Category:

June Shorts

Sappy Bull Fighters

Production Information
Title: Sappy Bull Fighters
Studio: Columbia
Short Number: 190
Release Date: June 4, 1959
Running Time: 18:25

“Hey you guys even smell like a bull!”

Short Take

The Stooges are vaudeville entertainers who trek to Mexico to perform their gag bullfight shtick, with Joe as the brave matador, and Moe and Larry dressed in a bull costume. Unfortunately, their gig is canceled once they arrive. According to the trio, the manager fired them after they refused to do 10 additional shows for free. With no money to return home, The Stooges are stranded. Feeling bad for them, attractive señorita Greta (Greta Thyssen) gets The Boys a gig at the local bullring. However, when she leaves Greta mistakenly takes the trio’s suitcase instead of hers. They go to retrieve it, however, while there Joe becomes attracted to Greta and begins to kiss her. Initially, unbeknownst to him, her evil man-hating husband José (George J. Lewis)sees this and becomes jealous, he orders them out and threatens Joe if he ever sees Joe again. The Stooges leave but realize they again have the wrong suitcase forcing them to return and hide from a sleeping José. José awakens and chases The Three Stooges but they escape with their correct suitcase.

The next day, The Stooges perform their act in front of a live crowd and the act goes without a hitch, however, once José recognizes the trio, in an act of revenge he pays the bullring attendant (Joe Palma) to release a live bull into the ring. Moe and Larry flee the ring, but Joe is unaware of the switch. He eventually head-butts the wild animal, and is paraded out of the ring to the rousing cheers of “Olé, Americano!”

Sappy Bull Fighters Cast & Crew

Directed by	Jules White
Produced by	Jules White
Written by	Saul Ward Jack White
Starring	Moe Howard Larry Fine Joe Besser Greta Thyssen George J. Lewis Joe Palma
Cinematography	Irving Lippman
Edited by	Harold White

Sappy Bull Fighters Trivia

Sappy Bull Fighters was the last of 190 Stooge shorts released by Columbia
This was also Joe Besser’s last appearance with The Boys
During Joe’s bull ride you can still hear a brief “woob, woob, woob” from Curly
On the introductory poster shot, it reads “Julio Blanco” (Spanish for Jules White)

Production Notes

Filming was conducted between June 30 and July 1 of 1957, two years before the short was released

Filmography June Shorts

Pies and Guys

Production Information
Studio: Columbia
Short Number: 185
Release Date: June 12, 1958
Running Time: 16:09

“There is definite evidence of Vacancy of the Cranium.”

Short Take

Pies and Guys, the third Stooge adaptation of Pygmalion, the trio are repairmen who make a scene in the presence of two psychologists, Professors Quackenbush (Milton Frome) and Sedletz (Gene Roth). Quackenbush makes a bet with Sedletz that he can turn The Boys into gentlemen. Training is slow and painful for the professor, who pulls his hair out in disgust. However, The Stooges do have the opportunity to flirt with the professor’s assistant (Greta Thyssen), while learning proper table etiquette. Finally, The Stooges will decide the wager by their behavior at a fancy society party.

Naturally, the party goes awry. Joe greets the Countess Spritzwasser (Harriette Tarler) by kissing her hand and biting off the diamond in her ring. Realizing this, Moe and Larry take Joe to a secluded area to lecture him, only to find he has swiped a load of silverware.

Joe then grabs a pie from a pastry table and tries to eat it whole. Moe sees this, swipes the pie, and pushes Joe out of the way. Seeing another guest, Mrs. Smythe-Smythe (Symona Boniface), approaching, Moe tosses the pie straight up—to which it attaches itself to the ceiling. Seeing that he can barely get a sentence out, she sympathetically comments, “young man, you act as if you have the Sword of Damocles hanging over your head.” Moe replies that Mrs. Smythe-Smythe is a psychic and flees, to which the pie comes crashing down on the society matron. This sparks off a massive pie melee that takes no prisoners.

Pies and Guys Cast & Crew

Directed by	Jules White
Produced by	Jules White
Written by	Jack White
Starring	Moe Howard Larry Fine Joe Besser Greta Thyssen Milton Frome Gene Roth Emil Sitka Harriette Tarler Helen Dickson
Cinematography	Irving Lippman
Edited by	Harold White

Pies and Guys Trivia

Pies and Guys is a scene-for-scene remake of 1947’s Half-Wits Holiday
Greta Thyssen also appeared in Sappy Bullfighters which was also released in June.

Production Notes

New footage was shot in two days on May 6–7, 1957

Filmography June Shorts

Guns a Poppin!

Title: Guns a Poppin!
Studio: Columbia
Short Number: 179
Release Date: June 13, 1957
Running Time: 16:27

“This area’s fine for hunting.” “How do you know?” “I saw a sign outside that said ‘Fine For Hunting.'”

Short Take

Moe is on trial for assaulting Larry and Joe. Moe appeals to the judge (Vernon Dent), claiming he is a sick man who was instructed by his doctor to maintain peace and quiet. This peace is broken by Larry and Joe who are loudly rehearsing their “The Original Two-Man Quartet” routine to serenade Moe. Moe cracks and wraps Larry’s trombone slides around the quartet’s neck. Realizing Moe is in bad shape, Larry and Joe decide to take their ailing leader on a hunting trip to relieve his stress. Moe takes to the idea like ducks to bread, and the Stooges start packing.

No sooner do they arrive in an empty cabin when a hungry bear devours some eggs and potatoes while Moe has his back turned. His nerves double frayed, Moe asks Larry and Joe to pursue the bear. One thing leads to another, and the bear ends up behind the wheel of The Stooges’ car, driving away with it. Then, when Moe thinks he is at the end of his rope, The Boys get involved with a sheriff (Frank Sully) in hot pursuit of outlaw Mad Bill Hookup (Joe Palma).

Back in the courtroom, Moe ends his story by concluding that he must go back to bed for six additional months. The judge takes pity on the poor Stooge and finds him not guilty. Joe and Larry are disgusted by the ruling and are about to get theirs. But thanks to Larry’s tough skull, the ax is now broken and Moe begins to lose his nerves again.

Guns a Poppin! Cast & Crew

Directed by	Jules White
Produced by	Jules White
Written by	Elwood Ullman (story) Jack White (story and screenplay)
Starring	Moe Howard Larry Fine Joe Besser Vernon Dent Frank Sully Joe Palma
Cinematography	Henry Freulich
Edited by	Saul A. Goodkind

Guns a Poppin! Trivia

This is Joe Palma’s first Stooge appearance since substituting for Shemp the previous year
The working title was Nerveless Wreck
Larry plays the trombone in the Two-Man Quartet; we usually see Larry on the violin, guitar or piano

Production Notes

Guns a Poppin! is a remake of 1945’s Idiots Deluxe, using a surprisingly minimal amount of stock footage from the original
All new scenes were filmed on November 28, 1956

Filmography June Shorts

Rumpus in the Harem

Production Information
Title: Rumpus in the Harem
Studio: Columbia
Short Number: 171
Release Date: June 21, 1956
Running Time: 15:56

“P.S. – If you don’t get this note, let me know and I’ll write you another.”

Short Take

The Stooges play the proprietors of the Cafe Casbah Bah, a Middle Eastern restaurant. One morning, Moe and Larry are awakened by their crying sweethearts, who are in need of money to pay off a bad debt. While attempting to prepare a meal for customers Hassan Ben Sober (Vernon Dent) and the Gin of Rummy (George J. Lewis), The Stooges try to think of a way to raise the needed cash. In the interim, they discover a plan that their hungry customers are hatching. These two thieves are attempting to rob the tomb of Rootentooten, which contains a priceless diamond, but they discover that the Emir of Schmow (Johnny Kascier) has already gotten his hands on the diamond. The two plotters start wailing and are thrown out of the restaurant. The Stooges then attempt to retrieve the diamond themselves, as there is a $50,000 reward at stake.

The Stooges arrive at the Emir of Shmow’s palace, all three dressed as Santa Claus. They then manage to acquire the diamond and make a quick exit, but not before dealing with a burly guard.

Rumpus in the Harem Cast & Crew

Directed by	Jules White
Produced by	Jules White
Written by	Felix Adler
Starring	Moe Howard Larry Fine Shemp Howard Joe Palma Vernon Dent George J. Lewis Diana Darrin Helen Jay Ruth Godfrey White Harriette Tarler Suzanne Ridgeway Johnny Kascier
Cinematography	Ray Cory
Edited by	Harold White

Rumpus in the Harem Trivia

The working title was Diamond Daffy
It is a rework of the 1949 film Malice in the Palace
This was the first of the four “phony Shemp” shorts and shows the most new footage with Joe Palma.
Fake Shemp, or simply Shemp, became known as someone who appears in a film as a replacement for another actor or person. Their appearance is disguised using methods such as heavy make-up (or a computer-generated equivalent), filming from the back, dubbing in audio and splicing in past footage from the original actor’s previous work, or using partial shots of the actor. The concept is named after Shemp Howard, whose sudden death in 1955 necessitated the use of these techniques to finish the films to which he was already committed. Once somewhat commonplace throughout the 20th century, the use of Fake Shemps to emulate living people are now forbidden under Screen Actors Guild contracts, largely because of a lawsuit filed by Crispin Glover that determined that the method violates the original actor’s personality rights. The method continues to be used in cases, such as Shemp’s, where the original actor is deceased and permission from the deceased actor’s estate is granted.

Production Notes

As Shemp Howard had already died, for these last four films (Rumpus in the Harem, Hot Stuff, Scheming Schemers and Commotion on the Ocean), Columbia utilized supporting actor Joe Palma to be Shemp’s double

Filmography June Shorts

Stone Age Romeos

Production Information
Title: Stone Age Romeos
Studio: Columbia
Short Number: 163
Release Date: June 2, 1955
Running Time: 15:48

“To verify our theory would require the services of explorers who are indeed intrepid!” “That’s us! We’re decrepit!”

Short Take

In Stone Age Romeos, The Three Stooges hope to collect a reward by proving to museum curator B. Bopper (Emil Sitka) that cavemen indeed still exist. They embark on an expedition with a 16mm camera in hand, ready to film whatever they find. Eventually, The Stooges return to Bopper with a film showing three cavemen living in the prehistoric age. The film illustrates the three tending to their daily chores, consisting of mixing milk, hunting fish, and gathering eggs. The film also shows the three cavemen defending their women from other fellow cavemen. Bopper is ecstatic and is preparing to cut The Boys a check. However, Bopper overhears the sneaky Stooges talking about how the film was a hoax, as they played the cavemen themselves. The curator is furious, and promptly shoots the three frauds in their derrieres, before shooting himself in the foot.

Stone Age Romeos Cast & Crew

Directed by	Jules White
Produced by	Jules White
Written by	Zion Myers Felix Adler
Starring	Moe Howard Larry Fine Shemp Howard Emil Sitka Dee Green Virginia Hunter Nancy Saunders Joe Palma Cy Schindell Heinie Conklin
Cinematography	Ira Morgan
Edited by	Paul Borofsky

Stone Age Romeos Trivia

The working title was Caved in Caveman
This is the second consecutive refurbishing of a Zion Myers script
Stock footage for the caveman scene is pulled from 1948’s I’m A Monkey’s Uncle

Production Notes

New footage was filmed on August 26, 1954

Filmography June Shorts

Pals and Gals

Production Information
Title: Pals and Gals
Studio: Columbia
Short Number: 155
Release Date: June 3, 1954
Running Time: 16:41

“A gorilla! Where are we, in Africa?”

Short Take

Shemp is suffering from an enlarged vein in his leg, and fears that it will lead to amputation. His doctor (Vernon Dent), however, advises that a few weeks in the Old West will cure him. Upon arrival in a somewhat lawless town, the boys befriend the ruthless Doc Barker (Norman Willes). Barker listens to Shemp’s story about his bad leg, mistaking “the biggest vein you ever saw” for a gold-bearing vein worth millions. The Stooges take a liking to Barker, but are later informed by the beautiful Nell (Christine McIntyre) that he is an outlaw who is holding her two sisters (Norma Randall and Ruth White) hostage in the basement of the saloon.

The Boys hatch a plan to obtain the prison cell keys from Barker’s coat. Shemp joins the outlaw in a game of poker, while Moe and Larry prepare beverages for the card players. The two find every possible deadly chemical they can to add to their volatile Mickey Finn, from Old Homicide to paint (plus paint remover). They also prepare a sarsaparilla for Shemp to make sure their pal does not indulge in the suicidal drink. Barker downs the concoction, and screams for water. Shemp grabs a nearby fire hose and sprays the entire gang, soaking them. Moe and Larry quickly grab Barker’s coat (claiming he will catch pneumonia) and get the cell keys to Nell, who frees her sisters. Barker ends up dying of heart failure at the Poker table, and his irate gang throw Larry in the cell with plans to kill him at sunrise.

Moe and Shemp attempt to free Larry using every tool they can find, while the girls ride for help. After freeing Larry, the trio stumble upon a suitcase full of old, Southern-style clothing. They then quickly change outfits to disguise themselves from Barker’s gang, but a gang member (Stanley Blystone) recognizes them. The Boys flee the saloon, and scurry away to hideout outside of town. Just as they are cornered by Barker’s gang, Shemp takes off his gun belt, and, now serving as an ad hoc ammunition belt, puts it through a meat grinder. The increased firepower scares the gang away, and the Stooges emerge victorious.

Pals and Gals Cast & Crew

Directed by	Jules White
Produced by	Jules White
Written by	Clyde Bruckman Jack White
Starring	Moe Howard Larry Fine Shemp Howard Christine McIntyre Norma Randall Ruth White Stanley Blystone Norman Willes Joe Palma George Chesebro Heinie Conklin Vernon Dent Frank Ellis Blackie Whiteford
Cinematography	Gert Anderson
Edited by	Edwin Bryant

Pals and Gals Trivia

Ruth Godfrey, Belle in the short, was the daughter-in-law of Jules White
This was Christine McIntyre’s fourth appearance as Nell, the most of the same character in multiple shorts by a supporting player
The working title was Cuckoo Westerners

Production Notes

Pals and Gals is a reworking of 1947’s Out West, using ample stock footage
In addition, scenes of The Stooges escaping the saloon via horseback were recycled from 1937’s Goofs and Saddles

Filmography June Shorts

Spooks!

Production Information
Title: Spooks!
Studio: Columbia
Short Number: 148
Release Date: June 15, 1953
Running Time: 15:44

“Oh no, Dr. Jekyll!” “Dr. Jekyll? We must Hyde!”

Short Take

The Stooges are private detectives that are hired to track down a kidnapped girl name Mary Bopper (Norma Randall), daughter of George B. Bopper. They decide to trace Bopper back to where she was last seen, which leads them to mad scientist Dr. Jeckyl (Philip Van Zandt) and his assistant, Mr. Hyde (Tom Kennedy). There is also a gorilla kept imprisoned in the house for experimental purposes. The Stooges arrive to rescue the kidnapped girl disguised as door-to door pie salesmen. They investigate the neighborhood where she went missing and come across a deserted old house. They’re locked in and discover a mad scientist and his hatchet man, who are planning to transplant the girl’s brain into a gorilla. Eye gouges, the bat attack, a scary gorilla, the pen thrown at Shemp’s nose all in glorious 3-D. The short ends with a three-dimensional pie fight.

Spooks! Cast & Crew

Directed by	Jules White
Produced by	Jules White
Written by	Felix Adler
Starring	Moe Howard Larry Fine Shemp Howard Philip Van Zandt Tom Kennedy Norma Randall Frank Mitchell

Spooks! Trivia

The short was shot in 3-D and released just months after United Artists released the first 3-D feature film, Bwana Devil
Steve Calvert was a prolific gorilla suit performer in many Hollywood films and television shows from the late 1940s through the 1950s

Production Notes

Spooks! was the first of two Stooge shorts (the other being Pardon My Backfire) made by Columbia Pictures in 3D

Filmography June Shorts

Monkey Businessmen

Production Information
Title: Monkey Businessmen
Studio: Columbia
Short Number: 92
Release Date: June 20, 1946
Running Time: 18:00

“What’s his temperature?” “Ninety proof!”

Short Take

The Stooges are inept electricians who manage to electrocute themselves as well as their boss, “Smilin'” Sam McGann (Fred Kelsey). After predictably getting fired from their job by their other boss Mr. Jordan, Curly suggests that The Boys take “a nice, long rest.” They spot an ad for Mallard’s Rest Home, and embark on their R&R trip.

Upon arrival, The Boys are introduced to Dr. Mallard (Kenneth MacDonald) who prescribes a detailed, regimented schedule of exercise, only to be fed a “nice bowl of milk” for breakfast and lunch. Mallard then assigns two nurses to train The Stooges, which sends The Boys head over heels into fits of love — until the “nurses” turn out to be men (Cy Schindell and Rocky Woods).

While The Stooges are vigorously training in the gym the following day, Moe and Larry attempt to help Curly flex his muscles by removing the individual weights, pound by pound. The weights land on the nurses’ heads, knocking them cold. In their daze, the two spill the beans that Mallard is a quack, and The Stooges realize that the phony doctor is out to swindle the trio from their hard-earned money. While attempting to escape, however, a vase falls on Curly’s head causing him to wail in pain and wake up a sleeping guard. Moe and Larry claim to be doctors and say that Curly is their patient. This fools the guard, however, Dr. Mallard becomes suspicious when hearing about the “new doctors” and investigates and discovers the ruse. The Stooges manage to defeat him.

However, while fleeing Moe and Larry are captured by the nurses and locked inside the steam room. Curly cannot figure out how to properly operate the temperature, forcing Moe and Larry to break out themselves. In their efforts to escape, Curly bumps into a wealthy man with a bad foot (Snub Pollard), and is handsomely rewarded with $1,000 when he accidentally fixes it by colliding with the man and kicking his bad foot. When Curly suggests using the money to take “a nice, long rest,” Moe and Larry promptly clobber him.

Monkey Businessmen Cast & Crew

Directed by	Edward Bernds
Produced by	Hugh McCollum
Written by	Edward Bernds
Starring	Moe Howard Larry Fine Curly Howard Kenneth MacDonald Cy Schindell Fred Kelsey Snub Pollard Jean Willes Wade Crosby Rocky Woods
Cinematography	Philip Tannura
Edited by	Paul Borofsky

Monkey Businessmen Trivia

This was Kenneth McDonald’s first appearance in a Three Stooges short
The plot is a remake of Smith & Dale’s Mutiny on the Body
Two other working titles were Sanitarium Stooge and Monkey Business

Production Notes

Filming took place January 30-February 2 of 1946
Edward Bernds notes that Curly was in such poor condition because of a series of strokes in 1945 that Moe had to coach Curly line by line throughout filming

Filmography June Shorts

Nutty but Nice

Production Information
Title: Nutty but Nice
Studio: Columbia
Short Number: 47
Release Date: June 14, 1940
Running Time: 17:45

“Well, doc, I got a terrific pain right here. Every time I squeeze my Adams apple, I can taste cider.”

Short Take

In Nutty But Nice, The Three Stooges are working as singing waiters at a restaurant and meet two doctors (Vernon Dent, John Tyrrell) who ask them to cheer up Betty Williams, a little girl who is sick from grief because her father (Ned Glass), a bank cashier, has been kidnapped while delivering $300,000 worth of bonds. The Stooges pay a visit to Betty dressed up as little girls with blonde sausage curls, but they fail to cheer her up. The Stooges then volunteer to go out and find the girl’s missing father. The doctors give them a brief description of the father (middle-aged, bald-spot, an anchor tattoo, and 5’10” in his stocking feet). He and Betty like to yodel to each other, something Curly seems rather adept at.

The Stooges waste no time in stopping every suspect in sight and giving them the Stooge third degree. Frustrated, Curly starts yodeling, and after a few maladies that befall him (water, a flower pot, and a chair all crashing on his head), the boys hear a response from a radio that one of the kidnappers, Butch (Cy Schindell), has on. Butch is guarding Betty’s father who is gagged and tied to a bed. Mistaking the yodeling cowboy on the radio for the cashier, The boys follow the sounds and intercede, knock out Butch, and free Betty’s father.

Just then, three other members of the gang return. The Stooges and the father barricade the room door and use the dumbwaiter to escape to the basement. The four men follow them downstairs where a fight ensues, plunging everything into darkness, leaving only Curly fully conscious afterward to light a candle. The cashier is reunited with Betty, who recovers from her lethargy, and the pair, along with the two doctors, are serenaded at the restaurant by The Stooges.

Nutty But Nice Cast & Crew

Directed by	Jules White
Produced by	Jules White
Written by	Felix Adler Clyde Bruckman
Starring	Moe Howard Larry Fine Curly Howard Ned Glass John Tyrrell Vernon Dent Cy Schindell Lynton Brent Johnny Kascier Harry Wilson Bert Young Lew Davis Evelyn Young Ethelreda Leopold
Cinematography	John Stumar
Edited by	Mel Thorsen

Nutty but Nice Trivia

Nutty But Nice was released on June 14, 1940. June 14^th is Flag Day. Fly it proudly
There is a very large supporting cast in one of the June shorts and there are some role reprisals from key supporting players
Bert Young (Paulie in the Rocky film franchise) appeared in about half a dozen Stooge shorts
Ned Glass and Cy Schindell introduce the Bentwood chair into Stooge comedy in this short
It was also the first Stooges short to feature the elevated train structure, located on Skid Row at the Columbia Ranch
Evelyn Young, the nurse, was also unforgettable as the beautiful woman in a turban in the doctor’s waiting room who is the object of Curly’s affection as he acts like a dog in From Nurse To Worse. She also appeared in Boobs In Arms and No Census No Feeling
Jules White received a music and lyrics credit, besides those as producer and director, for the short Nutty But Nice. The song ‘yodeled’ in the short was composed by Jules White. It is titled “I’m a Cowboy From the Western Plains”

Production Notes

Nutty but Nice was filmed from April 27 to May 2, 1940

Filmography June Shorts

Saved by the Belle

Production Information
Title: Saved by the Belle
Studio: Columbia
Short Number: 40
Release Date: June 30, 1939
Running Time: 17:22

“You know I’m temperamental.” “Yeah, 95% temper, 5% mental.”

Short Take

In Saved By The Belle, The Three Stooges are traveling salesmen stranded in Valeska, a fictional South American country prone to earthquakes. Unfortunately, they are having no luck selling fur coats to the natives. They are then arrested when they receive a telegram instructing them to “get rid of present wardrobe” and an official thinks they are planning to assassinate president Ward Robey. The Boys escape the prison with the help of Rita, a beautiful revolutionary, and are sent on a mission to deliver important plans to the revolutionary leader. When they deliver a rolled up calendar by mistake, they are once again heading for a firing squad but are spared when Rita arrives with the real plans.

However, The Stooges are tricked, when they are to be commissioned by the revolutionary army, only to face a firing squad. Once again, however, a strong earthquake allows The Stooges to escape in a truck, filled with explosives. When Curly lights a cigarette, Moe tells him to throw it away. Without thinking, Curly throws it into the back of the truck, filled with explosives, causing the truck to blow up, landing the Stooges on a horse. Finally, the horse throws them off, and the film ends.

Saved by the Belle Cast & Crew

Directed by	Charley Chase
Produced by	Charley Chase Hugh McCollum
Written by	Searle Kramer Elwood Ullman
Starring	Moe Howard Larry Fine Curly Howard LeRoy Mason Carmen LaRoux Gino Corrado Vernon Dent Manuel París Al Thompson
Cinematography	Allen G. Siegler
Edited by	Art Seid

Saved by the Belle Trivia

This was the last Stooge short directed by Charley Chase
The flag of Valeska (the fictional country where the short takes place) features an arm holding a mallet with the shirt sleeve rolled up
When The Boys are about to face the firing squad, Curly says he will send a photo home to Elaine, the name of his real second wife Elaine Ackerman (1937-41)
Al Thompson acted in more than 40 shorts with The Three Stooges including 35 with Curly in the cast
Carmen Laroux is best known for her appearance as Señorita Rita in Saved by the Belle. She also appeared in the John Wayne film The Desert Trail. Her final film appearance was as a maid in Orson Welles’ masterpiece Citizen Kane. Laroux died suddenly on August 24, 1942. She was just 32.

Production Notes

Saved by the Belle was filmed on December 12–15, 1938
The short was shot on the Columbia Ranch’s Wester set. The Boys try to sell their wares on the porch of the Hotel, and also appear in the front of the Bank in two different scenes. The Hotel and the Bank were located across from each other on Western Street