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Goofs and Saddles
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Del Lord
Written by	Felix Adler
Produced by	Jules White
Starring	Moe Howard Larry Fine Curly Howard Stanley Blystone Ted Lorch Cy Schindell Eddie Laughton Hank Bell
Cinematography	Benjamin H. Kline
Edited by	Charles Nelson
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date	July 2, 1937 (1937-07-02) (U.S.)
Running time	17:10
Country	United States
Language	English

Goofs and Saddles is a 1937 American Western short subject film directed by Del Lord and starring the slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard). It is the 24th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

Plot

Set in the American Old West, the Stooges are scouts tasked with apprehending a notorious gang of cattle rustlers under the command of the nefarious Longhorn Pete. Directed by General Muster, the trio embarks on their mission, employing stealth tactics by concealing themselves amidst the terrain, masquerading as bushes in a bid to surveil the rustlers' activities.

However, their efforts are swiftly thwarted when the cunning rustlers discern their ruse and unleash a volley of gunfire, compelling the Stooges to hastily retreat. They ultimately find themselves seeking refuge within Longhorn Pete's bustling saloon, where they resort to adopting disguises as gamblers while awaiting the arrival of the cavalry.

In a desperate bid to alert General Muster of their predicament, Moe endeavors to dispatch a message via carrier pigeon, only for their clandestine communication to be intercepted by Pete, thereby jeopardizing their cover. Forced to flee again, the Stooges seize upon a covered wagon as their means of escape, inadvertently embarking on a chaotic journey replete with household paraphernalia and an unexpected simian companion. As the pursuit intensifies, the Stooges ingeniously repurpose a meat grinder into an improvised weapon, transforming it into a makeshift Gatling gun by fortuitously incorporating ammunition and a gun belt. Their resourcefulness turns the tide of the confrontation, enabling them to overpower the bandits until the timely intervention of General Muster and his troops culminates in the apprehension of the outlaws.

However, amidst the celebratory accolades, an unforeseen mishap ensues when the mischievous monkey inadvertently activates the grinder, triggering a flurry of shots that prompts the Stooges to hastily retreat from the scene.

Cast

Credited

• Moe Howard as Wild Bill Hiccup
• Larry Fine as Just Plain Bill
• Curly Howard as Buffalo Billious

Uncredited

• Stanley Blystone as Longhorn Pete
• Ted Lorch as General Muster
• Ethan Laidlaw as Tex
• Hank Mann as Lem
• Sam Lufkin as Colonel
• Eddie Laughton as Bartender
• Lew Davis, William Irving as Poker players
• Cy Schindell, Hank Bell, Blackie Whiteford, Jerome "Blackjack" Ward as gang members
• Ethelreda Leopold, Eve Reynolds, Elaine Waters as saloon girls

Production notes

The title Goofs and Saddles is a spoof of the term "hooves and saddles". Filming was completed on April 14–19, 1937.

The Stooges' names in this short are Buffalo Billious (Curly), Wild Bill Hiccup (Moe), and Just Plain Bill (Larry). The cultural references are to, respectively, American Old West figures Buffalo Bill and Wild Bill Hickok, and Just Plain Bill, an iconic radio soap opera of the era.

General Muster is a spoof on famous American Civil War and American Indian War General, George Armstrong Custer.

The chase sequence on horseback would be recycled in 1954's Pals and Gals.

This short has the smallest slap count. Moe smacks Curly softly on his head and he slaps Larry when he thought Larry pulled them off the horses after hitting a tree branch.

References

1. ^ Goofs and Saddles at threestooges.net
2. ^ Solomon, Jon (2002). The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion. Glendale, California: Comedy III Productions, Inc. p. 142. ISBN 0-9711868-0-4.
3. Pauley, Jim (2012). The Three Stooges Hollywood Filming Locations. Solana Beach, California: Santa Monica Press, LLC. p. 128. ISBN 9781595800701.

External links

• Goofs and Saddles at IMDb
• Goofs and Saddles at AllMovie

• 1937 films
• The Three Stooges films
• American black-and-white films
• Films directed by Del Lord
• Columbia Pictures short films
• American Western (genre) comedy films
• 1930s Western (genre) comedy films
• American slapstick comedy films
• 1937 comedy films
• 1930s English-language films
• 1930s American films
• English-language Western (genre) comedy films