Byte Sized Biographies…

Soviet spies who betrayed the secret of the A-Bomb or innocent victims framed by Cold War hysteria, legal corruption and anti-Semitism? Over seventy years later the debate rages on.

Soviet spies who betrayed the secret of the A-Bomb or innocent victims framed by Cold War hysteria, legal corruption and anti-Semitism? Over seventy years later the debate rages on. Morton Sobell, while traveling to East Germany in the seventies Sobell was a co-defendant of the Rosenbergs and claimed to be an innocent victim of a government frame-up.  He eventually admitted that he had passed secrets to the Russians and that Julius Rosenberg was an espionage agent.  But, he also claimed that Ethel Rosenberg was not part of the conspiracy.  Sobell spent almost eighteen years in prison before his release and death in 2018, age 101.  Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, minutes after their conviction Other federal defendants who were transported to court with the Rosenbergs mention their deep devotion and affection for each other despite harrowing circumstances.  Soviet intelligence agent Alexander Feklisov Feklisov was the case officer who coordinated the espionage ring involving Klaus Fuchs, Harry Gold and Julius Rosenberg.  Feklisov was named the Washington, DC station chief in 1960 and played a prominent role in resolving the Cuban Missile Crisis. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas After Justice Douglas permitted a last minute stay of execution for the Rosenbergs, the entire court was reconvened in a highly unusual session which vacated Douglas' ruling.  The Rosenbergs were executed only hours later. Prosecutor Irving Saypol Considered one of several villains in the Rosenberg case, Saypol, a federal prosecutor,  eventually served on the New York State Supreme Court, a promotion that was perceived as a reward for his role in the prosecution and execution of the Rosenbergs. The Rosenbergs' gravesite, obscured by shrubs, Wellwood Cemetery, West Babylon, NY Over ten thousand people crowded outside of the funeral home in Brooklyn where the Rosenbergs memorial was held.  The couple were buried on Long Island as many cemeteries in their native New York City refused to allow their burial.

Soviet spies who betrayed the secret of the A-Bomb or innocent victims framed by Cold War hysteria, legal corruption and anti-Semitism? Over seventy years later the debate rages on.

A uniquely American institution. The Stooges, Mid-Thirties Columbia quickly designated “Women Haters” as the Stooges first project.  They play travelling salesmen who vow never to get married or even romantically involved.  This predictably does not last very long with each Stooge eventually charmed by actress Marjorie White and Larry married to Marjorie.  The studio was encouraged enough by this production to green light additional films. Moe Howard Of the six individuals who eventually comprised the Three Stooges, three members came from the same family.  The fourth oldest brother from this family, Moses Harry Horwitz was born on June 19, 1897.  Adopting the stage name of Moe Howard, he was the ringleader of the Stooges both during their act and in the various business affairs and negotiations that were an integral part of any autonomous show business enterprise. Larry Fine Born Louis Feinberg, in Philadelphia on October 5, 1902.  Aka, Larry Fine, this individual started his career as a talented violinist who Ted Healy signed up for his revue.  Eventually, Larry stopped performing as a musician and teamed up comedically with the two Howard brothers. Jerome "Curly" Howard Although legend has it that because of a lack of experience, Moe was not initially enthusiastic about Jerome, nicknamed “Babe,” by his family as the youngest of the five Horwitz brothers, joining the Stooges, in fact he suggested his brother to Healy.  Although Babe had no real acting or comedic experience, he did spend most of his free time watching his brothers rehearsing and performing and he was quite familiar with their act.  When Ted Healy was approached about this potential addition, he suggested that Jerome shave off his wavy hair and full mustache and assume the name Curly.  Somewhat quiet and reserved, Jerome Howard quickly became a mainstay of the Stooges, improvising strange mannerisms and vocal sounds that established his unique identity and popularity. Samuel "Shemp" Howard Although Moe did not rule out Curly’s eventual return, he immediately floated the idea of replacing him with Shemp Howard.  Shemp was in the midst of a reasonably successful career as a contract player appearing in numerous studio produced comedies, most notably in The Bank Dick with WC Fields but he quickly agreed to replace his brother in what was initially supposed to be a temporary fix.  As stipulated in their original agreement, Moe submitted a letter to Curly, formalizing Shemp’s temporary replacement which was signed in September of 1946. Stooges, mid-Thirties, with Curly in full swing
Coinciding with these personal challenges, Curley’s physical condition began to affect his film performances, becoming increasingly evident on film.  He could no longer incorporate the physicality of previous antics, pratfalls and improvisational floor spinning.  Heavy drinking also removed his ability to make the high pitched sounds that initially made him unique.  He barely could remember his lines.  On May 6, 1946, while literally in the middle of filming the Stooges’ 97film, Half Wits Holiday, Howard suffered the first of several devastating strokes.  This medical event occurred with the movie almost complete, the ending needed to be changed so that Larry and Moe led a massive pie fight, the cast having no idea that Curly was incapacitated.

A uniquely American institution.

A uniquely American institution. Stooges, with Shemp after Curly's stroke Conversely, Columbia was rather cold hearted, quickly billing Moe, Larry and Shemp as the Original Three Stooges, a designation that was actually historically accurate.  From a production perspective, although unable to duplicate the unique persona of Curly, Shemp was an experienced and disciplined actor who was always prepared and professional.  And he would do anything for a laugh. Emil Sitka, in "Brideless Groom" One of the most iconic Stooges efforts ever, Brideless Groom, filmed shortly after Shemp replaced Curly, featured non stop violence directed mostly in his direction.  The plot concerns his efforts as a vocal instructor, Larry serving as pianist for an especially untalented and unattractive Miss Dinklemayer.  After Shemp’s tutorial ends and the unfortunate Dinklemayer exits, he is suddenly confronted by Moe who tells him that his Uncle Caleb has died and left him $500,000, providing that Shemp is married within 48 hours of reading Caleb’s will. Poster for "Brideless Groom" A telegram underlines that Shemp actually has only seven hours to make the deadline.  Sequentially, after Shemp admits to having a black book filled with female telephone possibilities, both Moe and Larry grab him by the scalp and drag him towards a phone booth on their hotel floor.  When these calls lead to failure, Moe intercedes, only to hopelessly entangle the both of them to near strangulation.  Escape occurs by destroying the phone booth completely.  With time running out, the Stooges return to their hotel room, discovering that a remarkably attractive woman is checking in across the hall.  To make a realistic proposal, it is decided that Shemp needs an immediate makeover.  Moe and Larry prepare shemp’s wardrobe, a process that includes furniture broken cranially, sewing needles thrust into Shemp’s calves, and boiling water equally distributed facially.  Doris Houck, infamous vice wielder in "Brideless Groom" Appearing before a justice of the peace, Moe receives a telephone call warning him that all of the women who Shemp phoned earlier have read about Shemp’s potential inheritance.  They are due to arrive at the Justice’s locale at any minute.  When asked to produce the ring Shemp manages to inadvertently toss it into the interior of a nearby piano. Predictably, before the jewelry is retrieved, the lid is repeatedly dropped on Shemp’s head by an impatient Moe.  Eventually, Shemp is propped up and ready to procede.  With an enthusiastic, “Join hands you lovebirds,” the JP prepares to begin the ceremony, only to be abruptly interrupted by five women who are now also intent on marrying Shemp.  In the ensuing fracas, one especially aggressive female prevents the Justice from continuing by slamming an occupied bird cage over his head, knocking him insensate.  She then places Shemp’s head in a vise, demanding that he marry her.  With each refusal she gleefully tightens the device, Shemp eventually reluctantly succumbing to her demands. Curly's grave, Whittier, California Brideless Groom went on to be one of the most famous Stooges episodes in the group’s career.  The comedy not only featured one of the first appearances by character actor Emil Sitka as the Justice of the Peace, it also was one of four Stooge films that inadvertently entered into the public domain when a copyright was not properly renewed.  For several decades television stations repeatedly ran the episode across America, generating unusually constant exposure and eventual status as a quintessential Stooge classic.  With these types of efforts, Shemp Howard was able to help the trio to successfully continue after Curly’s sudden departure.  This was fortunate as Curly proved unable to ever return, appearing only in two brief cameos, the latter appearance in 1949 so poor that it was cut from the film Malice in the Palace.  A second stroke initially put him in a wheel chair and while a partial recovery allowed him to become ambulatory, any resumption of his film career was unthinkable.  His health continued to deteriorate and institutionalization, first at the Motion Picture hospital and then in a succession of nursing homes selected by Moe.  On January 18, 1952, bedridden and no longer able to even speak, Jerome (Curly) Howard passed away at a local that sounded like a fictional setting in one of their films, the Baldy View Sanitarium in San Gabriel, California.  He was only 48 years old.

A uniquely American institution.

After searching the Valley of the Kings for decades, for a tomb that every other expert in Egyptology declared nonexistent, Howard Carter eventually discovered the most important archeological find of the 20th century. Howard Carter From the age of 17, Englishman Howard Carter worked in Egypt in the field of archeology.  In the late nineteenth century with color photography as yet unavailable Carter was Initially hired as an artist in October of 1891 to paint and sketch the discoveries of the archeological excavations of the period.  Eventually trained as an Egyptologist, Carter quickly became prominent and by the age of 25 was named an inspector general of the Egyptian Antiquities Service. George Herbert, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon George Herbert, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon.  The Earl initially spent time in Egypt to escape the damp British climate which exacerbated a lung condition.  He became interested in archeology but quickly recognized that as an amateur he needed to partner with an expert in the field.  Initially, this relationship was fruitful and Carter’s excavations near Luxor produced many items of value and interest. The funeral mask of Tutankhamun The funeral mask of Tutankhamen, one of the most remarkable objects ever discovered on the planet Earth Facial detail from the solid gold, eight hundred pound third coffin After Carter determined how to separate the second coffin from the third and last coffin shell, he was confronted by an object, similar in design to the first two but constructed entirely of gold.  It weighed over eight hundred pounds and contained the mummy itself.  Inlaid semi precious materials colorfully delineated the facial features, ceremonial beard and vulture and cobra festooned crown of Tutankhamun. Carnarvon, his daughter and Howard Carter at the excavation site “At last, have made wonderful discovery in Valley; a magnificent tomb with seals intact; recovered same for your arrival; congratulations.”  In anticipation of accessing the tomb upon Carnarvon’s arrival, Carter completely reburied the staircase and placed giant boulders on top of the location.  Knowing that information about his discovery undoubtedly would reach all sorts of entities intent on exploiting such a potential treasure, armed guards were also stationed at the location.  Carter went to Alexandria, awaiting Carnarvon’s arrival and by November 23rd both Carnarvon and his daughter arrived back in Egypt.

After searching the Valley of the Kings for decades, for a tomb that every other expert in Egyptology declared nonexistent, Howard Carter eventually discovered the most important archeological find of the 20th century.

After searching the Valley of the Kings for decades, for a tomb that every other expert in Egyptology declared nonexistent, Howard Carter eventually discovered the most important archeological find of the 20th century. Anubis, God of the Dead
Alabaster ceremonial cup from the tomb of Tutankhamen
The Lotus Bust of Tutankhamen, which raised suspicion about Carter's methodology
Detail from the second wooden coffin
The Carnarvon ancestral home, Highclere castle aka as Downton Abbey