He was a member of the comedy team The Three Stooges, which also featured his elder brothers Moe and Shemp Howard, as well as actor Larry Fine.

[certainly], "I'm a victim of soikemstance" [circumstance], and barking like a dog), as well as his physical comedy (e.g., falling on the ground and pivoting on his shoulder as he "walked" in circular motion), improvisations, and athleticism.

[2] Curly's unique version of "woob-woob-woob" was firmly established by the time of the Stooges' second Columbia film, Punch Drunks (1934).

[4] A quiet child, Howard rarely caused problems for his parents (something in which older brothers Moe and Shemp excelled).

Moe rushed him to the hospital, saving his life, but the wound resulted in a noticeably thinner left leg and a slight limp.

[1] Howard was interested in music and comedy, and watched his brothers Shemp and Moe perform as stooges in Ted Healy's vaudeville act.

[1] Though he enjoyed the gig, he watched as brothers Moe and Shemp with partner Larry Fine made it big as some of Ted Healy's "Stooges".

"[7] Healy felt that Jerry, with his thick, chestnut hair and elegant waxed mustache, looked too good for a low comedian.

Moe and Larry started improvising with this new character: That exchange sold the act to Healy, and Jerry Horwitz became Curly Howard.

He was known in the act for having an "indestructible" head, which always won out by breaking anything that assaulted it, including saws and hammers (resulting in his characteristic quip, "Oh, look!"

[1] In later years, White commented: "If we wrote a scene and needed a little something extra, I'd say to Curly, 'Look, we've got a gap to fill this in with a "woo-woo" or some other bit of business', and he never disappointed us.

Classics such as A Plumbing We Will Go (1940), We Want Our Mummy (1938), An Ache in Every Stake (1941), Cactus Makes Perfect (1942), and their most violent short, They Stooge to Conga (1943), display his ability to take inanimate objects (food, tools, pipes, etc.)

[3] (It did not help that Columbia Pictures president Harry Cohn would not allow the Stooges to make feature-length films like contemporaries Laurel and Hardy, the Marx Brothers, and Abbott and Costello.

His performances in films such as Idle Roomers (1944) and Booby Dupes (1945) present a Curly whose voice was deeper and his actions slower.

Following the completion of the feature-length Rockin' in the Rockies (December 1944), he was persuaded by Moe Howard to seek medical attention and was admitted to Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California, on January 23, 1945.

Despite two months of relative rest, the team's 1946 production schedule at Columbia resumed in late January, involving only 24 days of filming between February and early May.

Howard spent several weeks at the Motion Picture Country House in Woodland Hills before returning home for further recovery.

[citation needed] Howard, partially recovered and with his hair regrown, made a brief cameo appearance in January 1947 as a train passenger barking in his sleep in the third film after brother Shemp's return, Hold That Lion!

[13]In June 1948, Howard filmed a second cameo as an angry chef for the short Malice in the Palace (1949), but due to his illness, his performance was not deemed good enough, and his scenes were cut.

[1] In December 1951, the North Hollywood Hospital and Sanitarium supervisor told the Howard family that Curly was becoming a problem to the nursing staff at the facility because of his mental deterioration.

[1] On January 7, 1952, Moe was contacted on the Columbia set while filming He Cooked His Goose to help move Curly for what would be the last time.

A reserved and introspective individual, he largely avoided social interactions unless under the influence of alcohol, a habit that became more pronounced as the pressures of his career intensified.

Howard rarely exhibited the boisterous behavior that defined his public image, except in the presence of family, while performing, or during episodes of inebriation.

Despite his self-esteem issues, Howard remained highly popular with women, though many sought to exploit his generosity and affable nature.

During these periods, the trio frequently performed for service members, a demanding schedule that exacerbated Curly's deteriorating health.

While Howard abstained from alcohol during performances, as Moe strictly prohibited it, his post-work activities often involved excessive indulgence in nightclubs, where he ate, drank, and socialized to cope with professional stress.

He spent lavishly on wine, food, women, and real estate, frequently finding himself in precarious financial situations, often nearing bankruptcy.

[6] When not engaged in performances, Howard maintained several pet dogs at his residence, reflecting his enduring affection for animals.

[16] Moe urged Curly to find himself a wife, hoping it would persuade his brother to finally settle down and allow his health to improve somewhat.

"[16] The Ted Okuda and Edward Watz's book The Columbia Comedy Shorts puts Howard's appeal and legacy in critical perspective: Few comics have come close to equaling the pure energy and genuine sense of fun Curly was able to project.