Both are from 1935:
Hoi Polloi:
(Short # 10 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges)
To clarify, “hoi polloi” is Ancient Greek, a pejorative term for “the common masses.” This short is a gem; rather wild is that this was the first version of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, before the late 30’s movie, before 1964’s My Fair Lady, and the inspiration for films like She’s All That. Even wilder is that Moe Howard’s wife Helen had the idea to spoof Pygmalion for a short; instead of receiving credit, she received an undisclosed amount of money.
Two professors argue whether it is environment or hereditary factors that determine behavior. A bet is made, and it was easy for them to select the Stooges for the project after being a spectator to their bumbling ways as garbagemen. That professor’s attempt to civilize them is as disastrous as expected, including a famed scene in Stooge lore: Geneva Mitchell teaching the trio to dance, only for a bee to go down the back of her dress, leading to a hysterical moment.
Once Howard, Fine, & Howard attend a soiree of rich, distinguished folk, it is lunacy as there’s plenty of classic one-liners, Moe slaps, pratfalls, and the well-heeled crowd experiencing a culture clash like no other from seeing (& feeling) their mayhem. The number of laughs in this short-along w/ the classic moments-is why the rating is so high.
As an aside, I should say a few words about such supporting players like Geneva Mitchell and Phyllis Crane, who appeared in more than one early Stooge short but rather soon wouldn’t appear in that world again. They were at their best here; as the girl that Moe attempts to know better at the party, not only did she utter some memorable dialogue, she had an unexpected pratfall & slammed head-first on the ground. Hopefully she was alright.
Hoi Polloi even ends w/ an unforgettable final 30 seconds. It is one of the best in the early run of The Three Stooges.
Three Little Beers:
(Short # 11 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges)
Those that aren’t fans of golf will have extra reason to enjoy this short.
Three Little Beers is another classic in my eyes. The title is such as the boys are just hired as delivery drivers for Panther Brewing Co., ran by A. Panther. They discover the company is holding an annual golf tournament, featuring either cash prices or a keg of beer as the reward. A delivery stop happens to be the real-life Rancho Golf Course, in Beverly Hills.
Much of the short is shot outdoors, broadening the stage for the Stooges. As all are ignorant to the sport’s rules, they each cause havoc in different ways on different parts of the course. They annoy the golfers, wreck a putting green, put dozens of divots into a fairway, chop down a tree to retrieve a ball… this doesn’t mean there aren’t opportunities for two or all three of them to meet again for a bit for an extended, complex slapstick bit.
Lest you believe the brewery gimmick is ignored after the first few minutes, oh no; it is brought back for the finale which uses the streets of Los Angeles (the Silver Lake area, in fact) to great effect. Even if you love golf, you may appreciate the Stooges poking fun at the sport. In any case, the short is a hole-in-one due to all the laughs it’s always given me. In addition, it was the first appearance for two performers who became stalwarts w/ the trio: John Tyrrell & Eddie Laughton.
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