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Stephen L. Cox (born January 26, 1966) is an American freelance writer. He is the author of more than twenty books specializing in popular culture, film and television, including The Three Stooges, I Dream of Jeannie , The Munsters , The Addams Family and The Beverly Hillbillies . He is best known for his 1989 tribute to The Wizard of Oz entitled The Munchkins Remember . Cox is a 1988 graduate of Park University.
Cox's 2006 coffee-table biography of Three Stooges member Larry Fine, entitled One Fine Stooge: Larry Fine's Frizzy Life in Pictures, has received acclaim from fans of the enduring comedy team. Culling materials from Fine's personal archives, including hundreds of unpublished photographs, the project remains the definitive account of the middle Stooge. Cox co-wrote the book with author Jim Terry. [1]
He has written for TV Guide , The Hollywood Reporter , US magazine, and has contributed feature stories to Los Angeles Times . [2] Raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Cox graduated from Park College (now Park University) and has been interviewed on programs such as CNN and Biography. [3]
The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short-subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical, farce, and slapstick comedy. Six total Stooges appeared over the act's run ; Moe Howard and Larry Fine were mainstays throughout the ensemble's nearly 50-year run, while the "third stooge" was played in turn by Shemp Howard, Curly Howard, Shemp Howard again, Joe Besser, and "Curly Joe" DeRita.
Low comedy, also known as lowbrow humor, in association to comedy, is a dramatic form of popular entertainment without any primary purpose other than to create laughter through boasting, boisterous jokes, drunkenness, scolding, fighting, buffoonery and other riotous activity. It is also characterized by "horseplay", slapstick or farce. Examples include the throwing of a custard pie into another's face. This definition has also expanded to include types of comedy that rely on obvious physical jokes, such as, the wedgie.
Buddy Ebsen, also known as Frank "Buddy" Ebsen, was an American actor and dancer. One of his most famous roles was as Jed Clampett in the CBS television sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies (1962–1971); afterwards he starred as the title character in the television detective drama Barnaby Jones (1973–1980).
A Munchkin is a native of the fictional Munchkin Country in the Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. They first appear in the classic children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) where they welcome Dorothy Gale to their city in Oz. The Munchkins are described as being the same height as Dorothy and they wear only shades of blue clothing, as blue is the Munchkins' favorite color. Blue is also the predominating color that officially represents the eastern quadrant in the Land of Oz. The Munchkins have appeared in various media, including the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, as well as in various other films and comedy acts.
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). An adaptation of L. Frank Baum's 1900 children's fantasy novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, it was primarily directed by Victor Fleming, who left production to take over the troubled Gone with the Wind. It stars Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billie Burke and Margaret Hamilton. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, while others made uncredited contributions. The music was composed by Harold Arlen and adapted by Herbert Stothart, with lyrics by Edgar "Yip" Harburg.
Louis Feinberg, better known by his stage name Larry Fine, was an American actor, comedian and musician. He is best known as a member of the comedy act the Three Stooges and was often called "The Middle Stooge".
Grandmama is a fictional character in the Addams Family television and film series. First appearing in the works of cartoonist Charles Addams, she is a supporting character in the film, television, and stage adaptations.
Donna Douglas was an American actress and singer, known for her role as Elly May Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies (1962–1971). Following her acting career, Douglas became a real estate agent, gospel singer, inspirational speaker, and author of books for children and adults.
Maximilian Adelbert Baer Jr. is an American actor, producer, comedian, and director widely known for his role as Jethro Bodine, the dim-witted relative of Jed Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies.
Jerome Lester Horwitz, better known by his stage name Curly Howard, was an American comedian and actor. He was a member of the comedy team The Three Stooges, which also featured his elder brothers Moe and Shemp Howard, as well as actor Larry Fine. In early shorts, he was billed as Curley. Curly Howard was generally considered the most popular and recognizable of the Stooges.
Joe Besser was an American actor, comedian, and musician, known for his impish humor and wimpy characters. He is best known for his brief stint as a member of The Three Stooges in movie short subjects of 1957–1959. He is also remembered for his television roles: Stinky, the bratty man-child on The Abbott and Costello Show, and Jillson, the maintenance man on The Joey Bishop Show.
Jerry Maren was an American actor who played a Munchkin member of the Lollipop Guild in the 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film The Wizard of Oz. He became the last surviving adult Munchkin following the death of Ruth Duccini in 2014, and was also the last surviving cast member with a specifically identifiable speaking or singing role.
Have Rocket, Will Travel is a 1959 American science-fiction comedy film released by Columbia Pictures and starring the Three Stooges, consisting of Moe Howard, Larry Fine and new addition Joe DeRita. The film was produced to capitalize on the Three Stooges' late-1950s resurgence in popularity. The supporting cast features Anna-Lisa and Robert Colbert.
The Three Stooges Meet Hercules is a 1962 American comedy fantasy film directed by Edward Bernds. It is the third feature film to star the Three Stooges after their 1959 resurgence in popularity. By this time, the trio consisted of Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Joe DeRita. Released by Columbia Pictures, The Three Stooges Meet Hercules was directed by long-time Stooges director Edward Bernds. It was the most financially successful of the Stooges' feature films.
Stoogemania is a 1986 comedy film, directed by Chuck Workman and starring Josh Mostel as a huge fan of The Three Stooges for whom the line between reality and fiction begins to blur. Stoogemania was made in an attempt to cash in on the Three Stooges' resurgence in popularity during the 1980s, thanks to syndication and the hit novelty song "The Curly Shuffle" by Jump 'n the Saddle Band. The film experienced a brief theatrical release and was poorly received by critics.
Stephen Lee Mansfield is an American author who writes about history, modern culture, religion and men's issues. His books have appeared on the New York Times best-seller list.
Captain 11's Showboat was a locally produced children's program, based in St. Louis, Missouri, airing on KPLR-TV, Channel 11 during the late-afternoon hours, starting in May 1959, and ending in August 1968.
Mort Mills was an American film and television actor who had roles in over 150 movies and television episodes. He was often the town lawman or the local bad guy in many popular westerns of the 1950s and 1960s.
Eddie Laughton was a British-American film actor. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1935 and 1952, and is best known for his work with The Three Stooges.
Francis "Frank" "Cookie" Cucksey was an American actor, singer, and circus performer, best known for his role as a Munchkin in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.
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