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.

In the 1944 Three Stooges short “Crash Goes the Hash,” Moe, Larry, and Curly offend a snooty butler. “You remind me of the Three Stooges,” he chastises them. Curly takes umbrage. “Hey, that’s an ...