Editing Joe Besser (section)

==Personal life==
In 1932, Besser married dancer Erna Kay (born Ernestine Dora Kretschmer), known as "Ernie".<ref name=WP>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1988/03/03/three-stooges-actor-joe-besser-dies-at-age-80/45f229e2-31a4-422a-8cb8-7ba75f9739e8/ 'Three Stooges' Actor Joe Besser Dies at Age 80] ''www.washingtonpost.com'', accessed 22 February 2021</ref> The couple had no children.  They were neighbors and friends of [[Lou Costello]], of the [[Abbott and Costello]] duo. Besser appeared in the Abbott and Costello movie ''[[Africa Screams]]'' (1949), which also featured [[Shemp Howard]] of [[the Three Stooges]]. Joe and Shemp were old friends, having met in 1932.

His cousin's grandson is [[Upright Citizens Brigade]] theater co-founder and improviser/comedian [[Matt Besser]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.earwolf.com/episode/episode-9-matt-besser|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110205060141/http://www.earwolf.com/episode/episode-9-matt-besser|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 5, 2011|title=A Couple of Stooges, episode #9 of Who Charted? on Earwolf|website=www.earwolf.com|access-date=7 October 2018}}</ref>