Production Information
Title: The Three Stooges Meet Hercules
Studio: Columbia
Release Date: January 26, 1962
Running Time: 1′ 29″
“He has got it hooked up all wrong – any idiot can see that.” “Well, you oughta know.”
Short Take
The Stooges work at Dimsal’s Drug Store in Ithaca, New York. They befriend Schuyler Davis (Quinn Redeker), the owner of the shop next door, who is attempting to build a time machine. With The Boys’ “help”, the machine transports The Three Stooges, Schuyler, and his girlfriend, Diane Quigley (Vicki Trickett) back in time to ancient Greece during the reign of the lecherous King Odius (George N. Neise). Almost immediately, the King falls for Diane. Meanwhile, Schuyler and The Boys free Ulysses, the rightful king, who was imprisoned by Odius. This leads to Odius banishing them to the galleys. However, the constant rowing causes Schuyler to become extremely muscular and superhumanly strong.
After an escape and shipwreck, they kill a monster with the help of Joe’s sleeping pills and start billing Schuyler as Hercules at a local gladiatorial arena. The real Hercules (Samson Burke) gets wind of their game and confronts them, but after single combat, The Stooges convince Hercules to help them rescue Diane in a chariot chase. The time travelers remove Odius and, navigating by observing the progress of military technology, manage to set history straight by dumping him off into the Wild West where a tribe of Native American warriors chases him off into the distance. After that, the travelers return to Dimsal’s Drug Store. Dimsal touches the time machine and disappears, but eventually returns with a pillory. The Stooges are able to remove the pillory with an electric tool.
The Three Stooges Meet Hercules Cast & Crew
| Directed by | Edward Bernds |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Norman Maurer |
| Written by | Norman Maurer Elwood Ullman |
| Starring | Moe Howard Larry Fine Joe DeRita Vicki Trickett Quinn Redeker George N. Neise Samson Burke Emil Sitka Hal Smith Marlin McKeever Mike McKeever |
| Music by | Paul Dunlap |
| Cinematography | Scotty Welbourne |
| Edited by | Edwin H. Bryant |
The Three Stooges Meet Hercules Trivia
- The working title was Hercules and The Three Stooges
- Marlin McKeever played as a linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams at the time of filming
- Samson Burke’s career includes several years in Hawaii as Tom Selleck’s stand-in and stunt double on Magnum P.I.
Production Notes
- Filming occurred between June 6-22, 1961
- The film utilized stock footage from Half-Shot Shooters and You Can’t Take It With You
- Larry was reportedly knocked unconscious while filming the chariot scene