Three Missing Links is the 33rd short subject

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

1934 in film

-Events:*January 26 - Samuel Goldwyn purchases the film rights to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from the L. Frank Baum estate for $40,000.*February 19 - Bob Hope marries Dolores Reade...

 and 1959

1959 in film

The year 1959 in film involved some significant events, with Ben-Hur winning a record 11 Academy Awards.-Events:* The Three Stooges make their 190th and last short film, Sappy Bull Fighters....

.

Plot

The boys are janitors at Hollywood studio Super Terrific Productions. They are cleaning the office of B. O. Botswaddle (James C. Morton

James C. Morton

James C. Morton was an American character actor. He appeared in 187 films between 1922 and 1943.-Career:...

), who is reviewing a script a new picture "Jilted In The Jungle" where the leading man will be a gorilla. After nearly destroying Botswaddle's office, Curly does his classic imitation of a "chicken with its head cut off" (Curly's trademark spinning around on the floor move) followed by other motions that cause Botswaddle to declare Curly to be the "dead image of the missing link" and sends the boys off to Africa to begin shooting.

While setting up camp, Curly buys some "love candy" from a cannibalistic medicine man (Naba), in hopes of impressing leading lady Mirabel Mirabel (Jane Hamilton

Jane Hamilton (actress)

Jane Hamilton was an American film actress. She appeared in over 20 films between 1933 and 1949.Modern viewers will recognize Hamilton in her appearances in several early Three Stooges films such as Three Missing Links and Start Cheering.Hamilton died in Malibu, California in 2004.-External links:...

). Problems arise when Curly (dressed as a gorilla) gets entangled with a real gorilla, who scares the film crew off the set. The gorilla then turns his attention to Curly, who, in trying to placate the beast, eats some of the love candy and falls in love with it. The gorilla, repulsed, dashes off with a lovestruck Curly in pursuit.

Quotes

• Moe: "We're terrific!"
• Larry: "We're colossal!"
• Curly: "We're even mediocre!"

Going Ape

Whoever was in the "real" gorilla suit was clearly having fun with his role. When Moe (thinking he is Curly) berates him, he shrinks meekly away, and even shudders his shoulders as if on the verge of tears. Later, watching Curly remove the head of his gorilla suit, the "real" gorilla experiments with trying to take off his own head too.