Hollywood Memorial

Legendary comic actor with the ‘Three Stooges,’ he worked with his brother Moe in various amateur and vaudeville acts until 1922, when a former school mate and vaudeville comedian, Ted Healy, was playing at the Brooklyn prospect theater and needed a replacement in his current act. Moe and Shemp both joined the act. In 1927 Larry Fine joined Moe and Shemp with Ted Healy but a short time later, Healy left the ‘JJ Shubert Broadway Review,’ taking Moe and Larry with him while Shemp Howard decided to stay with the show. On his own, he went on to star in countless comedies for Vitaphone in 1932 and he later played the role of ‘Knobby Walsh’ in the Joe Palooka series. After brother Curly Howard had to leave what had become ‘The Three Stooges’ act because of his stroke, Shemp replaced him. On November 23,1955, he went out with his friends to a boxing match at the Hollywood Legion Stadium. After the fights were over, Shemp hailed a taxicab to take him to his North Hollywood home with friend Al Winston. He set back and lit up his cigar, and then suddenly he slumped over. He had a heart attack and died at the age of 60. He is in a crypt in the Home of Peace Memorial Park in East Los Angeles, not far from his brother Curly.