On this day in 1903, Jerome “Curly” Howard was born. He was a man who made – and continues to make – millions of people laugh! He is considered by many, myself included, to be a comedic genius. He, of course, is remembered for his role as the “third stooge” in the Three Stooges comedy team. He is easily remembered as the most popular, and favorite stooge.

His brother Moe was the leader and often delivered slaps and konks on the head with various instruments. Larry was the stooge in the middle and often overshadowed by the other two. Curly was a whirlwind! He was a ball of energy. He was a childlike force of physical comedy! He commands every scene he is in! Whether he is a “victim of coicumstances”, barking like a dog, “woo woo wooing”, or giving his standard “N’yuk, n’yuk, n’yuking”, he has rightfully earned a place in comedy history.

Ted Okuda and Edward Watz’s book, The Columbia Comedy Shorts, puts Curly’s appeal and legacy in critical perspective:

Few comics have come close to equaling the pure energy and genuine sense of fun Curly was able to project. He was merriment personified, a creature of frantic action whose only concern was to satisfy his immediate cravings. Allowing his emotions to dominate, and making no attempt whatsoever to hide his true feelings, he would chuckle self-indulgently at his own cleverness. When confronted with a problem, he would grunt, slap his face, and tackle the obstacle with all the tenacity of a six-year-old child.

Curly’s legend far outlived him when the otherwise-obscure country-pop Jump ‘n the Saddle Band scored one of the biggest novelty hits of the 1980s with their 1983 single, “The Curly Shuffle.” The video featured some of Curly’s best scenes. One band member claimed they had watched hundreds of hours’ worth of Three Stooges films to find the right clips.

In honor of his birthday, here is The Curly Shuffle