The Three Troubledoers
Encyclopedia
The Three Troubledoers is the 91st 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.
) and his gang are the reason behind this; six sheriffs have been killed in just five months, plus the blacksmith has been kidnapped and Blackie is threatening to eliminate him unless his daughter, Nell (Christine McIntyre
), agrees to marry him. After an impromptu battle with Blackie, involving Moe using a "secret weapon" which literally blows up in his face, the locals crown Curly their new sheriff, and Moe and Larry deputies. At first, Moe and Larry are against the idea of staying in Dead Man's Gulch, but an indignant Curly wants to stay and marry Nell, who has promised to wed whoever saves her father.
However, Badlands Blackie returns to claim Nell as his own and tries to force her to marry him. On his way to make the marriage legit, the Justice of the Peace is accosted by the Stooges and Curly heads to his office in his place. He attempts to stall the wedding, but is eventually found out and is locked up like a dog, complete with collar strapped tightly around his neck. As a result of it all, Blackie again demands Nell marry him, but at his hideout in Skull Bone Pass. Nell promises to arrive by sundown.
Meanwhile, Moe and Larry manage to get Curly out of the collar (not without mishap, of course), and they take off to Skull Bone Pass by way of a three-man tandem bike. They arrive just in time and fight it out with Blackie and his cohorts. Outgunned, the boys run off towards the powder shed and Blackie and his boys take off after him. Moe again tries to use his secret weapon, which again ends in failure, and in disgust, Larry throws it onto the ground, causing it to spark, catch on fire, and shoot a rocket out into the powder shed. Blackie and his boys notice but can't make it in time as the powder shed explodes, utterly defeating them. Nell's father, who was also in the shed, comes out of the smoking ruins and, upon learning that Nell plans to marry Curly due to his efforts, claims that he'd "rather die" first. Curly, obliging, hands him a lit stick of dynamite, but Nell knocks it out of his hands and throws it at the boys, who turn high tail and run off.
gun was to backfire and shoot black soot into Moe's face. "The special effects man used too much air pressure," says director Edward Bernds
, "so some of the soot shot up under his [Moe] eyelids. They had to pry his eyes open and remove these big chunks of black powder from his eye. I was terrified; I thought the poor guy had been blinded." Moe had a similar ordeal while filming 1939's Oily to Bed, Oily to Rise
, when gobs of black goo (representing oil) shot under his eyelids.
suffered a mild stroke
. As a result, his performance was marred by slurred speech, and slower timing. Though Curly's falsetto
voice had deepened slightly by this point, the ailing star was comfortable enough to deliver his dialogue in his regular speaking voice in The Three Troubledoers.
Director Edward Bernds later recalled how Curly's condition would have its peaks and valleys:
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
The Stooges are exhausted cowboys who come upon the town of Dead Man's Gulch. The town's population seems to be shrinking, as evidenced by the sound of gunfire and dwindling numbers on the population sign. Badlands Blackie (Dick CurtisDick Curtis
Dick Curtis was an American actor who made over 230 film and television appearances during his career.-Career:Curtis was born Richard Dye in Newport, Kentucky. A tall, hulking actor, standing at 6' 3", Curtis appeared in films stretching from Charles Starrett to The Three Stooges. In most of his...
) and his gang are the reason behind this; six sheriffs have been killed in just five months, plus the blacksmith has been kidnapped and Blackie is threatening to eliminate him unless his daughter, Nell (Christine McIntyre
Christine McIntyre
Christine Cecilia McIntyre was an actress who appeared in many movies in the 1930s and 1940s but is mainly known as the beautiful blonde actress who appeared in many Three Stooges shorts produced by Columbia Pictures....
), agrees to marry him. After an impromptu battle with Blackie, involving Moe using a "secret weapon" which literally blows up in his face, the locals crown Curly their new sheriff, and Moe and Larry deputies. At first, Moe and Larry are against the idea of staying in Dead Man's Gulch, but an indignant Curly wants to stay and marry Nell, who has promised to wed whoever saves her father.
However, Badlands Blackie returns to claim Nell as his own and tries to force her to marry him. On his way to make the marriage legit, the Justice of the Peace is accosted by the Stooges and Curly heads to his office in his place. He attempts to stall the wedding, but is eventually found out and is locked up like a dog, complete with collar strapped tightly around his neck. As a result of it all, Blackie again demands Nell marry him, but at his hideout in Skull Bone Pass. Nell promises to arrive by sundown.
Meanwhile, Moe and Larry manage to get Curly out of the collar (not without mishap, of course), and they take off to Skull Bone Pass by way of a three-man tandem bike. They arrive just in time and fight it out with Blackie and his cohorts. Outgunned, the boys run off towards the powder shed and Blackie and his boys take off after him. Moe again tries to use his secret weapon, which again ends in failure, and in disgust, Larry throws it onto the ground, causing it to spark, catch on fire, and shoot a rocket out into the powder shed. Blackie and his boys notice but can't make it in time as the powder shed explodes, utterly defeating them. Nell's father, who was also in the shed, comes out of the smoking ruins and, upon learning that Nell plans to marry Curly due to his efforts, claims that he'd "rather die" first. Curly, obliging, hands him a lit stick of dynamite, but Nell knocks it out of his hands and throws it at the boys, who turn high tail and run off.
Moe's injury
The script for The Three Troubledoers short called for a gag in which a bazookaBazooka
Bazooka is the common name for a man-portable recoilless rocket antitank weapon, widely fielded by the U.S. Army. Also referred to as the "Stovepipe", the innovative bazooka was amongst the first-generation of rocket propelled anti-tank weapons used in infantry combat...
gun was to backfire and shoot black soot into Moe's face. "The special effects man used too much air pressure," says 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...
, "so some of the soot shot up under his [Moe] eyelids. They had to pry his eyes open and remove these big chunks of black powder from his eye. I was terrified; I thought the poor guy had been blinded." Moe had a similar ordeal while filming 1939's Oily to Bed, Oily to Rise
Oily to Bed, Oily to Rise
Oily to Bed, Oily to Rise is the 42nd 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:Once again, the Stooges are three hapless tramps...
, when gobs of black goo (representing oil) shot under his eyelids.
Curly's illness
The Three Troubledoers was produced after 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...
suffered a mild 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...
. As a result, his performance was marred by slurred speech, and slower timing. Though Curly's falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
voice had deepened slightly by this point, the ailing star was comfortable enough to deliver his dialogue in his regular speaking voice in The Three Troubledoers.
Director Edward Bernds later recalled how Curly's condition would have its peaks and valleys:
Quotes
- Moe: "Who told you you need glasses?"
- Curly: (matter-of-factly) "An obstetrician." *SLAP!*