In Remembrance: Paul "Mousie" Garner

     Paul "Mousie" Glaser, the vaudeville slapstick comedian who was a member of the vaudeville stage incarnation of the Three Stooges and who later appeared in films on his own, has passed away in Glendale, California on Sunday, August 8, 2004. He was 95.

     Born on July 31, 1909 in Washington, DC, Garner first began performing in vaudeville in 1913, in an act developed by his father which featured him singing, dancing and mimicked Al Jolson. While still a child he entertained troops during World War One.

     In 1930, Grant sporadically appeared in comic Ted Healy’s Broadway show, standing in for Shemp Howard, one of the three slapstick comics in the show known as the Three Stooges, when he wasn’t available. In 1931, Shemp Howard, Moe Howard and Larry Fine went out on the road and Garner joined Jack Wolf and Dick Hakins on stage fulltime in Healy’s Broadway show as their replacements. The three would later strike out on their own as The Gentlemaniacs.

     Garner’s first film appearance was in the 1929 short After The Show. Although Garner never appeared as a Stooge in film, the Gentlemaniacs appeared in two films- Swing It, Professor and The Hit Parade of 1937 (both 1937). He also had small roles in such films as For Those Who Think Young (1964), Last Of The Red Hot Lovers (1972), Saturday The 14^th (1984) and Avenging Angel (1985). Garner also appeared in the television series The Spike Jones Show and Surfside 6. His last film appearance was in a small cameo role in the comic mystery Radioland Murders (1994). He will be seen in the upcoming The Onion Movie.