Ted Healy (October 1, 1896 – December 21, 1937) was an American vaudeville performer, comedian, and actor. Though he is chiefly remembered as the creator of The Three Stooges and the style of slapstick comedy that they later made famous, he had a successful stage and film career of his own, and was cited as a formative influence by several later comedy stars.

Biography

Healy's first wife was dancer and singer Betty Brown (born Elizabeth Braun), whom he married in 1922 one week after they met. The couple worked together in vaudeville, then divorced in 1932 after Brown sued heiress Mary Brown Warburton for "alienation of her husband's affections".

Healy's second marriage was to UCLA coed Betty Hickman. After introducing himself, Healy proposed immediately, and the couple became engaged the following day. They were married in Yuma, Arizona on May 15, 1936 after a midnight elopement by plane. Hickman was granted a divorce on October 7, 1936, which was nullified after a reconciliation. Their son, John Jacob, was born on December 17, 1937, four days before Healy's death.

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