I always enjoy your content, Rick. Did you know if they continued to split it three ways with the later stooges Joe Besser or Curly Joe? I would think Moe and Larry would have kept a bigger piece of the pie at that point.
I do know their contract extended into the Joe Besser shorts. Joe came on board to fill in for Shemp, who died suddenly, who filled in for Curly. All the same contract. Joe essentially filled in for those shorts so that they wouldn’t default on their contract to finish those shorts. My “impression” Is that Joe got his fair 1/3 share. That’s my thought from what I’ve studied. But the Joe DeRita movies was a whole different ballgame and I believe the $ was different. Great question! I hope this cleared it up
I've read that because of his existing contract w/ Columbia, Besser made more than Moe & Larry combined, since Moe & Larry had to share the same salary.
I'm now 64 years old, but when i was very young, I saw the Stooges in person, in a parking lot, performing on the back of a large flat bed truck, for the opening of a shopping center. I'll never forget it.
Larry, Moe, and Curly Joe toured a lot around 1958 - 1961 ! They were great live !!! I feel that Curly Joe was superb in following the footsteps of Curly Joe and Shemp. They were all good in their own way and Curly Joe doesn' get enough credit. - fine video !
Three Stooges have got to be my favorite! It's amazing that there are so many so called celebrities out there that make way more money than they did and don't have a tenth of their talent!
@@ricknineg You do a great job. Taking the inflation rate into account when stating salaries is a nice touch. Normally, whenever I read some information about salaries or prices in past decades, I have to find some on-line inflation calculator and do the conversion myself. All your videos are very professional and entertaining.
@@ricknineg I agree with what everyone else is saying, watching your videos is very informative and professional. I feel even though they were under paid their contract also prevented them from collecting from reruns.
They made one episode per week, so they worked 7 or 8 weeks a year. The rest of the year they would go on tour and make a ton of money doing that also. They performed in clubs and theaters a lot.
I read that tours were not successful as they had hoped. They realized this as they learned alot of magic to the success and the laughter was manifested in the humorous sound effects on film.
To put this in perspective, every studio made short subjects to go along with their feature movies. Edgar Kennedy, Buster Keaton, Jimmy Durante, Robert Benchley, Pete Smith, Joe McDoakes and many others made series of shorts in the thirties and forties. None of them are remembered now and most are practically unwatchable, except for the Stooges. In those days shorts were a cheap throwaway used as filler in movie programs. No one knew they would find a new life on television and now on RUclips. The Stooges films are a rare exception, the one series of short comedies that caught the public imagination for more than a very short time.
And Our Gang shorts which became The Little Rascals. They all got screwed out of money because they were never going to be put on tv like you said. The studio did, but refused to pay any more to them then what they were paid when they were originally done.
What is funny to me is that the Stooge shorts are more popular today than many of the movies they introduced. I occasionally will pass by the TV and an old comedy film of their competitors will be on and they are flat boring by comparison.
I REALLY WANT TO CONTINUE TO WATCHING THE THREE STOOGES!! BECAUSE I LOVED THEM!! AND WISHING THEM THE BEST OF LUCK;; A ND TO LOVED THEM;; FOREVER!!❤❤😊😊
Not really. They averaged only working about 6 weeks a year filming their shorts, those figures in the video as far as what they got paid is very good money for not much work! And they weren't feature film stars, shorts were regarded about the same as B movies.
In the mid 70’s I lived a few blocks away from Moe’s daughter. She was selling some of Moe’s cancelled checks for 10.00 each. Still have two of them. Nice little piece of Stooges history.
She donated all of the proceeds to the City of Hope charity. Selling those checks was a big success. She ran an advertisement in Rolling Stone Magazine.
An agent might have gotten them more money, only if another studio would have been willing to pay them more. They would have to pay the agent (10-20%) of gross but if they double your paycheck, they are worth the money. It was a different time back then, right after the Great Depression, and part of the problem was they didn't want to risk losing their job over a salary negotiation when they had families to feed.
Rick, Thank You. I know this video took some work. I remember seeing a movie about the stooges. It seems that Curly blew through his money like water and Moe kept trying to warn him to save his money. Then, one day, Curly had a stroke and he only appeared a few times after that. Moe would slip him money when he could. Kind of sad as he made me laugh a lot.
I love their reruns so I say they were really worth at least double... They still make me feel good even on a bad day... Stay safe... Have a great day...
Moe Howard passed on with roughly 10 million in the bank. Same with Larry Fine. It'll be hard to find both Curly and Shemp's actual net worth since they both passed on in the 50's. For that I feel the the studio (Columbia Pictures) did Moe so wrong forcing him to return to work right away after each brother passed away. He kinda had it rough during those times. Least he was a millionaire when he did pass away.
In addition, their comedy is far more funnier than most "comedians" nowadays. Their comedy was truly timeless, compared to the one hit celebrities today.
Moe was never willing to press Harry Cohn the Chairman of Columbia Pictures for more money, the Stooges were happy to be working at one studio doing what they loved to do and they never got greedy. They certainly got taken advantage of but Moe didn't care he was loyal to Cohn even though all the other studios wanted to sign the boys to contracts in the early 1930s. Cohn was the smart mogul he told them "you boys will be most successful doing short films 20 minutes long" and that was the key to their success.
Lots of arithmetic, but what it boils down to is that these guys were grossly underpaid. They needed a new agent. It is hard for me to believe that they didn't know about their popularity when they were making so many shorts each year. They were great actors. Better than a lot of actors today who don't have half the talent.
Great video rick loved the three stooges thanks for sharing about their salaries and money how much they made always learning new stuff and info man👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
No I didn't know tha curlys brother when I was in the three stooges originally and before curly didn't know that Marty I always that curly was there first didn't know that he was replaced by ill shemp cool thanks for sharing the info once again marty so shemp was reprising his role cool I see well there's a lot here I didn't know Marty always appreciate you sharing and telling me new info I didn't know about thanks man take care as well marty
Wow marty I don't know how you managed to remember all this you know a lot about the stooges I never knew all of this I learn a lot from you marty a lot if I want to know a lot I have you to tell me thanks man 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks very much marty it's appreciated buddy hahaha your very smart to know all this information you a very intelligent person with great information man lol that's funny that someone said that lol yes you should be jeopardy your very smart
I remember you mentioning Curly’s love for dogs in a previous video, think it might of been a livestream. Regardless, it bears repeating, as he was a generous man it seemed when it came to his passions. And why not? Btw, Good video and editing! Nicely done.
This doesn't really have to do with the money part that the video centers around, but the comment in the video that they weren't aware of their popularity is a myth, mostly due to misinformation in the 2000 Three Stooges movie that Mel Gibson produced. They went on many successful personal appearance tours that drew big crowds, they knew how popular they were.
Great video! Your calculator must have taken more finger pokes than all the Stooges eyeballs combined! 😁 I like the new graphics used for the dollar amounts as well! Much easier to view as opposed to previous videos on the same topic. Your work truly shines! 👍🏻
Making $134,000 annually when a normal home would cost around $5,000. I would say they all three could have afforded huge homes and a wonderful life style if they chose but saying that , all three I believe were grossly underpaid. They may have been funny short clips but today in 2021 watching them we still laugh. Times were different back then . They gave 110 percent of themselves and made us old cronies laugh so hard . RIP Gentleman. You were the greatest!
Joe Besser, future third Stooge, was paid $1,500 for only four days work in a Columbia short in 1951 called 'Fraidy Cat, which was a scene-by-scene remake of Dizzy Detectives.
Fond memories of my childhood watching them ( those "shorts" were approximately 30 or so years old at that time!) Watched them over and over and if I had a dollar for every time I've mimicked them, well I would have a lot of money!! Certainly!! ( In that heavy east coast accent)🤣
According to the Three Stooges Fan Club they earned $20,000 each per year. The equivalent of $360,000 in 2020. It took approximately 7 weeks cumulatively each year to make the films. They never received residuals after the films were made and aired on television. That was a decision made by The Screen Actors Guild for all movies and TV shows made prior to 1960.
Hey Rick, I think that they made enough to live quite comfortably provided they were not too extravagant. Thanks for all your hard work with these facts & figures. 🙂
It's just sad that they didn't get any money for royalties or syndication of the shorts to Television. Although they made more money on their live tours.
All I know is Moe and Curly made more than Larry. It was later figured out since Moe and Curly were brothers. Shemp Howard came into the act after Curly died. 1952. Shemp died on Nov 22 , 1955.
@@johnbockelie3899 Yes but Shemp was making more money as a solo actor before joining the Stooges and was brought in under the impression that as soon as Curly was better he would go back as a solo artist, but stayed on after finding out Curly would not be fit to come back as a favour to his Brothers Moe & Curry.
I’ve always enjoyed this sort of content you’ve made in the past as it’s quite interesting to see what people made making shows, shorts or whatever it is they do and compare it to the money of today. It’s cool that they always split the money three ways so everyone would get the same. I’m not sure if that would happen much these days.
One thing I heard was the working class attitude of them, especially Moe. They were paid basic money, where the studio made the money. Apparently there was no offer made for more, nor a demand for more by them; and the arrangement worked out well for the studio in any case.
I'm surprised they didn't have an agent that took 10 % or 15 %, Elvis had a manger took 50%, I checked the census in 1940 my grandpa made $2000 all year, that's like forty bucks a week so $2500 a film ist too bad if you do 4 or 5 a year, the sad part is they got famous in the 60's for things that were 25 years old and never got anything for the reruns,
Early on they played burlesque and a number of their routine were also done by Abbott and Costello. Where the Stooges IMHO didn't make as much as I think they were worth (especially when their shorts went on TV) Abbott and Costello were the most popular comedy team in the 1940's and early 1950's. They got a percentage of the movies, appeared on radio and live performances, and from I've read they both made around $25 million by the early 1950's. In today's money, it's around $250 million. Not bad, but they managed to lose all of it due to a crooked accountant, their constantly trying to out do one another with cars and yachts, poor investments, and they're accountant not paying their tax bills.
You can’t compare to today’s values because back then the audiences were a lot smaller. Also, if by shorts you mean those 10 minute episodes they could probably produce a years worth of shorts in one month. They then had the rest of the year to make revenue in other ways like stage acts and full length movies. I’m guessing that back then you could buy a house for 5,000.00 so overall I think they did pretty good.
I have read in one of the Stooges books that they made $7500 per short, which they then split 3 ways. I don't know, I'm sure there is some archivist of the Columbia papers somewhere who has the contracts. Anyway, they made most of their money (on top of the Columbia money) on the road in vaudeville.
Thanks for another excellent Stooge analysis. I've read that Columbia made millions off the Stooges but Harry Cohn kept them in the dark about that & kept them tethered to their salaries. Moe is said to have invested wisely in real estate, Curly kinda blew his money on several marriages & Larry liked to gamble.
No one forced the Stooges to stay at Columbia, since they had annual contracts, they were free to seek employment elsewhere. Columbia didn't make millions off their shorts department, in fact they often barely broke even - until much later when the shorts were aired on TV.
It doesn't sound like a lot of money even when adjusted to today's figures but the cost of living was SO MUCH LESS back then. And they were only making shorts, not full length movies, so it probably didn't make a lot of sense to pay them the salaries that weekly contracted stars were paid. I'm satisfied that they made a good living, and god knows they made films that people still watch today! That's saying a lot about their work! Great video, thanks for posting this!
The fact of the matter was, except the 3 stooges, the Columbia comedy short lot employed has been comics from the silent era. Witness , buster keaton, Charlie chase, Andy clyde, et al. But I give them credit for keeping slap stick alive in the sound era. Movie audiences at the time consider these throw backs.
They deserved alot more...Studios took advantaged of them..They still making lots of money from them.there images.DVDS ect...What happen to there kids.Why wont anyone interview them.think only Moes kids are left..Not sure what happened to curlys daughters he had...i wish someone would them up find out whos left from them before there gone.Thks for this video and information
Joan looks very similar to Moe. I met Moe, Larry and Curly Joe DeRita in 1960. They all were very nice. Moe specifically told me not to try the physical comedy and not to drag a saw across my sister's head. They did make some full feature films as well.
Some questions I have. How did what they got compare to others doing similar shorts? & what about personal appearances? How much does what they made then compare, in today's dollars, to what someone working in a similar (if there is) situation today?
They ended up in a class of their own making shorts, no act made as many or for as long as the Stooges. Laurel and Hardy made shorts at first too, but I have no idea how their pay compared. They did well on their personal appearance tours, but how well I don't know either. There really is nothing today to compare to shorts. IMO the Stooges made really good money for not being actors making feature films. Shorts were in the same category as B movies (or even lower). They were 17-20 minute films used to fill the gap between two feature films, and after that, never be seen again. No one anticipated how TV would change all that.
They made a good living. But they were greatly undervalued. Just goes to show that todays stars are way overpaid. I value a teacher, doctor or production worker so much more than an actor. Those professions actually make a difference in peoples lives. Actors offer little more than a distraction. I would however say that a distraction in the times that the Stooges made the shorts was much more needed than today (though Covid is changing that).
I would think at that time they thought they made plenty of money. If they realized that we are still talking about them and enjoying their shorts to day , I would think they would think they were extremely underpaid...... But keep in mind that their brand through royalties are still making millions each year...
They earned on average $20,000 each per year. The equivalent of over $300,000 in today's money. That amount was earned by working at Columbia Pictures for under 7 weeks cumulatively total each year. That was very good money.
This is very eye-opening for they really did not get paid that much compared to other actors or actresses. I know from Lillian Gish Biography in the 20s she made 10,000 a week and turned down a contract for 1 million from MGM, So when you look at what she was making even in the 30s and 40s she was making a massive amount of money in the movies and it shows that the Stooges like Moe said made very little in their movie carriers compared to other stars.
190 shorts over 25 years is about 8 per year. Leaving them lots of time for other areas of revenue. Apparently they were OK with the amounts paid per episode.
Yes they were, they were free to leave every year, but never did. They knew they were being compensated quite well considering they weren't making feature films.
Moe was the negoiator for the act, but he was a cautious man. Harry Cohn of Columbia was famously tight fisted with the dollars. Moe was always worried that they would be sidelined if they asked for too much. When the studios stopped making shorts the Stooges were indeed sidelined. They were saved in the early 60's when the TV networks didn't have enough content to fill their broadcast day so they started running the stooge shorts as cheap filler, so to speak. Well, a whole new generation of fans suddenly arose. The Stooges were as surprised as anyone at their newfound success. They pretty much thought they were washed up. They ended up making a lot of money on the road and in making public appearances and in doing a bunch of new movies.
The Reason I Looked This Up And Found Your Video Is I Was Wondering How Much Colombia Has Been Making From All Their Shorts Both In Theaters And World Wide On Television For All These Years... No I Was Not Surprised I Knew They Were Ripped Off... Plus Were Columbia's Highest Grossing's Stars When They Were First Run In Theaters, Not To Mention When The Shorts Hit TV...
I always enjoy your content, Rick. Did you know if they continued to split it three ways with the later stooges Joe Besser or Curly Joe? I would think Moe and Larry would have kept a bigger piece of the pie at that point.
I do know their contract extended into the Joe Besser shorts. Joe came on board to fill in for Shemp, who died suddenly, who filled in for Curly. All the same contract. Joe essentially filled in for those shorts so that they wouldn’t default on their contract to finish those shorts. My “impression” Is that Joe got his fair 1/3 share. That’s my thought from what I’ve studied. But the Joe DeRita movies was a whole different ballgame and I believe the $ was different. Great question! I hope this cleared it up
@@ricknineg Good to know, and thanks! Keep up the great work on your channel! I watch it often.
Many many thanks! I’m also a silent watcher of yours. Thank for the videos your provide us 😃
I've read that because of his existing contract w/ Columbia, Besser made more than Moe & Larry combined, since Moe & Larry had to share the same salary.
@@ricknineg Joe Besser was already under contract at Columbia, he made more than Moe and Larry.
The deserved a MILLION for every time they had me laughing until tears were in my eyes!!
I agree!!!!
Agreed, sadly they got screwed over big-time by the studio.
So pay them.
They were true artists who worked hard. I’m sure they were grateful for every penny. Unlike most celebrities now.
traczebabe Apparently, they were great fathers to their children.
I'm now 64 years old, but when i was very young, I saw the Stooges in person, in a parking lot, performing on the back of a large flat bed truck, for the opening of a shopping center. I'll never forget it.
Moe, Larry and Curly Joe I bet.
Larry, Moe, and Curly Joe toured a lot around 1958 - 1961 !
They were great live !!!
I feel that Curly Joe was superb in following the footsteps of Curly Joe and Shemp.
They were all good in their own way and Curly Joe doesn' get enough credit.
- fine video !
@@RB-ye4ri that must have been a great experience to see these legendary funny men live. You are lucky
That has to be an awesome memory.
There ability to make people laugh is probably the best medicine for depression the world has ever seen.
Totally agree!
Absolutely! Well said.
I know right!🎭🌈
YES!!!!!!!!!
Their....
Three Stooges have got to be my favorite! It's amazing that there are so many so called celebrities out there that make way more money than they did and don't have a tenth of their talent!
You put a lot of work in your videos. That’s why they are so interesting and valuable. Thanks for making them.
Ahh thank you! And I’m not really a math guy at all. But I worked extra to make sure all the figures were as accurate as I could get them
@@ricknineg You do a great job. Taking the inflation rate into account when stating salaries is a nice touch. Normally, whenever I read some information about salaries or prices in past decades, I have to find some on-line inflation calculator and do the conversion myself. All your videos are very professional and entertaining.
Yes, me too. That’s why I thought, why not do that work myself? Haha. It was fun to do though. Always appreciate the support
@@ricknineg I agree with what everyone else is saying, watching your videos is very informative and professional. I feel even though they were under paid their contract also prevented them from collecting from reruns.
You’re so kind to say so. I always try to bring you all the best I can dig up. Enjoy!
They made one episode per week, so they worked 7 or 8 weeks a year. The rest of the year they would go on tour and make a ton of money doing that also. They performed in clubs and theaters a lot.
I read that tours were not successful as they had hoped. They realized this as they learned alot of magic to the success and the laughter was manifested in the humorous sound effects on film.
They are hilarious! Watch them every Saturday morning when I was a kid.
To put this in perspective, every studio made short subjects to go along with their feature movies. Edgar Kennedy, Buster Keaton, Jimmy Durante, Robert Benchley, Pete Smith, Joe McDoakes and many others made series of shorts in the thirties and forties.
None of them are remembered now and most are practically unwatchable, except for the Stooges. In those days shorts were a cheap throwaway used as filler in movie programs. No one knew they would find a new life on television and now on RUclips. The Stooges films are a rare exception, the one series of short comedies that caught the public imagination for more than a very short time.
And Our Gang shorts which became The Little Rascals. They all got screwed out of money because they were never going to be put on tv like you said. The studio did, but refused to pay any more to them then what they were paid when they were originally done.
What is funny to me is that the Stooge shorts are more popular today than many of the movies they introduced. I occasionally will pass by the TV and an old comedy film of their competitors will be on and they are flat boring by comparison.
To me it doesnt matter If there films were Big or Short what they made are Classic Comedy that will live on forever
The 3 stooges GREASTES comedians ever
Mourase Howard stated out on steam board a
Moe Howard stated on steam boats actingdow the missippinrivern. Pretty impressive
Did not make nearly enoughtx astalentas there
I applaud the amount of math you did to answer this question! (I still feel they were underpaid!)
Thank you! My math brain is very tired right now haha. Not my forte but I was happy to do it
They were definitely underpaid! They also received no residuals!
Videos like this one make me glad that RUclips exists.
I REALLY WANT TO CONTINUE TO WATCHING THE THREE STOOGES!! BECAUSE I LOVED THEM!! AND WISHING THEM THE BEST OF LUCK;; A ND TO LOVED THEM;; FOREVER!!❤❤😊😊
190 shorts I had no idea. I think they were really underpaid especially by today’s standards.
Not really. They averaged only working about 6 weeks a year filming their shorts, those figures in the video as far as what they got paid is very good money for not much work! And they weren't feature film stars, shorts were regarded about the same as B movies.
Also dollars went ALOT farther back then! 10k in the 40s was good money
In the mid 70’s I lived a few blocks away from Moe’s daughter. She was selling some of Moe’s cancelled checks for 10.00 each. Still have two of them. Nice little piece of Stooges history.
She donated all of the proceeds to the City of Hope charity. Selling those checks was a big success. She ran an advertisement in Rolling Stone Magazine.
I remember hearing that Larry Fine gave half or some of his salary to Curly after his stroke left him incapacitated. and Moe never forgot that.
I wonder did Moe do the same for Larry.
@@dennismclaurin1487 I'm sure he did.
My all time favorite, been watching them as far back I can remember. G.O.A.T. Have every episode on DVD. Books, T shirts,posters etc....
An agent might have gotten them more money, only if another studio would have been willing to pay them more. They would have to pay the agent (10-20%) of gross but if they double your paycheck, they are worth the money. It was a different time back then, right after the Great Depression, and part of the problem was they didn't want to risk losing their job over a salary negotiation when they had families to feed.
From another source, I heard that Moe was their agent. that may or may not be true, but one fellow who does youtube says that.
Pretty much true.
Rick, Thank You. I know this video took some work. I remember seeing a movie about the stooges. It seems that Curly blew through his money like water and Moe kept trying to warn him to save his money. Then, one day, Curly had a stroke and he only appeared a few times after that. Moe would slip him money when he could. Kind of sad as he made me laugh a lot.
Def took some math skills, of which, I don’t have much haha. But it was enjoyable and it grew my appreciation for the work they did. Thanks so much!
Larry & his wife also blew $ by living in hotels & by Larry's gambling.
I love their reruns so I say they were really worth at least double... They still make me feel good even on a bad day... Stay safe... Have a great day...
Moe Howard passed on with roughly 10 million in the bank. Same with Larry Fine. It'll be hard to find both Curly and Shemp's actual net worth since they both passed on in the 50's. For that I feel the the studio (Columbia Pictures) did Moe so wrong forcing him to return to work right away after each brother passed away. He kinda had it rough during those times. Least he was a millionaire when he did pass away.
Compared to the money actors are making nowadays, the studio got themselves a great bargain with the stooges.
In addition, their comedy is far more funnier than most "comedians" nowadays. Their comedy was truly timeless, compared to the one hit celebrities today.
"Why you feather brains- I'll murder ya" !! -Moe Howard, circa 1942🚬😎
Moe was never willing to press Harry Cohn the Chairman of Columbia Pictures for more money, the Stooges were happy to be working at one studio doing what they loved to do and they never got greedy. They certainly got taken advantage of but Moe didn't care he was loyal to Cohn even though all the other studios wanted to sign the boys to contracts in the early 1930s. Cohn was the smart mogul he told them "you boys will be most successful doing short films 20 minutes long" and that was the key to their success.
They never complained about the money. The daughter was not happy with what was left to her.
Hey, it's better than digging ditches. 🤘😝🤘
Lots of arithmetic, but what it boils down to is that these guys were grossly underpaid. They needed a new agent. It is hard for me to believe that they didn't know about their popularity when they were making so many shorts each year. They were great actors. Better than a lot of actors today who don't have half the talent.
Easy money for actors then and now
Excellent video and great facts its really interesting to learn about these classic shows keep up the great work
Thank you Brian!
Great video rick loved the three stooges thanks for sharing about their salaries and money how much they made always learning new stuff and info man👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
My pleasure!
Awesome man👍👍👍👍👍
No I didn't know tha curlys brother when I was in the three stooges originally and before curly didn't know that Marty I always that curly was there first didn't know that he was replaced by ill shemp cool thanks for sharing the info once again marty so shemp was reprising his role cool I see well there's a lot here I didn't know Marty always appreciate you sharing and telling me new info I didn't know about thanks man take care as well marty
Wow marty I don't know how you managed to remember all this you know a lot about the stooges I never knew all of this I learn a lot from you marty a lot if I want to know a lot I have you to tell me thanks man 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks very much marty it's appreciated buddy hahaha your very smart to know all this information you a very intelligent person with great information man lol that's funny that someone said that lol yes you should be jeopardy your very smart
Moe daughter look like the female version of him dead ringer for sure
Which is crazy to think because her uncle was Shemp and she looks like him too....can’t forget uncle Curly
Well, I'm sure they also must have had an additional income from personal appearances and such, being who they were!
So interesting, you always go beyond! Great!
Always try my best for you all!
I love these videos.. A lot of hard work on your part, but just know it is very much appreciated!! Fascinating stuff....
I remember you mentioning Curly’s love for dogs in a previous video, think it might of been a livestream. Regardless, it bears repeating, as he was a generous man it seemed when it came to his passions. And why not? Btw, Good video and editing! Nicely done.
Did that lump sum need to also pay for their management/agent, etc ?
They were good at what they did and still going on to this day
They deserved, $5,000,000 in 2021 value for every year split 3 ways for the laughter they've brought to hundreds of millions for at least 80 years!
Yes, I think they were underpaid. Your valuations are quite interesting, thanks for doing the math! I love The Stooges, please do more on them! 😀
Glad you enjoyed! These men are so under-appreciated
@@ricknineg I totally agree!!
These guys are simply priceless....
They should of been millionaires right from the start.
I love these guys, they well and truly earned their money, they were worth a lot more but as long as they were happy thats what counts.
They were priceless. ❤️
Back in those days it was the studios that made the big money not the actors.
Rick! You have done it again! Thanks
Thank you Johnny!
Great work Rick well researched.
Soitenly!
They made very little money compared to the salaries paid to actors today.
This doesn't really have to do with the money part that the video centers around, but the comment in the video that they weren't aware of their popularity is a myth, mostly due to misinformation in the 2000 Three Stooges movie that Mel Gibson produced. They went on many successful personal appearance tours that drew big crowds, they knew how popular they were.
Great video! Your calculator must have taken more finger pokes than all the Stooges eyeballs combined! 😁
I like the new graphics used for the dollar amounts as well! Much easier to view as opposed to previous videos on the same topic. Your work truly shines! 👍🏻
Making $134,000 annually when a normal home would cost around $5,000. I would say they all three could have afforded huge homes and a wonderful life style if they chose but saying that , all three I believe were grossly underpaid. They may have been funny short clips but today in 2021 watching them we still laugh. Times were different back then . They gave 110 percent of themselves and made us old cronies laugh so hard . RIP Gentleman. You were the greatest!
Joe Besser, future third Stooge, was paid $1,500 for only four days work in a Columbia short in 1951 called 'Fraidy Cat, which was a scene-by-scene remake of Dizzy Detectives.
where can i watch that?
Remember they made movies. Personal appearances and went on tours. They èven did cartoons. They had multiple sources of income.
Thanks again Rick !
Fond memories of my childhood watching them ( those "shorts" were approximately 30 or so years old at that time!) Watched them over and over and if I had a dollar for every time I've mimicked them, well I would have a lot of money!! Certainly!! ( In that heavy east coast accent)🤣
According to the Three Stooges Fan Club they earned $20,000 each per year. The equivalent of $360,000 in 2020. It took approximately 7 weeks cumulatively each year to make the films. They never received residuals after the films were made and aired on television. That was a decision made by The Screen Actors Guild for all movies and TV shows made prior to 1960.
I would like to think they made more. I doubt they had anything called residuals back then. Love the Stooges always.
Hey Rick, I think that they made enough to live quite comfortably provided they were not too extravagant. Thanks for all your hard work with these facts & figures. 🙂
Larry and Curly both had money problems, and weren't really able to live comfortably.
It's just sad that they didn't get any money for royalties or syndication of the shorts to Television. Although they made more money on their live tours.
All I know is Moe and Curly made more than Larry. It was later figured out since Moe and Curly were brothers.
Shemp Howard came into the act after Curly died. 1952.
Shemp died on Nov 22 , 1955.
@@johnbockelie3899 Yes but Shemp was making more money as a solo actor before joining the Stooges and was brought in under the impression that as soon as Curly was better he would go back as a solo artist, but stayed on after finding out Curly would not be fit to come back as a favour to his Brothers Moe & Curry.
@@jfili1021 W2 forms and payroll records have shown that Shemp actually made more money after he rejoined the Stooges.
@@johnbockelie3899 Shemp joined the act in 1946.
@@johnbockelie3899 false. Moe, Larry and Curly, and later Moe Larry and Shemp split the money three ways evenly.
Thank you Rick !!!
Only Rick Nineg gives you "More Stooge For The Buck!"
I’ve always enjoyed this sort of content you’ve made in the past as it’s quite interesting to see what people made making shows, shorts or whatever it is they do and compare it to the money of today. It’s cool that they always split the money three ways so everyone would get the same. I’m not sure if that would happen much these days.
One thing I heard was the working class attitude of them, especially Moe. They were paid basic money, where the studio
made the money. Apparently there was no offer made for more, nor a demand for more by them; and the arrangement
worked out well for the studio in any case.
I believe they should have made a little bit more than that.
I'm surprised they didn't have an agent that took 10 % or 15 %, Elvis had a manger took 50%, I checked the census in 1940 my grandpa made $2000 all year, that's like forty bucks a week so $2500 a film ist too bad if you do 4 or 5 a year, the sad part is they got famous in the 60's for things that were 25 years old and never got anything for the reruns,
Early on they played burlesque and a number of their routine were also done by Abbott and Costello. Where the Stooges IMHO didn't make as much as I think they were worth (especially when their shorts went on TV) Abbott and Costello were the most popular comedy team in the 1940's and early 1950's. They got a percentage of the movies, appeared on radio and live performances, and from I've read they both made around $25 million by the early 1950's. In today's money, it's around $250 million. Not bad, but they managed to lose all of it due to a crooked accountant, their constantly trying to out do one another with cars and yachts, poor investments, and they're accountant not paying their tax bills.
Yes those stooges were original kings of comedy. They probably made alot of money from personal appearances too.
They made quite a bit from personal appearance tours.
You can’t compare to today’s values because back then the audiences were a lot smaller. Also, if by shorts you mean those 10 minute episodes they could probably produce a years worth of shorts in one month. They then had the rest of the year to make revenue in other ways like stage acts and full length movies. I’m guessing that back then you could buy a house for 5,000.00 so overall I think they did pretty good.
now $5000 is a months rent in NY LOL OWNED
@@videogamepolak0 I know. It’s insane. Vancouver and Toronto is also really bad.
@@videogamepolak0 $3,200. On the other hand, it's a shoebox. Great view though!
@@lazyhomebody1356 them Bars always look good, in a jail cell mark
@@videogamepolak0 ??
I have read in one of the Stooges books that they made $7500 per short, which they then split 3 ways. I don't know, I'm sure there is some archivist of the Columbia papers somewhere who has the contracts. Anyway, they made most of their money (on top of the Columbia money) on the road in vaudeville.
Three Stooges ❤❤❤
Very good video. Thanks.
Thanks for another excellent Stooge analysis. I've read that Columbia made millions off the Stooges but Harry Cohn kept them in the dark about that & kept them tethered to their salaries. Moe is said to have invested wisely in real estate, Curly kinda blew his money on several marriages & Larry liked to gamble.
No one forced the Stooges to stay at Columbia, since they had annual contracts, they were free to seek employment elsewhere. Columbia didn't make millions off their shorts department, in fact they often barely broke even - until much later when the shorts were aired on TV.
They got screwed in terms of Pay.
It doesn't sound like a lot of money even when adjusted to today's figures but the cost of living was SO MUCH LESS back then. And they were only making shorts, not full length movies, so it probably didn't make a lot of sense to pay them the salaries that weekly contracted stars were paid. I'm satisfied that they made a good living, and god knows they made films that people still watch today! That's saying a lot about their work! Great video, thanks for posting this!
The fact of the matter was, except the 3 stooges, the Columbia comedy short lot employed has been comics from the silent era. Witness , buster keaton, Charlie chase, Andy clyde, et al. But I give them credit for keeping slap stick alive in the sound era. Movie audiences at the time consider these throw backs.
They deserved alot more...Studios took advantaged of them..They still making lots of money from them.there images.DVDS ect...What happen to there kids.Why wont anyone interview them.think only Moes kids are left..Not sure what happened to curlys daughters he had...i wish someone would them up find out whos left from them before there gone.Thks for this video and information
The Three Stooges that was pretty good pay back in them days! May they (RIP) 🌈💰💰💵💵💴💷💶💸💸💰💰💰💴💵💵💵🏘🎭🇺🇸
I tried to watch them back in my day,they were to silly for me Laurel and Hardy had my tickle.
I was watching leave it to Beaver the house looks so familiar I’m wondering what other films used this house? It’s bothering me so bad
In a more recent tv show American Housewife used the beaver home
Marcus Welby.
What's that have to do with this video?
@@mulehead126 This is where TV fans hang out, so a little off-to-the-side sharing is normal here.
@@Pygar2 ok ty.
Joan looks very similar to Moe. I met Moe, Larry and Curly Joe DeRita in 1960. They all were very nice. Moe specifically told me not to try the physical comedy and not to drag a saw across my sister's head. They did make some full feature films as well.
Some questions I have. How did what they got compare to others doing similar shorts? & what about personal appearances? How much does what they made then compare, in today's dollars, to what someone working in a similar (if there is) situation today?
They ended up in a class of their own making shorts, no act made as many or for as long as the Stooges. Laurel and Hardy made shorts at first too, but I have no idea how their pay compared. They did well on their personal appearance tours, but how well I don't know either.
There really is nothing today to compare to shorts. IMO the Stooges made really good money for not being actors making feature films. Shorts were in the same category as B movies (or even lower). They were 17-20 minute films used to fill the gap between two feature films, and after that, never be seen again. No one anticipated how TV would change all that.
They made a good living. But they were greatly undervalued. Just goes to show that todays stars are way overpaid. I value a teacher, doctor or production worker so much more than an actor. Those professions actually make a difference in peoples lives. Actors offer little more than a distraction. I would however say that a distraction in the times that the Stooges made the shorts was much more needed than today (though Covid is changing that).
In that time 1000 or 10000 dollars is a lot of money in 1930’s. In 2022, that is a small change.
All their skits are good. At least they got a decent paycheck.
I would think at that time they thought they made plenty of money. If they realized that we are still talking about them and enjoying their shorts to day , I would think they would think they were extremely underpaid...... But keep in mind that their brand through royalties are still making millions each year...
And that probably all goes to the corps, not the fam
for the amount of revenue they generated for the studios, in 1946 144 dollars per week per stooge isnt a whole lot.
Hi Rick
They earned on average $20,000 each per year. The equivalent of over $300,000 in today's money. That amount was earned by working at Columbia Pictures for under 7 weeks cumulatively total each year. That was very good money.
I like to say, “I’m like Moe. He was the smartest Stooge!” 😜😜😜
" Hey Moe, ...ill give you two fives for a ten." " What are you?, a swindler?, NO!!".
@@johnbockelie3899 😂😂😂 I will only give you a $20 for two fives! Do you think I was born yesterday!!!???
@@mls_words_of_wisdom " Eh, ?.......WISE GUY,...Nyuk , Nyuk Nyuk!!!!".
@@johnbockelie3899 lol!!!!!!!!
@@mls_words_of_wisdom " Hey, Moe , ......look at the grouse!!!". There's no replacement for the 3 Stooges.
This is very eye-opening for they really did not get paid that much compared to other actors or actresses. I know from Lillian Gish Biography in the 20s she made 10,000 a week and turned down a contract for 1 million from MGM, So when you look at what she was making even in the 30s and 40s she was making a massive amount of money in the movies and it shows that the Stooges like Moe said made very little in their movie carriers compared to other stars.
Lillian Gish was one of the biggest stars of the silent era. Comparing her salary to the Stooges is not a fair comparison.
@@mrdanforth3744 no if you read Moe Howards bio he talks about how bad they were screwed it shows how bad they were treated
190 shorts over 25 years is about 8 per year. Leaving them lots of time for other areas of revenue. Apparently they were OK with the amounts paid per episode.
Yes they were, they were free to leave every year, but never did. They knew they were being compensated quite well considering they weren't making feature films.
Figure in the later years when they were working a couple days a year doing the remakes and making the same bread, I think they were OK with it.
Moe said in his autobiography that each stooge made $600.00 per week salary when making their short films.
Seems like they made good money doing the shorts.
That's damn good money for them....
Moe was the negoiator for the act, but he was a cautious man. Harry Cohn of Columbia was famously tight fisted with the dollars. Moe was always worried that they would be sidelined if they asked for too much. When the studios stopped making shorts the Stooges were indeed sidelined. They were saved in the early 60's when the TV networks didn't have enough content to fill their broadcast day so they started running the stooge shorts as cheap filler, so to speak. Well, a whole new generation of fans suddenly arose. The Stooges were as surprised as anyone at their newfound success. They pretty much thought they were washed up. They ended up making a lot of money on the road and in making public appearances and in doing a bunch of new movies.
They deserve Charlie Sheen money like he gotten Two and a Half Men these guys were great
The name Maurer is pronounced to rhyme with "hour".
👍👍👍👍👍
The Reason I Looked This Up And Found Your Video Is I Was Wondering How Much Colombia Has Been Making From All Their Shorts Both In Theaters And World Wide On Television For All These Years... No I Was Not Surprised I Knew They Were Ripped Off... Plus Were Columbia's Highest Grossing's Stars When They Were First Run In Theaters, Not To Mention When The Shorts Hit TV...
Could anyone live in California today on $135K before taxes? That would be difficult. Taxes were only about 5-8% at that time, but still.....