“Cuckoo on a Choo Choo” (1952) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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.