From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia Samuel born Shmuel Horwitz March 11 1895 November 22 1955 known professionally as Shemp Howard was an American actor and comedian He is best known today for his role as the third stooge in the Three Stooges a role he first portrayed at the beginning of the act in the early 1920s 19231932 while the act was still associated with Ted Healy and known as Ted Healy and his Stooges and again from 1946 until his death in 1955 Between his times with the Stooges Shemp had a successful film career as a solo comedian He was born in Manhattan New York and raised in Brooklyn the thirdborn of five Horwitz brothers sons of Lithuanian Jewish parents Moses professionally known as Moe Howard and Jerome professionally known as Curly Howard were his younger brothers Throughout his career Shemp seldom stuck to the script and would liven up scenes with adlibbed incidental dialogue or wisecracks This became a trademark of his performances His most notable characteristic as a Stooge was a highpitched beebeebeebeebeebee sound a sort of soft screech done by inhaling It became his signature sound He used his somewhat homely appearance for comic effect often mugging grotesquely or allowing his hair to fall in disarray Shemp was married to the former Gertrude Frank whom he wed in September 1925 The couple had one child Morton 19261972 On November 22 1955 while returning home in a taxicab following attending a boxing match with friends Shemp age 60 died of a sudden massive heart attack The Three Stooges have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1560 Vine Street
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