Moe Howard in MR. BOLTER’S INFATUATION?

[Rob Farr]

Here’s a 1912 Vitagraph John Bunny comedy. Andrew Erish in his Vitagraph history posits that the boy who appears after the 2:00 mark might be 14-year-old Moe Howard. Looking at it a few times I have to agree with Erish. He certainly has Moe’s swagger. The resemblance is closer to younger brother Curly, which isn’t surprising since Jerome was the baby of the family. https://youtu.be/6E9ZK5dJl40?si=gA7WcapRXpwSIPjv

[Richard M Roberts]

Seriously? Not even close. the nose is too big. There are pictures of Moe when he was 14 and he looks like Moe Howard even then.

This is also an older short guy, late teens-early 20's. The swagger is standard Brooklyn.

RICHARD M ROBERTS

[Paul E. Gierucki]

Richard is correct. Multiple childhood photos of both Moe and Shemp survive -- they are easily recognizable during their early teen years. (Several of those snapshots appear in the 2024 revised edition of STOOGES: THE MEN BEHIND THE MAYHEM.) I can say with absolute certainty that this is not Moe Howard.

-- PG

[Rob Farr]

When Moe recalled his appearances at Vitagraph with such specificity, I don’t think he was pulling a Milton Berle. With the hundreds of early Vitagraph reels that have surfaced, it’s amazing we haven’t seen Moe in any of them. Of course, he might have simply been a background extra. But still…

[Tommie Hicks]

I could never understand why Moe, who had a documented busy and sufficient career, would resume enhance.

Bunny hit his stride in 1913 when Moe was 16. A bit old to play juvenile parts, but Moe might have pulled them off with his short stature.

Moe also claimed to have appeared in the Honus Wagner short SPRING FEVER. A complete lobby set has turned up on this film and Moe is not in them.

[Richard M Roberts]

I don't think Moe Howard is doing a Milton Berle when remembering working at Vitagraph, I think the problem is when he is talking about working there as a kid, he means when he was a kid. Folk are constantly looking at Vitagraph films made too late for Moe to be in them. I think Moe was hanging around Vitagraph around 1909-1911, and less films exist from that period.

I don't think Moe is lying about the Honus Wagner film either, not appearing in the lobby cards doesn't mean a thing. No one would even remember that obscure film if they hadn't appeared in it.

RICHARD M ROBERTS