Stooge-Struck

They came by the hundreds, those who proudly call themselves “Knuckleheads.” The occasion was the first West Coast Three Stooges Convention, where the normally sober Burbank Airport Hilton Convention Center last weekend resounded with the nyuk-nyuks of Curly impersonators, the “Pop Goes the Weasel” theme music and--OK, there’s no referent for it in the Three Stooges filmography--the hissing of impromptu Silly String ambushes.

Since the heirs of the Stooges--the original three, Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard, and three later members--were granted joint licensing rights after a 1994 lawsuit, there has been a spate of Stooge merchandising, which includes videos of newly discovered and rereleased film footage, a number of books and even a retail outlet, called Knuckleheads, in the Glendale Galleria. The idea of a convention seemed inevitable.

“A fan club had conventions, but they were back in Pennsylvania,” said Jean DeRita, widow of Curly Joe DeRita, the last of the Stooges. (He replaced Joe Besser, who replaced Shemp Howard, who replaced the original third Stooge, Curly Howard.) “We wanted to do one for the people on the West Coast, so after we had all the rights to the Stooges, we decided to have our own convention,” she said. DeRita is also president of Comedy III Productions Inc., the corporation that holds the licensing agreements.

The principals have died, so autograph seekers went after the signatures of Jean DeRita and other family members. Also on hand was actor Adam West, who starred in the last Three Stooges movie, “The Outlaw Is Coming.” After an opening ceremony hosted by “Laugh-In’s” Gary Owens, who spearheaded the drive to get the Three Stooges star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, there followed a weekend of events, including the nonstop screening of Three Stooges films, tours to Stooge sites in Los Angeles, talks with the heirs and other Stoogologists such as Robert Kurson, author of “The Official Three Stooges Encyclopedia” and “The Official Three Stooges Cookbook.”

There were Stooge artifacts on display (letters, canceled checks, scripts) and even more for sale. Most momentous was the arrival of the never-before-seen Three Stooges television pilot, “Jerks of All Trades.” Since 1949, the only print had languished among the files of Phil Berle (brother of Milton Berle). “It took 50 years to bring this to light,” said the 97-year-old Berle, who brought the print and the original script with him to the event and donated it to Comedy III, which gave it its first public screening in the convention center’s theater.

Roaming through the crowd, playfully harassing passersby and participating in various events were two sets of hired Stooge impersonators. David Knight, a heavy, bald 49-year-old construction worker from Rochester, N.Y., was a Curly without a calling until the Stooges heirs got down to business.

“For about 15 years I was a solo Stooge, and then I teamed up with Comedy III, and here we go, ‘Whoo-whoo-whoo! Why, soitenly! Nyuk-Nyuk! I’m not as dumb as you look!’ ” Knight said.

Willard Morgan showed up at an audition last week at Planet Hollywood to film the event for a documentary. Instead, the frizzy-haired filmmaker walked off with the Larry role. Despite the fact that he had only two days to prepare his character, he showed keen insight into the man many agree was the most enigmatic of the Stooges.

“He was the reactive one,” Morgan said. “I think he was dealt a difficult hand, and through the study of Eastern religions, he rose above it. I think he is the highest evolved of the Stooges.”

The fans here said the Three Stooges would always be a part of their lives, but Steve Blakeman of Downey could say this literally. In addition to the usual houseful of posters, souvenirs and other Stoogeabilia that most people here boast of, the Curly-esque Blakeman sports a potato-sized tattoo of his three idols on his left bicep.

“A lot of people have noticed,” he said. “I haven’t seen another one like that even here. And that’s what I wanted--something nobody else had.”

Another fan, Luis Rial, came from Buenos Aires. He said he’s been a fan of los Tres Ciflados since he was 4.

“I collect every bit of memorabilia I can get,” he said. “Magazine, newspaper clippings--you name it, I have it.”

Rial’s wife had entered him in a

TV fantasy-vacation game show in Argentina, and the program flew him here. She stayed behind. Not surprisingly, although convention-goers ranged from toddlers to the very old, Stooge worship seemed to be a predominantly male endeavor.

A few industry heavies dropped by the convention, including director John Landis with his 13-year-old son. “I think the Three Stooges influenced everyone’s career, not just mine,” he said, citing “There’s Something About Mary,” as the latest example of the still-pervasive Stooge influence in Hollywood. “I don’t think anyone has produced as much material as they have.”

And to prove that the convention had the power to flush even the most reclusive Stooge-o-phile out of the woodwork, on Saturday, not long before closing, a Rolls-Royce limousine pulled up to the Hilton. Following a phalanx of security men and surrounded by an entourage, a veiled and robed Michael Jackson entered the hall. The King of Pop bought a leather Knucklehead jacket and some T-shirts at the souvenir stands, got into a Silly String melee with his companions, some vendors and the Stooge impersonators, and cajoled some his group into volunteering for one of the staged pie fights. A Jackson spokesman said the singer went to the convention because he is a longtime Stooges fan.

The pie fights--$30 to participate and take home a video--were a sight that probably would have delighted the irascible Moe.

“Whenever they have pie fights, I think of Moe,” said DeRita. “Because whenever he didn’t know how to end a scene that they were working on, he’d say, ‘Let me do a pie fight.’ It was his favorite thing.”

* Which of the Stooges is your favorite? Do you like Curly best? Or are you a Shemp fan? Take a survey on The Times’ Web site at https://www.latimes.com/stooges.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

They Were Soitenly Stooges

Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Jerome “Curly” Howard signed with Columbia Pictures as the Three Stooges in 1934. Over the years, four comedians would play the role of the third Stooge to Moe and Larry.

Moe Howard

Moe Howard was born Moses Horwitz. In 1909, Moe met comedian Ted Healy, forming a relationship that would evolve into a vaudeville act starring Healy and his Stooges. Moe died on May 4, 1975, at age 77.

Larry Fine

Larry Fine was born Louis Fienberg. He joined Healy’s vaudeville act in 1925 and went on to become one of the original Stooges. While filming “Kook’s Tour” in 1970, Larry suffered a stroke, leaving him paralyzed on the left side. There was some talk of replacing him, but the Three Stooges never performed together again. He died on Jan. 24, 1975, at age 72.

Curly Howard

Curly Howard was born Jerome Lester Horwitz. His interest in show business grew as he watched two of his four brothers, Moe and Shemp, perform as stooges in Healy’s act. Curly came aboard after Shemp left the act. In order to join the act, he agreed to shave off his long, wavy brown hair and mustache. Curly died on Jan. 18, 1952, at age 48.

Shemp Howard

Shemp Howard was born Samuel Horwitz. Shemp starred in numerous films before joining the Three Stooges in 1946, when his brother Curly left the act because of illness. Shemp died Nov. 23, 1955, at age 60.

Joe Besser

After Shemp’s death, the Stooges replaced him with Joe Besser, who had previously made many comedy shorts. Not wanting to travel, he left the Stooges in 1958 and went on to feature films and television. He died on March 1, 1988, at age 80.

Curly Joe DeRita

Joe DeRita joined the act after Joe Besser left in 1958. The Stooges formed Comedy III Productions Inc., which still holds the Three Stooges rights and manages their affairs. The release of old Three Stooges shorts to television led to a resurgence of their popularity. The Stooges made numerous appearances around the country and starred in six feature-length films. Larry Fine described 1958 through the ‘60s as the Stooges’ golden years. After the Three Stooges disbanded, Curly Joe formed an act called the New Three Stooges with Mousie Garner and Frank Mitchell, but the act made only a few appearances. Curly Joe died on July 3, 1993, at age 83.