Having had great success with previous attemps at getting autographs from the two surviving members of the Three Stooges (seen here, with additional signed comic books from Curly-Joe seen here), I made yet another stab at amassing more for my growing Stooges collection. On May 27, I sent my last autograph request before the Summer came to stay for a while and set my mind reeling in other directions. This letter went to Joe Besser, of whom I had gotten an additional portrait photo (probably from Carl Ahlm).
Again, I tried to ask questions of Joe that would require an answer in order to get another handwritten letter. The letter was answered by Joe’s wife Ernie once again, and unfortunately this time he didn’t add his signature, but he did sign the portrait as well as sending along another, smaller version of the signed same Three Stooges photo that he had sent last time. These arrived on June 9.
My final request to the other surving member of the Stooges – Curly-Joe DeRita – came after I had resumed my autograph collecting hobby in the beginning of 1987 – on January 6 to be precise. This is a little out of sequence with my chronological autograph successes, but the similarity in subject matter makes it relevant to be included here. He was always kind in signing and generous in sending out photos of his own. Again, I received a signed smaller version of the cool color photo of the Stooges seen on a ‘magic’ carpet (which was clearly sitting on the ground) that he had sent me last time. He also signed a portrait (below), a lobby card reproduction (seen at top), theater bill repro (below), and enclosed the same tiny little pre-print photo that he had sent last time. Lastly, he affixed a Three Stooges sticker to the envelope! These arrived on January 20, 1987.
Autographs of 1986 will continue with some post-convention Summer requests…
Thanks for posting these, Brad! I just finished a piece for a forthcoming book called “Stooges Among Us.” It’s reminiscences by twelve of us who knew the Stooges in their sunset years. I only met Larry and Curly-Joe once each, but I have reel-to-reel tape of Larry (which is quoted directly in the piece I wrote) and Super 8 sound film of Curly-Joe. I met him at a movie convention put on by a friend of mine in September 1976. In the film, he pounds his fist on a table and says, “I don’t think the Three Stooges were funny!” He then very eloquently explains why–he was a very intelligent man, and we talked about a number of things over the course of the afternoon. Joe and Ernie I got to know quite well, and I spent many happy afternoons in their little house on Biloxi Avenue in North Hollywood. Ernie was a very colorful character–like a jollier version of Thelma Ritter. Both of them were dear people.
Randy Skretvedt
February 7th, 2008