Nobody's Stooge: Ted Healy

by Bill Cassara

Ted Healy had a successful, if mysterious life. Starting from the lowest rung of show business, he soon conquered the stages of vaudeville, Broadway and the silver screen. Healy's biography also serves as the backstory to the rise of what became The Three Stooges act. He had an eagle eye in spotting and cultivating the talents of Shemp, Moe, Larry and Curly, who served their apprenticeship in his act off and on from 1923 to 1934. As "father" of the act, he took his stooges to Broadway and Hollywood. Healy is the tree around which some mighty acorns fell. Healy died at age 41, four days after his only child was born in 1937. His passing quickly became one of the most notorious of Hollywood's celebrity death scandals. Was it foul play or natural causes? Author Bill Cassara, a retired law enforcement professional, explores all the possibilities.

366 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2015

Reviews

[Arthur Pierce · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not, by any means, a slickly-written book, it comes across as something put together by an enthusiastic amateur. There are clearly gaps in the author's knowledge of the era, and at times his research on certain movies, radio shows, etc. was not all one might have hoped for. But he is clearly passionate about his subject and he loves to dispell myths (and there are many about Ted Healy). He really shines when it comes to his discussion on Ted Healy's controversial death, showing up the numerous made-up stories that still circulate.