Production Information
Title: The Three Stooges in Orbit
Studio: Columbia
Release Date: July 4, 1962
Running Time: 1′ 27″
“I don’t know whether to call it a seagoing-helio-tank, a landgoing-helio-sub, or an airborne-what-in-hell…”
Short Take
While rehearsing a new opening bit for their children’s television program The Three Stooges Scrapbook, Moe, Larry and Curly Joe are evicted by their landlady for cooking in the rooming house. Searching for a new apartment, The Stooges travel to Professor Danforth’s (Emil Sitka) house in Lompoc. Professor Danforth is convinced that Martians will soon invade Earth, and persuades The Boys to help him guard his new invention: a military craft with the ability to move on the ground like a tank, in the air like a helicopter, in the water like a submarine, and even orbit like a spacecraft.
Danforth’s butler is a Martian spy in human disguise, and he attempts to frighten The Stooges away. Fleeing to their television studio, The Boys learn that their ratings are falling, and the producer doesn’t care for any of their new animation ideas. He gives them 10 days to come up with a ratings gimmick, or he’ll cancel the show. Danforth arrives on the scene with a deal: he’ll create a new “electronic animation” machine for them to use in their TV show if they return to his house and help with the helio-tank invention.
Meanwhile, the Martians have sent two more spies, Ogg and Zogg, to prepare for the invasion. After Danforth’s vehicle is finished and given a test run by The Stooges, the Martians steal it and mount their own “ray gun,”, to destroy selected Earth targets. The Stooges sneak onto the craft and attempt to stop the Martians!
The Three Stooges in Orbit Cast & Crew
| Directed by | Edward Bernds |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Norman Maurer |
| Written by | Norman Maurer Elwood Ullman |
| Starring | Moe Howard Larry Fine Joe DeRita Emil Sitka Carol Christensen Edson Stroll George N. Neise Rayford Barnes Norman Leavitt Nestor Paiva Don Lamond Peter Dawson Peter Brocco |
| Music by | Paul Dunlap |
| Cinematography | William P. Whitley |
| Edited by | Edwin H. Bryant |
The Three Stooges in Orbit Trivia
- The Three Stooges in Orbit was born out of The Three Stooges Scrapbook, an unsold color television pilot produced in 1960 at a cost of $30,000
- Portions of the Martian attack on Los Angeles is stock footage from Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers (1956 Columbia)
Production Notes
- New footage was shot over the course of 11 days between April 6-27, 1962