In his July 23 letter “Stooges Out of Place,” Dominic Fratangelo wondered why a July 8 publication commemorating Pittsburgh’s bicentennial had a picture of the Three Stooges at the Stanley Theater in 1937. As a fellow fan of the Stooges, I want to assure Mr. Fratangelo that he could have complained that there weren’t more pictures of them.

The Stooges had a huge connection to Pittsburgh over the years. Their careers were revived here in 1959 when iconic Pittsburgh TV personality Paul Shannon began showing their comedy films on his legendary show, “Adventure Time,” which led to them being booked in a small nightclub in Baden followed by weeks of sold-out bookings at the world-famous Holiday House in Monroeville. Next came six feature-length films, as did return trips to Pittsburgh for appearances at Kennywood and the Allegheny County Fair. Moe Howard always credited Paul Shannon with sparking this renewed interest in the Stooges. To show their appreciation, the Stooges cast Paul in their last full-length film, “The Outlaws Is Coming,” as Wild Bill Hickok.

And, back in the 1940s, Shemp Howard had a date with a young Pittsburgh woman named Jean Caputo, who lived on Friendship Avenue in Bloomfield. He brought her flowers and was a perfect gentleman. His hair was neatly combed too. That woman was my late mother-in-law — and there isn’t a better Stooges connection to Pittsburgh than that.

BOB HAAS
Bethel Park

And furthermore ...

In reply to the Dominic Fratangelo’s July 23 letter “Stooges Out of Place”: Stooges and Pittsburgh? Soitenly! 

Although the Three Stooges were not from Pittsburgh, they had an attraction to our city that went well beyond their Stanley Theater appearance in 1937. They returned to the Stanley Theater in 1940. They performed at the Palace Theater. They also were on stage at Kennywood Park. My grandfather was a photographer with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Charles Stuebgen, and in his archives there are photos of the Three Stooges here in various years and venues. Examples include the Stooges taking batting practice at Forbes Field and also Curly in the ring with Fritzie Zivic at the South Side Market House.

Several supporting actors and actresses were from Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas including Roscoe and Egypt, Pa. Emil Sitka, seen in almost 40 Stooge shorts, was from Johnstown, but soon moved to Pittsburgh and remained here until 1936. In the popular “Gents Without Cents” and its “Niagara Falls” routine, the Stooges could have used any city out there, but Moe mentions “Pittsburgh” first.

SCOTT C. KERR
Butler

First Published: August 6, 2016, 4:00 a.m.