Edward Bernds

Edward Bernds was a writer and director who oversaw the short films of The Three Stooges' later career. Born in Chicago in 1905, Bernds was a high school amateur radio enthusiast who took his interest one step further by obtaining his commercial radio license at a time when stations were sprouting up all around Chicago. By the time Bernds graduated he was in demand as a station operator. When "talkies" hit the big screen Bernds, like many radio technicians at the time, moved to Hollywood to work on films. He found a job at Columbia Pictures where he manned the recording of many of Frank Capra's classic films of the '30s. But the restless technician wanted more--namely, to direct. He finally worked up the nerve to ask studio president Harry Cohn for the chance and Cohn reluctantly agreed. He assigned Bernds to take over writing and directing for The Three Stooges at a time when Curly, ailing and not performing at his usual level, would shortly be replaced by his brother, Shemp. Bernds directed a couple of dozen films for the classic slapstick team before moving over to Allied Artists in 1950 to work with The Bowery Boys, and is often credited as bringing the Stooges' slapstick style to their films. Later in his career Bernds wrote the Elvis Presley movie "Tickle Me" and directed a few horror films, most notably "Return of the Fly" with Vincent Price. He died in Van Nuys, California, in 2000.