While reading a book on The Three Stooges recently (never let it be said that I don’t pursue academic interests), I came across a nice offstage view of Moe Howard and his wife Helen, walking arm-in-arm enjoying a little time off from a comedy tour he was on in the early 1950s

Besides being a great picture, there was nothing to notice out of the ordinary, but what caught my eye before turning the page was the shape of the camera case he’s holding. It looked suspiciously long, like perhaps it might hold a stereo 3D camera! Time to investigate

Upon closer inspection, I realized that the stitching & leather pattern is identical to one I own, my trusty Stereo Realist. To verify this, I contacted Moe’s son Paul, a wonderfully talented caricature artist whose work & information can be found on his website Caricatures By Paul. He told me that his father did indeed shoot some family & recreational photos in 3D stereo.

Here’s Moe in action, demonstrating his superior eye-poking and pie-throwing skills from one of only two 3D films the Stooges ever made, “Spooks” (the other was “Pardon My Backfire”)