Around Christmas of 1956, Joe was hired to replace his close friend, Shemp Howard, as the third stooge, who had died.
By this time, Besser was already very popular with radio, movie, and television audiences. Besser had already made three starring features and 11 short-subjects for the studio in the 1940-1950s. The Stooges had a two-year contract to film 16 additional short subjects to be released from 1957-1959.
(A complete and detailed listing of Joe's Stooges shorts may be found in Joe's updated and enlarged autobiography, Once a Stooge, Always a Stooge, published by Moonwater Press, available in hardcover, paperback and Kindle editions. His autobiography is also available in audiobook and e-book.)
