The Autographs of the Stooge in the Middle: Larry FineLarry Fine was born Louis Feinberg on October 5, 1902 on the south side of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Larry's father, a jeweler, kept acid in his workshop. When he was a child, Larry was about to take a drink of his father's acid, thinking it was a beverage. Without any time to spare, Larry's father knocked the bottle from his hand, possibly saving his life. As the bottle fell, acid hit Larry's arms, burning him badly. Part of Larry's physical rehabilitation was toying with the violin. Larry had a knack for music, and he eventually became a talented violinist. The Haney Sisters and FineIn 1921, Larry Fine went to work in Gus Edwards' Newsboy Sextette - playing the violin, dancing and telling jokes. Also appearing in the show with him was Mabel Haney, who soon became his wife. Mabel, her sister Loretta and Larry formed an act called "The Haney Sisters and Fine." The group worked together in vaudeville until 1925, playing the RKO, Orpheum, Keith-Orpheum and Delmar Circuits and the Paramount Theater in Canada. One evening in 1925, Ted Healy, Moe and Shemp Howard took in Larry's performance at a Chicago club called the Rainbow Gardens. During the performance, Shemp informed Healy that he planned to leave the act. Moe suggested that perhaps Larry might be a suitable replacement for Shemp. Healy liked the idea, and at the conclusion of the show the trio went backstage to meet with Fine. Healy made him an offer: $90 a week with an extra $10 if Larry dropped the violin. The next day Larry accepted the offer. Shemp soon returned to the group and the stage was set for the formation of the Three Stooges. The Stooge in the MiddleIn 1929 Moe, Larry, and Shemp opened on Broadway in "A Night in Venice," and in 1930 they appeared in 20th Century-Fox's comedy "Soup to Nuts." For the rest of his show business career Larry worked with Moe. Larry loved a good time; he threw his money away almost as soon as he had earned it. When Columbia Pictures terminated the Three Stooges' contracts in 1958 Larry had almost nothing to show for a lifetime of hard work. Larry was brilliant as "the Stooge in the Middle." He made it all look very easy, and he might well have been the best legitimate actor of all the Stooges. On May 30, 1967, Larry's wife of 40 years Mabel died of a sudden heart attack. Six years earlier their son, John, died in an auto accident. In January 1970, Larry and the Stooges were working on a TV series called "Kook's Tour. Larry suffered a debilitating stroke that paralyzed the left side of his body. He eventually moved to the Motion Picture House, an industry retirement community in Woodland Hills, CA, where he lived the rest of his life. Larry spent his final years in a wheel chair. He died on January 24, 1975, at age 73. Larry Fine AutographsA signed photo of Larry sells in the $400 - $500 range. Signatures bring about $200 - $250. Since Larry never appeared in a film apart from the Stooges, almost all Larry Fine signed material is going to be Stooge related. Like Moe, in retirement Larry Fine wrote lengthy letters to any fan who took the time to write him. At the Motion Picture House Larry was very free with his autographs. He took great pleasure in signing for staff and visitors. Return to the Three Stooges page
|
