THE JOE BESSER FILM FESTIVAL This Sunday at the AMC Esquire in St. Louis

The Joe Besser Film Festival will take place June 9th at the AMC Esquire in St. Louis from 1 to 4pm. St. Louis’ own Joe Besser is best known as a member of the Three Stooges and this is part of a campaign to raise awareness in St. Louis that Joe Besser is one of us.

Joe Besser, born in 1907 and raised here, the 9th child of Morris and Fanny Besser up in Florissant, is the only Stooge from St. Louis and it’s time to celebrate him! In 1955 Besser replaced who Shemp (who had replaced Curly in 1946), but avoided imitating Curly or Shemp and continued to play the same whiny character, a tantrum-throwing imp sometimes known as ‘Stinky’, he had developed in his earlier solo shorts and on The Abbott and Costello Television Shows. He did his own thing in sixteen Stooges shorts with Moe and Larry over two years. Besser may not be the most popular Stooge but this is an opportunity for a deserved reassessment of his career. On June 9th at the Esquire Theater (6706 Clayton Rd) we’ll be showing Besser’s early shorts ARMY DAZE and FRAIDY CATS, clips from his Abbott and Costello Show and Joey Bishop Show TV appearances, and of course some Three Stooges madness including FLYING SAUCER DAFFY, A MERRY MIX-UP, and SAPPY BULLFIGHTERS! There will be members of Joe’s family in attendance, giveaways, and other surprises. Admission is $10.