The Three Stooges remains a pop culture phenomenon after 100 years. While that staying power in the zeitgeist alone may tell the story of a grand career and much success, that isn’t exactly the case.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the deaths of two of the original Three Stooges, Larry Fine and Moe Howard, on Jan. 24 and May 4, 1975, respectively. The Three Stooges performed Oct. 15, 1966, ...