Three Stooges Arthritis PSA (circa early 60's)

[Stanislav]

Mark Evanier's blog recently linked to a Stooges rarity that I had never heard of, nor seen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFk4FRsI9Ps

I thought I was pretty familiar with all the Stooge "miscellanea" (commercials, interviews, guest appearances), but this PSA warning people of "quack" arthritis cures was a surprise to me. Is this something that was only recently unearthed?

(BTW, is it not ironic that three men who once hawked "Brighto" in a hospital are now warning of quack cures?) ;D

 

[RicoGregg]

I'll trust the Three Stooges before I'll trust 99% of the infomercials out there!

 

[landtuna]

Anyone familiar with the Stooges history already knows that Moe Howard, who was the business guy of the group, never had a written contract in his entire career. Everything was a handshake deal. To say the man was simply "honest" was an understatement.

 

[YEKIMI]

I clicked on some of the links on Youtube to Moe's appearance on The Mike Douglas Show. Wow, that brought back memories, I remember watching those when they originally aired. I have a feeling he was really grateful for being remembered and invited on the show. Hard to believe he was still that spry and almost a year and a half later he'd be gone. I like when he was hit in the face by a pie tossed by his wife, you could read his lips when he turned away, he said "Son of a bitch!" The Three Stooges were one of my earliest memories of watching TV [along with Captain Kangaroo & The Jack LaLanne Show}

 

[Stanislav]

Interesting how in the PSA, Moe and Larry wear their hair "normally" instead of their usual "do's." Perhaps because of the seriousness of the message?

As for Moe on Mike Douglas (I have nice copies of all of those on DVD), I love how in his first appearance on the show he came out with his hair slicked back. After a few minutes of the interview, Mike asked Moe about the famous "spittoon" hairdo -- was it real or a wig? Moe said not a word, but calmly took out a comb and, with a few quick swipes, combed his (now silver) hair into the famous bangs. The audience went nuts.

 

[landtuna]

I like when he was hit in the face by a pie tossed by his wife, you could read his lips when he turned away, he said "Son of a bitch!"

As reported in several biographies about the Stooges they were actually a pretty volatile bunch. Their scripts were written very loosely with "Stooges do their stuff" being the ad-libbed scenes that became their trademark. On the set it was kind of hairy as they would try out several alternative scenes and argue long and loud about which deserved to be filmed. There were more than a couple where they either came to blows or filming had to be suspended until tempers cooled off. As comical and effortless as their humor seems to us they actually took it very seriously and worked at it diligently - except for Larry whom Moe recalled "was just interested in doing his shot then heading out to Santa Anita".

 

[therealjm12]

You gotta remember in real life Moe, Curly & Shemp were brothers. There has been a few times I wanted to poke my brother in the eyes, and stick a crowbar up his nose!

 

[Stanislav]

You gotta remember in real life Moe, Curly & Shemp were brothers. There has been a few times I wanted to poke my brother in the eyes, and stick a crowbar up his nose!

Ah, the things I missed out on being an only child..... :

 

[landtuna]

I remember when Moe's famous eye-poke routine was the subject of news shows and they had to produce a PSA that showed, in slo-mo, eyes were not actually being poked.

 

[Tom Wells]

I remember when Moe's famous eye-poke routine was the subject of news shows and they had to produce a PSA that showed, in slo-mo, eyes were not actually being poked.

I'd forgotten that PSA, which I must have seen as a wee tyke.
I remember the Three Stooges saturday morning cartoons, and comic books, too, in the early - mid 60's.