Note that items with COAs come with individual COAs, sticker usually on back of item. I do not accept “Best Offer”. Prices are reduced every 30 days until the item sells. Thanks for understanding this policy! New items will be added the first of the month… Prices on existing items will be reduced at the end of each month. Moses Harry Horwitz (June 19, 1897 May 4, 1975), known professionally as Moe Howard , was an American actor. Best known as the leader of the Three Stooges. The farce comedy team who starred in motion pictures and television for four decades. That group originally started out as Ted Healy and His Stooges. An act that toured the vaudeville circuit. Moe’s distinctive hairstyle came about when he was a boy and cut off his curls with a pair of scissors, producing a ragged shape approximating a bowl cut. Ted Healy and His Stooges were on the verge of hitting the big time and made their first movie, Soup to Nuts. (1930)featuring Healy and his four Stooges: Moe (billed as “Harry Howard”), Shemp, Larry, and Fred Sanborn. (Sanborn had been with Healy’s troupe since January 1929, as one of the stooges in “A Night in Venice”)for Fox Films later 20th Century Fox. A disagreement with Healy led Moe, Larry, and Shemp to strike out on their own as “Howard, Fine, and Howard, ” and on August 28, 1930, they premiered that act at L. Joining the RKO vaudeville circuit, they toured for almost two years, eventually dubbing themselves as “Three Lost Souls” and taking on Jack Walsh as their straight man. In July 1932, Moe, Larry, and Shemp were approached by Healy to rejoin him for the new Shubert Broadway revue Passing Show of 1932 , and the three accepted the offer. On August 16, 1932, during Passing rehearsals in New York, Ted walked out on the Shuberts over a contract dispute. On August 19, 1932, Shemp gave his notice having not seen eye-to-eye with the hard-drinking and sometimes belligerent Healy and decided to remain with Passing which closed in September after pan reviews of its first roadshow performances in Detroit and Cincinnati. Shemp landed at Vitaphone Studios in Brooklyn in May 1933, where he stayed for almost four years. On August 20, the day after Shemp’s departure, Moe suggested adding his youngest brother Jerome (“Babe” to Moe and Shemp) to the act; contrary to some sources, no search for a replacement was conducted. Healy originally passed on Jerry, but Jerry was so eager to join the act that he shaved off his luxuriant auburn mustache and hair and ran on stage during Healy’s routine. That finally got Healy to hire Jerry, who took the stage name Curly. The new lineup of Moe, Larry, and Curly premiered with Ted on stage at Cleveland’s RKO Palace. On August 27, 1932. Early 1933 during appearances in Los Angeles, Healy and the Stooges were hired by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. As “nut” comics to liven up feature films and short subjects with their antics. After a number of appearances in several MGM films, Healy was being groomed as a solo character comedian. With Healy pursuing his own career in 1934, his Stooges (now renamed “The Three Stooges”) signed with Columbia Pictures. Where they stayed until December 1957, making 190 comedy shorts. With Healy’s departure, Moe assumed Healy’s prior role as the aggressive, take-charge leader of the team: a short-tempered bully, prone to slapstick violence against the other two Stooges. Despite his outwardly rather cruel demeanor towards his pals, Moe was also very loyal and protective of the other Stooges on film, keeping them from harm, and should it befall them, doing whatever it took to save them. He emphasized in his autobiography. That the ill-tempered aspects of his on-screen persona did not reflect his real personality. Residuals from any of their many shorts; they were paid a flat amount for each one, and Columbia owned the rights (and profits) thereafter. Fine indicated that the profits from the tours substantially increased their yearly take. Columbia released its first Three Stooges short, Woman Haters. (1934), where their stooge characters were not quite fully formed. It was not a Stooge comedy in the classic sense, but rather a romantic farce; Columbia was then making a series of two-reel “Musical Novelties” with the dialogue spoken in rhyme, and the Stooges were recruited to support comedian Marjorie White. Only after the Stooges became established as short-subject stars were the main titles changed to give the Stooges top billing. The version seen on TV and video today is this reissue print. Their next film, Punch Drunks. (1934), was the only short film written entirely by the Three Stooges, with Curly as a reluctant boxer who goes ballistic every time he hears Pop Goes the Weasel. Their next short, Men in Black. (also 1934), a parody of the contemporary hospital drama Men in White. Was their first and only film to be nominated for an Academy Award. With the classic catchphrases Calling Dr. Howard” followed by their reiterated unison declaration as young doctors, “For Duty and Humanity!! They continued making short films at a steady pace of eight per year, such as Three Little Pigskins. (also 1934) with a young Lucille Ball. Pop Goes the Easel. (1935), and Hoi Polloi. (also 1935), in which two professors make a bet trying to turn the Three Stooges into gentlemen. In the 1940s, the Three Stooges became topical, making several anti-Nazi short films, including You Nazty Spy! (1940) Moe’s favorite Three Stooges film, I’ll Never Heil Again. (1941), and They Stooge to Conga. Moe’s impersonation of Adolf Hitler. Highlighted these shorts, the first of which preceded Charlie Chaplin. S film satire The Great Dictator. On May 6, 1946, during the filming of Half-Wits Holiday. (1947), brother Curly suffered a stroke. He had already suffered a series of them prior to the filming of Beer Barrel Polecats. (1946) and was replaced by Shemp, who agreed to return to the group, but only until Curly would be well enough to rejoin. Although Curly recovered enough to appear in Hold That Lion! (1947) in a cameo appearance (the only Three Stooges film to contain all three Howard brothers; Moe, Curly, and Shemp), he soon suffered a second series of strokes which led to his death at age 48 on January 18, 1952. After Shemp rejoined the act, Moe, Shemp, and Larry shot a television pilot for ABC called Jerks of All Trades. (1949), apparently intended to lead to a weekly sitcom series on the premise that the Stooges would try a different job or business every week, hoping that eventually one of their attempts would be successful. Anything they tried turned out to be a fiasco, which was the source of the comedy. The pilot took a single day to film and was never aired. It was actually a kinescope film of a three-camera television production, most likely to replicate a proposed live broadcast. Kahane, Columbia Pictures’ vice president of business affairs, stopped the show from being broadcast. Kahane warned the Stooges that a contract stipulation restricted them from performing in a TV series that might compete with their two-reel comedies. Columbia further threatened to cancel the boys’ contract and take them to court if they tried to sell the series. To avert a legal hassle, the pilot was shelved and the project abandoned. The kinescope film is now in the public domain and widely available. The Three Stooges’ series of shorts continued to be popular through the 1950s; Shemp co-starred in 73 comedies. The Stooges also co-starred in a George O’Brien. Moe also co-produced occasional Western and musical films in the 1950s. On November 22, 1955, Shemp died of a heart attack. At age 60, necessitating another Stooge. Used old footage of Shemp to complete four more films, with Columbia regular Joe Palma. Filling in for Shemp thus creating the Fake Shemp. Phenomenon, until Columbia head Harry Cohn hired Joe Besser. According to Moe’s autobiography, Howard wanted a “two-stooge” act, and it was Cohn’s idea, not Howard’s, to replace Shemp as part of the act. The Stooges replaced Shemp with Besser, already an established Columbia comedy shorts star in his own right and frequent movie supporting player. Joe, Larry, and Moe filmed 16 shorts through December 1957. Shortly before Cohn’s death in February 1958, the making of short subjects came to an end. Keeping himself busy, Moe was hired by Harry Romm as associate producer. According to Moe, stories (and later, scenes in a 2000 made-for-TV biopic) that he was forced to take a job as a gofer. At Columbia are completely false. With this, the Three Stooges quickly gained a new audience of young fans. Ever the businessman, Moe Howard put together a new Stooges act, with burlesque. And screen comic Joe DeRita. (dubbed “Curly-Joe” because of his vague resemblance to Curly Howard and to differentiate him from Joe Besser) as the new “third Stooge”. DeRita, like both Shemp Howard and Joe Besser, had also starred in a series of his own comedy shorts. A number of local television childrens’ shows around the country began running the Stooges films, among them Paul Shannon. Host of Adventure Time. In Pittsburgh and Sally Starr. The films were so popular some young fans tried to emulate Moe’s slapping, gouging and hitting, prompting the Stooges to warn them against trying to re-create those actions. The revitalized trio starred in six feature-length movies: Have Rocket, Will Travel. (1959); Snow White and the Three Stooges. (1961), The Three Stooges Meet Hercules. And The Three Stooges in Orbit. (1962), The Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze. (1963), and The Outlaws Is Coming. Howard, Larry, and Curly-Joe continued to make live appearances, many notable “guest appearances”, particularly in It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. (1963) as three firemen who appear for only a few seconds, and a longer appearance in 4 for Texas. (also 1963) starring Frank Sinatra. The men tried their hand at a children’s cartoon show titled The New Three Stooges. With the cartoons sandwiched between live-action segments of the Stooges filmed in color. During this period, Moe and the Stooges appeared on numerous television shows, including The Steve Allen Show. The Ed Sullivan Show. Danny Thomas Meets The Comics. The Joey Bishop Show. Off To See The Wizard. And Truth or Consequences. But by the late 1960s, they were all at an age where they could no longer risk serious injury while performing slapstick comedy. Bolton was born in. To Florence Youngling and Joseph Reeves Bolton II. By 1920, his parents were living in. Where his father was a sales manager for hotel supplies. He started his broadcast career in 1927 as a staff announcer for WOR. In Newark, New Jersey. He was the announcer for DuMont Television Network. S talent show Doorway to Fame. In 1947, but he left DuMont for WPIX. On May 15, 1948 to be a news announcer and weatherman. On January 17, 1955, he appeared as “Officer Joe” and hosted The Clubhouse Gang , which featured the Little Rascals. And the theme song The Whistler and his Dog. WPIX lost the rights to The Little Rascals. And in September 1958, he switched to hosting The Three Stooges Funhouse , a showcase of The Three Stooges. At one time, he was host of WPIX’s The Dick Tracy Show. As “Police Chief Joe”. Bolton also had cameos in two Three Stooges films: Stop! (1960), as a customer in a cafe; and in The Outlaws Is Coming. (1965), the last feature film by The Three Stooges, which featured him and eight other local children television show hosts, all cast as villains. Bolton appeared at many New York area venues, including Freedomland U. To meet and entertain children. At Freedomland, he hosted appearances by The Three Stooges at the park’s Moon Bowl entertainment venue. Bolton and The Three Stooges are featured in the book Freedomland U. The Definitive History (Theme Park Press, 2019). Bolton retired in 1975 to Santa Monica, California. And died in 1986 at Santa Monica Hospital of a heart attack. Bolton has two children: a daughter, Catherine Bolton of Manhattan. And a son, Joseph Reeves Bolton IV of Port Salerno, Florida. Additionally, I slip all autographed photos inside sturdy photo-protective sleeves. In most cases, using Jack Smalling’s baseball address lists and other assorted address lists, I wrote to both active and retired baseball players, sending them letters, requests for signatures, and self-addressed-stamped envelopes. This is how I obtained thousands of autographs. I stand by every item I sell. All the old time autograph dealers know me and the professional authenticators will vouch for my reputation as well. I do this on a part time basis, so sometimes emails take a day. PLEASE NOTE: Most items come with certificates of authenticity from outside companies (JSA and PSA predominantly; they are the best). Sincerely, Joe Binder , Downers Grove, Illinois. The item “Moe Howard Autographed Handwritten Letter Three Stooges & Joe Bolton JSA Letter” is in sale since Wednesday, April 1, 2020. This item is in the category “Entertainment Memorabilia\Autographs-Original\Television”. The seller is “calabinder” and is located in Downers Grove, Illinois. This item can be shipped worldwide.

• Original/Reproduction: Original
• Object Type: Letter
• Autograph Authentication: James Spence (JSA)
• Industry: Television