Ted Healy
Director
The Three Stooges (1934)
The Three Stooges Collection, Vol. 1: 1934-1936
The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short-subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical, farce, and slapstick comedy. Six total Stooges appeared over the act's run (with only three active at any given time); Moe Howard (born Moses Horwitz) and Larry Fine (born Louis Feinberg) were mainstays throughout the ensemble's nearly 50-year run, while the "third stooge" was played in turn by Shemp Howard (born Samuel Horwitz), Curly Howard (born Jerome Horwitz), Shemp Howard again, Joe Besser, and "Curly Joe" DeRita (born Joseph Wardell).
Released May 5, 1934
Episode 42 min
None+
S1E1 - Woman Haters
The Stooges are staunch members of the Woman Haters Club, dedicated to eschewing romantic entanglements with women. However, their resolve is swiftly tested when Jim (Larry Fine) succumbs to the charms of Mary and proposes marriage. His comrades, Tom (Moe Howard) and Jack (Jerry Howard (Curly)), initially dissuade him from the union, citing their oath to the club.
May 5, 1934, midnight
S1E2 - Punch Drunks
Moe, a struggling boxing manager, finds himself embroiled in a tumultuous lunchtime confrontation with his disgruntled fighters, who threaten to abandon him due to unpaid wages. A serendipitous turn of events unfolds as strolling violinist Larry unwittingly triggers a violent outburst from the timid waiter, Curly, upon playing the melody of "Pop Goes the Weasel". Seizing upon this unexpected display of physical prowess, Moe swiftly enlists Curly as a boxer and engages Larry to play the titular tune during Curly's matches, enabling him to effortlessly defeat opponents and secure prize money.
May 13, 1934, midnight
S1E3 - Men in Black
The Stooges portray medical school graduates with minimal qualifications, hired as doctors at Los Arms Hospital due to their prolonged tenure as senior students. Despite their superintendent's acknowledgment of their limited intellect, they are tasked with upholding the principles of "duty and humanity." The film follows a series of interactions as the Stooges attend to patients, each scenario highlighting their ineptitude and penchant for mishaps.
Sept. 28, 1934, midnight
S1E4 - Three Little Pigskins
The Stooges are unwittingly embroiled in a scheme to promote a college football team. Initially recruited to bolster publicity by masquerading as football players, the Stooges find themselves mistaken for genuine athletes by Joe Stacks, owner of a professional football team. Joe's girlfriend confuses the Stooges for the famed "Three Horsemen," leading to a series of comedic misunderstandings.
Dec. 8, 1934, midnight
S1E5 - Horses' Collars
The Stooges, acting as emissaries under the auspices of Detective Hyden Zeke, embark upon a mission to the Western frontier with the objective of assisting Nell Higginbottom in reclaiming an IOU wrongfully obtained from her father. The document, coveted by Double Deal Decker, a notorious individual of ruthless disposition, represents a key instrument in his bid to unlawfully appropriate Nell's rightful inheritance, a prized ranch.
Jan. 10, 1935, midnight
S1E6 - Restless Knights
Set in medieval times, the patriarch of the Stooges imparts to them, on his deathbed, their noble lineage. Ascending to titles of nobility — Duke of Durham (Larry), Count of Fife (Moe), and Baron of Grey Matter (Curly) — they pledge to safeguard Queen Anne of their ancestral realm, Anesthesia. Rumors circulate of an impending coup orchestrated by Prince Boris, the current prime minister, prompting the Stooges to fulfill their father's charge.
Feb. 20, 1935, midnight
S1E7 - Pop Goes the Easel
Amidst the economic turmoil of the Great Depression, the Stooges, facing dire unemployment, embark on a desperate quest for livelihood. Their initial endeavor, to undertake menial labor sweeping a merchant's sidewalk, unwittingly ensnares them in a case of mistaken identity, as they are erroneously accused of theft by the irate merchant. Fleeing from the scene, the trio inadvertently find themselves pursued by law enforcement authorities.
March 29, 1935, midnight
S1E8 - Uncivil Warriors
Amidst the tumult of the American Civil War, a strategic imperative is established as a Union General deploys Larry, Moe, and Curly — designated as Operators 12, 14, and 15 respectively — to undertake a clandestine mission behind enemy lines. Tasked with securing vital intelligence, the trio assumes the guise of Southern officers, adopting the aliases Lieutenant Duck, Captain Dodge, and Major Hyde, respectively. Their infiltration of the mansion belonging to Confederate officer Colonel Butts marks the commencement of a series of misadventures.
April 26, 1935, midnight
S1E9 - Pardon My Scotch
The Stooges, long-standing carpenters, find themselves assuming temporary stewardship of a drugstore in the absence of its proprietor who departs to negotiate the acquisition of copious quantities of alcohol consequent to the cessation of Prohibition. An unexpected encounter with a liquor supplier prompts the trio to concoct a libation using an eclectic array of medicines and chemicals, inadvertently resulting in a potent elixir blended with a Wellington boot.
Aug. 1, 1935, midnight
S1E10 - Hoi Polloi
In a cinematic adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play, Pygmalion, Professor Richmond champions the belief that social behavior is predominantly shaped by environmental factors rather than inherent traits. Engaging in a high-stakes wager with his colleague, Professor Nichols, Richmond asserts his ability to refine a common individual into a gentleman through meticulous training and exposure to refined surroundings. Nichols, however, counters with the proposition to refine three common individuals, thereby testing the limits of Richmond's theory. The unwitting subjects of this experiment happen to be the Stooges, initially employed as garbage men.
Aug. 29, 1935, midnight
S1E11 - Three Little Beers
The Stooges are employed at Panther Pilsner Beer company, where they encounter a series of mishaps while loading barrels onto their delivery truck. Upon learning about a cash prize golf tournament sponsored by their company, they hastily head to the Rancho Golf Club to hone their golfing skills. Using makeshift press badges, they infiltrate the event, inadvertently causing chaos and destruction on the golf course.
Nov. 28, 1935, midnight
S1E12 - Ants in the Pantry
The Stooges are employed as pest exterminators, providing an unconventional service wherein they both introduce the infestation and subsequently address it, thereby offering a unique approach to pest control. Driven by a distinct lack of clientele, they target an affluent mansion hosting a high society dinner party, whereupon they orchestrate a calculated release of various vermin, including mice, moths, and ants, with deliberate malice. Their machinations, laced with gleeful amorality, result in their inevitable hiring to rectify the very chaos they have orchestrated, all while discreetly masquerading as guests so as not to disrupt the soirée.
Feb. 6, 1936, midnight
S1E13 - Movie Maniacs
The Stooges are stowaways aboard a boxcar bound for Hollywood, envisioning themselves as future movie stars without merit. Upon trespassing into a movie studio, they are mistaken for executives poised to assume control, granting them unwarranted authority over film production. Their tenure begins on a tumultuous note when Curly's misstep with a match disturbs a silent film star, prompting the departure of key personnel and leaving the trio to assume acting roles themselves.
Feb. 20, 1936, midnight
S1E14 - Half Shot Shooters
Employing a bifurcated temporal structure, the film opens with the Stooges situated in the immediate aftermath of World War I in 1918. Herein, they receive commendations ostensibly for "wounds in action," a facetious recognition stemming from a retaliatory assault perpetrated by their superior, Sgt. MacGillicuddy. Reacting to this perceived injustice, the Stooges orchestrate a reprisal against Sgt. MacGillicuddy.
April 30, 1936, midnight
S1E15 - Disorder in the Court
The Stooges are key witnesses at a murder trial where their colleague, Gail Tempest, stands accused of murdering Kirk Robin. Despite being pivotal witnesses, the Stooges are initially absent, preoccupied with leisurely activities, namely playing Jacks. Eventually, Curly takes the stand and recounts the events, ultimately offering a musical interlude with Larry on violin, Moe on harmonica, and Curly on both spoons and upright bass to illustrate the night of the crime.
May 30, 1936, midnight
S1E16 - A Pain in the Pullman
The Stooges are struggling actors embroiled in a sequence of challenges during their journey aboard an overnight train to meet a theatrical commitment. This voyage is beset by financial difficulties and complicated further by the inclusion of their pet monkey, Joe. Initially instructed to stow Joe in the baggage car due to regulations prohibiting animals in passenger compartments, the Stooges' attempts are thwarted when the door closes prematurely. Consequently, they surreptitiously bring Joe aboard the Southern Pacific railway train, inadvertently setting the stage for chaos.
June 27, 1936, midnight
S1E17 - False Alarms
The Stooges are firefighters whose penchant for off-duty pursuits frequently lands them in trouble. Threatened with dismissal by their superior, Captain Ashe, due to repeated negligence, the trio faces heightened scrutiny. Amidst their assigned task of cleaning fire hoses, a mishap ensues when Curly inadvertently damages the hoses, leading to a precarious situation that nearly costs them their employment.
Aug. 16, 1936, midnight
S1E18 - Whoops, I'm an Indian!
The Stooges, depicted as unscrupulous gamblers residing in the antiquated Western locale of Lobo City, engage in deceitful practices during a game of roulette, unfairly swindling the townsfolk. Their ruse is uncovered, particularly by Pierre, a menacing woodcutter renowned for his formidable stature. Larry's concealment of a horseshoe magnet in his shoe facilitates their deception, leading to their exposure and subsequent flight into the wilderness. Evading capture as fugitives, the trio resorts to survivalist tactics, encompassing hunting, fishing, and assuming disguises reminiscent of Native Americans.
Sept. 11, 1936, midnight
S1E19 - Slippery Silks
The Stooges are furniture craftsmen tasked with replicating a treasured antique Chinese cabinet, loaned to a Mr. Morgan by a local museum against a substantial bond. However, their endeavor takes a calamitous turn when Curly clumsily bisects the valuable artifact, followed by Moe's inadvertent destruction of the remaining fragments. Fleeing from the wrathful Mr. Morgan, who threatens reprisal, the trio discovers an unexpected inheritance: ownership of the Madame de France boutique, a high-end fashion establishment formerly owned by their late Uncle Pete.
Dec. 27, 1936, midnight
Episode Runtime: 42 min.
Season Runtime: 42 min.
Released: May 5, 1934
Last Air Date: June 4, 1959, midnight
Status: Returning Series
Certification: NR
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