G.I. Wanna Home
Encyclopedia
G.I. Wanna Home is the 94th 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.
, the Stooges are discharged from the service and return home. They are prepared to marry their fiancées (Judy Malcolm
, Ethelreda Leopold
, and Doris Houck
), but are dispossessed. The boys search around for a room to rent, and hit blind alley after blind alley until finally settling for an open-lot-turned living quarters. All goes well with the unusual setup until a farmer on a tractor plows down the boys' domicile.
Afterwards, the Stooges build a pathetically small apartment from "their own little hands", with the living room, dining room, and kitchen cramped into the space of a den.
's career. The 42-year-old comedian had suffered a series of minor stroke
s several months prior to filming, and his performances had been unpredictable. By the time of G.I. Wanna Home, he had lost a considerable amount of weight, and lines had creased his baby face. While director Edward Bernds
devised ways to cover his illness, Jules White
simply shifted the action towards Larry. The scene where Larry climbs the tree to grab eggs from a bird's nest would normally have revolved around Curly climbing up the tree. In addition, Curly could no longer ad lib
for the camera as in previous instances. His scene where he cleans potatoes is sluggish and lethargic. Films like Playing the Ponies
, An Ache in Every Stake
, Sock-a-Bye Baby
, and I Can Hardly Wait
are finer examples of Curly preparing food and creating comedy genius with little effort.
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
At the end World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Stooges are discharged from the service and return home. They are prepared to marry their fiancées (Judy Malcolm
Judy Malcolm
Judy Malcolm was an American film actress. Born Marguerite Westergren, Malcolm appeared in approximately 25 films between 1933 and 1955....
, Ethelreda Leopold
Ethelreda Leopold
Ethelreda Leopold was an American film actress. She appeared in approximately 65 films between 1934 and 1972.Leopold is familiar to modern viewers for her roles in several Three Stooges, Andy Hardy, and Abbott and Costello films...
, and Doris Houck
Doris Houck
Doris Houck was an American film actress. She appeared in 25 films between 1932 and 1955.Houck is familiar to modern viewers for her roles in several Three Stooges short subjects, such as G.I. Wanna Home...
), but are dispossessed. The boys search around for a room to rent, and hit blind alley after blind alley until finally settling for an open-lot-turned living quarters. All goes well with the unusual setup until a farmer on a tractor plows down the boys' domicile.
Afterwards, the Stooges build a pathetically small apartment from "their own little hands", with the living room, dining room, and kitchen cramped into the space of a den.
Curly's illness
G.I. Wanna Home was filmed near the end of Curly HowardCurly Howard
Jerome Lester "Jerry" Horwitz , better known by his stage name Curly Howard, was an American comedian and vaudevillian. He is best known as a member of the American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges, along with his older brothers Moe Howard and Shemp Howard, and actor Larry Fine...
's career. The 42-year-old comedian had suffered a series of minor stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
s several months prior to filming, and his performances had been unpredictable. By the time of G.I. Wanna Home, he had lost a considerable amount of weight, and lines had creased his baby face. While director Edward Bernds
Edward Bernds
Edward Bernds was an American screenwriter and director, born in Chicago, Illinois.-Career:While in his junior year in Lake View High School, he and several friends formed a small radio clique and obtained amateur licenses...
devised ways to cover his illness, Jules White
Jules White
Jules White born Julius Weiss was a film director and producer best known for his short-subject comedies starring the Three Stooges.-Early years:...
simply shifted the action towards Larry. The scene where Larry climbs the tree to grab eggs from a bird's nest would normally have revolved around Curly climbing up the tree. In addition, Curly could no longer ad lib
Ad libitum
Ad libitum is Latin for "at one's pleasure"; it is often shortened to "ad lib" or "ad-lib"...
for the camera as in previous instances. His scene where he cleans potatoes is sluggish and lethargic. Films like Playing the Ponies
Playing the Ponies
Playing the Ponies is the 26th 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.-Plot:...
, An Ache in Every Stake
An Ache in Every Stake
An Ache in Every Stake is the 57th 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.-Plot:...
, Sock-a-Bye Baby
Sock-a-Bye Baby
Sock-a-Bye Baby is the 66th 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.- Plot :...
, and I Can Hardly Wait
I Can Hardly Wait
"I Can Hardly Wait" is the 73rd 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.-Plot:...
are finer examples of Curly preparing food and creating comedy genius with little effort.