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For the ultimate Three Stooges autograph collection I consider the following to be required: Moe Howard, Shemp Howard, Curly Howard, Larry Fine, Joe Besser, Curly Joe DeRita, Emil Sitka, (possibly Jules White the director of most of the shorts)and last but not least Ted Healy.  It is sometimes difficult to get the "Stooges" autographs with their last names they often merely wrote "Larry" "Moe" and "Curly" etc.  The most difficult (in my view) is Curly Howard (he almost never signed his last name) and died so young.  Shemp also died fairly young and is also somewhat hard to find.  Probably because he acted in so many movies without the Stooges he is often found with his last name.  Sitka, Besser and Curly Joe are the easiest since they lived the longest although they are not as common as they were a few years ago.   Joe Besser used to sign 3x5 photo cards that he presumably had made of the Stooges as sailors.  He would hand write their names on the white hats.  Now to Ted Healy.  To anyone who says who was Ted Healy? a double eye poke and nose twist.  Healy was the creator of the Three Stooges and their somewhat difficult boss in the early years.  The first movie appearances by them are as Healy's "stooges."  Healy was actually a gifted actor and a man with a troubled life.  He is portrayed by Marton Csokas in the Mel Gibson produced biography of the Three Stooges released in 2000 (and now finally available on dvd). Outside the movies he was in with the Stooges his biggest hit was probably San Francisco that starred Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy.  He was one of Warner Brothers rising comic stars in the 1930s.  Healy is a tough autograph to get since he died (partly as a result of being beaten and left unconscious) in 1937 at the age of 41. 

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Ha, I actually have a Healy signed album page.  It was a bit of a random purchase, and one of very few old/vintage autographs I have.  It was taken from an old autograph book and dated August 1937, just a few months before his death.

For some unknown reason, I framed it with a photo of him with James Stewart - not a Stooges pic.  What was I thinking?

Since you know Healy only a single eye poke for not framing him with the Stooges!!!  Actually I bet the picture is from "Speed" the first big film Stewart did and Healy was the comic relief in it.   Healy's fame grew a bit since the 2000 release of the Stooges biography movie.  Thanks Rich.

Sounds right.  I couldn't find any decent Healy/Stooge vintage pics at the time for a good price, so I went with that.  I have a great local framer who can switch out the photo, so I'll probbly do that eventually.

I would keep an eye out for stills (granted they are tricky to find anymore) but I think it would make the whole framed item worth more with the Stooges.  You are lucky to have the album page.

Decent signature, but it's in pencil - so a bit light.  I'll post a pic when I get home. 

That would be great Rich.  I do not mind pencil autographs at all and actually prefer them to the old felt tips that would bleed through etc.  

That is great Rich thanks for sharing.

No problem - not a premium example for sure, but it's nice to have one.

I would add Vernon Dent and Christine McIntyre

Thanks terrier8HOF yes you are right to get the major supporting cast Dent and Mcintyre are musts.  They were in two of the most popular shorts Brideless Groom and Mummy's Dummies (Dent playing King Rootentooten).  I was in error in calling White the director he was the producer of the shorts.  i should have added writer Felix Adler also.  Trying to get supporting cast members is tricky because many i do not think signed much.  They were often somewhat nameless supporting actors and likely not many fans wrote to them.  Sitka was chosen by Moe to replace Larry after his death.  Sadly the death of Moe four months later meant Sitka's place as a "Stooge" is somewhat questionable. 

It must have been fate that inspired you to write this post. I found out who Ted Healy was by googling his name and reading your information on him. My Great Aunt just gave me a bunch of autographed photos of Hollywood stars from 1937 two days ago on November 6th. Included in the paper bag is three typed and signed letters from Ted Healy the last one being post marked Dec 14th, 1937. He also sent my Aunt a book, "Caricatures by Ted Healy". It contains copies of pencil drawings by Ted Healy. I read about his death and I believe the book contains a copy of his drawing of Wallace Beery. It has been a lot of fun looking into all of this, and I just thought you might find this interesting. 

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