Larry Fine (actor)
|
|
Larry Fine (October 5, 1902 – January 24, 1975) was an American comedian and actor, who is best-known as a member of the comedy act The Three Stooges.
He was born Louis Feinberg in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the corner of 3rd and South Streets. The building there is now a restaurant, and it houses a small Stooge museum. His father was a jeweler. When Louis was a child, he burned his arm with some of his father's acid, which was used to test whether or not jewelry was real. He received violin training to help strengthen his damaged muscles.
As Larry Fine, he first performed as a violinist in vaudeville at an early age. In 1925, he met Moe Howard and Ted Healy. Howard and his brother, Shemp, had been working as audience stooges for Healy. Shemp left soon after to attempt a solo career and was in turn replaced by another brother, Curly.
Fine and Mabel Haney were married in 1927. Their daughter is Phyllis Fine.
He is sometimes erroneously listed as the father of sportscaster Warner Wolf, who is in fact the son of Jack Wolf, one of several other "stooges" who played in Ted Healy's vaudeville act at one time or another.
Beginning in 1933, The Three Stooges made more than 200 short films, and several features, with their most prolific period featuring the characters of Larry, Moe and Curly. Their career with Healy was marked by disputes over pay, film contracts, and Healy's drinking. They left Healy for good in 1934. Fine consistently played the straight man, providing the voice of reason between the extreme characterizations of Moe and Curly.
They became a big hit in the 1950s on television, which brought them to a new audience and revitalized their careers.
Fine's wife, Mabel, died in 1967. He lived at the Knickerbocker Hotel in Hollywood until 1970, then moved to the Motion Picture House, an industry retirement community in Woodland Hills.
Larry Fine died there at age seventy-two of a cerebral hemorrhage. He is interred in the Forest Lawn Cemetery, Glendale, in the Freedom Mausoleum, Sanctuary of Liberation.
The Three Stooges have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for their contributions to Motion Pictures, at 1560 Vine Street in Hollywood.
External links
- IMDb entry for Larry Fine (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004310/)
- IBDB entry for Larry Fine (http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=88615)de:Larry Fine