I'll Never Heil Again
Encyclopedia
I'll Never Heil Again is the 56th 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.
), Amscray (Lynton Brent
) and Umpchay (previously Onay) (Bud Jamison
) have decided that they have had enough of Moe Hailstone, the fascist
dictator they put in power, and want to help Herman retake the throne. To this end, he sends his daughter, the princess Gilda (Mary Ainslee
) to try and assassinate Hailstone using an explosive pool ball strategically positioned in Hailstone's billiard table. The fictitious country of Moronica (or at least Moe Hailstone) seems to be familiar with a pool game in which the 13 ball is placed at the head of the rack during set up.
Dictator Moe Hailstone of Moronica enjoys a shave, and fights Field Marshal Herring (Curly) and Minister of Propaganda (Larry) for a turkey (a parody of Hitler possibly wanting control in Turkey. Larry parodies the attempts to control Greece by saying, "I'll wipe out grease"). The winner of that battle is a picture of Napoleon who grabs the bird from the bewildered Stooges.
Gilda enters, and shows the Stooges a glimpse through a telescope of all three of them on a spit roasting in Hell
and starts to place in Hailstone's mind the idea that his allies, the "Axel" partners, are plotting against him. After doing this she replaces the 13 ball on Hailstone's pool table with an exploding No. 13 ball and flees as Hailstone begins a pool game with his partners. Throughout the game, the cue ball inexplicably defies the laws of physics, avoiding the exploding ball by swerving around it and finally jumping over it, colliding with Herring's head.
Later, the Axel partners arrive for a meeting. The partners consist of Chizzilini (Cy Schindell
; a parody of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini
), the Bey of Rum (Jack "Tiny" Lipson
); an unnamed Japanese delegate (Duncan Renaldo
; a parody of Japanese emperor Hirohito
); and an unnamed Russian delegate (Don Barclay
). As the meeting breaks into chaos following Hailstone's declaration that the world belongs to him, the Stooges go into action on the other delegates and each other. Finally, with all the other Axels delegates defeated, Hailstone orders Herring to surrender the globe they had fought over. Herring refuses and smashes it over Hailstone's head, sending him into a tantrum. Herring, finally having enough of Hailstone's patronizing antics, grabs the exploding ball and throws it against the floor in anger, blowing up the meeting room. Herman regains his throne and the trio's heads are shown mounted on a wall.
While filming, devoted family man Moe rushed from the set to his daughter's birthday party in full costume. This caused a few calls to the LAPD
. Bystanders reported at what they perceived to be Hitler running red lights in Hollywood.
A colorized
version of this film was released in 2007. It was part of the DVD collection entitled "Hapless Half-Wits."
-like dictator of Moronica. Curly Howard plays Field Marshal Herring (a parody of Hermann Göring
), who has so many medals that he wears them on both the front and back of his coat. Larry Fine plays Minister of Propaganda Pebble (a combination parody of Joseph Goebbels
and to some extent also Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop
).
of the time—with one and a half exceptions.
The "Bey of Rum" character's presence in the comedy short may refer to the historical Sultanate of Rûm
, which occupied much of Asia Minor
for nearly three centuries in the Middle Ages. Turkey, which he represents, was never a member of the Axis, and remained carefully neutral throughout much of World War II. But Turkey was the center of the Ottoman Empire
, which was a major part of the Central Powers
in World War I, as was the German Empire
.
The Soviet Union may have easily been considered a "silent partner" of the Axis. It was never a signatory to the Pact of Steel
(the original "Axis Pact"), and obviously inimical to the Anti-Comintern Pact
. Yet its relationships with Nazi Germany were – at least at the surface – if anything more friendly than either country's with the US. The USSR had joined Germany's September 1, 1939 invasion of Poland in mid-September, and the countries had treaties of economic assistance and cooperated in military research. However, less than two weeks
after I'll Never Heil Again was released, this was to change drastically.
I'll Never Heil Again premiered in Argentina
(as with the rest of the South American countries) on February 1942, but it became banned during the governments of Juan Domingo Perón (1945–1955), (1973–1974) because Peron was a sympathizer of the Nazi doctrine.
King Herman the 6⅞ is a caricature of Kaiser Wilhelm II in his appearance and especially his hobby of chopping wood. "I'll Never Heil Again" was released 5 weeks and 2 days after the real Wilhelm II died in exile.
The title of the short parodies the song title "I'll Never Smile Again
", written by Ruth Lowe
in 1940.
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 estate of King Herman the 6⅞ (a parody of ex-Kaiser Wilhelm II), the deposed king of Moronica, war profiteers Ixnay (Vernon DentVernon Dent
Vernon Bruce Dent was a comic actor who appeared in over 400 films in his career. He co-starred in many short films for Columbia Pictures, frequently as the foil to the Three Stooges.-Early career:...
), Amscray (Lynton Brent
Lynton Brent
Lynton Brent was an American film actor. He appeared in over 240 films between 1930 and 1950.Brent is best known for his prolific work with Columbia Pictures in the Three Stooges short subjects such as A Ducking They Did Go and From Nurse to WorseIn addition to his film career, Brent also wrote a...
) and Umpchay (previously Onay) (Bud Jamison
Bud Jamison
Bud Jamison was an American film actor. He appeared in 450 films between 1915 and 1944.-Career:...
) have decided that they have had enough of Moe Hailstone, the fascist
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
dictator they put in power, and want to help Herman retake the throne. To this end, he sends his daughter, the princess Gilda (Mary Ainslee
Mary Ainslee
Mary Ainslee was an American film actress. She appeared in approximately 15 films between 1939 and 1952.Ainslee appeared in several Three Stooges films such as I'll Never Heil Again, In the Sweet Pie and Pie, Hokus Pokus, and He Cooked His Goose.In the mid-1980s, she suffered a stroke and never...
) to try and assassinate Hailstone using an explosive pool ball strategically positioned in Hailstone's billiard table. The fictitious country of Moronica (or at least Moe Hailstone) seems to be familiar with a pool game in which the 13 ball is placed at the head of the rack during set up.
Dictator Moe Hailstone of Moronica enjoys a shave, and fights Field Marshal Herring (Curly) and Minister of Propaganda (Larry) for a turkey (a parody of Hitler possibly wanting control in Turkey. Larry parodies the attempts to control Greece by saying, "I'll wipe out grease"). The winner of that battle is a picture of Napoleon who grabs the bird from the bewildered Stooges.
Gilda enters, and shows the Stooges a glimpse through a telescope of all three of them on a spit roasting in Hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
and starts to place in Hailstone's mind the idea that his allies, the "Axel" partners, are plotting against him. After doing this she replaces the 13 ball on Hailstone's pool table with an exploding No. 13 ball and flees as Hailstone begins a pool game with his partners. Throughout the game, the cue ball inexplicably defies the laws of physics, avoiding the exploding ball by swerving around it and finally jumping over it, colliding with Herring's head.
Later, the Axel partners arrive for a meeting. The partners consist of Chizzilini (Cy Schindell
Cy Schindell
Seymour "Cy" Schindell was an American actor who appeared in 37 Three Stooges short subjects, mostly as a heavy.-Career:...
; a parody of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
), the Bey of Rum (Jack "Tiny" Lipson
Jack Lipson
Jack "Tiny" Lipson was an American film actor. He appeared in over 85 films between 1927 and 1948.-Career:...
); an unnamed Japanese delegate (Duncan Renaldo
Duncan Renaldo
Renault Renaldo Duncan , better known as Duncan Renaldo, was an American actor who portrayed The Cisco Kid in films and on the 1950-1956 American TV series, The Cisco Kid.-Early years:...
; a parody of Japanese emperor Hirohito
Hirohito
, posthumously in Japan officially called Emperor Shōwa or , was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order, reigning from December 25, 1926, until his death in 1989. Although better known outside of Japan by his personal name Hirohito, in Japan he is now referred to...
); and an unnamed Russian delegate (Don Barclay
Don Barclay
Don Barclay was an American actor.He played the character Mr. Binnacle in the Disney film Mary Poppins.-Selected filmography:* That Little Band of Gold * Honky Donkey Barclay...
). As the meeting breaks into chaos following Hailstone's declaration that the world belongs to him, the Stooges go into action on the other delegates and each other. Finally, with all the other Axels delegates defeated, Hailstone orders Herring to surrender the globe they had fought over. Herring refuses and smashes it over Hailstone's head, sending him into a tantrum. Herring, finally having enough of Hailstone's patronizing antics, grabs the exploding ball and throws it against the floor in anger, blowing up the meeting room. Herman regains his throne and the trio's heads are shown mounted on a wall.
Production
This short marks one of the few moments where one of the Stooges breaks the fourth wall. In one scene, Moe Hailstone is ranting in mock German and Larry is responding in an equally mock Southern accent. Curly, caught in the middle, turns to the camera and says to the audience "...they're NUTS!"While filming, devoted family man Moe rushed from the set to his daughter's birthday party in full costume. This caused a few calls to the LAPD
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
. Bystanders reported at what they perceived to be Hitler running red lights in Hollywood.
A colorized
Film colorization
Film colorization is any process that adds color to black-and-white, sepia or monochrome moving-picture images. It may be done as a special effect, or to modernize black-and-white films, or to restore color films...
version of this film was released in 2007. It was part of the DVD collection entitled "Hapless Half-Wits."
A sequel
I'll Never Heil Again is the only sequel in the Stooge film canon. The movie begins, unlike You Nazty Spy!, with Moe Hailstone (Moe Howard) firmly ensconced as the HitlerAdolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
-like dictator of Moronica. Curly Howard plays Field Marshal Herring (a parody of Hermann Göring
Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring, was a German politician, military leader, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. He was a veteran of World War I as an ace fighter pilot, and a recipient of the coveted Pour le Mérite, also known as "The Blue Max"...
), who has so many medals that he wears them on both the front and back of his coat. Larry Fine plays Minister of Propaganda Pebble (a combination parody of Joseph Goebbels
Joseph Goebbels
Paul Joseph Goebbels was a German politician and Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. As one of Adolf Hitler's closest associates and most devout followers, he was known for his zealous oratory and anti-Semitism...
and to some extent also Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop
Joachim von Ribbentrop
Ulrich Friedrich Wilhelm Joachim von Ribbentrop was Foreign Minister of Germany from 1938 until 1945. He was later hanged for war crimes after the Nuremberg Trials.-Early life:...
).
Historical notes
The major "Axel" partners shown in the conference room sequence are parodies of the major Axis powersAxis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
of the time—with one and a half exceptions.
The "Bey of Rum" character's presence in the comedy short may refer to the historical Sultanate of Rûm
Sultanate of Rûm
The Sultanate of Rum , also known as the Anatolian Seljuk State , was a Turkic state centered in in Anatolia, with capitals first at İznik and then at Konya. Since the court of the sultanate was highly mobile, cities like Kayseri and Sivas also functioned at times as capitals...
, which occupied much of Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
for nearly three centuries in the Middle Ages. Turkey, which he represents, was never a member of the Axis, and remained carefully neutral throughout much of World War II. But Turkey was the center of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, which was a major part of the Central Powers
Central Powers
The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
in World War I, as was the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
.
The Soviet Union may have easily been considered a "silent partner" of the Axis. It was never a signatory to the Pact of Steel
Pact of Steel
The Pact of Steel , known formally as the Pact of Friendship and Alliance between Germany and Italy, was an agreement between Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany signed on May 22, 1939, by the foreign ministers of each country and witnessed by Count Galeazzo Ciano for Italy and Joachim von Ribbentrop...
(the original "Axis Pact"), and obviously inimical to the Anti-Comintern Pact
Anti-Comintern Pact
The Anti-Comintern Pact was an Anti-Communist pact concluded between Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan on November 25, 1936 and was directed against the Communist International ....
. Yet its relationships with Nazi Germany were – at least at the surface – if anything more friendly than either country's with the US. The USSR had joined Germany's September 1, 1939 invasion of Poland in mid-September, and the countries had treaties of economic assistance and cooperated in military research. However, less than two weeks
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
after I'll Never Heil Again was released, this was to change drastically.
I'll Never Heil Again premiered in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
(as with the rest of the South American countries) on February 1942, but it became banned during the governments of Juan Domingo Perón (1945–1955), (1973–1974) because Peron was a sympathizer of the Nazi doctrine.
King Herman the 6⅞ is a caricature of Kaiser Wilhelm II in his appearance and especially his hobby of chopping wood. "I'll Never Heil Again" was released 5 weeks and 2 days after the real Wilhelm II died in exile.
The title of the short parodies the song title "I'll Never Smile Again
I'll Never Smile Again
"I'll Never Smile Again" is a 1939 song written by Ruth Lowe.The most successful and best known version of the song was recorded by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra, with vocals provided by Frank Sinatra and The Pied Pipers. This recording was released as a Victor 78, 26628A, in 1940...
", written by Ruth Lowe
Ruth Lowe
Ruth Lowe was a Canadian pianist and songwriter. She wrote the song "I'll Never Smile Again" after her husband died during surgery...
in 1940.