Category: Humor

Blunder Boys (1955)

Director: Jules White

Writer: Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Benny Rubin, Kenneth MacDonald, Emil Sitka, Frank Sully and Al Thompson.

Tagline:  Turkish Night In A Ladies’ Bath!

The Plot…

After a stint in the army the boys decide to become detectives.  They graduate with the lowest honors and are assigned to capture a slippery criminal known as The Eel.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Sadly, Blunder Boys was the last Stooges’ short to feature new footage of Shemp.  He died of a heart attack within three weeks of its release.

Blunder Boys was a take-off of the popular Dragnet television series.

In one scene Larry holds up his middle finger when making a point.

Blunder Boys (1955) rates 3 of 5 stars.

Wham-Bam-Slam! (1955)

Director: Jules White

Writer: Felix Adler, Clyde Bruckman

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Matt McHugh.

Tagline:  SCORES A GRAND SLAM IN HILARITY!

The Plot…

After Larry and Moe have a series of mishaps trying to remove Shemp’s aching tooth, they decide a camping trip is just the thing they all need.  The only problem is they don’t own a car.  Our guys end up buying a jalopy that needs work.  Let the hijinks begin.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Wham-Bam-Slam! is a reworking of the Stooges’ 1948 short, Pardon My Clutch. It makes use of quite a bit of footage from the original. The funny thing is Pardon My Clutch borrowed from the Laurel & Hardy shorts Perfect Day (1929) and Them Thar Hills (1934).  So Wham-Bam-Slam! is a reworking of a reworked short!

One of my favorite Larry and Moe exchanges occurs in Wham-Bam-Slam!
Moe, “Only fools are positive.”
Larry, “Are you sure?”
Moe, “I’m positive!”

Wham-Bam-Slam! (1955) rates 4 of 5 stars.

Bedlam in Paradise (1955)

Director: Jules White

Writer: Felix Adler, Zion Myers

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Vernon Dent, Phillip Van Zandt, Sylvia Lewis and Symona Boniface.

Tagline:  BLUE SKY BUFFOONERY ALL THE WAY!!!

The Plot…

Shemp has died and is at the pearly gates waiting to get into heaven. Shemp has come up short and will be taking the down elevator, when he is given one chance at heaven. Shemp must return to earth, invisible to all, and reform Moe and Larry. It won’t be easy, because Larry and Moe are about to scam some rich business prospects. Can Shemp save his and the other two Stooges’ souls?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Bedlam in Paradise is a remake of the Stooges’ 1948 short, Heavenly Daze.  They added a subplot with the Devil that works.  There’s an extended scene with the Devil tempting Shemp with a sexy dancer before he returns to Earth.  There’s also a payoff at the end where the Devil gets a “pie” to the face.  Despite these additions, Bedlam in Paradise makes much use of footage from Heavenly Daze.

Bedlam in Paradise (1955) rates 4 of 5 stars.

Of Cash and Hash (1955)

Director: Jules White

Writer: Jack White

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Christine McIntyre, Vernon Dent, Kenneth MacDonald, Stanley Blystone, Blackie Whiteford and Duke York.

Tagline:  It takes the cake for laughs!

The Plot…

Our boys wander into the middle of a gunfight between cops and armored car robbers.  Both our guys and the thieves run off with the coppers in hot pursuit.  Of course Larry, Shemp and Moe are identified as the crooks.  They realize that unless they can find the real bad guys, their in big trouble. Let the hijinks begin.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Of Cash and Hash is a reworking of the Stooges’ Shivering Sherlocks from 1948.  New footage was created changing the reason for the boys ending up in a creepy, old house where the crooks are hiding.  The rest is done using footage from the original.

There’s a funny gag involving the cops, our guys and a lie detector.

Duke York plays Angel a big, dumb, scary-looking thug.  Love the look of this character.  And any time a monster is after our guys, it is the best.

Of Cash and Hash (1955) rates 4 of 5 stars.

Fling in the Ring (1955)

Director: Jules White

Writer: Jack White

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Dick Wessel, Claire Carleton, Heinie Conklin, Frank Sully and Sammy Stein.

Tagline:  A knockout of a knockabout comedy!

The Plot…

Our guys are managers of heavyweight boxer, Chopper Kane.  When gangsters tell our boys that Chopper loses his next fight or they lose their lives, they know what they have to do.  Chopper has to take a dive, but Chopper refuses.  Let the hijinks begin.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Fling in the Ring is a remake of the Stooge’s 1947’s Fright Night which was Shemp’s first film with the team.  The remake makes use of much footage from the original.

There is an extended scene of the Stooges being chased and fighting with the thugs in a warehouse full of crates that is worth the price of admission.

Moe gets his hand banged in a door and says, “I think I broke my eye-poking fingers.”

Fling in the Ring (1955) rates 4 of 5 stars.

Musty Musketeers (1954)

Director: Jules White

Writer: Jules, White, Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Vernon Dent, Philip Van Zandt, Heinie Conklin, Diana Darrin, Virginia Hunter, Norma Randall, Frank Sully and Al Thompson.

Tagline:  It’s a Laugh Riot!

The Plot…

Moe, Larry and Shemp are the famous “fiddlers three” for Old King Cole (Dent).  Our boys want to get married, but the King has ruled that until his daughter, Princess Alicia (Hunter) marries Prince Gallant III of Rhododendron there shall be no marriages allowed.  Working behind the scenes the diabolical magician Murgatroyd (Van Zandt) has his own plans of his own to marry the princess.  It will be up to our boys to foil Murgatroyd’s plans.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Musty Musketeers is a remake of the Stooge’s 1948 short, Fiddlers Three.  The remake makes use of much footage from the original.

Musty Musketeers (1954) rates 3 of 5 stars.

Bubble Trouble (1953)

Director: Jules White

Writer: Jules, White, Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Emil Sitka and Christine McIntyre.

Tagline:  THE MIRTH MANIACS..AT THEIR MADDEST!

The Plot…

Larry, Shemp and Moe are pharmacists who invent a potion that reverses the aging process! What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Bubble Trouble is a remake of the Stooge’s 1957 short All Gummed Up.  Although it uses much footage from the original, the payoff with the old man is different.

Bubble Trouble (1953) rates 3 of 5 stars.

Rip, Sew and Stitch (1953)

Director: Jules White

Writer: Jules, White, Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Phil Arnold, Vernon Dent and Jules White (voice).

Tagline:  A RIOTOUS ROMP… BURSTING AT THE SEAMS!

The Plot…

Larry, Moe and Shemp run a dry cleaning shop and if they don’t get some fast cash, they’re going to lose their business. When a safe cracker ditches the police and leaves his clothes in their shop, the boys find his cash. They get an idea that when he returns they’ll capture him for the reward money. What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Rip, Sew and Stitch is a remake of the Stooges’ short Sing a Song of Six Pants from 1947.  The remakes uses much footage from the original.

For a brief moment, Shemp seems to be doing a Lou Costello impression when one of the thugs questions him.

Rip, Sew and Stitch (1953) rates 3 of 5 stars.

Loose Loot (1953)

Director: Jules White

Writer: Felix Adler, Jack White

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Kenneth MacDonald, Suzanne Ridgway  and Emil Sitka.

Tagline:  A BOFFO BONANZA! of burlesque belly-laffs!

The Plot…

Larry, Moe and Shemp learn that they’ve inherited a good bit of money.  They’ve also come to realize that their broker, Icabod Slipp (MacDonald) is a crook and plans to run off with their dough!  Let the hijinks begin!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

 Loose Loot is a remake of The Three Stooges’ 1947 short, Hold That Lion! and makes use of ample footage from it.  Loose Loot also makes use of a gag used in their 1941 short, I’ll Never Heil Again.  Both feature a figure in a painting that comes to life to steal an object everyone is fighting over.

The extended scene in Icabod Slipp’s office is worth the price of admission. Each Stooge enters separately.  They find Slipp in the office, but Slipp pretends that he just entered as well.  He is there because “Slipp” ripped him off.  He then accuses each Stooge of being Slipp and beats them up!

Loose Loot (1953) rates 4 of 5 stars.

Up in Daisy’s Penthouse (1953)

Director: Jules White

Writer: Clyde Bruckman, Jack White

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard  and Blackie Whiteford.

Tagline:  THEY’RE BLOWING UP! – a gale of guffaws!

The Plot…

When Larry, Moe and Shemp learn that their father has struck it rich and plans to divorce their mother to marry a gold-digger, they know what they have to do: STOP THE MARRIAGE.  Let the good times roll!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Up in Daisy’s Penthouse is a remake of 3 Dumb Clucks, with Shemp taking on Curly’s role.  It also uses some footage from the original.  You can even hear Curly’s famous “Woowoowoo!” during the flagpole scene.

Up in Daisy’s Penthouse (1953) rates 3 of 5 stars.

Cuckoo on a Choo Choo (1952)

Director: Jules White

Writer: Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard  and Victoria Horne.

Tagline: Your Favorite Funsters in Their Happiest Huddle!

The Plot…

Larry and Shemp are living in a stolen railroad car.  Shemp is rich, but also a drunk and in love with a giant, imaginary bird.  Larry wants to marry his girlfriend, Lenore, but her family’s tradition is that the oldest sibling must be married first.  So Larry and his girl are trying to convince Shemp to marry Roberta, the older sister.

Then Moe, a private detective for the railroad shows up.  He’s finally tracked down the stolen railroad car!  He’s about to arrest Larry and Shemp when he spots, Roberta, his old girlfriend that he never got over.  And if you think this all sounds crazy, it gets really nuts…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Cuckoo on a Choo Choo is another of Larry FIne’s favorite Stooges’ shorts.  It could be because he gets to play a tougher character than usual.

This short is also one of the few that has the boys not working together as brothers or a team (which defeats the concept of The Three Stooges).

Lenore (talking about Shemp): “He’s filthy with money.”  Larry: “He’s filthy without it!”

Cuckoo on a Choo Choo (1952) rates 3 of 5 stars.