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Back to the Woods (1937 film)
Encyclopedia
Back to the Woods is the 23rd short subject
starring American slapstick
comedy team the Three Stooges
. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures
between 1934 and 1959.
Outside of Plymouth, they exchanged their pilgrim hats with coonskin cap
s, except Curly, who wears a skunk
hat. An accidental discharge by Curly’s blunderbuss
yielded a turkey
, which gave them hope. Then, they spotted what they thought were a group of turkeys and fire their rather overcharged long blunderbusses at the group. The “group” turned out to be Indian headdresses, which agitated the hit Indians. Attempts at retaliatory fire failed as their guns were destroyed by the powder overcharge, and they are chased by the Indians.
The Stooges do all their might to thwart the Indians in a wild goose chase, using a rock, a mudpack, a fish, a hornet’s nest, and a log as ammunition in their tree branch catapult in one instance. But in their escape, Larry is left behind, captured and tied to a tree, ready to be scalped. A passing woodpecker
adds to his misery. Curly and Moe eventually rescue him, helped with pieces of hot coals on the Indian’s butts, and they escape in a canoe, “motorboat” style, having accidentally reviving the bopped Indians with water.
Short subject
A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all...
starring American slapstick
Slapstick
Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which may exceed the boundaries of common sense.- Origins :The phrase comes from the batacchio or bataccio — called the 'slap stick' in English — a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte...
comedy team the Three Stooges
Three Stooges
The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy act of the early to mid–20th century best known for their numerous short subject films. Their hallmark was physical farce and extreme slapstick. In films, the Stooges were commonly known by their first names: "Moe, Larry, and Curly" and "Moe,...
. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
between 1934 and 1959.
Plot
Set in colonial times, the Stooges are convicted criminals who are banished from England to the American colonies. When they arrive (and after a dancing fling with the governor’s daughters), they find that the colonists are starving because the local Indians will not let them use their hunting grounds without a fee of 5,000 shekels. A down payment was made, but it was not enough. The Stooges decide to go hunting anyway to help out the colony.Outside of Plymouth, they exchanged their pilgrim hats with coonskin cap
Coonskin cap
A coonskin cap is a hat fashioned from the skin and fur of a raccoon. The original coonskin cap consisted of the entire skin of the raccoon including its head and tail...
s, except Curly, who wears a skunk
Skunk
Skunks are mammals best known for their ability to secrete a liquid with a strong, foul odor. General appearance varies from species to species, from black-and-white to brown or cream colored. Skunks belong to the family Mephitidae and to the order Carnivora...
hat. An accidental discharge by Curly’s blunderbuss
Blunderbuss
The blunderbuss is a muzzle-loading firearm with a short, large caliber barrel, which is flared at the muzzle and frequently throughout the entire bore, and used with shot and other projectiles of relevant quantity and/or caliber. The blunderbuss could be considered to be an early form of shotgun,...
yielded a turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, which gave them hope. Then, they spotted what they thought were a group of turkeys and fire their rather overcharged long blunderbusses at the group. The “group” turned out to be Indian headdresses, which agitated the hit Indians. Attempts at retaliatory fire failed as their guns were destroyed by the powder overcharge, and they are chased by the Indians.
The Stooges do all their might to thwart the Indians in a wild goose chase, using a rock, a mudpack, a fish, a hornet’s nest, and a log as ammunition in their tree branch catapult in one instance. But in their escape, Larry is left behind, captured and tied to a tree, ready to be scalped. A passing woodpecker
Woodpecker
Woodpeckers are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes. They are one subfamily in the family Picidae, which also includes the piculets and wrynecks. They are found worldwide and include about 180 species....
adds to his misery. Curly and Moe eventually rescue him, helped with pieces of hot coals on the Indian’s butts, and they escape in a canoe, “motorboat” style, having accidentally reviving the bopped Indians with water.