether. (See Ted Healy).
Got his first job when he was 25 years old, performing as a burlesque conductor for the Orville Knapp Orchestra.
Has two older brothers, Jack Horwitz and Irving Horwitz.
He filmed a scene for The Three Stooges short Malice in the Palace (1949) as a chef, but it was left on the cutting room floor (although there are publicity photographs of the scene).
He shaved his head for his "Curly" character but did not like it because he felt it reduced his appeal to ladies.
He was a member of The Three Stooges from 1930-1946. He took over from, and was eventually replaced by, his brother Shemp Howard.
He was known as "Jerry" before joining The Three Stooges. Brother Moe Howard always called him "Babe".
His famous "woo-woo-woo" originated in The Three Stooges short Woman Haters (1934), their first of almost 200 for Columbia Pictures.
His two elder brothers, Shemp Howard and Moe Howard, outlived him.
In 1984 he was immortalized in the song "The Curly Shuffle" by the comedy group "Jump in the Saddle", which was accompanied by a music video containing clips from several of The Three Stooges films featuring him.
Interred at Home of Peace Memorial Park, Los Angeles, California, USA, in the "Western Jewish Institute" section, row 5, grave 1.
Is portrayed by Michael Chiklis in The Three Stooges (2000) (TV).