Actually if MANTON was chosen as a Stooge, it would have been JOE BESSER, not JOE DeRITA since Manton was supposed to replace SHEMP HOWARD. After Shemp's death, THE THREE STOOGES continued for a couple years of shorts with BESSER. JOE DeRITA joined the Stooges replacing BESSER to do FEATURE FILMS.

Yes, but I didn't like Joe Besser. He barely registers on my scale of classic Stooges. Joe DeRita was decent, as I said, as a faux Curly. Joe Besser, in my opinion, was awful. Mantan Mooreland would've been unique with his own take on things. Oh well, it didn't happen like a successful 1950s Chan TV series with J. Carroll Nash or 1970s revival with Ross Martin. How about B.D. Wong (Law & Order SVU) as a new Charlie Chan?