Buddy Hackett has died

[James Neibaur]

Funnyman Buddy Hackett died at the age of 79. In some of the news stories
they stated he was among those considered to replace Curly with the Stooges
in 1946. Jules White told me that Hackett was never even considered, but
Buddy always told this story. Of course the folks in this newsgroup all
know that Shemp was the immediate successor.

JN

[D. Kirkpatrick]

Post by James Neibaur
Funnyman Buddy Hackett died at the age of 79. In some of the news stories
they stated he was among those considered to replace Curly with the Stooges
in 1946. Jules White told me that Hackett was never even considered, but
Buddy always told this story. Of course the folks in this newsgroup all
know that Shemp was the immediate successor.

Geez he was just on one of those late night shows a few months ago
doing his thing.

He was a funny guy on stage.

DMK

[Steve Marinucci]

Post by James Neibaur
Funnyman Buddy Hackett died at the age of 79. In some of the news stories
they stated he was among those considered to replace Curly with the Stooges
in 1946. Jules White told me that Hackett was never even considered, but
Buddy always told this story. Of course the folks in this newsgroup all
know that Shemp was the immediate successor.
JN

But I don't think Hackett became really well known until at least he
started appearing on TV with Arthur Godfrey and Jack Paar. Is it
possible they considered him as a replacement in the later years after
Shemp? That would make more sense. Under those circumstances, Hackett
would have been an interesting addition to the Stooges.

steve

[Mar-Jean Fine]

Post by Steve Marinucci
But I don't think Hackett became really well known until at least he
started appearing on TV with Arthur Godfrey and Jack Paar. Is it
possible they considered him as a replacement in the later years after
Shemp? That would make more sense. Under those circumstances, Hackett
would have been an interesting addition to the Stooges.
steve

Not only was it possible, but they DID consider him as a replacement!


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Mar-Jean Fine (a.k.a. ***@cs.com)
2003-Syracuse Brigadiers-Baritone
1996-2002: Rochester Crusaders-Baritone
1989-1991: Steel City Ambassadors-Snare & Baritone
"Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was Syracuse."-Shemp Howard

[James Neibaur]

Post by Mar-Jean Fine
Not only was it possible, but they DID consider him as a replacement!

Not according to Jules White.

JN

[Joseph V. Borejko]

Imagine Moe, Larry, and Buddy!

Post by James Neibaur
Funnyman Buddy Hackett died at the age of 79. In some of the news stories
they stated he was among those considered to replace Curly with the Stooges
in 1946. Jules White told me that Hackett was never even considered, but
Buddy always told this story. Of course the folks in this newsgroup all
know that Shemp was the immediate successor.
JN

[Elmer Pintar]

MOE LARRY AND BUDDY would have worked. If it was 1952. Buddy was a
fledgling comedian then and would have done what it took to be
successful. But he was a "climber", and like Jerry Seinfeld, more into
stand-up and solo work. So, he wouldn't have stayed with the Stooges
too long; kind of a stepping stone.

In the meantime, the youthful Hackett would have provided great laughs
in the short-term.

Elmer Pintar

[James Neibaur]

Then, in 1952, Curly's health takes a decided turn for the worse, and the
Stooges come to grips with the fact that their beloved star is dying. More
than
ever, Shemp wants out of the Three Stooges. After seeing what has happened to
his baby brother, Shemp realizes that the same fate awaits him if he keeps
taking hits on the head. In an effort to appease Shemp, comedian Buddy Hackett
is asked to take Curly's place. Hackett agrees to the idea, until he drops by
a
Stooges rehearsal and witnesses the boys hitting each other with pipes,
wrenches and other pain-inducing tools. Hackett backs out of the deal, and Moe
breaks it to Shemp that the elder Howard is going to have to remain a Stooge a
little while longer, as no suitable replacement is forthcoming.

Very interesting anecdote, thanks for sharing it. Jules insisted to me that
Hackett was never considered and I intend to believe him. But the material
you cite is still quite interesting.

JN

[Mar-Jean Fine]

Post by James Neibaur

Then, in 1952, Curly's health takes a decided turn for the worse, and the
Stooges come to grips with the fact that their beloved star is dying. More
than
ever, Shemp wants out of the Three Stooges. After seeing what has happened to
his baby brother, Shemp realizes that the same fate awaits him if he keeps
taking hits on the head. In an effort to appease Shemp, comedian Buddy Hackett
is asked to take Curly's place. Hackett agrees to the idea, until he drops by
a
Stooges rehearsal and witnesses the boys hitting each other with pipes,
wrenches and other pain-inducing tools. Hackett backs out of the deal, and Moe
breaks it to Shemp that the elder Howard is going to have to remain a Stooge a
little while longer, as no suitable replacement is forthcoming.

Very interesting anecdote, thanks for sharing it. Jules insisted to me that
Hackett was never considered and I intend to believe him. But the material
you cite is still quite interesting.
JN

Yeah, James....I was going by that information cited above in the
Forrester's book. I even believe there is a headshot of Buddy in that
chapter from that era. He was very young! Maybe Jules never was in on
it; say Moe and Larry just talked about it. Of course, books have
been known to lie....



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Mar-Jean Fine (a.k.a. ***@cs.com)
2003-Syracuse Brigadiers-Baritone
1996-2002: Rochester Crusaders-Baritone
1989-1991: Steel City Ambassadors-Snare & Baritone
"Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was Syracuse."-Shemp Howard

[Rob Petrie]

x-no-archive: yes

Then, in 1952, Curly's health takes a decided turn for the worse,

Yeah, it sure did. Died 18 days into the year. Maybe you meant to
write '1951' instead of '1952'?

and the

Stooges come to grips with the fact that their beloved star is dying. More
than
ever, Shemp wants out of the Three Stooges. After seeing what has happened to
his baby brother, Shemp realizes that the same fate awaits him if he keeps
taking hits on the head.

That wasn't the reason Curly had his strokes! What a bunch of nonsense
that statement is. Otherwise, Larry, Moe, and the other slapstick clowns
would have had strokes. Curly just had a neurological problem; not caused
by the hits.
Besides, everybody knows (or should know) those 'hits' with pipes (or
whatever) were usually made of a hard rubber and the sound effects
department at Columbia did the rest of the magic.


In an effort to appease Shemp, comedian Buddy Hackett

is asked to take Curly's place. Hackett agrees to the idea, until he drops by
a
Stooges rehearsal and witnesses the boys hitting each other with pipes,
wrenches and other pain-inducing tools.

Again, this is nonsense. If the Boys hit themselves with real pipes,
wrenches, and other tools, you would have seen a lot of blood on the
screen--and that would not have been funny to see and the Stooges would have
lasted (lived, too!) on screen about 5 episodes instead of 190.

Hackett backs out of the deal, and Moe

breaks it to Shemp that the elder Howard is going to have to remain a Stooge a
little while longer, as no suitable replacement is forthcoming.

Very interesting anecdote, thanks for sharing it. Jules insisted to me that
Hackett was never considered and I intend to believe him. But the material
you cite is still quite interesting.

JN, did you ever consider that JW was lying to you, for one reason or
another?

[James Neibaur]

Post by Rob Petrie
JN, did you ever consider that JW was lying to you, for one reason or
another?

It isn't impossible, but I don't choose to believe he was lying. He said
the same thing to Okuda and Watz as well.

JN

[Rob Petrie]

x-no-archive: yes

Post by Rob Petrie
Curly just had a neurological problem; not caused
by the hits.

True. After having read about Curly's medical problems, my brother (who's

a

doctor) believes Curly had high blood pressure, high cholestrol,

hypertension

(same as high BP?) and probably a little liver damage from drinking.
He could've been helped if today's medications were available then.

Hindsight

is wonderful, isn't it?
I don't understand it, though, when I read about Curly's failing health

and how

the doctors told Moe that Curly should be in a sanitarium, as he was

becoming

more and more difficult! He could have also developed some dementia too.

What

a shame. And so young to have these problems!
I'm glad at least, that the last years of his life were finally happy ones

for

him, as he seemed to have settled down and met the right woman.

And his dogs, plus little Janie. But those years were so short in
length with him in any decent health, and so long in coming for him.

[Bobster123]

But, he was too strong a stand-up
comedian to be able to be a member of an ongoing ensemble. Fields would
have hated him, much like Shemp, except more so. Hackett could not play
off of anybody; he had to be the center of attention ALL THE TIME.

I would tend to agree.

I wonder- if he did replace Curly- would he had been forced to be a Curly
clone, or would he had done his own thing with the trio?

I'm pretty certain, based on the AP story, he would have insisted on doing his
own thing.

Also- at one point, Hackett was teamed with Spike Jones (FIREMAN SAVE MY
CHILD), in almost an Abbott and Costello ripoff. Has anybody seen that film?
Was he trying to act like Lou Costello, or being himself?

[Rob Petrie]

x-no-archive: yes

Post by Bobster123

But, he was too strong a stand-up
comedian to be able to be a member of an ongoing ensemble. Fields would
have hated him, much like Shemp, except more so. Hackett could not play
off of anybody; he had to be the center of attention ALL THE TIME.

I would tend to agree.
I wonder- if he did replace Curly- would he had been forced to be a Curly
clone, or would he had done his own thing with the trio?
I'm pretty certain, based on the AP story, he would have insisted on doing his
own thing.
Also- at one point, Hackett was teamed with Spike Jones (FIREMAN SAVE MY
CHILD), in almost an Abbott and Costello ripoff. Has anybody seen that

[1954] film?

Post by Bobster123
Was he trying to act like Lou Costello, or being himself?

Hackett *did* portray Lou in a 1978 tv-movie, "Bud and Lou" with Harvey
Korman as 'Bud'.

[James Neibaur]

Post by Bobster123
Also- at one point, Hackett was teamed with Spike Jones (FIREMAN SAVE MY
CHILD), in almost an Abbott and Costello ripoff. Has anybody seen that film?
Was he trying to act like Lou Costello, or being himself?

That was an Abbott and Costello film. Lou got sick and couldn't finish it,
so they got Hackett and Hugh O'Brien to take the Abbott and Costello roles
(Spike Jones was in the cast either way). The long shots in some scenes are
still Abbott and Costello.

So, in answer to your question, yeah he was rather trying to act like Lou.

And, as Roy pointed out, he played Lou in a (largely fictitious) TV movie
about Abbott and Costello.

JN

[Bobster123]

I'm glad at least, that the last years of his life were finally happy ones
for
him, as he seemed to have settled down and met the right woman.

Makes me wonder though, how he could be too sick to perform in movies, but
still be able to meet and remarry again, plus have a second child.

[Ltb3105]

Post by Bobster123
Makes me wonder though, how he could be too sick to perform in movies, but
still be able to meet and remarry again, plus have a second child.

I often wondered about that too! If he was so bad, how could he have the
capability of getting married again? He must've had some lucid moments in
between.

Laura

[Rob Petrie]

x-no-archive: yes

Post by Ltb3105

Post by Bobster123
Makes me wonder though, how he could be too sick to perform in movies, but
still be able to meet and remarry again, plus have a second child.

I often wondered about that too! If he was so bad, how could he have the
capability of getting married again? He must've had some lucid moments in
between.

Doesn't take *that* much to have sex (every so often) with a sexy woman
and make a baby in just a few minutes of pleasure time compared to working
14+ hours each day on a set under the hot lights making a movie!
And I'm sure sex for Curly was a lot more fun, too, considering his
track record when he was single before his marriage.

[James Neibaur]

Post by Rob Petrie
Doesn't take *that* much to have sex (every so often) with a sexy woman
and make a baby in just a few minutes of pleasure time compared to working
14+ hours each day on a set under the hot lights making a movie!
And I'm sure sex for Curly was a lot more fun, too, considering his
track record when he was single before his marriage.

Swing it!

JN

[Rob Petrie]

x-no-archive: yes

Post by James Neibaur

Post by Rob Petrie
Doesn't take *that* much to have sex (every so often) with a sexy woman
and make a baby in just a few minutes of pleasure time compared to working
14+ hours each day on a set under the hot lights making a movie!
And I'm sure sex for Curly was a lot more fun, too, considering his
track record when he was single before [and between] his marriage[s].

Swing it!

He did!

Post by James Neibaur
JN

And now another famous Buddy, too, Buddy Ebsen from Beverly
Hillbillies. RIP, 1907?-2003

I just found out Christian Rudolph Ebsen was born in Belleville, IL (b.
Apr. 2, 1908).
IMDB had him born in Orlando, FL but that is where his family moved when
he was 10. IMDB just corrected his birthplace to show he was born in
Belleville, IL (thanks to yours truly) and added his death date of July 6,
at 95.
I had no idea he was from around these here parts where I am until the
local rag ran an article on his death about his birthplace [and his Star on
the Walk of Fame in St. Louis] and local tv also interviewed people from
Belleville, IL who remembered him and his family from so many years ago!
BTW, this interesting tidbit at IMBD: "one chorus of 'We're Off to See
the Wizard' in Wizard of Oz, The (1939) and its soundtrack album retain
Ebsen's original vocals as the Tin man, recorded before Ebsen was forced to
leave the production due to health problems."

And this: "Originally cast as the Tin Man in Wizard of Oz, The (1939),
Buddy was hospitalized as a result of inhaling aluminium powder used as part
of his make-up. Because of the prolonged hospitalization, he was replaced by
Jack Haley (whose make-up used pre-mixed aluminium dust), and his scenes
were re-shot using Haley. Footage of Ebsen as the Tin Man still exists, and
was included as an extra with the U.S. 50th anniversary video release of
Wizard of Oz, The (1939)."

Just to make these posts on Mr. Ebsen on-topic:

Curly: "I reckon there's no other place around the place. I guess this
must be the place, I reckon!"