r/threestooges

Let’s plug him and see if he’s ripe!

If any two families were more intertwined than ever, it was the Marx and Horwitz families, aka the 1930s icons Marx Brothers and Three Stooges. These two Jewish New York genealogies are forebodingly similar in terms of the history of cinema.

First, each had 5 siblings in the 1890s. The Marx Brothers were [Manfred; 1886] Leonard (1887), Adolph (1889), Julius (1895), Milton (1897) and Herbert (1901). The Horwitz/Howard family was Irving (1891), Benjamin Jacob "Jack" (1893), Samuel "Shmuel" (1895), Moses Harry (1897), and Jerome Lester (1903). Much like how it ended up, Only 3 of those brothers stayed in show business. Shmuel (Shemp), Moses (Moe), and Jerome (Curly) would form iterations of the Three Stooges. Harpo, Chico and Groucho would form the memorable Marx Brothers. Interestingly, to the extent Zeppo was involved in films, Moe and Larry considered hiring Jacob Horwitz after Shemp died!

I think it goes without saying it's strikingly similar how the Marxes AND Howards both had only one child born in the early 1900s...

I can't forget the striking although probably normal naming standard of the time; one name, two name, one name, two name...; [Manfred, Leonard Joseph, Adolph, Julius Henry, Milton, Herbert Manfred] and [Irving, Benjamin Jacob, Shmuel, Moses Harry, Jerome Lester].

I could watch this all day!

thx to original poster.