Joe Besser

 Joe Besser (August 12, 1907 – March 1, 1988)

Besser was an actor, voice actor, comedian and musician, known for his impish humor and wimpy characters. He is best known for his brief stint as a member of the Three Stooges in movie short subjects of 1957–59. He is also remembered for his television roles: Stinky, the bratty man-child in The Abbott and Costello Show, and Jillson, the maintenance man in The Joey Bishop Show. Joe joined The Three Stooges in 1956, but quit the team to be with his ailing wife in 1958. Besser refrained from imitating Curly or Shemp. He continued to play the same whiny character he had developed over his long career. He claimed that Larry volunteered to take the brunt of Moe's screen abuse. He spent the 1960s appearing in numerous films and television series. Besser provided voices for several Saturday Morning cartoon series in the 1970s. He voiced the character Putty Puss in The Houndcats (1972), bumbling genie Babu in Jeannie (1973), (inspired by I Dream of Jeannie) and Scooby's All-Star Laff-A-Lympics, and as Scare Bear in Yogi's Space Race (1978). He was married from 1932 until his death. Joe Besser was found dead in his home on March 1, 1988. He was aged 80 and died of heart failure. He is buried at Forest Lawn-Glendale.