Moses Harry Horwitz

Moses Harry Horwitz

Male 1897 - 1975  (77 years)

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  • Name Moses Harry Horwitz 
    Nickname Moe Howard 
    Born 19 Jun 1897  Bensonhurst, New York Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Died 4 May 1975  Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Buried Hillside Memorial Park, Culver City, Los Angeles Plot: Court of Logve Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Notes 
    • Moe Howard was born on June 19, 1897, in Bensonhurst, New York, a small Jewish community on the outskirts of Brooklyn. Moe's real name was Moses Horwitz. Moe's mother's name was Jennie Horwitz, and his father was clothing cutter Solomon Horwitz. Moe was the fourth eldest of five Howard brothers. Two of Moe's brothers, Jerome (Curly), and Shemp performed with him as members of The Three Stooges. Moe's other two brothers, Jack and Irving, never entered show business.

      Moe graduated from P.S. 163 in Brooklyn. He attended Erasmus High School for only two months and never completed his high school education. To please his parents he took a class in electric shop at the Baron DeHirsch Trade School in New York. Moe's true love, however, was the theater. In 1909 at the Vitagraph Studios in Brooklyn he earned his entry into film making by running errands for the performers. His persistence paid off, and he soon appeared in films with such stars of the time as John Bunny, Flora Finch, Earle William, Herbert Rawlinson, and Walter Johnson.

      It was also in 1909 that Moe met Ted Healy. They became close friends, and in the summer of 1912 joined Annette Kellerman's aquatic act as diving "girls". This job only lasted through the summer. After a separation, Moe renewed his acquaintance with Ted Healy in 1922 and together with brother Shemp formed a partnership, which would last, with a few short breaks, for almost 10 years. On June 7, 1925, Moe married Helen Schonberger, who was a cousin of the late Harry Houdini.

      After a short stint outside of show business, Moe rejoined Ted Healy. Larry Fine joined the act in 1925. Healy with his Stooges appeared in a string of vaudeville shows including A Night in Venice. Ted Healy and his Stooges made their first screen appearance in the classic 1930's comedy feature "Soup to Nuts" for 20th Century Fox. This film was followed by a series of comedies for Metro Goldwyn Mayer.

      In 1934, Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Jerome Curly Howard, signed on with Columbia Studios as The Three Stooges to make the comedy shorts that are still viewed on television today. In 1958, Moe and Larry joined Joe DeRita to continue The Three Stooges act until Larry suffered a stroke during the filming of "Kook's Tour" in 1970. As Larry was unable to perform, Moe and Curly Joe considered re-placing him with Emil Sitka, but The Three Stooges never performed together again. Moe has two children, Joan and Paul. Moe passed away on May 4, 1975 at the age of 77.
    Person ID I15595  Complete
    Last Modified 20 Jan 2007 

    Father Solomon Horwitz 
    Mother Jennie 
    Family ID F6574  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Children 
     1. Joan Horwitz
     2. Paul Horwitz
    Last Modified 20 Jan 2007 
    Family ID F6575  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBorn - 19 Jun 1897 - Bensonhurst, New York Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDied - 4 May 1975 - Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 
    Pin Legend  : Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  • Photos
    Moe Howard - One of the Three Stooges
    Moe Howard - One of the Three Stooges

    Documents
    The Name Hirsh among Russian Jewish People
    The Name Hirsh among Russian Jewish People
    The Deer as the symbol for Hirsh, Stands for the Tribe of Naphtali, Hirsh means Deer in German/Yiddish and is Tsvi or Zvi in Hebrew.