Curly Howard

CURLY HOWARD d1952. American comedian and vaudevillian best known as a member of the legendary American-slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (along with his brothers Moe & Shemp Howard) and actor Larry Fine. He is generally considered the most popular and recognizable of all the Three Stooges. He was well known for his distinctive high-pitched voice, vocal expressions ("nyuk-nyuk-nyuk!" / "woo-woo-woo!" and for barking like a dog), as well as his inventive physical comedy, improvisations and athleticism. An untrained actor and natural comedian, he borrowed (and significantly exaggerated) the "woo woo" from "nervous" and soft-spoken comedian Hugh Herbert, but was otherwise an original and inspired performer. He suffered with poor health in later life after suffering severe strokes in 1946 / 1947 and 1951 which caused him huge mental deterioration, leading to his spending the last months of his life in sanitorium care. He died of a celebral hemorrhage aged just 48 on January 18th 1952