There’s Something About Larry

The frizzy haired straight guy Stooge looms larger than life in a mural on South Street in Philadelphia.

By: Susan Van Dongen

Lovable wise guy: The Larry Fine mural at the Stooge’s birthplace at Third and South streets.

   Overheard on the new River LINE light rail, en route to Philadelphia via the PATCO connection in Camden: "We’ll meet you on South Street, at ‘Larry’s.’"
   Unfortunately, there is no "Larry’s" on South Street, but there is Jon’s Bar and Grille, which might be mistaken for a place named "Larry’s." After all, the second-floor wall is dominated by a vivid black, white and yellow mural of Larry from the Three Stooges. Folks who don’t read signs or notice details might stand in front of Jon’s, look up at the larger-than-life Larry and think, "Oh, this must be his place."
   It is, or at least it was at one time.
   The frizzy haired straight guy-Stooge — often called "Porcupine" by the bilious Moe — was known as Larry Fine in show business, but born Lawrence Feinberg, Oct. 5, 1902, to jeweler Joseph Feinberg and his wife Fanny, in a third-floor apartment at 606 S. Third St. (Third and South). The building has housed Jon’s Bar and Grille for 22 years.
   The Derhagopian family, who own Jon’s Bar and Grille, didn’t plan on their place becoming a shrine to a Stooge, and didn’t even know Larry had been born there. About 10 years ago, a member of their extended family met Lyla Feinberg Budnick — Larry’s sister — through a business transaction and mentioned the restaurant on South Street. She said she knew the place well, that her brother had been born and raised there and he happened to be "Larry," of the often-pulled hair and poked eyes.
   "Lyla passed away last year, but she came here many times with her husband, who was a soundman for the Three Stooges," says Donna Derhagopian, co-owner and manager of Jon’s. "Her family continues to stay in touch with us."
   This gave the owners the idea to capitalize on their famous former resident, and through the years Stooges memorabilia and a plaque in the bar area noted the connection (a new interior mural is in the works). Jon’s, with its street-level and second-floor outdoor decks, had always been a popular place to sit and watch the parade of characters pass by on South Street. But the linkage to Larry made the place a special destination. For Three Stooges fans, it was like making a pilgrimage.
   "People do come just because of Larry, and that’s thanks to his sister," Ms. Derhagopian says. "We’ve grown connected to the family and fans."
   At least one local cable channel has taken advantage of Philadelphia’s own Stooge. UPN-57 occasionally airs marathons of the old Three Stooges comedy shorts. They called one recent weekend broadcast a "Slap-a-thon" and did an extended live remote from Jon’s, featuring Stooges-oriented skits and miscellaneous silliness.
   Ms. Derhagopian says a more sedate celebration comes every October when Jon’s celebrates Larry’s birthday. A number of family members live nearby and show up for the party, bringing pictures and memorabilia.
   A big boost for Jon’s came when the restaurant was selected by popular choice to be the site for a dramatic mural, courtesy of the well-known Mural Arts Program of Philadelphia. Interestingly, Larry’s image won out over that of another pop icon — Frank Sinatra.
   "The people originally wanted a mural of Sinatra to be painted somewhere in the city, but everyone was saying, ‘Why? He’s from Hoboken?’" Ms. Derhagopian says. "People felt (the mural) should be somebody from Philly. They picked Larry, then they chose the place where it would be displayed. We won because we are Larry’s actual birthplace. So the city of Philadelphia had the mural painted on our wall and donated it to us."
   The painting was done in the fall of 1999 by David McShane, a drawing instructor at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and one of the Mural Arts Program’s most prolific artists.
   "It’s awesome — it just looms over that corner," says Gary Lassin, president of the Three Stooges Fan Club in Gwynedd Valley, Pa. Mr. Lassin became ensconced in the Stooges’ inner-circle when he married into the Fine family.
   "My wife’s grandfather was Larry’s brother, and he used to show me his collection of memorabilia," Mr. Lassin says. "It started me in on collecting. My wife’s grandfather had been running the fan club, but when he died in 1986, I took over and have been running it since."
   Mr. Lassin says the suburban Philadelphia group is the largest continuously operated fan club of its kind, existing since 1974, with about 1,700 members scattered across the United States, Canada and a few countries overseas.
   "We have our annual club meeting here in Pennsylvania and people usually go to Philly and, of course, to Jon’s to check out Larry’s birthplace," Mr. Lassin says. "A lot of the guys in the club weren’t alive when the Stooges were still around, so to be able to see a (Three Stooges) birthplace or burial site is about as close as they’ll get."
   You’d think the president of the Three Stooges fan club would be pleased to know that a feature film about "the boys" is planned to come out later this year, directed by the Farrelly Brothers (There’s Something About Mary). But Mr. Lassin is a purist about his Stooges. "I think the best way to honor (the Three Stooges) would be to re-release the original films," he says. "They can’t be improved on."
   Mr. Lassin also is uncertain if any contemporary actor could master the fine art of being Larry — Curly and Moe are caricatures, but Larry is subtle, a balancing act between Moe’s anger and Curly’s idiocy. A recent article in The New Yorker suggests Larry is the choice for discerning Stooge fans.
   "People compare him to a brother-in-law — he doesn’t do much of anything, but you’d miss him if he wasn’t there," Mr. Lassin says. "Larry doesn’t have catch phrases like Curly and he didn’t get too many lines of dialogue. His strength was reacting, and if you watch him, it’s amazing to see his body language and facial expressions. He’s really funny. If you want to get a whole new perspective, watch the Three Stooges, but just watch Larry. "
   One person who knew the enigmatic Stooge intimately is Larry’s niece Phyllis Goldbloom, who lives in Northeast Philadelphia. She remembers a very different person than the frazzled guy who was always getting hit. For one thing, Ms. Goldbloom says Larry’s scruffy comedic attire was nothing like the custom-tailored suits and fine shoes he wore off-screen.
   "Nobody believed Larry was my uncle until one time he showed up in the schoolyard to walk me home — then they believed," she says. "He was a great person, a wonderful storyteller and very generous to us. It’s been a fun experience being his niece. But as much as I watch ‘The Three Stooges,’ and even with all the pictures and memorabilia I have, I don’t see him as a Stooge. I see him as a person — my Uncle Larry."
Jon’s Bar and Grille is located at Third and South streets, Philadelphia. For information, call (215) 592-1390. To contact the Three Stooges Fan Club, write to Gary Lassin at P.O. Box 747, Gwynedd Valley, PA 19137. Annual membership costs $9.