Joe Besser on Being a Member of The Three Stooges

This outtake interview footage with Joe Besser was shot for an NBC Nightly News segment on The Three Stooges.

[@swankles3877]

Over my 60 years as a stooge fan, I've come to enjoy Joe's contribution to the trio. Thank you Joe 😊

[@tonymaurice4157]

He was the worst

[@h.l.b.6122]

Speaking as a lifelong, 70 year old Stooge fan, Joe Besser was a great Stooge.

[@scott6428]

Yes he was

[@robjaimes8830]

He absolutely was. He was funny in his own way, and he didn’t try to channel anyone.

[@alphonsocarioti512]

Yes, underrated man.

[@mjp96]

Much better than the other Joe

[@georgevincent1834]

@@mjp96 Infinitely better that Joe DeRita.

[@curlytoes22]

Joe Besser was a funny comedian in his own right. He couldn’t replace Curly or Shemp because there was no replacing them, but he filled a gap with his own unique character and allowed the Three Stooges to continue for a couple more years. Way to go, Joe 👍

[@jubalcalif9100]

Well said & well put !

[@gregorykrug8034]

Joe Besser was a good Stooge. The only problem with him is that he wasn't Curly or Shemp.

[@doddsino]

Agreed wholeheartedly...

[@Vichedges]

He seems like a nice guy but he was totally wrong for the Stooges. I can’t watch his shorts with them.

[@gregorykrug8034]

@@Vichedges I would agree (especially compared to Curly and Shemp), but he was much better than Curly Joe IMO.

[@Vichedges]

@@gregorykrug8034 yeah I don’t rate either of them as stooges. They were too old by that point anyway and they toned down the act for kids. Besser is actually annoying to me though. I just don’t like his shtick.

[@gregorykrug8034]

@@Vichedges One last argument for Joe Besser is that Curly and Shemp were dead. Moe and Larry had to finish up their contract and Joe Besser was better than nothing. If I am not mistaken, everyone involved knew that Joe was only a temporary fix. The lame, senile, "kid-friendly" crap came later.

[@defaultusername123]

*Joe always gets a bad wrap from older Stooge fans but he had to achieve an impossible task in the first place and filled it as best as he could without being a cut-and-paste fill in. Curly Joe Besser was no "natural Stooge" but he was a stand-up guy and that goes a long way to me. R.I.P. Joe*

[@resurrectionsunday]

He was fan tidily tastic…” that was too harrdddd”

[@jericarolinem2789]

“Ooooohh! Not so hard!!!!”

[@mickconnor7929]

Thank Joe Besser for being the 3rd stooge! I also loved u being Stinky on the Abbott &Costello show!😊

[@docmalthus]

Joe was very close with Lou. He said he was the only non-family member that spent Christmas with the Costellos.

[@SDK-im8sl]

Seems like everyone who worked with Moe Howard and the Stooges enjoyed the experience.

[@itsfnmadness]

To me, he was truly a blessing, right time right place, thank you Joe, RIP,

[@davidpalmer7175]

You know... I had no problem with Joe as a Stooge.

[@jubalcalif9100]

Yes, indeed ! He was very good in his own way. Of course not the same as Curly or Shemp, but every comic has their own style. And he was one talented & classy fellow.

[@jehobden]

I love watching Joe Besser in most of what he does. It's nice to hear his natural voice here not exaggerated as it usually was.

[@benitanichols8136]

I loved watching Joe Besser as a Stooge when I was growing up. I still love him!!

[@jsfbr]

His work as Stinky in the Abbott and Costello TV show was funny.

[@jubalcalif9100]

Indubitably !

[@lesaber251]

I loved when he used to pinch people.

[@stebaer]

I had had a dream in which 4 of the 6 team members of The 3 Stooges were living next door where these Ladies hardly lived at all because of their constant world Travels and the 4 Stooges living there were Moe,Larry,Joe and Curly Joe slapping each other around on the porch and Joe and Curly Joe ended up falling from the porch onto the ground and still slapping each other around.Yes the factor of this was from reading the newspaper article of The Three Stooges still crazy after all these years and how it was always Moe and Larry and how Joe and Curly Joe were still alive at this time.

[@carolcanuso8636]

I was a big fan of every stooges lol 😅 Thank you for sharing your video 🙏👍

[@stebaer]

Yes I saw this ET interview when it first came out in 1983.

[@CurlyJo3]

I shall never throw disrespect to this name cause of this man. True comedy legend

[@jessicathethreestoogesfan2635]

I know how everyone feel about Three Stooges in 1957, At least Joe was trying his best as a sissy

[@stephenhobbins4895]

R.I.P. Joe Besser (1907-1988) of The Three Stooges. 😪🙏🏻💐😇

[@WhoisVinnie]

How come this wasn't at the top when I searched for Joe Besser interviews

[@larchmontmark1]

His real voice is so different.

[@mr.tonyshiphopschool266]

I liked Joe more n more as time went on but my favorite was Shemp!!!

[@mdeluco4675]

Joe brought fresh life to an act that was growing stale.He was as much a Stooge as any of them

[@jubalcalif9100]

I heartily concur ! It's a good thing he didn't try to replicate Curly or Shemp. Each of them had their own unique style, must as Joe did. A truly talented comic develops his own unique schtick.

[@insufficientfun9889]

He said "doo doo" :P

[@salvagemonster3612]

My god his voice is just as funny out of character.

[@thomascarr8527]

Joe was a good stooge he was also funny on the abbott & Costello show as stinky

[@camdencoblentz3245]

Since Joe was only in 16 Three Stooges shorts before Columbia pictures pulled the plug, I feel that he didn't have enough time to be with the act. The Joe era seems to get a lot of flak, but I personally though it was alright. Sure, I like Curly and Shemp more, but I developed a bit more of an appreciation for Joe when I watched the last 16 shorts involving him. Sure, I could have done without the rehashes, but thankfully, there were originals as well. While I get the argument that Joe didn't fit with the brand of humor of the act, I'd much rather have the last era we got with him, rather than it ending after Shemp's death, due to how much extensive rehashing was taking place at that time.

[@TWS-pd5dc]

Besser was extremely talented. Here are the facts: Besser gets unfairly slammed for his Stooges shorts, comparing him to Curly and Shemp. But the act was wearing out by 1957. Both Moe and Larry were getting older. And several of the later Shemp episodes were dreadful (I recall one with a giant canary in a train, ugh!). So since they had been doing it since 1935 or so it was inevitable that they wouldn't be as funny. Not Besser's fault, just that the act was getting stale. Watch Besser on the Abbott and Costello show. His Stinky character was the highlight of every episode his was in. He and Costello were magic together. I heard they didn't rehearse, they pretty much winged it. And it worked to perfection.

[@TheDylandProductions]

@@TWS-pd5dc By the time the Stooges were with Curly Joe, they'd changed their act. Less slapstick, more focus on witty dialogue and situational humor and pie throwing, etc. To better suit their advanced age. Plus, they weren't under contract anymore, and were free to make films, or a cartoon, or live appearances whenever they wanted... at their own pace. Joe Besser gets a lot of flack simply because he just lined up with one of the worst eras of the Three Stooges. They were still under contract to Columbia when theatrical 2-reelers were all but dead and gone. They had a strict schedule, and had just gotten over the deaths of Curly and Shemp (who died only a few years apart). That, and their habit of re-purposing old sets and remaking older shorts to save on cost and time just wore them down. They were all older, but were up to the same strict (or even stricter) deadlines... It just didn't work. However, what they were able to accomplish with Joe Besser is actually really good for what it is. If his wife hadn't of gotten sick, and Besser would have traveled with and stayed with the Stooges, who knows what his Stooge reputation would've been today!? Probably a lot better. Point is, even the later era Shemp (and especially Fake Shemp) episodes are just mediocre - and Besser, contractually, was fit into an already broken puzzle. By the time Curly Joe came aboard, they'd straightened out the act a bit more. Great for Derita, but detrimental to the legacy of Besser... at least as a Stooge. Outside of the Stooges, his work with Abbot & Costello, and his animated voice work is phenomenal! And even some of his Stooge work shines too! Despite the circumstances.

[@TWS-pd5dc]

@@TheDylandProductions Correct. Besser was a very accomplished comedian. He had later for 4 seasons on The Joey Bishop Show, a half hour sitcom produced by the same guys who did Make Room For Daddy. While Bishop himself was very average on the show, Besser played the super of his apartment and was very funny. Bishop had actually fired much of the cast after the first season (particularly a pre-McHale's navy Joe Flynn, who Bishop felt was upstaging him!). But Besser remained. Like I said, as a kid and adult I would fall off my chair watching his Stinky character interact with Lou Costello. It was classic.

[@defaultusername123]

Agreed. I think more "modern" Stooge fans who have more foresight and knowlege at hand see this and the situtation the Stooges and Joe Besser were in and Curly Joe B has definitely gotten more appreciation (as he rightfully deserves imo) as time has gone on.

[@jehobden]

A couple of his shorts, like "A Merry Mix Up" and "Quiz Whizz", are among my favorites.

[@Piggy-Oink-Oink]

ive never seen this or know Joe liked being a stooge so many reports he didnt like being a stooge but i can see Joe's telling the truth he loved being a stooge!

[@vivianmcalexander9999]

I love ALL of The Three Stooges!

[@d.e.b.b5788]

He was terrific; in fact, the best, funniest role he had, was as the adult 'child' in the Abbot & Costello TV shows. I think that role was called 'Stinky'.

[@LinkRocks]

I wasn't a fan of Joe in the Stooges, but he seemed like a nice guy.

[@ahuamekaiona]

I loved joe besser and ALLLLLL of them🤗🥰🤙👍💞

[@jediguardianaka6202]

I will remember the stooges moe,larry,curly,shemp,joe besser,and curly joe

[@resurrectionsunday]

Loved joe B he was great

[@zachweiss6183]

To say Joe Besser isnt funny never sat well with me. Although he was different from his predecessors, he was funny and a great addition to the stooges.

[@jubalcalif9100]

That is so VERY true !

[@johndyson4109]

Joe was a great Stooge and blew away DeRita... I love you Joe! Forever yours...❤❤❤😢😊😅

[@michaelhungate7506]

In my opinion ALL of the stooges were great, every single one, NOW, i think that Moe was the most committed of all of them and he was able to do the physical stuff until the lung cancer got him. He was on the Mike Douglas show several or more times in the last few years of his life. I suggest anyone watch his appearances on the Mike Douglas show.

[@mjp96]

RIP Joe Besser. Good actor!!

[@thebatman911]

Joe was awsome as one of the Stooges!!!

[@amaruqlonewolf3350]

Joe's contract having him not to be excessively hit might be a contribution, but I've to say that the writing on the shorts with Joe wasn't on par with their previous content. Joe should be cut a bit of slack.

[@karlsonkab51]

Joe was devastatingly funny as the intense man-child "Stinky" in the Abbott and Costello TV series - fine as a Stooge too.

[@mikenauer2403]

god bless joe besser and stooges rip

[@James-cz4xv]

What year was this interview

[@dougfredricks2017]

I miss this era of 📺 comedy. Hollywood gives us goat 🐐 tripe today... 🙄

[@bcm3456]

Besser could never fill Curly's shoes.

[@robertthikkurissy8435]

This shows how the 2000 Stooges biopic was wayy off.

[@TheBruster]

Poor Joe, everybody hates him beacuse he avoid the slapatick, but i still like em🙂

[@TheDylandProductions]

Actually, he only avoided the slapstick at first. By the end of his 16 2-reelers with the Stooges, he was taking hits just as much, if not moreso than Larry!

[@texxos57]

He was paid to do what he was told to do. Don't blame him.

[@p.g.8138]

How did they agree to not hit him and he doesn't hit anyone. The stooges are a slapstick show. I just can't bring myself to watch any of the shorts with Joe in the group.

[@wwesmackdownvsraw]

NOT SO LOUD you hurt my earrrrrs stop yelling at meeeeee

[@Wellch]

Too bad that there weren’t more of him.

[@johnnywadd7960]

RIP all the Stooges

[@4gegtyreeyuyeddffvyt]

Clearly he loved being a stooge and I thought he did a great job.

[@jonnaking3054]

I liked Joe, he just never really seemed like a "Stooge", during his era, it just always felt like "The 2 Stooges with Joe Besser" lol

[@jubalcalif9100]

I agree 100 per cent.

[@amosfrench7452]

I like Joe ! He was so funny…

[@1986Glory]

Dang i didn’t know he was still alive

[@HOTRAILProductions]

What year was this?

[@Marcuswelby-nx2te]

2024

[@jonnaking3054]

I think by the time Joe joined, the Stooges were already sorta running out of steam.... The hate he gets I don't think is all his fault, I just think the the 3 Stooges were in the process of coming to an end when he joined

[@antoniode]

👏👏👏

[@MannyGarcia-pw5ji]

I can't stand him he'll never be a stooge

[@mattlorentz1988]

Not so loud why was he yelling at me oh that sneak that snitch oh you silly you ohhh ohhhh stop yelling at me

[@alanriley9754]

👏

[@wwesmackdownvsraw]

Stop Yelling At Meeeee

[@johnireland6301]

Very much missed.

[@MRSTEEL15]

Hilarious Joe!!!!

[@jsfbr]

👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@adamquiles2468]

Nope never liked him as a Stooge. My favorite was always Curly but when he died of a stroke replacing Shemp that was it the magic was dead alongside Curly

[@RC-gf8cs]

The best there was 3stooges

[@Leeyem]

Joe besser was a terrible stooge. Curly moe Larry and shemp was the best. Shemp was my favorite

[@johnnycash578]

he was a good stooge he was funny NOT SO HAAAAARD

[@maltesemike9114]

😏😏😏🥰😇😁😁😁

[@henrylewis1256]

The Three Stooges Film Archive I didn't even Know Joe Besser was still alive Wow..

[@defaultusername123]

LOL Henry this was filmed in like 1979

[@henrylewis1256]

@@defaultusername123 Oh your a comedian now Adam HUH 😂

[@danvertdavis6867]

He sucked as a stooge

[@HassoBenSoba]

You're a fool

[@kachoo2135]

That's what you think!

[@fatjec]

So he didn't talk gay in real life.

[@georgevincent1834]

Besser was a scream as Stinky.