Joe Besser

Joe Besser (August 12, 1907 – March 1, 1988) was an American comedian and actor renowned for his brief but distinctive stint as the third member of the Three Stooges comedy team from 1956 to 1959, where he appeared in 16 short films alongside Moe Howard and Larry Fine. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Besser began his career in vaudeville and burlesque as a teenager, initially assisting a magician before going solo as a comedian in 1928, and he built a reputation for his high-pitched voice, impish humor, and portrayals of wimpy, spoiled-child characters. His film debut came in 1938 with the short Cuckoorancho, marking the start of a prolific career that spanned radio, Broadway (including the 1941 production Sons o' Fun), over 40 feature films with stars like Rock Hudson, and approximately 250 television appearances. Besser also had a notable television role as the bumbling Stinky Davis on The Abbott and Costello Show (1952–1954).

Besser's entry into the Three Stooges followed the death of Shemp Howard in 1955; he joined Moe and Larry for Columbia Pictures' final shorts, bringing his unique comedic style to roles that emphasized verbal gags over the team's traditional slapstick violence, a change he requested to accommodate his wife's health needs. He left the group in 1958 to care for his ailing wife, Erna, to whom he had been married since November 18, 1932, until his death, and whom he often cited as the highlight of his personal life; she died on July 1, 1989. After leaving the Stooges, Besser continued in television, including as Mr. Jillson, the Dimples apartment house manager, on The Joey Bishop Show (1962–1965). In the 1970s, he provided voice work for Hanna-Barbera animated series, including characters in Yogi's Space Race and Galaxy Goof-Ups.

Joe Besser was born on August 12, 1907, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Morris and Fannie Besser, who were Polish Jewish immigrants that arrived in the United States in 1895. He was the youngest of nine children, with seven older sisters and one older brother.

Raised in a working-class Orthodox Jewish family, Besser grew up in the vibrant Polish-American immigrant community of early 20th-century St. Louis, where his father worked as a baker to support the household. The family's adherence to Orthodox traditions shaped his early years, instilling a strong sense of cultural and religious identity amid the economic challenges faced by many immigrant households of the era.