The ‘30s Breakup
So basically, the character Healy played in Ted Healy, and His Stooges act was very similar to Moe’s part in The Three Stooges act, where he berates and insults his stooges the entire time. But in the 1930s, whatever was happening on stage seemed to slip into reality. It appeared to be a case of life imitating art.
Larry Fine, Moe Howard, Curly Howard. Photo By Columbia/Kobal/Shutterstock
Because of all the behind-the-scenes drama, Healy started to show signs of substance abuse. The Stooges thought it would be better for everyone if they parted ways. They understandably felt like Healy was too much to handle, and, on top of it, he underpaid them considerably.