The Autographs of Shemp HowardShemp Howard (Samuel Horowitz) was born on March 4, 1895 in Brooklyn, New York, the third eldest of five brothers. The nickname "Shemp" came about because of his mother's had difficulty pronouncing "Sam" with her strong European accent. Shemp was a great name for a Stooge. Shemp was not a good student or an athlete. He was quite a comedian though. He had no trouble amusing his friends and relatives. Shemp didn't finish high school, so he decided to enroll in trade school and learn to be an electrician. He didn't finish that either. Shemp on the Vaudeville CircuitShemp hit the vaudeville circuit in his teens appearing both solo and with brother Moe. Shemp and Moe joined former classmate Ted Healy in 1922, and the three worked successfully together for several years. Healy demanded that his Stooges look as silly as possible and each were required to adopt an unusual hairstyle. Shemp parted his hair tightly down the middle, slicked into place with vaseline. This worked well for him throughout his entire career. Healy was a tough employer, but he did have a knack for what would get over with the public. Being a very sensitive man, Shemp never did enjoy working with the abusive Healy. Shemp left the act in 1932. During the 1930s, he starred or was featured in dozens of Vitaphone 2-reel comedies. His work was well received by the audience. In 1940, he was signed by Universal Pictures to appear in such films as Hellzapoppin' (1941), Pittsburgh (1942) and Arabian Nights (1942). Later he played the role of Knobby Walsh in the Joe Palooka series. Shemp also did feature films for RKO, MGM, and Monogram. Shemp Replaces CurlyIn 1946, Curly suffered a debilitating stroke. Shemp was asked by Moe and Larry to rejoin the act which had been renamed The Three Stooges. Shemp remained a Stooge from 1946 through 1955. He made 77 Stooge shorts and the feature film, "Gold Raiders"(1951). Shemp was a homely man who used his appearance to his advantage. A publicity stunt once dubbed him "the ugliest man in Hollywood. Shemp told reporters, "I'm hideous." Shemp was extremely phobic. The list of things that frightened him was endless. He never had a driver's license. He was a basketcase on planes. He went out of his way to avoid dogs. He wouldn't swim. While returning home by taxi from a boxing match on November 22, 1955, Shemp lit a cigar, began telling a joke, then died of a massive heart attack. The Autographs of Shemp HowardShemp is the second toughest Stooge autograph. In public, Shemp was always "on." He considered himself a working actor who's job didn't stop when he left the stage. He would always take time to talk to a fan, and he never had problems signing autographs. Shemp signed autographs as "Shemp" and "Shemp Howard." A signed photo of Shemp starts at about $600. A signature starts at about $400. Shemp had movie parts apart from the Stooges, so there are some autographs on the market on material separate from the Stooges act. Signatures on Stooge material are always going to be more valuable, especially if the item has been signed by other Stooges. But anything signed by Shemp is going to find a buyer provided it is priced correctly. Some of Shemp's signed bank checks have been on the market and they sell fast. Return to The Three Stooges Page
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