- published: 22 Jan 2009
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Emil Sitka (December 22, 1914 – January 16, 1998) was a veteran American actor who appeared in hundreds of movies, short films, and television shows, and is best known for his numerous appearances with The Three Stooges—nearly 40. He is one of only two actors to have worked with all six Stooges (Shemp Howard, Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Joe Besser, Joe DeRita) on film in the various incarnations of the group (Harold Brauer was the other). He is remembered mostly for a line of dialogue he repeated several times in the Three Stooges short, Brideless Groom, where he appears as the justice of the peace attempting to marry Shemp and Dee Green: "Hold hands, you lovebirds!"
Sitka, whose numerous appearances with the Three Stooges earned him the nickname "the Fourth Stooge," was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania in 1914. He was the oldest of five children, born of Hungarian immigrant parents. His father, Emil Sitka, a coal miner, died of black lung disease when Sitka was 12 years old, and his mother, Helena Matula Sitka, was hospitalized, unable to take care of the children. His siblings were placed in foster homes, but Sitka went to live in a church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with a Catholic priest for the next few years. At this time, he became an altar boy and made plans to enter the priesthood, and had his first acting opportunity in the church's annual Passion Play. At the age of 16, he and one of his brothers traveled across the U.S.A., riding the rails hobo-style, looking for work. After a year, they returned to Pittsburgh, where Sitka found a job working in a factory. He stayed there until the great St. Patrick's Day Pittsburgh Flood of 1936, after which he departed to pursue his dream of acting in Hollywood, California.
Interview with Three Stooges actor Emil Sitka done in 1997. Eventually I wrote him a letter and got a nice response. A true gentleman, sad he could not make the trip to Chicago as I was sincere in flying him out to an event at a theatre where he would be surrounded by fans watching his old movies.
(1955) A quick clip of Emil Sitka, (who was contracted to replace Larry and is technically the last living stooge, although Moe died before any films were made), showing his slapstick Stooge-worthiness.
Emil Sitka utters his most famous Stooges line: "Hold hands, you lovebirds!"
The Stoogecast presents it’s first episode featuring special guest SAXON EMIL SITKA, son of “Fourth Stooge” Emil Sitka. Great stories from Saxon about his father’s early life, career, the Stooges and a project Stooges fans have been waiting for for a long time! FIND ASTRO RADIO Z at these sites: http://www.astroradioz.com astroradioz.tumblr.com @AstroRadioZ https://www.facebook.com/AstroRadioZ
Interviews with Joe Besser, Emil Sitka, Director Ed Bernds and Larry Fine's wife (Lyla Budnick) with her husband... a sound technician for the Stooges. Broadcasted on WTAF-TV 29 Philadelphia on Memorial Day 5-28-84 Larry Fine lived in Philadelphia at 606 South 3rd Street above his fathers Jewelry Store. He learned the violin to help exercise his injured left hand. Show Host Grover Silcox. This video was transfered from a 27 year old Beta Max tape so the quality suffers because the tape was falling apart and getting jammed as I dubbed the show. Luckily the interviews survived. Emil Sitka was a young man when he played the character of the old cranky guy.
Columbia two-reel comedy with Billie Burke and Emil Sitka.
Viscera and Vitriol. An examination of human conflict and Nietzschean Will to Power via narrative film clips hacked up and re-mixed for abrasive ends. The introductory assault features Joan Bennett, Bette Davis, Emil Sitka, and The Three Stooges. The second section contains James Stewart, Claude Raines and an anonymous Torso. The first section mutilates Emil Sitka's performance from All Gummed Up (1947). The second section reworks the climactic scene from Alfred Hitchcock's Rope (1948) and portions of James Whale's The Invisible Man (1933). Raw footage from 1933 to 1948. Edit by Carl in 2003. Music track by Carl Wiedemann © 1992
Television pilot for a Three Stooges situation comedy, where the Stooges are painters and paperhangers and completely wreck a hapless couple's home. Cast Larry Fine ... Larry Moe Howard ... Moe Shemp Howard ... Shemp Emil Sitka ... Mr. Pennyfeather Symona Boniface ... Mrs. Pennyfeather Joseph Kearns ... Mr. Phink, Pressure-cooker salesman Directed by George Cohan Written by Henry Taylor Produced by Phil Berle Details Country USA Release Date: October 12, 1949 Production Co: Columbia Pictures Corporation --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fountain Of Youth - All Gummed Up - 1947 - Drugstore owners, The Stooges... (Moe, Larry and Shemp) accidentally, on purpose invent the "Fountain of Youth" and decide to try it out on elderly Cerina Fint (Christine McIntyre). After a sip of the concoction and a few barks... she says, "I haven't felt like this since... goodness knows when." She is transformed into a beautiful young woman before their eyes and seeing herself in the mirror exclaims, "I'm young again!" Later, her husband, Amos Flint (Emil Sitka) seeing youthful Cerina trades the deed of the store for a dose of the serum. His batch was perhaps a little too strong and he is transformed into a child. attribution - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Gummed_Up - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039142/