Larry Fine

The middleman for the comedy trio known as The Three Stooges, Larry Fine endured endless slaps, pokes in the eye and mallets to the head, all for the sake of laughter. Alongside brothers Moe and Shemp Howard, Larry first found fame as a member of the vaudeville musical-comedy act, Ted Healy and his Stooges. But it was only after the Howard's younger brother, Jerome - renamed "Curly" - replaced Shemp and the trio became a solo act officially known as the Three Stooges, that they achieved massive success on a national level. For Columbia Pictures, the Three Stooges would star in nearly 200 short films over a remarkable 24 year period. Both revered and reviled for their gleefully violent slapstick, Larry, Moe and Curly became an indelible part of American pop culture. Over the course of a nearly 40 year career, there were several changes in the line-up - Curly's health problems brought back Shemp, who in turn was replaced by comedian Joe Besser, who eventually gave way to "Curly Joe" DeRita. Throughout it all, however, Larry remained a constant presence alongside Moe, lending an understated sense of calm to the chaotic proceedings. Often underappreciated as a comedic actor, Fine was later praised by lifelong Stooge fanatic and filmmaker Peter Farrelly, who said that while children were drawn to Curly and teens tended to appreciate Moe, "Anyone out of college, if you're not looking at Larry, you don't have a good brain."