Jerome Lester Horwitz

 Jerome Lester Horwitz (October 22, 1903 – January 18, 1952), better known by his stage name Curly Howard.

He was best known as the most outrageous member of the American farce comedy team the Three Stooges, which also featured his older brothers Moe and Shemp Howard and actor Larry Fine. Curly was generally considered the most popular and recognizable of the Stooges.He was well known for his high-pitched voice and vocal expressions ("nyuk-nyuk-nyuk!", "woob-woob-woob!", "soitenly!" (certainly), and barking like a dog) as well as his physical comedy, improvisations, and athleticism. An untrained actor, Curly borrowed (and significantly exaggerated) the "woob woob" from "nervous" and soft-spoken comedian Hugh Herbert. Curly's unique version of "woob-woob-woob" was firmly established by the time of the Stooges' second Columbia film, Punch Drunks, in 1934. Curly's childlike mannerisms and natural comedic charm made him a hit with audiences, particularly children. He was famous in the act for having an "indestructible" head, which always won out by breaking anything that assaulted it, including saws (resulting in his characteristic quip, "Oh, look!"). Although having no formal acting training, his comedic skills were exceptional. However, by 1944 Curly's energy began to wane. Films like Idle Roomers and Booby Dupes present a Curly whose voice was deeper and his actions slower. It is believed that he suffered the first of many strokes between the filming of Idiots Deluxe (October 1944) and If a Body Meets a Body (March 1945). After the filming of the feature length Rockin' in the Rockies (December 1944), he finally checked himself (at Moe's insistence) into Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California, on January 23, 1945, and was diagnosed with extreme hypertension, a retinal hemorrhage, and obesity.

His ill health forced him to rest, leading to only five shorts being released in 1945 (the normal output was six to eight per year). By early 1946, Curly's voice had become even more coarse than before, and it was increasingly difficult for him to remember even the simplest dialogue. He had lost a considerable amount of weight, and lines had creased his face. On January 7, 1952, Moe was contacted on the Columbia set while filming He Cooked His Goose to help move Curly (from a hospital to sanitarium to his mental decline) for what would be the last time. Eleven days later, on January 18, Curly died at 48. He is buried at Home of Peace Cemetery in East Los Angeles, CA.