Goofs and Saddles
Encyclopedia
Goofs and Saddles is the 24th 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 scouts for the United States Cavalry. They are sent by General Muster (Ted Lorch
) to catch a gang of cattle rustlers
, so they hide as bushes to try to find the gang's leader, Longhorn Pete (Stanley Blystone
). The rustlers are befuddled by the moving bushes. The Stooges eventually wind up in Longhorn Pete's saloon, and the Stooges disguise themselves as gamblers and get into a card game with Pete as they wait for the cavalry.
Moe attempts to send a message to General Muster for help via carrier pigeon
, but the pigeon returns to Pete, who reads the incriminating message aloud. The jig is up, and the Stooges are forced to escape for their lives, jumping on a covered wagon filled with household equipment — and a monkey. The Trio toss pots and pans from the wagon onto the ground, which their horse’s hoofs catch them. The wagon loosens up from the horse team, and goes down in its own power until it stops. Eventually, they end up on a shed.
A gun battle ensues. A bullet knocks off the monkey's hat, and he is forced to use a dipper
as a helmet. Amidst the melee, Curly spots a meat grinder
and decides to make a hamburger. The whizzing bullets accidentally topple a box of ammunition
to the grinder, and the grinder becomes a makeshift machine gun
. Discovering the chance, they add more ammunition and even a gun belt serving as an ad hoc ammunition belt
. The increase in opposing firepower befuddles the bandits, but eventually General Muster arrives and saves the day. As they are given kudos for a job well done, the monkey goes to the grinder and twists the handle, firing a few shots that caused the Stooges to be hit and flee the area.
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 the Old WestAmerican Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
, the Stooges are scouts for the United States Cavalry. They are sent by General Muster (Ted Lorch
Theodore Lorch
Theodore Lorch was an American film actor. He appeared in 146 films between 1908 and 1947.Lorch is notable for his commanding performances in several Three Stooges comedies...
) to catch a gang of cattle rustlers
Cattle raiding
Cattle raiding is the act of stealing cattle.In Australia, such stealing is often referred to as duffing, and the person as a duffer...
, so they hide as bushes to try to find the gang's leader, Longhorn Pete (Stanley Blystone
Stanley Blystone
Stanley Blystone was an American film actor who made over 500 films appearances between 1924 and 1956.-Career:Born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Blystone's full name was William Stanley Blystone...
). The rustlers are befuddled by the moving bushes. The Stooges eventually wind up in Longhorn Pete's saloon, and the Stooges disguise themselves as gamblers and get into a card game with Pete as they wait for the cavalry.
Moe attempts to send a message to General Muster for help via carrier pigeon
Carrier pigeon
A carrier pigeon is a homing pigeon that is used to carry messages. Using pigeons to carry messages is generally called "pigeon post". Most homing or racing type varieties are used to carry messages. There is no specific breed actually called "carrier pigeon"...
, but the pigeon returns to Pete, who reads the incriminating message aloud. The jig is up, and the Stooges are forced to escape for their lives, jumping on a covered wagon filled with household equipment — and a monkey. The Trio toss pots and pans from the wagon onto the ground, which their horse’s hoofs catch them. The wagon loosens up from the horse team, and goes down in its own power until it stops. Eventually, they end up on a shed.
Dipper
Dippers are members of the genus Cinclus in the bird family Cinclidae, named for their bobbing or dipping movements. They are unique among passerines for their ability to dive and swim underwater.-Description:...
as a helmet. Amidst the melee, Curly spots a meat grinder
Meat grinder
A meat grinder or meat mincer is a kitchen appliance for grinding, fine mincing or mixing raw or cooked meat, fish, vegetables or similar food. It replaces tools like the mincing knife, for example, which has been used to produce minced meat, filling etc. The producer puts the minced food into a...
and decides to make a hamburger. The whizzing bullets accidentally topple a box of ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
to the grinder, and the grinder becomes a makeshift machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
. Discovering the chance, they add more ammunition and even a gun belt serving as an ad hoc ammunition belt
Belt (firearm)
A belt or ammunition belt is a device used to retain and feed cartridges into a firearm. Belts and the associated feed systems are typically employed to feed machine guns or other automatic weapons...
. The increase in opposing firepower befuddles the bandits, but eventually General Muster arrives and saves the day. As they are given kudos for a job well done, the monkey goes to the grinder and twists the handle, firing a few shots that caused the Stooges to be hit and flee the area.