Paul Garner

Paul Albert "Mousie" Garner (July 31, 1909 – August 8, 2004) was an American actor.^[3] Garner earned his nickname by assuming the role of a shy, simpering jokester. He was one of the last actors still doing shtick from vaudeville, and has been referred to as "The Grand Old Man Of Vaudeville."^[2]

Biography

He was born on July 31, 1909, in Washington, D.C.

In addition to big-time vaudeville, Mousie Garner appeared on Broadway and in major national touring companies; in short subjects, feature films and documentaries; on network television, cable and radio shows; and in nightclubs, auditoriums and concert halls.

Mousie Garner made his stage debut as a child in 1913, singing, dancing and imitating Al Jolson in a family musical-comedy act developed by his father. While still a child, Garner entertained soldiers during World War I. By the time he was a teenager in the 1920s, he had already decided upon a career on the vaudeville stage.

Mousie Garner and the Three Stooges

Stage star Ted Healy worked with three rowdy stooges (showbiz slang for "assistants"): Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Shemp Howard (and later Curly Howard). When Howard, Fine, and Howard chose to work on their own, first in 1930 and later in 1934 as "The Three Stooges", Healy promptly replaced them with three new stooges. Mousie Garner worked alongside his cousin, Jack Wolf (father of Warner Wolf) and Richard "Dick" Hakins between 1922 and 1936.^[1] Mousie Garner continued working on stage and on screen with Dick Hakins, and either his cousin Jack Wolf or Wolf's replacement, Sammy Wolfe, in a musical comedy trio known as The Gentlemaniacs (aka: Garner, Wolf [or Wolfe] and Hakins) throughout the 1920s and '30s. The Gentlemaniacs starred in several feature films and short subjects including After the Show (1929), Swing It, Professor (1937), The Hit Parade (1937), Murder with Reservations (1938) and Radio and Relatives (1940). Garner, however, almost became one of the Three Stooges on two occasions.

According to Garner's autobiography, after Shemp Howard died suddenly in November 1955, Moe Howard and Larry Fine wanted Garner to join them in 1956, but Garner was then under contract to Spike Jones as a musical comedian with Jones's band, the City Slickers. Despite Moe Howard pleading his case to Jones personally, Jones would not release Garner; Joe Besser would eventually replace Shemp in 1956.^[1] The claim in Garner's autobiography cannot be accepted as a whole truth since a similar story can be found in Moe's autobiography, but with Joe DeRita as the protagonist instead of Garner and Harold Minsky instead of Jones.^[4] After Besser quit the act in 1958, Larry suggested Garner again as a potential replacement and he and Moe would later rehearse with Garner. However, based on his tryout performance, Moe later remarked that Garner was "completely unacceptable" for the act. Joe DeRita would instead become the "third stooge" in October 1958. Nevertheless, in the early 1970s, DeRita, with Moe's blessing, would invite Garner and Frank Mitchell to join the "New Three Stooges" act, filling in for the ailing Larry and Moe, respectively.^[5]

Entertaining the troops

Serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, Garner was shipped overseas and he achieved the rank of technical sergeant before completing his term. He participated in the Allied forces' North African campaign, and was injured twice on duty. He received several commendations and after recovering from his wartime injuries, Garner joined the U.S.O. to star in Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson's "Sons O' Fun", the touring version of "Hellzapoppin'". The show was staged for servicemen throughout Europe during the Allies' postwar occupation. Garner's service in the U.S.O. would continue throughout both the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, as he continued to entertain the troops throughout the 1950s and '60s.

While living in Los Angeles in the 1950s and 1960s, Garner continued to work as a comic with the U.S.O., as a touring solo and ensemble stage comedian and as a television performer.

Television

Garner appeared on