Eddie Laughton | |
|---|---|
 Laughton in The Three Stooges film Idle Roomers (1944) | |
| Born | 20 June 1903 |
| Died | 21 March 1952 (aged 48) Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City |
| Other names | Edgar Hugh Laughton |
| Years active | 1935–1952 |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Eaton (?–1948) (her death) [1] |
Eddie Laughton (20 June 1903 –21 March 1952) was an American film actor. Laughton appeared in more than 200 films between 1935 and 1952, and is best known for his work with The Three Stooges.
Laughton's family immigrated to the United States in 1909 and settled in Detroit. He started in vaudeville and managed a vaudeville theatre where Larry Fine, later of the Stooges trio, once played. [2]
The pencil-mustached Laughton was placed under contract by Columbia Pictures in 1935, almost certainly thanks to Fine. Laughton worked at Columbia almost exclusively for 10 years, in features, westerns, short subjects, and serials throughout the 1930s and 1940s. [3] Modern viewers will remember Laughton for his role as "Percy Pomeroy, convict 41144" in the Stooge comedies So Long Mr. Chumps and Beer Barrel Polecats , or as the happy drunk in Loco Boy Makes Good . Laughton was an excellent utility player, useful in good-guy and bad-guy roles alike. (He and fellow Columbia stock player John Tyrrell shared many scenes.) Laughton was also a convincing dialect comedian, playing a French nobleman in Buster Keaton's She's Oil Mine , and an English big-game hunter plastered with pies in the Stooges' In the Sweet Pie and Pie . [4]
In addition to his roles in the Stooge shorts, Laughton traveled with the team between filming schedules, acting as their straight man in personal appearances. [3]
Laughton died of pneumonia on March 21, 1952 just two months after the death of Curly Howard, who died of a massive cerebral hemorrhage. Both Curly and Eddie were born in the same year and were both 48 years old when they died within two months of each other.
Jerome Lester Horwitz, known professionally as Curly Howard, was an American vaudevillian actor and comedian. He was best known as a member of the American comedy team the Three Stooges, which also featured his elder brothers Moe and Shemp Howard and actor Larry Fine. In early shorts, he was billed as Curley. Curly Howard was generally considered the most popular and recognizable of the Stooges. He was well known for his high-pitched voice and vocal expressions, as well as his physical comedy, improvisations, and athleticism. An untrained actor, Curly borrowed the "woob woob" from "nervous" and soft-spoken comedian Hugh Herbert. Curly's unique version of "woob-woob-woob" was firmly established by the time of the Stooges' second Columbia film, Punch Drunks (1934).
William Gilbert Barron was an American actor, comedian, director and writer. He was known for his comic sneeze routines. He appeared in over 200 feature films, short subjects and television shows beginning in 1929.
Edward Santree Brophy was an American character actor and comedian. Small of build, balding, and raucous-voiced, he frequently portrayed dumb cops and gangsters, both serious and comic.
Murray Alper was an American actor. He appeared in numerous television series, films, and Broadway productions.
Vernon Bruce Dent was an American comic actor, who appeared in over 400 films. He co-starred in many short films for Columbia Pictures, frequently as the foil and the main antagonist and ally to The Three Stooges.
Seymour "Cy" Schindell was an American actor who appeared in 37 Three Stooges short subjects, mostly as a heavy, though he was never credited in any Stooge shorts.
William Edward "Bud" Jamison was an American film actor. He appeared in 450 films between 1915 and 1944, notably appearing in many shorts with The Three Stooges as a foil.
Al Thompson was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 170 films between 1916 and 1958.
Symona Ferner Boniface was an American film actress, most frequently seen in bit parts in comedy shorts, mostly at Columbia Pictures, particularly those of The Three Stooges. She appeared in 120 films between 1925 and 1956.
James Carmody Lankton, known professionally as James C. Morton, was an American character actor. He appeared in more than 180 films between 1922 and 1942.
Richard Dye, known professionally as Dick Curtis, was an American actor who made over 230 film and television appearances during his career.
Beer Barrel Polecats is a 1946 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. It is the 88th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.
So Long Mr. Chumps is a 1941 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. It is the 53rd entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.
Thomas Richard Potts, known professionally as Richard Fiske, was an American film actor. He appeared in over 80 films between 1938 and 1942.
Dorothy Appleby was an American film actress. She appeared in over 50 films between 1931 and 1943.
John Edward Tyrrell was an American film actor. He appeared in over 250 films between 1935 and 1947, known for his numerous appearances in the Three Stooges, in a total of 28 shorts with Curly Howard as a third stooge.
Lynton Wright Brent was an American film actor and a writer. He appeared in over 240 films between 1930 and 1950.
Francis Thomas Sullivan, known professionally as Frank Sully, was an American film actor. He appeared in over 240 films between 1934 and 1968.
The Three Stooges Collection is a series of DVD collections of theatrical short subjects produced by Columbia Pictures starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. Each volume is a two-disc set, and covers a three-year interval, with the exception of Volume Eight, which is a three-disc set and covers the last five years at Columbia.
Louis Davis was an American film actor. He appeared in over 75 films between 1916 and 1948.