“Back from the Front” (1943) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

Back from the Front (1943)

Director:  Jules White

Writer:  Jack White, Ewart Adamson

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Stanley Blystone, Heinie Conklin, Vernon Dent, Bud Jamison and Adele Mara.

Tagline:  Any resemblance between the characters in this picture and other human beings is a dirty shame.

The Plot…

Larry, Curly and Moe are merchant marines during World War II.  After some misadventures they end up on a German war ship!  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Moe disguises himself as Adolph Hitler (as he did in 1940’s You Nazty Spy and 1941’s I’ll Never Heil Again – I never get tired of this) and tells the German officers, “Use your heads and shoot out your brains.”  The commandant replies, “But mein Führer, we’re Nazis. We have no brains.”

The Nazi warship our guys sneak aboard is the the SS Schicklgruber.  “Schicklgruber” is Adolph Hitler’s father’s real last name.  He changed it to Hitler later in life.  The British often referred to Hitler as Schicklgruber for propaganda purposes and it is the only name the Stooges would use when referring to him.  “Schicklgruber” pops up in other Stooges shorts.

There’s a dog named Terry on the ship. This dog also played Toto in The Wizard Of Oz.

When the boys sneak aboard the Nazi warship, Moe says, “If we’re discovered, we’re lost.”  Curly responds, “You’re crazy. If we’re discovered, we’re found.”  NYUK-NYUK-NYUK.

Back from the Front (1943) rates 4 of 5 stars.