Shemp, real name Samuel, was born in Brooklyn, New York on March 4, 1895. He got the nickname Shemp from his mother, her thick Lithuanian accent made the name Sam sound like Shemp. After Moe went into show business in 1910, Shemp followed and they, along with Ted Healy, formed the vaudeville act Ted Healy and his Stooges. In 1925, Shemp married Gertrude Frank, and in 1926 had a son, Morton. In 1932 Shemp, fed up with Healy, left the act and pursued a solo career.
Shemp's solo career was a success. He appeared alongside Fatty Arbucle, W.C. Fields, Abbot and Costello, Lon Chaney Jr., and even had a small part in a John Wayne movie in 1942. In 1946, Curly suffered a stroke, and Shemp reluctantly joined in to replace his brother. Shemp's placement was temporary until Curly could recover, but Curly's condition worsened and Shemp's placement became permanent.
In 1952, Shemp suffered a minor stroke, but was otherwise unaffected. Then on November 22, 1955, Shemp died of a heart attack.
According to the Stooges contract, they agreed on making eight shorts for 1956, but had only made four. To complete the remaining four episodes, they reused old footage and filmed new scenes using a double, who was only seen from the back.
(photo from www.nndb.com/people/974/000047833/)
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