I'll Never Heil Again

(Short # 56 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges)

Yes, they made a sequel to You Nazty Spy! This time the King of Moronika (called Moronica here, but close enough I guess. That was on a sign that proclaimed "Moronica Uber Alles." Is that like California Uber Alles?) and the businessmen who installed the Stooges as the dictator and his two associates team up to overthrow them. After all, in one early scene, they mention… bombing schools and hospitals. There’s a comment I’d like to make but it would be best if I buttoned my lip!

This has a disclaimer right at the start: “The characters in this picture are all fictitious. Anyone resembling them is better off dead.” A bold message for those in the Axis Powers. Sadly, saying that a Nazi “is better off dead” won’t universally be agreed with in 2025. Once again, the Stooges made mockery of the Axis Powers. You may not expect satire, but it’s present. Not only was the Nazi fascination w/ astrology mentioned, so was a reference to Mussolini’s failed invasion of Greece. Heck, King Herman the 6 7/8 was a decent caricature of Kaiser Wilhelm II.

Like in Nazty there is plenty of funny wordplay; also present is a funny map full of pun names. At home it’s a little awkward as there’s a long silence but for 1941 theatrical audiences, there’d be plenty of laughter as they read such terms as “Great Mitten,” “Slap Happia” and “Yom Kippers.” There’s a hysterical bit involving the heroes attempting to blow up the villains via a billiards ball. Naturally, that doesn’t pay off… at first.

The final segment involves various world leaders arguing with each other. It features much anger, bluster, shouting, and posturing. Recently I saw someone elsewhere describe it as “this is just modern world politics.” I chuckled due to the farcical exaggeration. Then, two days ago Zelensky visited the White House… I’m not chuckling any longer!

As the final shot is an amazing (and blunt) visual, Heil was another nice change of pace for the trio. Understandably, there were a number of war-themed shorts in the next several years but they featured a more traditional structure you’d expect from the trio.