Mousie Garner

Maybe Paul Garner wasn't much bigger than a mouse when he started performing at age five, but it was his quick movements, rapid chatter, and crazy animal sounds that won him the nickname "Mousie" from his friends on the vaudeville circuit.

And one tough mouse he was, especially when standing up to the bumps and buffets he received as one of the Ted Healy Stooges (some of whom would go on to become the famous Three Stooges). Later, he applied his finely honed pie-in-the-face talents to club work (including a stint with Spike Jones), radio, television, and film. His career has stretched over seven decades and continues today, as Mousie still enjoys pounding out old piano tunes and cracking jokes at yearly Stooge conventions.

Filled with tales from both behind the scenes and in front of the footlights, Mousie's autobiography captures nearly a century of American entertainment through the eyes of one hardworking, wisecracking performer.