Three Little Pirates - Misplaced Pages

1946 film by Edward Bernds

Three Little Pirates

Directed by	Edward Bernds
Written by	Clyde Bruckman
Produced by	Hugh McCollum
Starring	Moe Howard Larry Fine Curly Howard Vernon Dent Christine McIntyre Robert Stevens Dorothy DeHaven Joe Palma Cy Schindell Al Thompson
Cinematography	Philip Tannura
Edited by	Paul Borofsky
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date	December 5, 1946 (1946-12-05) (U.S.)
Running time	17:51
Country	United States
Language	English

Three Little Pirates is a 1946 short subject directed by Edward Bernds starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard). It is the 96th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

Plot

In 1642, the Stooges are mariners aboard a refuse barge, marooned on the desolate Dead Man's Island. Their arrival attracts the attention of the island's governor, initially skeptical of their claims until their unmistakable sailor-like behavior confirms their profession. However, their fortunes quickly sour when Curly's harmless flirtation with the governor's betrothed, Rita, earns them the governor's ire.

Condemned to a grim fate of either beheading or immolation, the Stooges face imminent execution. A twist of fate intervenes in the form of Rita's disdain for her would-be husband's tyrannical rule. Resourcefully, she aids the Stooges in their escape by revealing concealed tools and guiding them to safety through an underground passage. However, their relentless bickering leads them astray, leading to their re-incarceration.

Undeterred, Rita proposes a ruse wherein the Stooges masquerade as exotic dignitaries bearing lavish gifts. Curly assumes the guise of the myopic Maharaja of Canarsie, boasting dominions over the islands of Coney and Long. Moe adopts the role of Gin of Rummy, while Larry plays his accomplice. Their nonsensical banter and comically absurd offerings, including a raspberry lollipop mistaken for a gemstone and a fountain pen misconstrued as a walrus tusk, deceive the governor, facilitating their escape.

Their flight leads them into the clutches of the nefarious pirate Black Louie, with whom they engage in a perilous game of knife-throwing. Rita discreetly alerts them to the governor's vendetta, necessitating their hasty departure. However, Curly's ineptitude, compounded by his thick-lensed glasses, disrupts their escape, precipitating a showdown with Black Louie's crew. Emerging victorious, the Stooges briefly entertain dreams of sovereignty until Moe's ignoble defeat by a whimsical contraption, humbling their aspirations and prompting their departure from the island.

Cast

Credited

Moe Howard as Moe
Larry Fine as Larry
Curly Howard as Curly
Vernon Dent as Governor
Christine McIntyre as Rita Yolanda
Robert Stevens as Black Louie
Dorothy DeHaven as Chiquita

Uncredited

Joe Palma as Jack
Cy Schindell as Dirk
Al Thompson as Pirate

Production notes

This is the 12th of 16 Stooge shorts with the word "three" in the title.

The Stooges had previously performed the "Maharaja" routine in Time Out for Rhythm (1941). They would resurrect the routine with Joe DeRita as the third stooge on The Steve Allen Show (1959) and in the theatrical feature The Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze (1963). Moe Howard also later performed a variation of the routine, with Mike Douglas and Soupy Sales, in November 1973 television appearance on The Mike Douglas Show.

Canarsie, Bay Meadows, Flatbush, and the isles of Coney and Long are references to New York-based localities where brothers Moe, Curly, and Shemp Howard spent their childhood. It is all the more appropriate, as the Stooges are sailors shipwrecked off of a New York City garbage scow.

Curly's last hurrah

Three Little Pirates was produced during April 15–18, 1946, a period marked by Curly Howard's health struggles following a series of minor strokes. Prior films like Three Loan Wolves and G.I. Wanna Home had notably shifted focus away from Curly, with Moe and Larry assuming more prominent roles due to Curly's impaired speech and slower timing.

Despite his ailments, Curly delivered a commendable performance in Three Little Pirates. Notably, he flawlessly executed the memorable "Maharaja" routine alongside Moe. Additionally, Curly showcased his talent for physical comedy, as seen when he briefly reclines on a chair in one scene.

Director Edward Bernds observed Curly's decline across successive films produced during this period:

"I guess I should be thankful that Curly was in one of his 'up' periods, because it was strange the way he went up and down. He was down for A Bird in the Head and The Three Troubledoers, he was up for Micro-Phonies, way down for Monkey Businessmen. In Three Little Pirates, he was terrific. It was the last flash of the old Curly."

While 1946 was considered a weak year for Stooge releases due to Curly's health challenges, Three Little Pirates stood out as a notable exception, showcasing Curly's enduring comedic prowess despite his illness.

Quotes

Governor: "You have your choice — you may have your heads chopped off, or you may be burned at the stake."

Curly: "We'll take burning at the stake!"

Governor: "Very well. We'll toast them Monday at sundown."

Moe (angrily): "What did you pick 'burning at the stake' for?!"

Curly: "Cause a hot steak is better than a cold chop!"

Curly: "Eenee, meenee, miney, moe. See, ya can't go wrong with moe."

Moe (sarcastically): "Heh, heh, heh. Thanks!" *SLAP!*

References

^ Solomon, Jon. (2002) The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion, p. 287; Comedy III Productions, Inc., ISBN 0-9711868-0-4
Three Little Pirates at threestooges.net
^ Okuda, Ted; Watz, Edward (1986). The Columbia Comedy Short. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publisher. pp. 66, 67. ISBN 0-89950-181-8.
Lenburg, Jeff; Howard Maurer, Joan; Lenburg, Greg; (1982). The Three Stooges Scrapbook, p. 77, Citadel Press. ISBN 0-8065-0946-5

External links

v t e The Three Stooges
Moe Howard Larry Fine Curly Howard Shemp Howard Joe Besser Curly Joe DeRita
Works	The Three Stooges filmography The Three Stooges Collection Jerks of All Trades The New 3 Stooges The Three Stooges Scrapbook Kook's Tour Moe Howard and the Three Stooges
Related topics	List of supporting actors in Three Stooges films Yogi Bear and the Three Stooges Meet the Mad, Mad, Mad Dr. No-No The Robonic Stooges Stoogemania "Swingin' the Alphabet" "The Curly Shuffle" 1984 arcade game 1987 video game 2000 TV biopic 2012 feature film C3 Entertainment
Associated people	Felix Adler Edward Bernds Tiny Brauer Clyde Bruckman Charley Chase Paul Garner Ted Healy Rich Koz Del Lord Norman Maurer Hugh McCollum Christine McIntyre Frank Mitchell Joe Palma/Fake Shemp Fred Sanborn Emil Sitka Greta Thyssen Elwood Ullman Jack White Jules White
Category

v t e The Three Stooges filmography (1934–1946)
1934	Woman Haters Punch Drunks Men in Black Three Little Pigskins
1935	Horses' Collars Restless Knights Pop Goes the Easel Uncivil Warriors Pardon My Scotch Hoi Polloi Three Little Beers
1936	Ants in the Pantry Movie Maniacs Half Shot Shooters Disorder in the Court A Pain in the Pullman False Alarms Whoops, I'm an Indian! Slippery Silks
1937	Grips, Grunts and Groans Dizzy Doctors 3 Dumb Clucks Back to the Woods Goofs and Saddles Cash and Carry Playing the Ponies The Sitter Downers
1938	Termites of 1938 Wee Wee Monsieur Tassels in the Air Healthy, Wealthy and Dumb Violent Is the Word for Curly Three Missing Links Mutts to You Flat Foot Stooges
1939	Three Little Sew and Sews We Want Our Mummy A Ducking They Did Go Yes, We Have No Bonanza Saved by the Belle Calling All Curs Oily to Bed, Oily to Rise Three Sappy People
1940	You Nazty Spy! Rockin' thru the Rockies A Plumbing We Will Go Nutty but Nice How High Is Up? From Nurse to Worse No Census, No Feeling Cookoo Cavaliers Boobs in Arms
1941	So Long, Mr. Chumps Dutiful But Dumb All the World's a Stooge I'll Never Heil Again An Ache in Every Stake In the Sweet Pie and Pie Some More of Samoa
1942	Loco Boy Makes Good Cactus Makes Perfect What's the Matador? Matri-Phony Three Smart Saps Even as IOU Sock-a-Bye Baby
1943	They Stooge to Conga Dizzy Detectives Spook Louder Back From the Front Three Little Twirps Higher Than a Kite I Can Hardly Wait Dizzy Pilots Phony Express A Gem of a Jam
1944	Crash Goes the Hash Busy Buddies The Yoke's on Me Idle Roomers Gents Without Cents No Dough Boys
1945	Three Pests in a Mess Booby Dupes Idiots Deluxe If a Body Meets a Body Micro-Phonies
1946	Beer Barrel Polecats A Bird in the Head Uncivil War Birds The Three Troubledoers Monkey Businessmen Three Loan Wolves G.I. Wanna Home Rhythm and Weep Three Little Pirates
1947	Half-Wits Holiday
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