Moe Howard

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Born Name:  Moses Harry Horwitz

Born Date:  June 19, 1897

Born Place:  Brooklyn, New York

Died Date:  May 4, 1975

Died Place:  Los Angeles, California

Occupations:  Comedian, actor

Brief Biography:  Moe Howard was the legendary leader and "straight man" of The Three Stooges, a slapstick comedy team that dominated screens for over four decades. Moe was the fourth of five brothers. His iconic "bowl cut" originated in his youth when he impulsively cut off his own curls with scissors to avoid teasing. Despite playing a short-tempered, bossy character who frequently poked eyes and slapped his partners, Moe was known in private life as a gentle, family-oriented man and the savvy business manager who kept the group together through numerous lineup changes.

Early Life and Career:
Childhood Ambition: Moe was captivated by the theater from a young age, often skipping school to watch vaudeville acts.
First Roles: He began his career in 1909 running errands at Vitagraph Studios in Brooklyn, which eventually led to bit parts in silent films.
Vaudeville Roots: In 1922, Moe teamed up with his brother Shemp Howard and longtime friend Larry Fine to join comic Ted Healy in a "roughhouse" act called "Ted Healy and His Stooges".

The Three Stooges Era:
The Mainstay: Moe was the only member to remain in every incarnation of the Three Stooges.
Lineup Changes: When Shemp left for a solo career in 1932, Moe brought in his youngest brother, Jerome "Curly" Howard. After Curly suffered a stroke in 1946, Shemp returned, followed later by Joe Besser and "Curly Joe" DeRita.
Film Success: The group starred in over 190 short films for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1958, later finding a whole new generation of fans through television syndication.

Financial Manager:
Recognizing his partners' spendthrift habits, Moe managed and invested a portion of their salaries to ensure they wouldn't end up broke after their careers.