Three Loan Wolves - Misplaced Pages

1946 film by Jules White

Three Loan Wolves

Directed by	Jules White
Written by	Felix Adler
Produced by	Jules White
Starring	Moe Howard Larry Fine Curly Howard Beverly Warren Harold Brauer Jackie Jackson Joe Palma Wally Rose
Cinematography	George F. Kelley
Edited by	Edwin H. Bryant
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date	July 4, 1946 (1946-07-04) (U.S.)
Running time	16:50
Country	United States
Language	English

Three Loan Wolves is a 1946 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard). It is the 93rd entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

Plot

In a narrative framed as a retrospective recounted to their son, the Stooges disclose the origins of their unexpected fatherhood. As proprietors of a pawn shop burdened by debts to the Gashouse Protection Society, a syndicate of loan sharks, the Stooges find themselves embroiled in a series of misadventures.

Their troubles escalate when a woman, in collusion with the loan sharks, leaves an infant in their care as part of a ruse to peddle a counterfeit diamond. Obliged to care for the child, the Stooges grapple with their newfound paternal responsibilities, navigating inept attempts to pacify the crying baby, which inadvertently lead to further chaos.

Amidst their comedic struggles, the trio confronts the loan sharks' demands for repayment, culminating in a showdown where they emerge victorious over the criminals. As the tale concludes, the child, now aware of his true origins, seeks out his biological mother, leaving the Stooges to reflect on the chaotic circumstances that led to their unintended parenthood. Moe and Curly, attributing blame to Larry for the ordeal, conspire to enact retribution upon their hapless compatriot.

Cast

Credited

Moe Howard as Moe
Larry Fine as Larry
Curly Howard as Curly
Harold Brauer as Butch McGee
Beverly Warren as Molly

Uncredited

Jackie Jackson as Egbert
Wally Rose as Henchman
Joe Palma as Henchman

Production notes

The title is a parody of Columbia's movie series "The Lone Wolf."

This is the eleventh of sixteen Stooge shorts with the word "three" in the title.

The theme reverts to the syncopated, jazzy version of "Three Blind Mice" previously used on Gents Without Cents, Three Pests in a Mess, Booby Dupes and Idiots Deluxe instead of the revamped, 'sliding strings' version used during this period.

Curly's illness

Three Loan Wolves was filmed February 27-March 2, 1946, near the end of Curly Howard's career. The 42-year-old comedian had suffered a series of minor strokes several months prior to filming, and his performances had been unpredictable. By the time of Three Loan Wolves, he had lost a considerable amount of weight, and lines had creased his face. Larry Fine and Moe Howard look stocky by comparison.

While director Edward Bernds devised ways to cover Curly's illness, Jules White simply gave most of Curly's lines to Larry. With Three Loan Wolves, White made Larry the main character (his first time in the spotlight since the Stooges' inaugural short for Columbia Pictures in 1934, Woman Haters), with nearly the entire film revolving around him. Curly also tried desperately to maintain his falsetto voice, but was clearly unable to.

Beverly Warren appeared at a 2003 Three Stooges convention in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, and reported that Curly's illness was not discussed on the set. She added that filming was completed at such a rapid pace, she rarely saw Curly or Moe (as she only shared screen time with Larry).

References

^ "ThreeStooges.net : THREE LOAN WOLVES (1946)". threestooges.net.
Lenburg, Jeff; Howard Maurer, Joan; Lenburg, Greg; (1982). The Three Stooges Scrapbook, p. 77, Citadel Press. ISBN 0-8065-0946-5
User Oanabay; present at 2003 convention

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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