Industry Film
television Founder Moe Howard | Key people Earl Benjamin (CEO) Founded 1959 | |
 | ||
Headquarters Gardena Ave, Glendale, CA Products Motion pictures
Television shows Website www.c3entertainment.com | ||
C3 Entertainment, Inc., formerly Comedy III Productions, is an American entertainment and licensing company founded in 1959 by American comedy act The Three Stooges.
History
Throughout the Three Stooges' career, Moe Howard acted as both their main creative force and business manager. Comedy III was formed by Moe, Larry Fine and Joe DeRita to manage all business and merchandise transactions for the team. C3 Entertainment was basically in the background, with Moe's son-in-law, Norman Maurer managing the comedy teams' film interests under Normandy Productions, and merchandising affairs under Norman Maurer Productions. Norman Maurer died of cancer in 1986.
In 1994, the heirs of Larry and Joe filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against Moe's family, particularly Joan Howard Maurer and her son Jeffrey, who had inherited the NMP/Normandy business. The lawsuit alleged that the Howards had cheated the DeRita and Fine families out of their share of royalties. Howard was ordered to pay $2.6 million in damages: $1.6 million was for compensatory damages to Jean DeRita, while the remaining $1 million was divided between four of Fine's grandchildren. The Fine and DeRita families were represented by California attorney Bela Lugosi Jr.
The resulting 1994 lawsuit led to the reestablishment of C3 as a three-way interest of Fine, Howard, and DeRita. The DeRita heirs received the proxy to the Howard share, giving them majority control on the company's management. Joe DeRita's stepsons, Robert and Earl Benjamin, became the senior management of C3, with Lugosi, Jr. serving as an executive board member for several years. The Benjamins later incorporated the company, and C3 is currently the owner of all Three Stooges trademarks and merchandising. Larry's grandson Eric Lamond is the representative of the Fines' one-third interest in the company.
Since 1995, C3 has authorized and provided the services of veteran actors Jim Skousen, Alan Semok, and Dave Knight (as Moe, Larry, and Curly respectively) for numerous "personal appearances" by the Stooge characters for a variety of merchandising and promotional events. This latter-day trio has also provided voices for the characters in a variety of radio spots, merchandising tie-ins, and most recently for the first new Three Stooges short in 50 years.
C3 also represents other personalities and brands, including Barbi Benton and The Big Bopper, the latter of which is authorised through his daughter-in-law Patty Richardson (widow of son Jay Richardson).