No Census, No Feeling

This is another classic Three Stooges short from 1940: 

(Short # 50 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges)

A topical short; the United States had a census in 1940. As happened before, the trio inadvertently caused damage to a shop—in this case, at a swap shop they accidentally damaged a table full of dishes. They ran away into a government building which took volunteers to work the census beat. Armed with a giant book where they ostensibly take everyone’s information, they inadvertently harass all sorts of folk on the street a then spend time at a popular location for them in their oeuvre: a soiree hosted by rich folk.

After Curly spent time flirting w/ a maid, he accidentally adds Alum to punch instead of sugar. The effect leads to everyone’s mouths constricting and barely being able to talk. It is a stellar scene of both physical and verbal comedy in selling this effect. As the destruction they caused in the short is even greater than the number of puns that are heard, they likely were thrown out; the final segment is at a(n American) football game, where they attempt to ask their queries to players… on the field during play.

There are new gags and routines, including a bit involving real-life Lake Winnepeasaukee in New Hampshire, mentioned because of the obvious “it’s a long, funny-sounding name” comedic value. There’s also a line referencing a fact that no one remembers now—from 1939 to 1941, Thanksgiving in the United States was a week earlier than usual. Long story, but it relates to selling Christmas goods when the country was still amid The Great Depression. After that, a federal law was passed to always make it the fourth Thursday in November-strange but true.

In any event, the sheer number of laughs is why the rating is so high.