“So Long Mr. Chumps” (1941) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

So Long Mr. Chumps (1941)

Director:  Jules White

Writer:  Clyde Bruckman, Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Vernon Dent, Bruce Bennett, Bud Jamison and Blackie Whiteford

Tagline: NUTTIER THAN EVER!

The Plot…

The boys find an envelope full of bonds and return the it to the rightful owner.  The grateful man offers our guys a $5,000 reward if they can find an honest man to run his business.  After repeated unsuccessful attempts, Larry, Curly and Moe realize that an honest man is being held in jail.  Our boys decide the best plan of action is to get arrested and then get the man out.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Bruce Bennett’s birth name was Herman Brix.  He was an Olympic athlete and actor under his given name.  He also played Tarzan in the movies.  Feeling he was typecast as Tarzan, Brix changed his name and went on to in both low budget features as well as major motion pictures such as Sahara with Bogart, Mildred Pierce with Joan Crawford, Dark Passage with Bogart and Bacall, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre with Bogart, Sudden Fear with Joan Crawford and Gloria Grahame and Strategic Air Command with Jimmy Stewart.

In the last scene Curly breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to the audience.

Moe stops Curly from smoking a cigarette, Curly continues to pull out bigger and bigger smokes until he’s finally lighting up a cigar that’s a couple of feet long.

So Long Mr. Chumps (1941) rates 3 of 5 stars.