June 20, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES I, II, III & IV • Page 21 ‘Three Stooges’ set includes newly-released content by Dennis Seuling The Three Stooges were on the entertainment map for four decades. Known for broad, slapstick comedy punctuated by imaginative sound effects, they made 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures, becoming a reliable source of profits for that studio. The team started as part of a vaudeville act supporting top banana Ted Healy. They were known by several names, but never “The Three Stooges.” The original threesome consisted of Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Shemp Howard. Shemp eventually left the act because of differences with Healy and was replaced by Moe’s younger brother Jerry, known professionally as Curly. “The Three Stooges Ultimate Collection” (Sony Pictures ‘The Three Stooges:’ Larry Fine, Moe Howard, and Curly Howard. Home Entertainment) is a 20-disc DVD box set containing all 190 shorts plus three discs of rare and never-beforereleased content. Healy and the Stooges made several films for MGM in the early 1930s, but when their contract expired, Healy and the team parted company. The Stooges then signed with Columbia Pictures for a series of two-reel, 20-minute comedies. After their first short, “Woman Haters,” they received $7,500 per film, divided among the three members. Their contract was yearly with an option for renewal, and studio head Harry Cohn was not upfront sharing information about their popularity. For 23 years, the trio never had the (continued on Crossword page)