A fake Shemp is someone who appears in a film as a replacement for
another actor or person. Their appearance is disguised using methods
such as heavy make-up (or a computer-generated equivalent), filming
from the back, dubbing in audio and splicing in past footage from the
original actor's previous work, using a sound-alike voice actor, or
using partial shots of the actor. Coined by film director Sam Raimi,
the term is named after Shemp Howard of the Three Stooges, whose
sudden death in 1955 necessitated the use of these techniques to
finish the films to which he was already committed. Once somewhat
commonplace throughout the 20th century, the use of fake Shemps to
emulate living people is now forbidden under Screen Actors Guild
contracts, largely because of a lawsuit filed by Crispin Glover â€"
following his replacement by Jeffrey Weissman in Back to the Future
Part II â€" that determined that the method violates the original
actor's personality rights. The method continues to be used in cases,
such as Shemp's, where the original actor is deceased and permission
from the deceased actor's estate is granted.A fake Shemp is
distinguished from a stunt double. Stunt doubles usually only
substitute for an actor in select scenes where the original actor is
either unable to perform the stunt or is unwilling to take the risk of
being injured in the stunt. The same techniques are often used for
both.The term references the comedy trio The Three Stooges. On
November 22, 1955, Stooge Shemp Howard died of an unexpected heart
attack at age 60. At the time, the Stooges still had four shorts left
to deliver (Rumpus in the Harem, Hot Stuff, Scheming Schemers, and
Commotion on the Ocean), by the terms of their annual contract with
Columbia Pictures. By this point in the trio's career, budget cuts at
Columbia had forced them to make heavy use of stock footage from
previously completed shorts, so they were able to complete the films
without Shemp. New footage was filmed of the other two Stooges (Moe
Howard and Larry Fine) and edited together with stock footage. When
continuity required that Shemp appear in the new scenes, director
Jules White used Joe Palma, one of Columbia's bit character actors, as
a body double for him. Palma often appeared only from behind or with
an object obscuring his face. Palma had appeared as a supporting
character in numerous Three Stooges shorts before Shemp's death and
would continue in that capacity for the trio's shorts with Joe Besser
as the third stooge. Palma is often mistakenly cited as Shemp's
stand-in, but these four shorts are the only documented times he
performed in this capacity. Shemp's usual stand-in was Harold Breen,
and there were others from time to time, but these four shorts
required someone to double as Shemp in an actor's capacity, not a
stand-in as such. While Palma was the inspiration for the term "Fake
Shemp", the phrase was not used at the time.For Rumpus in the Harem,
Palma is seen from the back several times. The first time occurs in
the restaurant when Moe declares that the trio must do something to
help their sweethearts. Larry then concludes the conversation by
saying "I've got it, I've got it!" Moe inquires with "What?" Larry
replies, "a terrific headache!" Later, Palma is seen from the back
being chased in circles by the palace guard. A few lines of dialogue
appear â€" "Whoa, Moe, Larry! Moe, help!" â€" by dubbing Shemp's voice
from the soundtracks of Fuelin' Around and Blunder Boys. Palma was
later seen from the side when staring up at the Harem girls (they
allowed half his face to be shown because he was farther from the
camera than Moe or Larry).
another actor or person. Their appearance is disguised using methods
such as heavy make-up (or a computer-generated equivalent), filming
from the back, dubbing in audio and splicing in past footage from the
original actor's previous work, using a sound-alike voice actor, or
using partial shots of the actor. Coined by film director Sam Raimi,
the term is named after Shemp Howard of the Three Stooges, whose
sudden death in 1955 necessitated the use of these techniques to
finish the films to which he was already committed. Once somewhat
commonplace throughout the 20th century, the use of fake Shemps to
emulate living people is now forbidden under Screen Actors Guild
contracts, largely because of a lawsuit filed by Crispin Glover â€"
following his replacement by Jeffrey Weissman in Back to the Future
Part II â€" that determined that the method violates the original
actor's personality rights. The method continues to be used in cases,
such as Shemp's, where the original actor is deceased and permission
from the deceased actor's estate is granted.A fake Shemp is
distinguished from a stunt double. Stunt doubles usually only
substitute for an actor in select scenes where the original actor is
either unable to perform the stunt or is unwilling to take the risk of
being injured in the stunt. The same techniques are often used for
both.The term references the comedy trio The Three Stooges. On
November 22, 1955, Stooge Shemp Howard died of an unexpected heart
attack at age 60. At the time, the Stooges still had four shorts left
to deliver (Rumpus in the Harem, Hot Stuff, Scheming Schemers, and
Commotion on the Ocean), by the terms of their annual contract with
Columbia Pictures. By this point in the trio's career, budget cuts at
Columbia had forced them to make heavy use of stock footage from
previously completed shorts, so they were able to complete the films
without Shemp. New footage was filmed of the other two Stooges (Moe
Howard and Larry Fine) and edited together with stock footage. When
continuity required that Shemp appear in the new scenes, director
Jules White used Joe Palma, one of Columbia's bit character actors, as
a body double for him. Palma often appeared only from behind or with
an object obscuring his face. Palma had appeared as a supporting
character in numerous Three Stooges shorts before Shemp's death and
would continue in that capacity for the trio's shorts with Joe Besser
as the third stooge. Palma is often mistakenly cited as Shemp's
stand-in, but these four shorts are the only documented times he
performed in this capacity. Shemp's usual stand-in was Harold Breen,
and there were others from time to time, but these four shorts
required someone to double as Shemp in an actor's capacity, not a
stand-in as such. While Palma was the inspiration for the term "Fake
Shemp", the phrase was not used at the time.For Rumpus in the Harem,
Palma is seen from the back several times. The first time occurs in
the restaurant when Moe declares that the trio must do something to
help their sweethearts. Larry then concludes the conversation by
saying "I've got it, I've got it!" Moe inquires with "What?" Larry
replies, "a terrific headache!" Later, Palma is seen from the back
being chased in circles by the palace guard. A few lines of dialogue
appear â€" "Whoa, Moe, Larry! Moe, help!" â€" by dubbing Shemp's voice
from the soundtracks of Fuelin' Around and Blunder Boys. Palma was
later seen from the side when staring up at the Harem girls (they
allowed half his face to be shown because he was farther from the
camera than Moe or Larry).
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