Three More Shemp Shorts

Squareheads of the Round Table:  

(Short # 106 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges)

As hinted by the title, the setting is Merry Olde England of centuries ago, i.e. “In days of old, when knights were bold and suits were made of iron.” The trio are troubadours (yes, the viewer hears the trio sing, more than once) who meet Cedric the Blacksmith; The Black Prince wants him dead as he loves Cedric’s girl, Christine McIntyre’s Elaine, i.e. the daughter of Vernon Dent’s King. 

The reason why Round Table receives a prestigious rating: for starters, a stronger plot than usual is present-to say that “palace intrigue” is present is cliché, yet true in this case. In addition, there was an onslaught of puns throughout, most of them at least amusing. There are funny routines involving such accoutrements of the era like suits of armor that are performed on appropriate sets-Wiki tells me they were from the long-forgotten 1946 movie The Bandit of Sherwood Forest.

Not even a denouement that felt rushed could ruin my enjoyment of a hysterical period Stooge effort. After all-also from Wiki-the music heard includes everything from the Stephen Foster song Old Folks at Home to an Italian opera from Gaetano Donizetti, apparently well-known in that world.

Fiddlers Three:

(Short # 107 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges)

The second medieval Stooge short in a row; they usually didn’t do similar themes in a row like that. This time, they were in fact fiddlers who worked for… Old King Cole! After an extended laughing bit (as in, everyone in the room uproariously titters for like a minute straight) and a scene where some nursery rhymes are sung concurrently w/ the Stooges portraying those characters-such as Little Miss Muffet and Simple Simon-the king’s daughter is kidnapped, by Mergatroyd the Magician.

Some new gags are tried out, not all successful; Mergatroyd had an attractive lady assistant who all the men wolf-whistle at and follow around… that has aged like spoilt milk. Otherwise, this was an amusing short where new comedy was mined from them interacting both w/ a mule and hiding in the magician’s box. Mergatroyd stuck swords and saws in it, while the boys attempted to avoid being sawn or skewered.

It was simply a pretty good time, featuring plenty of series regulars, most notably Vernon Dent and Christine McIntyre.

The Hot Scots:

(Short # 108 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges)

The Stooges cause anarchy in the UK; while no location shooting is done, the effect is still believable (for the third time in a row, they used the sets from the long-forgotten movie The Bandit of Sherwood Forest) and it was an amusing entry which still entertained—some gags were familiar, but modified.

They visit Scotland Yard in reference to an ad asking for “yard men.” The trio proclaim they are great detectives-in actuality, they are tasked with picking up the trash in the yard of Scotland Yard. They were victims of circumstance in a good way as they come across a note asking for three detectives to investigate a case in Scotland proper, in a castle. Cue the kilts & bagpipe music; of course, those elements would be included.

There’s also a clandestine plot involving disguises (a white dude cosplaying as a sheik, along with a cloaked figure wearing a frightening mask) and robbing the castle. Furthermore, Christine McIntyre as a lass named… Lorna Doone! I don’t think anyone knows why tasty shortbread cookies were named after a random English novel from the past but regardless, this was a delight. There are puns, a trick bed that moves between two rooms, and the last appearance of Ted Lorch, who was in some Curly shorts. Fun, this was.