I’m a victim of soicumstance! Keeping up with the Three Stooges on AMC and IFC

Ever tune into satellite channels AMC or IFC as daylight emerges and wonder why black and white short films from 80 years ago have you doubled over in stitches? Get the lowdown on why the Three Stooges’ subversive humor prevails when all of their contemporaries are largely forgotten. In the accompanying still a behemoth of a lobster runs afoul of Larry Fine’s nose courtesy of a vindictive Moe Howard on the December 1971 cover of the iconic comedy trio’s Gold Key comic book. Issue #53 finds the vacationing Hawaiians in full n’yuk n’yuk glory. That’s Curly Joe DeRita, who replaced Curly Howard, Shemp Howard, and Joe Besser, at far left wearing the gold chain bracelet, likely part of his personal wardrobe. Image Credit: DreamWorks Classics

Comedy institution the Three Stooges now call both American Movie Classics [AMC] and IFC their basic cable home. The most ballyhooed lineup consisted of Moe Howard, younger sibling Jerome “Curly” Howard, and close comrade Larry Fine, who starred in 190 two-reel short subjects between 1934 and 1959 for Columbia Studios, a handful of subsequent feature length films, and a low budget cartoon-live action color series that kept them competitive during the swingin’ sixties.

They are virtually the only comedy act from the early to mid-20th century still in the collective consciousness, thanks to their brand of physical, well-honed slapstick. Impeccable timing didn’t hurt, either.

Curly abides as the star. The nickname started when he ingeniously shaved his chestnut-red hair and pristine handlebar mustache. Never properly trained as an actor, Curly was gifted with a natural ability that manifested itself in scene-stealing performances.

Moe and Larry both recalled that whenever Curly forgot his lines, he would hit the deck and spin uncontrollably until he remembered them. Curly’s spontaneity was thankfully preserved on film. He was also the master of catch-phrases, coining such nuggets as “N’yuk, n’yuk, n’yuk,” “I’m a victim of soicumstance!,” “Ruff! Ruff!, “Maha, a…