July 31, 1937: Call us certified knuckleheads, but we at the Digs are big fans of the Three Stooges. When we saw this picture in a pile of yet-to-be-filed prints, we yelped, “woop woop woop” and immediately began poking each other in the eyes.
The image captures the Stooges in their prime. Their comedy shorts, produced by Columbia Pictures, were a big draw at movie houses across the country. While not making films, Moe, Larry and Curly took their act on the road. They were performing at the Stanley Theater when a Pittsburgh Press photographer caught up with them. The Stooges clowned around in a dressing room to promote “Scramblegraph,” a contest unveiled by the newspaper. The Stanley, by the way, was a mecca for comedians — Jimmy Durante, Jack Benny, Laurel and Hardy, and Lucille Ball and Dezi Arnez all performed there.
The Stooges remain popular to this day. Is there a living room in the United States that hasn’t been subjected to “A Plumbing We Will Go” or “Disorder in the Court?” We think the masters of mayhem are “poifect.” So stand aside. We gotta scram!
