Uncivil Warriors
Encyclopedia
Uncivil Warriors is the eighth 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 short begins with a Northern General (James C. Morton
) assigning Larry, Moe, and Curly (as Operators 12, 14 and 15, respectively) to sneak behind enemy lines and obtain secrets. Disguising themselves as southern officers and taking the names Lieutenant Duck, Captain Dodge and Major Hyde, they insinuate themselves into the mansion of southern officer, Colonel Butts (Bud Jamison
).
During preparations for a dinner party at the mansion, Curly, more interested in the Colonel's daughter, Miss Judith Butts (Phyllis Crane
), manages to substitute a cake with a quilted potholder, resulting in a feather-coughing scene. The short concludes with an episode in which Larry and Curly disguise themselves as, respectively, Captain Dodge's father and wife. This leads to a controversial gag in which Major "Bloodhound" Filbert (Ted Lorch
) inquires about Captain Dodge's baby. Moe runs off and brings in a swaddled infant, which is revealed to be black, thus giving away the Stooges' charade.
The three goofs run for their lives and hide in a "log" — which turns out to be a cannon
— which is fired by the Confederates. The Union General wonders aloud where these three spies are. At that moment, the trio promptly land on the General from the sky.
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. 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
Set during the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the short begins with a Northern General (James C. Morton
James C. Morton
James C. Morton was an American character actor. He appeared in 187 films between 1922 and 1943.-Career:...
) assigning Larry, Moe, and Curly (as Operators 12, 14 and 15, respectively) to sneak behind enemy lines and obtain secrets. Disguising themselves as southern officers and taking the names Lieutenant Duck, Captain Dodge and Major Hyde, they insinuate themselves into the mansion of southern officer, Colonel Butts (Bud Jamison
Bud Jamison
Bud Jamison was an American film actor. He appeared in 450 films between 1915 and 1944.-Career:...
).
During preparations for a dinner party at the mansion, Curly, more interested in the Colonel's daughter, Miss Judith Butts (Phyllis Crane
Phyllis Crane
Phyllis Crane was a Canadian-born American film actress. She appeared in over 45 films between 1929 and 1937.Modern viewers will recognize Crane from her appearances in several early Three Stooges films such as Three Little Pigskins, Uncivil Warriors, and Pop Goes the Easel...
), manages to substitute a cake with a quilted potholder, resulting in a feather-coughing scene. The short concludes with an episode in which Larry and Curly disguise themselves as, respectively, Captain Dodge's father and wife. This leads to a controversial gag in which Major "Bloodhound" Filbert (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...
) inquires about Captain Dodge's baby. Moe runs off and brings in a swaddled infant, which is revealed to be black, thus giving away the Stooges' charade.
The three goofs run for their lives and hide in a "log" — which turns out to be a cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
— which is fired by the Confederates. The Union General wonders aloud where these three spies are. At that moment, the trio promptly land on the General from the sky.