Once a Stooge, Always a Stooge

The Autobiography of Hollywood's Most Prolific Funnyman

By: Joe Besser, Jeff Lenburg, Greg Lenburg

Narrated by: Robert Restivo

REVISED AND EXPANDED AND BESSER THAN EVER!

For more than six decades, Joe Besser brought gales of laughter to millions—in vaudeville, on Broadway, on radio, in motion pictures, and on television. From his days working as a bumbling assistant to the world-famous Thurston the Magician, he carved out success with his own act—that of a childlike sissy who brandished his foils with a flick of the wrist and such hilarious verbal assaults as “Ooh, you crazy you!” and “Not so f-a-s-t!”

From stage to film and television screens, the famed roly-poly comedian left an indelible mark–from starring in his own feature films and short-subject series for Columbia Pictures, to dishing out huge laughs on scores of popular programs of the day, most notably as the malevolent brat “Stinky” on "The Abbott and Costello Show," to stepping in to replace Shemp Howard after his death as a member of Three Stooges comedy team. Followed by countless more laugh out-loud performances in movies and on television, from playing the frustrated superintendent, Jillson, on "The Joey Bishop Show" to voicing Saturday morning cartoons, his legacy still lives on today, thanks to reruns of his classic work.

Illustrating a passing age of American humor, ONCE A STOOGE, ALWAYS A STOOGE tells the whole story. Jam-packed with timeless remembrances, Besser vividly recounts it all–the personal ups and downs, the classic skits and routines that became his hallmark, and behind-the-the scenes stories of show business icons who enriched his life and career, including Abbott and Costello, Fred Allen, Jack Benny, Milton Berle, Sammy Davis, Jr., Jerry Lewis, Olsen and Johnson, and many others. Scores of previously unpublished anecdotes and material round out this charming and thoughtfully written memoir and thoroughly revised and expanded edition.

©2020 Joe Besser, Jeff Lenburg, and Greg Lenburg (P)2025 Moonwater Press