After Shemp Howard died, Moe Howard and Larry Fine wanted to continue as "The Two Stooges." Four shorts remained to be filmed. The Stooges made them, all remakes with stock footage and with new scenes that included a fake Shemp (Joe Palma). The Stooges then became three again with the addition of Besser as the third Stooge. Initially, because Besser was afraid of being hurt, Larry offered to take the slaps for him. As the making of the films progressed, and Besser became more comfortable with the team and its shtick, he took his share of slaps, eye-pokes, nose tweaks and pies in the face as his predecessors. So did Larry.
Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald S. Smith, pg. 51. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387
Grandfather of Matt Besser.
He began his career in show business as a song plugger for a St. Louis-based music company, and later became a comedy assistant to the great magician Howard Thurston.
His favorite comedians were Jack Benny, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, and Ann Miller is his choice for actress.
Never saw any of The Three Stooges shorts he was in.
The only member of The Three Stooges team who was more successful in his solo career than he was with the Stooges.
Was the only member of The Three Stooges to use his actual birth name in the act. All of the other Stooges, and even Ted Healy, used stage or Americanized names.
When Columbia shut down its shorts department, The Three Stooges were forced to take the act on the road, and Besser was invited to go. However, he refused because he had to be home to take care of his sick wife. He was not fired as the legend has it.