Comic Joe Besser of The Three Stooges is author posthumously of an updated and enlarged edition of his autobiography, "Once a Stooge, Always a Stooge." The new edition was co-authored and published by Jeff and Greg Lenburg, co-authors of "The Three Stooges Scrapbook-Updated Edition," who were longtime friends of Besser and co-authors of previous editions of his autobiography.
Besser's autobiography was first published as "Not Just a Stooge" in 1984 and then republished and reworked under a new title, "Once a Stooge, Always a Stooge" in 1988. "Not Just a Stooge" and the original edition of "Once a Stooge, Always a Stooge" are out of print and are now collector's item.
The updated and enlarged edition is lavishly illustrated with more than 420 photographs and is divided into five sections: Joe’s autobiography (which includes never-before published anecdotes), filmography, television, and, for the first time, radio and stage. The filmography and television sections have been completely revamped and enlarged, chronicling in great detail Besser’s nearly 350 movie and TV appearances, including his most memorable as “Stinky” on "The Abbott and Costello Show" and Jillson, the building superintendent, on "The Joey Bishop Show." At a whopping 408 pages, this lovingly assembled edition is a complete record of Besser’s life and more than 60-year career in show business.
In 2022, Greg Lenburg, one of Besser's official biographers, launched a website to honor the comic and his long-time friend. The website, JoeBesserForever, is a companion to Joe's updated and enlarged autobiography. The site features a biography, a photo gallery of nearly 300 free downloadable photos, free giveaways, and nearly 200 of clips from Besser's memorable movie and TV roles. .
Born August 12, 1907, Besser made audiences howl with laughter for six decades, working in every medium of show business including vaudeville, Broadway, stage, radio, motion pictures and television, as well as voicing popular Saturday morning animated cartoon series. A favorite of the critics, Besser has a huge legacy: in all, he appeared in 28 feature films from 1940 to 1978, three starring feature films, 11 short subjects of his own, and nearly 350 television appearances.
That’s quite a career which also includes 56 known radio show appearances (as well as his own radio series, "Tonight on Broadway") and stage and Broadway shows such as the immensely popular "Sons O’ Fun" starring Olsen and Johnson which catapulted him to stardom. He also voiced more than 120 Saturday morning cartoon episodes.
Ironically, Besser had the distinct honor to unveil the Three Stooges’ Hollywood Walk of Fame star at a ceremony on August 30, 1983. His replacement as third stooge, Joe DeRita, was too ill to attend. His former Stooge partners, Moe Howard and Larry Fine, died in 1975. Curly Howard died in 1952, Shemp Howard in 1955. The unveiling set an attendance record with more than 3,000 fans on hand. It was, and still is, the largest attended unveiling in Walk of Fame history.
In addition to achievements in show business, Joe also accomplished one other significant milestone in his life: he was married to the same woman for over 55 years, Ernie. He married her on November 18, 1932. She was truly the love and focal point of his life.
Besser died of heart failure on March 1, 1988 in North Hollywood, Calif. at the age of 80. His wife, Ernie, died on July 1, 1989 in Los Angeles, Calif. at the age of 88. They are interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, Calif.
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