Jerry Howard
Jerome Howard (born Jerome Lester Horwitz; October 22, 1903 – January 18, 1952), better known by his stage name Curly Howard, was an American comedian and actor. He was a member of The Three Stooges comedy team, which also featured his elder brothers Moe and Shemp Howard, as well as vaudevillian Larry Fine. In early shorts, he was billed as "Curley". He was generally considered the most popular and recognizable of the Stooges.
He was known for his high-pitched voice, odd vocal expressions, and non-rhotic dialect ("nyuk-nyuk-nyuk!", "woob-woob-woob!", "soiteny!" [certainly], "I'm a victim of coicumstance" [circumstance], and barking like a dog), as well as his physical comedy (e.g., falling on the ground and pivoting on his shoulder as he "walked" in circular motion), improvisations, and athleticism. An untrained actor, Curly borrowed (and significantly exaggerated) the "woob woob" from "nervous" comedian Hugh Herbert. Curly's unique version of "woob, woob, woob" was firmly established by the time of the Stooges' second Columbia film, Punch Drunks (1934).
Howard left the Three Stooges in May 1946 when a stroke ended his show business career. He suffered serious health problems and several more strokes until his death in 1952 at age 48.
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