The complete List of Three Stooges TV Guest Appearance during 1948-1969, also several Moe Howard TV guest appearance without the Stooges in The Mike Douglas Show (1973-1974).
All content below copied without permission from the "TV Guest Appearances" filmography at ThreeStooges.net.
Texaco Star Theater (NBC), October 19th, 1948[]
The Three Stooges first television appearance. Neither a surviving kinescope of the show nor a script are avalaible for review.
Cast : Milton Berle (Host), Sid Stone (Announcer), Fatso Marco, Alan Roth (Bandleader)
The Morey Amsterdam Show (CBS), December 31st, 1948[]
The Three Stooges guest star on this 2-hour New Year Eve special, an expanded episode of Morey Amsterdam's weekly half-hour variety/comedy series.
Morey Amsterdam plays the MC of Times Square's fictional Golden Goose Cafe nightclub. Also starring Art Carney (Charlie the Doorman), Jacqueline Susann (Lola the cigarette girl) and Johnny Guarnieri (Bandleader).
Guests: The Three Stooges, Dorothy Collins, Carole Coleman, Danny Daniels, Larry Douglas and The Tally Beatty Dancers.
Kingman T. Moore (Director), Irving Mansfield (Producer)
Camel Comedy Caravan / The Ed Wynn Show (CBS), March 11st, 1950[]
Wynn's 1/2-hour show, sponsored by Camel cigarettes, was the first live Los Angeles-based variety show. For this episode, the Stooges portray CBS executives, who demand that Wynn cut costs and completely overhaul his show.
The Stooges as CBS Executives, success disrupted the show
The Stooges appeared on the program as Mr. C (Moe), Mr. B (Larry) and Mr. S (Shemp). They succeed in disrupting the program throughout its entire broadcast in every scene, concluding with the Stooges singing "When You Wore a Tulip", while Wynn attempts to brain them with stage sand bags.
Other guests include Helen Forrest, who sang "Shimmy Like My Sister Kate," and William Frawley (best known as Fred Mertz on TV's I LOVE LUCY) who joins Ed for a comedy sketch promoting Camel cigarettes.
Ralph Levy (Director), Harlan Thompson (Producer), Hal Kanter, Leo Solomon, Seaman Jacobs (Writers), Bud Gluskin (Orchestra), Bob Lamond (Announcer)
Damon Runyon Memorial Fund (CBS), April 29th, 1950[]
This program was a telethon to benefit the American Cancer Society.
Hosted by Milton Berle
After appearing on the telethon with the Stooges, host Milton Berle invited them to appear on his weekly program, The Texaco Star Theater, airing on May 2, 1950.
Texaco Star Theater (NBC), May 2nd, 1950[]
The Stooges appear on Berle's weekly one-hour variety program, which originally aired on Tuesday evenings. They performed in various sketches, reprising some of their well-known routines.
The Stooges appear throughout the broadcast, engaging in their classic "three watches" routine with Berle. The boys also do a Foreign Legion sketch, with Robert Alda as their commanding officer.
Cast: Milton Berle (Host), Sid Stone (Announcer), Fatso Marco, Alan Roth (Bandleader)
Guest stars: The Three Stooges, Robert Alda, The Lee Sheldon Dancers, Victoria Troupe, Rose Marie, Morton Downey
Texaco Star Theater (NBC), October 10th, 1950[]
This appearence on Berle's variety program marked the third time the Stooges worked with Milton on TV. Once again, the boys appeared in various sketches, performing some of their well-known routines.
The Stooges perform the "Maharaja" routine. By all accounts, Shemp's performance was just as convincing as that of his younger brother Curly in Time Out for Rhythm (1941) and Three Little Pirates (1946).
Cast: Milton Berle (Host), Sid Stone (Announcer), Fatso Marco, Alan Roth (Bandleader)
Guests: The Three Stooges, Bert Gordon, The Weavers, Alice Pearce, Yogi Berra, Evelyn Knight, Walter Winchell and George Price
The Kate Smith Hour (NBC), October 13th, 1950[]
Kate Smith's series was a live, weekly, variety program that featured Broadway and Hollywood stars in musical numbers and comedy sketches.
Star of the Family (CBS), May 18th, 1951[]
Variety show which interviewed people related to famous celebrities, without divulging who the celebrity was. After a period of time, the celebrity was brought out and entertained the audience.
Host: Morton DowneyGuests: The Three Stooges, Margaret Phelan, The Weidler Brothers
Crew: Norman Frank (Producer), Carl Hoff (Orchestra)
The Colgate Comedy Hour (NBC), December 16th, 1951[]
Broadcast live from the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950 - 1955) included a revolving door of hosts during its run. Regular hosts included Abbott & Costello, Spike Jones, Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis, Eddie Cantor, Jimmy Durante and Donald O'Connor.
This is the Stooges' only appearance on the program. Their first sketch is set in Fay's Department Store, with Larry as the store manager, preparing for the big Christmas sale, Moe as the floorwalker, and Shemp plays a customer. In a second sketch, Roy Rogers introduces the boys as renowned chefs who are preparing for a lavish party, leading into a wild food fight.
Guest cast: Jack Paar (Host), Carmen Miranda, Roy Rogers, Alan Young
Kingman Moore (Director).
The Frank Sinatra Show (CBS), January 1st, 1952[]
The boys as servant on Frank party, doing the Fish Market trio routine
Sinatra's program, broadcast live from Hollywood, featured a good mix of well-known celebrities, as well as ample amounts of singing from the future Chairman of the Board. It's New Year's Eve at the Sinatra house, and the Stooges are hired as servants for Frank's annual holiday party.
The Stooges succeed in wreaking havoc, messing up simple tasks such as taking coats from the partygoers, and torture poor Mr. Mortimer (Vernon Dent) in an attempt to mix a cocktail. Musical interludes are provided by Louis Armstrong and Yvonne DeCarlo, with impersonations by George DeWitt.
Later, the cast spoofs the story of Aladdin and his magic lamp. Aladdin's (Sinatra) genie makes him rich so he can court Princess Fatima (Yvonne DeCarlo), against the wishes of her Grouch Marx-like father the Sultan (George DeWitt). Her father has betrothed her to Ali Ben Hogan (Shemp), who arrives with his viziers (Moe and Larry), ready to kill Aladdin.
Guests: Louis Armstrong, George DeWitt, Yvonne DeCarlo, Alan Young, Vernon Dent (Mr. Mortimer).
Axel Stordahl (Orchestra)
Olympic Fund Telethon (NBC & CBS), June 22nd, 1952[]
Hollywood stars gathered in a fundraiser for the financially strapped U.S. Olympic Committee, benefiting the athletes headed to Helsinki, Finland for the 1952 Olympics in July. Broadcast live on two networks from Hollywood's El Capitan Theatre, it aired from June 21 at 8PM to June 22 at 10:30PM Pacific Times. The first nationally telecast telethon.
Cast: Bob Hope & Bing Crosby (Hosts), Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Johnny Grant, Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Spike Jones & His Orchestra, Humphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe, George Burns, Gracie Allen, June Allyson, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Rosemary Clooney, Joan Crawford, Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Margaret O'Brien, Edgar Bergen, Tex Ritter, Edward G. Robinson, Frank Sinatra, Ed Sullivan, Johnny Weismuller, Fred MacMurray, Governor Earl Warren
Crew: Norman Blackburn (Producer)
The Johnny Dugan Show (NBC), July 29th, 1952[]
Live, daytime NBC variety and talk show hosted by comedian and singer Johnny Dugan.
After performing a classic Three Stooges routine, Moe, Larry and Shemp received a plaque from the Motion Picture Exhibitors for being the headliners in two-reel comedies in 1951.
The Eddie Cantor Comedy Theatre (Syndicated), April 29th, 1955[]
The boys as guest in The Eddie Cantor Comedy Theatre
Filmed, half-hour comedy series presenting Eddie Cantor doing all his trademark routines and musical numbers, and featuring guest stars in playlets hosted by Cantor.thumb|right|178px|The "A Night in U.S Mint" sketch
Eddie's wife and staff inform him that he should consider viewers' requests for show ideas, but instead of letters in his filing cabinets, he finds The Three Stooges. The Stooges star in the skit, "A Night in the U.S. Mint," as inept bank robbers Butch (Moe), Lefty (Larry), and Spike (Shemp), who attempt to tunnel into a bank vault, but wind up instead in the U.S. Mint... but are too dumb to realize where they are!
Cast: Eddie Cantor, Ida Cantor, Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Julie Bennett, Doris Packer, Keith Richards, Leo Penn, The Johnson Brothers, Dennie & Cameron, Gene Nash, Paula & Paulette, Sharon Dexter, Donna Drew, June Kirby, Toni Carroll
Crew: Eddie Cantor (Producer), Eddie Davis (Director), Albert E. Lewin, Burt Styler (Writers).
The Steve Allen Show (NBC), January 11st, 1959[]
The boys in "The Doctor" sketch
Steve Allen's Sunday night variety show, although opposite Ed Sullivan's long-running CBS institution, earned an enduring reputation for comedy with an ensemble that included Don Knotts, Tom Poston, Gabe Dell, Louis Nye, Dayton Allen, Bill Dana, Pat Harrington Jr. and bandleader Skitch Henderson.
Steve welcomes guests Diana Dors, Chuck McCann, Perez Prado & His Orchestra and The Three Stooges. Diana Dors sings "Give Me the Simple Life," the Prado Orchestra performs "Patricia Pop" and a medley of songs, and Chuck McCann participates in comedy sketches as Jackie Gleason.
The Three Stooges appear in "The Doctor" sketch, with Moe as Larry's inept surgeon, and Curly Joe as an equally inept nurse in drag. Their first television appearance after
their 1959 resurgence in popularity.
Cast: Steve Allen, Don Knotts, Tom Poston, Gabe Dell, Louis Nye, Dayton Allen, Bill Dana, Pat Harrington Jr., Skitch Henderson and His Orchestra, Chuck McCann, Diana Dors, Perez Prado & His Orchestra, Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe DeRita.
Crew: William O. Harbach (Producer), Dwight A. Hemion (Director), Stan Burns, Herb Sargent, Bill Dana, Don Hinkley, Arne Sultan, Marvin Worth (Writers)
The Steve Allen Show (NBC), February 22nd, 1959[]
Steve Allen's Sunday night variety show, although opposite Ed Sullivan's long-running CBS institution, earned an enduring reputation for comedy, with an ensemble cast that included Don Knotts, Tom Poston, Gabe Dell, Louis Nye, Dayton Allen, Bill Dana, Gene Rayburn, Pat Harrington Jr. and Skitch Henderson.
Steve welcomes guests Andy Griffith, Diana Dors, Otto Horbach, Jimmy Hurst and The Three Stooges. Andy Griffith performs his classic "Romeo & Juliet" monologue. Diana Dors sings "Thanks a Lot, But No Thanks," Jimmy Hurst sings "On the Street Where You Live," and composer Otto Harbach is presented with an award for writing "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes".
The boys in the "Stand-In" routine, February 1959
In the "Stand-In" skit, Moe plays the director of a feature film, while Larry is the film's star and Curly-Joe is his stand-in. Each time a wild action scene was about to be filmed, Moe would yell, "Cut!" Larry would be replaced with Curly-Joe, who would then get the brunt of everything from saloon fights to pies in the face. Moe's wife Helen once recalled that Moe came down with pneumonia just hours before he was set to appear on the show. Helen's recollections were captured in the book, The Three Stooges Scrapbook. "Moe had rehearsed all day for the The Steve Allen Show and returned to the hotel to go to bed. There he was with no voice and a high fever and dictating the entire "Stand-In" routine to a script girl... Moe's voice cracked and squeaked throughout the show. And those who loved him - and there were untold numbers - suffered with him." The Stooges first performed the "Stand-In" skit in the Broadway stage show, The George White Scandal of 1939. Matty Brooks and Eddie Davis, who occasionally supplied material to the boys, wrote the original skit.
Larry Fine joins the "The Nutley, Hinkley, Butley, Winkley Report," which focuses on art in the news.
Cast: Steve Allen, Don Knotts, Tom Poston, Gabe Dell, Louis Nye, Dayton Allen, Bill Dana, Pat Harrington Jr., John Myhers, Gene Rayburn, Skitch Henderson & The Orchestra, Andy Griffith, Diana Dors, Otto Horbach, Jimmy Hurst, Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe DeRita.
Crew: William O. Harbach (Producer), Dwight A. Hemion (Director), Leonard Stern, Stan Burns, Herb Sargent, Bill Dana, Don Hinkley, Arne Sultan, Marvin Worth (Writers)
The Steve Allen Show (NBC), April 5th, 1959[]
The "Maharaja" routine version of Moe-Larry-Curly Joe line up
Steve Allen's Sunday night variety show, although opposite Ed Sullivan's long-running CBS institution, earned an enduring reputation for comedy with an ensemble that included Don Knotts, Tom Poston, Gabe Dell, Louis Nye, Dayton Allen, Bill Dana, Pat Harrington Jr. and bandleader Skitch Henderson.
Steve welcomes comedian Lenny Bruce, singers Connie Russell and David Allen, and The Three Stooges. Connie sings "Caravan" and "You've Changed", David sings "Get Out of Town," and then the two duet with "The Cigarette Song." Lenny Bruce performs a stand-up routine.
The Three Stooges appear in "The Maharaja" sketch, with a little help from Steve Allen.
Cast: Steve Allen, Don Knotts, Tom Poston, Gabe Dell, Louis Nye, Dayton Allen, Bill Dana, Pat Harrington Jr., Skitch Henderson and His Orchestra, Lenny Bruce, Connie Russell, David Allen, Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe DeRita.
Crew: William O. Harbach (Producer), Dwight A. Hemion (Director), Stan Burns, Herb Sargent, Bill Dana, Don Hinkley, Arne Sultan, Marvin Worth (Writers)
On the Go (CBS), April 15th, 1960[]
The Stooges family in "On the Go" (1960)
Half-hour, morning series featuring interviews, human-interest stories and variety from the Los Angeles area, hosted by Jack Linkletter.
From Plummer Park in Hollywood CA (taped March 25, 1960), Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Joe DeRita are interviewed while attending a picnic with their families. In addition to the Stooges, Jack Linkletter talks to the family members. Topics discussed include real-life personalities, the origin of the haircuts, pre-Stooges entertainment careers, the effect of television on their popularity, and injuries suffered as a result of their screen antics. Moe discusses the recent elimination of violence from the act, particularly in regard to production of an upcoming live-action/animated, television series. Although the title is not mentioned, Moe refers to The Three Stooges Scrapbook, the boys' unsold color, television pilot produced in 1960. Following the Stooges, a brief segment on a therapist for exceptional children is shown.
Segments of On the Go have turned up on home video, but heavily edited. A complete transcription of the Stooges' broadcast interview was published in The Three Stooges Journal #s 83 and 84 (Fall and Winter 1997).
Cast: Jack Linkletter (Host), Johnny Jacobs (Announcer), George Fenneman, Art Linkletter, Jack & Bobbie Linkletter (Commercial announcers), Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe DeRita, Helen Howard, Mabel Fine, Joan Howard Maurer, Paul Howard, Jeffrey Maurer, Michael Maurer, Phyllis Fine Lamond, Eric Lamond, Kris Lamond, Christy Kraus Fine
Crew: John Guedel, Irvin S. Atkins (Executive Producers), William Kayden (Producer), Irv Lambrecht (Director), Marvin Wark, Joe Laitkin, Ed Mills, Marion Pollock, Bill Walker, Bill Blatty (Writers)
Sunday Showcase - The Frances Langford Show (NBC), May 1st, 1960[]
NBC Sunday night series of specials, presenting dramas, variety shows, musicals and historical plays.
The Stooges in Mother's Day celebration
Frances Langford hosts a Mothers Day celebration of stars, in this holiday special with segments aired in both color and black & white, saluting the mothers of Hollywood stars. The entire cast appears in rocking chairs singing Hoagy Carmichael's "Rockin' Chair," before boarding a jet to Hollywood singing original lyrics to Charlie Barnet's instrumental "Skyliner". One skit features the Stooges bemoaning that they never had a mother, while the orchestra plays "My Mothers Eyes". Singer Mary Costa's rendition of "Holiday For Strings" is interrupted and broken-up by the Stooges, who prance onstage in drag as ballerinas. When the cast members serenade the Hollywood stars' mothers, the Stooges come out to sing "Que Sera Sera" to Doris Day's mother.
Additional musical performances include "There's a Small Hotel in Beverly Hills" (Langford, Bob Cummings, Mary Costa), "La Taviata" (Mary Costa), "It Was Worth It" (Hermione Gingold), "Puttin' on the Ritz" (Johnny Mathis), "Suppertime" and "Ave Maria" (Frances Langford), and "I Remember It Well" (Bob Cummings and Hermione Gingold).
Cast: Frances Langford, Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe DeRita, Johnny Mathis, Bob Cummings, Don Ameche, Mary Costa, Hermione Gingold, Ken Murray, Ray Heindorf & His Orchestra, The Hermes Pan Dancers, The Jud Conlon Singers, Jack "Mr. Bongo" Costanzo
Additonal cast: The Motion Pictures Mothers Club (aka the mothers of...): Doris Day, Dean Martin, Lou Costello, Eddie Albert, Richard Carlson, Gary Cooper, Mary Costa, Tony Curtis, Glenn Ford, Samuel Goldwyn, Dorothy Lamour, Frances Langford, Jack Lemmon, Anita Louise, Ann Miller, Wayne Morris, Ken Murray, Ginger Rogers, Cesar Romero
Crew: Frank Tashlin (Director and Writer), Charles Wick (Producer)
The Ed Sullivan Show (CBS), May 14th, 1961[]
CBS' Sunday night institution of 1948 - 1971, columnist Ed Sullivan presented a variety show in more ways than one, with acts that included ballet, comics and comedians, musical and dramatic scenes from Broadway, rock & roll, performing animals, acrobats, and the list goes on. In spite of his quirky diction and awkward gestures, Sullivan himself became a celebrity. With the thousands of acts broadcast over its twenty-three years, The Ed Sullivan Show will always be best remembered as the show that introduced The Beatles to American viewers.
Cast: Gene Barry as his TV character 'Bat Masterson,' Teresa Brewer ("Silver in My Mother's Hair" and "Milord"), Gene Barry and Teresa Brewer team to sing "The Hills of Old Kentucky," opera singer Richard Tucker, Pete Fountain's Jazz Group, The Idlers (U.S. Coast Guard chorus), comedian Adam Keefe, acrobatic comedian Larry Griswold, and Moe Howard, Larry Fine & Joe DeRita (The Three Stooges) performing the "Stand In" routine.
The Stooges perform again the "Stand-In" routine in "The Ed Sullivan Show", May 1961
In a switch from their 1959 "Stand In" performance on The Steve Allen Show, Larry Fine takes on the role of 'Pedro the Mexican,' allowing him to engage in slapstick punishment on the hapless stand-in, Curly Joe. After this performance, the Stooges were served with a lawsuit from Broadway producer George White, who owned the sketch's copyright... it was written for The George White Scandal of 1939, costarring Moe, Larry & Curly. The case was settled out of court for a nominal fee, and the Stooges continued to use "Stand In" in their live performance repertoire. Ed Sullivan blooper... he introduced the Stooges as "The Ritz Brothers".
Other Cast: Ed Sullivan (Host), Ralph Paul (Announcer), Ray Bloch and His Orchestra
Crew: Bob Precht (Producer), Tim Kiley (Director)
Here's Hollywood (NBC), July 27th, 1961[]
Weekday, afternoon interview show, bringing Hollywood celebrities at home and leisure to television viewers.
The Three Stooges are interviewed. Unavailable for viewing, no additional information is known at this time. Reportedly, most video and kinescope copies of Here's Hollywood no longer exist, but some audio transcripts are available; the status of the Stooges' episode is unknown.
Cast: Dean Miller, JoAnn Jordan (Hosts), Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe DeRita
Crew: Gene Law, Van Fox (Directors)
Play Your Hunch (CBS), January 24th, 1962[]
Afternoon installment of this game show, which aired in both prime time and daytime versions from 1958 - 1963. Two couples compete using deduction, observation and logic, to choose among three options as the solution to a problem, often involving guests to portray the scenarios. Inverse in format to Goodson/Todman's To Tell the Truth, it was the problem-posers on Play Your Hunch who frequently were celebrities, while the contestants were not.
Moe, Larry and Curly Joe guest starred in this episode. Unavailable for viewing, no additional information is known at this time.
Cast: Merv Griffin (Host), Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe DeRita
Crew: Mark Goodson, Bill Todman (Producers)
The Tonight Show (NBC), July 10th, 1962[]
Jack Paar left The Tonight Show on March 29, 1962, and Johnny Carson began his thirty-year tenure on October 1, 1962. The 6 months between were filled with a plethora of guest hosts, including Art Linkletter, Joey Bishop, Merv Griffin, Jack Carter, Jan Murray, Soupy Sales, Jerry Lewis, and more.
Actor and country singer Jimmy Dean guest hosts, and welcomes The Three Stooges to the late-night NBC talk show.
Cast: Jimmy Dean (Host), Hugh Downs (Annoucer), Skitch Henderson (Orchestra leader), Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe DeRita
The Ed Sullivan Show (CBS), February 10th, 1963[]
CBS' Sunday night institution of 1948 - 1971, columnist Ed Sullivan presented a variety show in more ways than one, with acts that included ballet, comics and comedians, musical and dramatic scenes from Broadway, rock & roll, performing animals, acrobats, and the list goes on. In spite of his quirky diction and awkward gestures, Sullivan himself became a celebrity. With the thousands of acts broadcast over its twenty-three years, The Ed Sullivan Show will always be best remembered as the show that introduced The Beatles to American viewers.
Cast and Acts: Patti Page ("If I Were a Bell"), Hal Holbrook recites "Against a House Divided" from his Broadway play Abe Lincoln in Illinois, comedian Dave Madden, The Bob De Voye Trio dances, Fred and Angela Roby perform ventriloquism, comedian Bill Dana as 'Jose Jimenez,' and The Three Stooges (Moe, Larry & Curly Joe) perform the "Doctor" sketch.
When Moe (the doctor) hits Joe (as the nurse) in the face with a wet sponge, Joe's wig is knocked off his head and he scrambles to put it back on. A classic moment in live television, as Moe breaks up over Joe's predicament.
Other Cast: Ed Sullivan (Host), Art Hannes (Announcer), Ray Bloch and His Orchestra
Crew: Bob Precht (Producer), Tim Kiley (Director)
The Ed Sullivan Show - 15th Anniversary Special (CBS), June 23rd, 1963[]
A "Stand-In" routine from their 1961 appearance.
To celebrate the completion of Ed's 15th year on CBS, the show was expanded to 90-minutes for this retrospective tribute, featuring performance highlights of 1948 - 1963.
Among the honored clips, The Three Stooges appear in a segment of their "Stand-In" sketch from May 14, 1961.
Cast: Moe Howard, Larry Fine & Joe DeRita, Charles Laughton, Gertrude Lawrence, Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein, Helen Hayes, Jackie Gleason & Art Carney, Cole Porter, Walt Disney, Jack Benny, James Cagney, Henry Fonda, Jack Lemmon, Gary Cooper, Rod Steiger, Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, Phil Silvers, Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley, Clark Gable, Raoul Walsh, Red Skelton, Louis Armstrong, Fred Astaire, Maurice Chevalier, Sophie Tucker, The Moiseyev Ballet, Jimmy Durante, Sonny King, Robert Goulet, Richard Burton, Julie Andrews
Other Cast: Ed Sullivan (Host), Bern Bennett, Ralph Paul, Art Hannes (Announcers), Ray Bloch and His Orchestra
Crew: Bob Precht (Producer), Tim Kiley (Director)
The Ed Sullivan Show (CBS), October 6th, 1963[]
"Maharaja" routine from their 1963 appearance
CBS' Sunday night institution of 1948 - 1971, columnist Ed Sullivan presented a variety show in more ways than one, with acts that included ballet, comics and comedians, musical and dramatic scenes from Broadway, rock & roll, performing animals, acrobats, and the list goes on. In spite of his quirky diction and awkward gestures, Sullivan himself became a celebrity. With the thousands of acts broadcast over its twenty-three years, The Ed Sullivan Show will always be best remembered as the show that introduced The Beatles to American viewers.
Cast: Surf guitarist Dick Dale ("Swingin' & Surfin"), comedienne Totie Fields, heavyweight champion Sonny Liston skipping rope to "Night Train," Page Cavanaugh and The Page Seven Combo ("Preacher"), tap dancers The Clark Brothers, Kate Smith and a medley of WWII songs, comedian Alan Gale, The Angels ("My Boyfriend's Back"), Jerry Stiller & Anne Meara performing a comedy sketch, and Moe Howard, Larry Fine & Joe DeRita (The Three Stooges) performing their classic "Maharajah" routine.
Other Cast: Ed Sullivan (Host), Art Hannes (Announcer), Ray Bloch and His Orchestra, Eileen Brennan
Crew: Ed Sullivan (Executive Producer), Bob Precht (Producer), Tim Kiley (Director)
The Mike Douglas Show (Syndicated), September 4th, 1964[]
Long-running (1961 - 1981), syndicated, 90-minute afternoon talk show. Mike Douglas' easy going, homey personality, genuine interest in his guests' careers and lives, and an equal focus on performance as much as talk... combined to make DOUGLAS a hit with television audiences. Produced first in Cleveland, then in Philadelphia for most of the run, away from the entertainment centers of NY and L.A., its popularity still ensured a steady stream of eager guests from film, television, music, radio, publishing and government. A hallmark of the show's legacy was the co-host, a celebrity who joined Mike for a week's worth of shows, sometime with a theme, who frequently participated in the selection of guests.
Moe, Larry & Curly Joe guested on one episode, in September 1964, originating at KYW-TV 3 in Cleveland. The 4th is reported to be the initial airdate, but that is not yet verified. Additional information on the boys' participation is pending.
Cast: Mike Douglas (Host), Phil Ford & Mimi Hines (Guest Co-hosts), Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe DeRita, Ed McMahon, Richard Gehman
The Ed Sullivan Show (CBS), May 9th, 1965[]
CBS' Sunday night institution of 1948 - 1971, columnist Ed Sullivan presented a variety show in more ways than one, with acts that included ballet, comics and comedians, musical and dramatic scenes from Broadway, rock & roll, performing animals, acrobats, and the list goes on. In spite of his quirky diction and awkward gestures, Sullivan himself became a celebrity. With the thousands of acts broadcast over its twenty-three years, The Ed Sullivan Show will always be best remembered as the show that introduced The Beatles to American viewers.
Cast: Della Reese, Richard Pryor, Juliet Prowse, Vaughn Monroe, Jackie Clark, The Kim Sisters, pantomime artists Les Doubles Faces, and The Three Stooges (Moe, Larry & Curly Joe)
The Three Stooges perform "Niagara Falls" routine
Other Cast: Ed Sullivan (Host), Art Hannes (Announcer), Ray Bloch and His Orchestra
Crew: Bob Precht (Producer), Tim Kiley (Director)
Danny Thomas Meet the Comics (NBC), November 8th, 1965[]
Danny Thomas Meets the Stooges
After Danny Thomas ended his long-running situation comedy series, he returned to television in a series of comedy-variety specials for NBC from 1964 - 1967. Thomas went weekly with this format during the 1967 - 1968 television season, as The Danny Thomas Hour.
Exploring the nature of comedy, Danny Thomas welcomes a star-studded cast of comics and comedians for a series of sketches and black-out gags.
The Three Stooges are introduced while making a ruckus in the audience, attempting to move patrons from their seats and "helping someone with his toupee. Arriving on stage, the boys refuse to perform comedy, informing Danny that they've moved on to serious acting and Shakespeare. Later, Moe, Larry & Curly Joe demonstrate a new, unbreakable glass plate to a pedestrian. The Stooges then attempt to assist Martha Raye with her fur coat, and run afoul of a gorilla in the process. Tim Conway's lecture on visual humor devolves into a wild burlesque-style farce, with the Stooges and other cast members running amuck across the stage in a series of sight gags.
Cast: Danny Thomas (Host), Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe DeRita, Tim Conway, Martha Raye, Bill Cosby, The Spike Jones Band with Spike Jones Jr., Milton Frome (Man with toupee)
Crew: Danny Thomas (Executive Producer), Alan Handley, Bob Wynn (Producers), Alan Handley (Director), Hugh Wedlock Jr., Allan Mannings (Writers)
Off to See the Wizard - Who's Afraid of Mother Goose? (ABC), October 13rd, 1967[]
Animated characters from The Wizard of OZ hosted this prime time children's series. Theatrical films alternated with episodes produced for this series, primarily nature documentaries.
An Emmy-nominated hour, with songs by the composers of the Broadway musical 1776. When a school administrator attempts to ban the Mother Goose stories from classrooms, Mother Goose herself (Maureen O'Hara) springs from the books, turns the man into a child, and takes him on a tour of her stories. Among the characters they visit are the Three Men in a Tub (Moe, Larry & Curly Joe).
Cast: Maureen O'Hara (Mother Goose), Dick Shawn (Old King Cole), Frankie Avalon (Jack), Nancy Sinatra (Jill), Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe DeRita (Three Men in a Tub), Peter Gennaro (Jack B. Nimble), Margaret Hamilton (Mother Hubbard), Fred Clark (William H. Berry), Dan Rowan (Pieman), Dick Martin (Simple Simon), Joanie Sommers (Bo Peep), Scooter Jolley (Little Boy Blue), Stuart Getz (Billy Berry)
Crew: Peter Gennaro (Director), Frank Peppiatt (Producer, Writer), Sherman Edwards (Music), Ruth Batchelor (Lyrics), Peter Gennaro (Choreographer
)Animation voices: Daws Butler (The Wizard, The Scarecrow, The Tin Man), Mel Blanc (The Cowardly Lion, Toto), June Foray (Dorothy, The Wicked Witch)
Animation crew: Chuck Jones (Executive Producer, Character Designs), Abe Levitow (Producer, Director), Earl Jonas (Production Manager), Les Goldman (Production Supervisor), Maurice Noble, Bob Ogle, Don Morgan, Hal Ambro, Bon Inman, Ken Harris, Ben Washam, Dick Thompson, Don Towsley, Phil Roman, Don Foster (Animation & Backgrounds)
Truth or Consequences (Syndicated), October 27th, 1969[]
Ralph Edwards' long-running radio and TV game/audience-participation show. It played in syndication during the 1960s, hosted by Bob Barker. Deception and practical jokes were the "consequence" for contestants who were unable to answer the host's riddle or question.
Tape date 10/27/69; syndication airdate in January 1970, varying by individual station.
A woman is introduced to The Three Stooges. After some brief clowning around by the boys, Moe explains the art of pie throwing, and the woman is blindfolded. She's instructed to hit Moe in the face with a pie, but unseen by her, her husband has been brought on stage in Moe's place.
Cast: Bob Barker (Host), Charley Lyons (Announcer), Ed Bailey, Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe DeRita
Crew: Ralph Edwards (Executive Producer), Ed Bailey (Producer), Jack Scott (Director)
The Mike Douglas Show (Syndicated), June 8th, 1973[]
Moe, Mike, and Ted in Pie fight melee
Long-running (1961 - 1981), syndicated, 90-minute afternoon talk show. Mike Douglas' easy going, homey personality, genuine interest in his guests' careers and lives, and an equal focus on performance as much as talk... combined to make The Mike Douglas Show a hit with television audiences. Produced in Philadelphia for most of the run, away from the entertainment centers of NY and L.A., its popularity still ensured a steady stream of eager guests from film, television, music, radio, publishing and government. A hallmark of the show was the co-host, a celebrity who joined Mike for a week's worth of shows, sometime with a theme, who frequently participated in the selection of guests.
Mike Douglas and co-host Ted Knight discuss the pitfalls of auditioning, and present audio bloopers of Ted narrating The Super-Friends cartoon series. Guests include author & nutritionist Gary Null, singer Arlene Fontana who performs "I Am Woman," Washington insider and The Kidner Report author John Kidner, and The Three Stooges' Moe Howard.
Moe recounts a brief history of Ted Healy and The Three Stooges, detailing the story of how he, Shemp and Larry originally joined Healy. The cream puff fight from Slippery Silks (1936) is screened, and then Moe instructs Mike and Ted on the art of pie throwing, resulting in a pie fight melee.
In Mike Douglas' 1999 autobiography I'll Be Right Back, he writes that arriving at the studio at 8AM, waiting alone in the lobby was Moe Howard, ready with a list of comic bits for consideration in that day's show, and ready to rehearse. Mr. Douglas has said that Moe Howard may have been the most conscientious performer he ever worked with.
Cast: Mike Douglas (Host), Ted Knight (Co-host), Moe Howard, Gary Null, John Kidner, Arlene Fontana, Joe Harnell & The Band
Crew: Mike Douglas (Executive Producer), Barry Sand (Producer), Frank Ryan Jr. (Director)
The Mike Douglas Show (Syndicated), September 11st, 1973[]
Long-running (1961 - 1981), syndicated, 90-minute afternoon talk show. Mike Douglas' easy going, homey personality, genuine interest in his guests' careers and lives, and an equal focus on performance as much as talk... combined to make The Mike Douglas Show a hit with television audiences. Produced in Philadelphia for most of the run, away from the entertainment centers of NY and L.A., its popularity still ensured a steady stream of eager guests from film, television, music, radio, publishing and government. A hallmark of the show was the co-host, a celebrity who joined Mike for a week's worth of shows, sometime with a theme, who frequently participated in the selection of guests.
Mike Douglas and co-host Soupy Sales introduce Playboy fashion critic Robert L. Green. As Mike and Soupy fashion display the latest in footwear, Moe Howard makes an unrehearsed entrance, holding his nose and spraying a can of air freshener. British actor Laurence Harvey discusses his latest project, and acting experiences in America (*). Bob Warren & The Creep perform a musical spoof of the ongoing Watergate scandal, "Haldeman, Erlichman, Mitchell and Dean." Ronald J. Fields, grandson of W. C. Fields, talks about his grandfather's legacy, with anecdotes, presenting the (then) rarely seen tooth-pulling sequence from Fields' The Dentist (1932). Ron reveals that his grandfather was always afraid to follow Healy and the Stooges' stage act, and Moe reciprocates with the same sentiment.
Introduced with a clip from Micro-Phonies (1945), Moe Howard tells of his childhood and the invention of his sugar-bowl haircut. Mike, Soupy and Moe perform the Stooges' classic "Maharaja" routine, ending in a pie fight and a surprise appearance by Helen Howard when Moe runs into the audience and pushes a pie in her face!
Two closing segments were taped:
- One with the scheduled guests, and closing credits
- A second ending with Helen Howard was done to explain that the "woman hit with a pie" was Moe's wife, also with closing credits.
Subscribing stations were permitted to choose and air either of the two. This show was taped on August 14, 1973.
- Mr. Harvey is visibly gaunt, and passed away of cancer shortly after this taping.
Cast: Mike Douglas (Host), Soupy Sales (Co-host), Moe Howard, Laurence Harvey, Robert L. Green, Bob Warren & The Creep (Jack Brown, Bob Miller, Jim Farmer, and Keith Boone), Ronald J. Fields, Frank Hunter & The Band, Helen Howard
Crew: Mike Douglas (Executive Producer), Woody Fraser (Producer), Frank Ryan Jr. (Director)
The Mike Douglas Show (Syndicated), November 29th, 1973[]
Long-running (1961 - 1981), syndicated, 90-minute afternoon talk show. Mike Douglas' easy going, homey personality, genuine interest in his guests' careers and lives, and an equal focus on performance as much as talk... combined to make The Mike Douglas Show a hit with television audiences. Produced in Philadelphia for most of the run, away from the entertainment centers of NY and L.A., its popularity still ensured a steady stream of eager guests from film, television, music, radio, publishing and government. A hallmark of the show was the co-host, a celebrity who joined Mike for a week's worth of shows, sometime with a theme, who frequently participated in the selection of guests.
Moe, Mike, Roger, and Julie
Mike Douglas and country singer co-host Roger Miller discuss Roger's voiceover work in Disney's Robin Hood (1973). Roger reciprocates by presenting a clip of Mike's singing voiceover as "Prince Charming" in Disney's Sleeping Beauty (1959). Comedian Charles Fleischer (the voice of "Roger Rabbit") talks about his talent of "using" buildings as musical instruments, and performs harmonica alongside Miller's guitar strumming. Julie Newmar discusses dance as exercise, entertainment and art, her love of ballet, and performs an interpretive dance. Author Norman Mailer promotes his photographic book of Marilyn Monroe, A Novel Biography.
Moe is introduced in the "Niagara Falls" sketch, performed with Mike, Roger and Julie. In his interview, he recounts Curly as a slow script study, and the invention of the eye-poke gag. In Moe's earlier appearance on the The Mike Douglas Show, he hit his wife with a pie, but it was never fully explained to viewers who she was. The details are revealed, and when Moe goes to audience to kiss his wife... she smacks him with a pie! Very briefly, Larry's brother Moe Feinberg can be seen in the audience, a few seats to Helen's left.
Two closing segments were taped, with the show running a few minutes short. One with Roger performing a musical number in the audience, followed by closing credits. Second, Helen Howard was interviewed about her husband and family, also followed by the closing credits. Subscribing stations were permitted to choose and air either of the two.
Cast: Mike Douglas (Host), Roger Miller (Co-host), Moe Howard, Julie Newmar, Charles Fleischer, Norman Mailer, Frank Hunter & The Band, Helen Howard
Crew: Mike Douglas (Executive Producer), Woody Fraser (Producer), Peter Calabrese (Director)
The Mike Douglas Show (Syndicated), December 21st, 1973[]
Long-running (1961 - 1981), syndicated, 90-minute afternoon talk show. Mike Douglas' easy going, homey personality, genuine interest in his guests' careers and lives, and an equal focus on performance as much as talk... combined to make The Mike Douglas Show a hit with television audiences. Produced in Philadelphia for most of the run, away from the entertainment centers of NY and L.A., its popularity still ensured a steady stream of eager guests from film, television, music, radio, publishing and government. A hallmark of the show was the co-host, a celebrity who joined Mike for a week's worth of shows, sometime with a theme, who frequently participated in the selection of guests.
Mike Douglas and co-hosts Al Freeman Jr. & Ellen Holly (One Live to Life) wrap up a weeklong salute to soap operas. They were joined for this show by Leonard Nimoy and comedian Milt Kamen, both of whom appeared on soap operas early in their careers. Author Richard Lamparski promotes the 4th edition of his Whatever Became Of...? book series. Calypso singer Steve DePass serenades the hosts and guests with his extemporaneous style, inventing lyrics as he performs, paying tribute to the careers of his subjects.
During Lamparski's interview, questions are taken from the audience about the whereabouts of celebrities. The final question comes from a gentleman who asks, "Whatever happened to The Three Stooges?" The man is none other than Moe Howard himself!
During the closing credit sequence, Steve DePass performs again, and is joined by Moe, who is honored with several lyrics.
Cast: Mike Douglas (Host), Al Freeman (Co-host), Ellen Holly (Co-host), Leonard Nimoy, Milt Kamen, Richard Lamparski, Steve DePass, Moe Howard, Frank Hunter & The Orchestra
Crew: Mike Douglas (Executive Producer), Woody Fraser (Producer), Peter Calabrese (Director)
The Mike Douglas Show (Syndicated), September 19th, 1974[]
Long-running (1961 - 1981), syndicated, 90-minute afternoon talk show. Mike Douglas' easy going, homey personality, genuine interest in his guests' careers and lives, and an equal focus on performance as much as talk... combined to make The Mike Douglas Show a hit with television audiences. Produced in Philadelphia for most of the run, away from the entertainment centers of NY and L.A., its popularity still ensured a steady stream of eager guests from film, television, music, radio, publishing and government. A hallmark of the show was the co-host, a celebrity who joined Mike for a week's worth of shows, sometime with a theme, who frequently participated in the selection of guests.
The current owner of The Mike Douglas Show library reports that no record of this show's videotape can be found in their archives. An audio recording of Moe Howard's sequences survives in a fan's personal library' it was transcribed in The Three Stooges Journal # 87 (Fall 1998).
Mike Douglas and co-hosts Donny & Marie Osmond welcome guests Moe Howard and Jon Voight. Moe Howard discusses his childhood experience in show business, detailing his entry into film at Brooklyn�s Vitagraph Studios. Moe talks about his first job as a studio gopher, and as a child actor in shorts starring silent film stars Flora Finch, John Bunny, and others. Donny's inquiry of the eye-poke technique results in a personal demonstration from Moe.
Moe, Mike and Donny perform the Stooges' "Operation" sketch, with Moe as the doctor, Mike in drag as his nurse, and Donny as the hapless patient. Jon Voight joins the sketch, and receives a pie in the face for his trouble. During Voight's interview, he reveals his wife's (Angelina Jolie's mother) talent for impersonating Curly Howard.
Cast: Mike Douglas (Host), Donny Osmond (Co-host), Marie Osmond (Co-host), Moe Howard, Jon Voight
Crew: Mike Douglas (Executive Producer)