Emil Sitka

    Emil Sitka had probably the most recognizable voice of any of the Three Stooges supporting actors. Sitka's most famous role is in the Three Stooges 1947 short "Brideless Groom". As a justice of the peace, he repeats the words "Hold hands, you love birds" over and over while continuously getting interrupted. This brought him lasting fame among Stooge fans, who would sometimes ask him to repeat the phrase during their own wedding ceremonies. In addition to his acting career, Sitka has also been a structural engineer. His license plate read STOOGES.

    Born December 22, 1914, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Orphaned at twelve, Sitka caught the acting bug while living with a priest in Pittsburgh. He road the rails as a hobo for years during the Depression before arriving in Hollywood in 1936. Theatre work, including directing, eventually brought him to the attention of a talent scout, who contracted him to Columbia Studios. Famous for his character roles in slapstick comedy Sitka continued on to appear in over 500 short films working with some of Hollywood's brightest stars, including Lucille Ball, Milton Berle and Red Skeleton. He became a regular in shorts and feature films with the Three Stooges, making thirty-five shorts with the boys before 1958. His first film with the Three Stooges was "Half-Wits Holiday", which was also Curly's last. Sitka usually was bonked, kicked, or in some way hurt in almost every one of the films he was in. He was basically the guinea pig. He was in Three Stooges films from 1947-1965. He holds the further distinction of appearing with each of the six Stooges (Moe, Shemp, and Curly Howard; Larry Fine; Joe Besser; and Joe DeRita) and almost became the seventh actor to portray one of the Three Stooges. Larry Fine had suffered a stroke in 1970 and Sitka, under contract to replace him in the Stooges act, would join Moe and Curly-Joe in a feature planned for 1974 or 1975. But with Moe's death in '75, the film was never made. He came back to fame again in 1994 when Quentin Tarantino added the "Hold hands, you love birds" to the famous "Pulp Fiction" blockbuster movie.  He later died January 16, 1998 in Camarillo, California, of complications from a stroke.

  1. Pulp Fiction (1994) .... "Hold hands, you love birds!"
  2. Nutt House, The (1992) .... Geeves
  3. Intruder (1988) .... Mr. Abernathy
  4. Crimewave (1985/I) .... Colonel Rodgers
  5. Watermelon Man (1970)
  6. Mad Room, The (1969) (unaccredited)
  7. Pendulum (1968) (unaccredited)
  8. Outlaws Is Coming, The (1965) .... Mr. Abernathy/Witch Doctor/Cavalry Colonel
  9. Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze, The (1963)
  10. Three Stooges in Orbit, The (1962) .... Professor Danforth
  11. Three Stooges Meet Hercules, The (1962) .... Shepherd/Refreshment Man
  12. Who Was That Lady? (1960)
  13. Flying Saucer Daffy (1958)
  14. Pies and Guys (1958) .... The Butler
  15. Quiz Whiz (1958)
  16. Affair in Reno (1957) .... Cashier
  17. Outer Space Jitters (1957) .... Professor Jones
  18. 27th Day, The (1957) .... Newspaper Hawker
  19. Horsing Around (1957)
  20. Space Ship Sappy (1957)
  21. Crashing Las Vegas (1956) .... Man in seat 87
  22. Over-Exposed (1956)
  23. Commotion on the Ocean (1956)
  24. Scheming Schemers (1956)
  25. Hot Stuff (1956) .... Professor Sneed
  26. For Crimin' Out Loud (1956)
  27. Fury at Gunsight Pass (1956)
  28. Husbands Beware (1956)
  29. Gunsight Pass (1955)
  30. Jail Busters (1955) (unaccredited) .... Mug Shot Photographer
  31. New York Confidential (1955)
  32. Spoilers, The (1955)
  33. Timberjack (1955) (unaccredited)
  34. Blunder Boys (1955) (unaccredited)
  35. My Sister Eileen (1955) (unaccredited)
  36. Stone Age Romeos (1955)
  37. Gypped in the Penthouse (1955)
  38. Blackboard Jungle (1955) (unaccredited)
  39. Three for the Show (1955)
  40. G.I. Dood It (1955)
  41. Carolina Cannonball (1955) .... Technician
  42. Geraldine (1954)
  43. Jungle Gents (1954) .... Painter on Boat
  44. Kids Will Be Kids (1954)
  45. Jubilee Trail (1954) .... Bit Part
  46. Shot in the Frontier (1954)
  47. Perilous Journey, A (1953) .... Drunk
  48. Private Eyes (1953) .... Patient in Wheelchair
  49. Down the Hatch (1953)
  50. Bubble Trouble (1953) .... Amos Flint
  51. All Ashore (1953)
  52. Spies and Guys (1953)
  53. Loose Loot (1953) .... Attorney Poole
  54. Gobs and Gals (1952)
  55. Harem Girl (1952)
  56. Sound Off (1952)
  57. Tropical Heat Wave (1952)
  58. Strop, Look and Listen (1952)
  59. Gents in a Jam (1952) .... Uncle Phineas Bowman
  60. Heebie Gee-Gees (1952)
  61. Listen, Judge (1952) .... The Chef
  62. Fool and His Honey, A (1952)
  63. Gasoline Alley (1951)
  64. Millionaire for Christy, A (1951)
  65. Sea Hornet, The (1951) .... Waiter
  66. Well, The (1951) (unaccredited)
  67. Fighting Coast Guard (1951)
  68. Pest Man Wins (1951) .... Meadows, the Butler
  69. Champ Steps Out, The (1951)
  70. Hu La La (1951) .... Mr. Baines
  71. The Tooth Will Out, (1951) (unaccredited) .... A Hot-tempered Italian Chef
  72. Merry Mavericks (1951) .... Mort, the jailer
  73. Pleasure Treasure (1951)
  74. Let's Go Navy! (1951) (unaccredited) .... Mailman
  75. Scrambled Brains (1951) .... Doctor
  76. Blonde Atom Bomb (1951)
  77. Wedding Yells (1951)
  78. Bowery Battalion (1951)
  79. Beware of Blondie (1950)
  80. Fuller Brush Girl, The (1950)
  81. Kill the Umpire (1950)
  82. Rock Island Trail (1950)
  83. Slap Happy Sleuths (1950)
  84. Three Hams on Rye (1950) .... B.K. Doaks
  85. Two Roaming Champs (1950)
  86. Good Humor Man, The (1950)
  87. Texas Dynamo (1950) .... Turkey
  88. Dizzy Yardbird (1950)
  89. Hugs and Mugs (1950)
  90. His Baiting Beauty (1950)
  91. Punchy Cowpunchers (1950) .... Captain Daley
  92. Blondie Hits the Jackpot (1949) (unaccredited) .... Plaster Mixer
  93. Feudin' Rhythm (1949)
  94. French Fried Frolic (1949)
  95. Vagabond Loafers (1949) .... Mr. Norfleet
  96. Fuelin' Around (1949) .... Professor Sneed
  97. Microspook (1949)
  98. Who Done It? (1949) .... Mr. Goodrich
  99. Radio Riot (1949)
  100. Blondie's Secret (1948) (unaccredited) .... Grocery Store Clerk
  101. Pinch in Time, A (1948)
  102. Billie Gets Her Man (1948)
  103. Sheepish Wolf, The (1948)
  104. Jitter Bughouse (1948)
  105. Pardon My Clutch (1948)
  106. Two Nuts in a Rut (1948)
  107. Joe Palooka in Fighting Mad (1948) .... Photographer
  108. Silly Billy (1948)
  109. Radio Romeo (1947)
  110. All Gummed Up (1947) .... Amos Flint, Landlord
  111. Wife to Spare (1947)
  112. Brideless Groom (1947) (unaccredited) .... J.M. Benton, Justice of the Peace
  113. Rolling Down to Reno (1947)
  114. Hold That Lion (1947) .... Attorney
  115. Bride and Gloom (1947)
  116. Hot Heir (1947)
  117. Meet Mr. Mischief (1947)
  118. Half-Wits Holiday (1947) (unaccredited) .... Sapington the Butler
  119. Andy Plays Hookey (1946)
  120. Moron Than Off (1946)
  121. Reno-Vated (1946)
  122. Honeymoon Blues (1946)
  123. So's Your Antenna (1946)
  124. Pardon My Terror (1946)
  125. Mr. Wright Goes Wrong (1946)
  126. Ain't Love Cuckoo? (1946)
  127. Hiss and Yell (1946) .... Drunken Workman

Notable TV guest appearances

  1. "Rogues, The" (1964) in episode: "Gambit by the Golden Gate"
  2. "My Favorite Martian" (1963) playing "Workman 1" in episode: "The Atom Misers"
  3. "Circus Boy" (1956) in episode: "The Tumbling Clown"
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