The Stooge
1952 film by Norman Taurog
The Stooge is a 1952 American comedy film directed by Norman Taurog and starring the comedy team of Martin and Lewis alongside Polly Bergen and Marion Marshall. The film was released nationally in the United States in February 1953 by Paramount Pictures.
Plot
In 1930, entertainer Bill Miller believes that he has the ability to become a solo performer. He and his partner Ben Bailey split up and go their separate ways. Miller fails miserably, and his manager Leo Lyman thinks it would be a good idea to perform with a "stooge." Enter Ted Rogers, who plays an accident-prone foil for Miller. Soon afterwards, Miller's act is a hit.
Along the way, Rogers is unaware that he is the real reason the act is a success and becomes very loyal to Miller. Even though he receives no billing, he defends his "partner" when others suggest he is being taken advantage of by Miller.
Eventually, even Miller's wife Mary Turner is ashamed of his treatment of Rogers, going so far as to threaten him with divorce. Miller is more determined than ever to prove he can make it as a single and fires Rogers, but promptly regrets his decision as his first performance as a true solo artist flops.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “The Stooge” is 1952 film by Norman Taurog. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Stooge, film and Norman, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “1952 film by Norman Taurog” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 7, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2439749. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1952, 1953 and 1930.
Titles can refer to several editions, objects or performances, making precise identification essential before interpretation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
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The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “The Stooge”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow The Stooge primary sources, The Stooge archive and Stooge research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “The Stooge”?
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Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “The Stooge” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.