The Transition to Television

A New Audience

In 1958, Columbia Pictures began distributing their archived Three Stooges shorts to television through Screen Gems, Columbia's television subsidiary. Chicago and Fort Worth-Dallas markets were the first to receive the shorts which were limited to the episodes with Curly. The shorts were so popular with viewers, it was not long before the markets expanded and all of the shorts were eventually included. According to Moe Howard, The Three Stooges were the longest running comedy team to be under contract continuously at one studio.

Though Columbia boss Harry Cohn ruled the studio with an iron hand and was not known for a friendly bedside manner, he loved the Stooges. Unfortunately, his love for them never translated into more money even though the Stooges were consistent top money-makers and award-winners for Columbia. Their salary never changed in those twenty-five years. Cohn told Moe many times that the Stooges had a job as long as he (Cohn) was alive. On February 27, 1958, Harry Cohn died suddenly at the age of 66 from a heart attack while visiting Phoenix, Arizona.

The familiar Screen Gems logo all Baby Boomers saw almost every day on television.

Moe recalled that he received a call from the studio the next day and was told that the Stooges would not be renewed effective immediately. He was told that with competition from television and fewer people attending movie theaters, Columbia was shutting down the shorts department. The Stooges were at Columbia Pictures from 1934 until 1958. A few months after Cohn's death in February, executives decided to offer the archived Stooge shorts to WGN-TV in Chicago and KTVT Channel 11 in Fort Worth, which also included the Dallas market. The shorts were a tremendous success in both markets and were soon being aired all over the country.

A new generation was introduced to the Three Stooges for the first time. They were also able to reach millions more people through television than they had seen them in the theaters. The Stooges were suddenly in demand for personal appearances, television guest spots, and a return to films. With their enormous popularity, they now had more leverage and could negotiate working on their own terms.

Re-introducing the Stooges through television resulted in a very short retirement and one of the most memorable entertainment comebacks in Hollywood history.

For details about these remarkable men, Moe Howard, Jerry "Curly" Howard, Shemp Howard, Larry Fine, Joe Besser, and Joe DeRita, some great books are available by them and about them. I will do my best to reference as much information about the Three Stooges as possible.

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