''Dutiful But Dumb'' is a 1941

short subject A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film or ...

directed by

Del Lord Delmer "Del" Lord (October 7, 1894March 23, 1970) was a Canadians, Canadian film director and actor best known as a director of Three Stooges films. Career Delmer Lord was born in the small town of Grimsby, Ontario, Canada. Interested in the the ...

starring American

slapstick Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such as ...

comedy team

The Three Stooges 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 ...

(

Moe Howard Moses Harry Horwitz (June 19, 1897 – May 4, 1975), better known by his stage name Moe Howard, was an American comedian and actor. He is best known as the leader and straight man of the Three Stooges, the farce comedy team who starred in motion ...

Larry Fine Louis Feinberg (October 4, 1902 – January 24, 1975), better known by his stage name Larry Fine, was an American actor, comedian and musician. He is best known as a member of the comedy act the Three Stooges and was often called "The Middle St ...

and

Curly Howard Jerome Lester Horwitz (October 22, 1903 – January 18, 1952), better known by his stage name Curly Howard, was an American comedian and actor. He was a member of The Three Stooges comedy team, which also featured his elder brothers Moe and ...

). It is the 54th entry in the series released by

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...

starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

Plot

The Stooges are Click, Clack and Cluck, paparazzi-like photographers employed by Whack Magazine, a publication renowned for its sensationalist approach to imagery. Following their unsuccessful endeavor to capture a photograph of the esteemed movie star Percival De Puyster and his newlywed spouse, their employer, Mr. Wilson, dismisses them from their positions. However, Wilson subsequently dispatches the trio to Vulgaria (a fictionalized representation of a totalitarian regime reminiscent of fascist

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

), for their next assignment, fully aware that photography in Vulgaria is deemed an act of espionage punishable by death. Upon their arrival in Vulgaria, the bumbling trio inadvertently facilitate the escape of another photographer who was slated for execution. Subsequently, they find themselves ensnared in the clutches of the Vulgarian authorities, culminating in their incarceration within a Vulgarian prison. As the Stooges face imminent execution by firing squad, a comedic interlude ensues when Curly requests a final smoke, humorously unveiling an improbably lengthy cigar. The trio narrowly evade the firing squad's bullets by concealing their heads within their shirts. Subsequent scenes depict the Stooges encountering a demonstration of Vulgaria's new ray gun, mistakenly identified by the trio as a camera. In a series of slapstick mishaps, they inadvertently activate the device, resulting in chaos as they attempt to evade detection by the returning Vulgarian officers. Employing sheer ingenuity, Curly takes refuge inside a malfunctioning radio, engaging in a cacophonous performance using unconventional musical instruments. Following the tumultuous events, the Stooges assume the identities of Vulgarian officers, immersing themselves in an absurd confrontation within a nearby cafe. Within this setting, Curly engages in an intense battle of intellect against a live oyster ensconced within his bowl of stew. Despite their efforts to sustain their masquerade, the Stooges are ultimately apprehended by the vigilant guards. They are physically transported away in an inverted fashion, suspended by the bayonets of their captors' rifles.

Cast

Credited

as Moe Click *

as Larry Clack *

as Curly Cluck

Uncredited

Vernon Dent Vernon Bruce Dent (February 16, 1895 – November 5, 1963) was an American comic actor, who appeared in over 400 films. He co-starred in many short films for Columbia Pictures, frequently as the foil, main antagonist, and an ally to The Three ...

as Mr. Wilson *

Edmund Cobb Edmund Fessenden Cobb (June 23, 1892 – August 15, 1974) was an American actor who appeared in more than 620 films between 1912 and 1966. Biography Cobb was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the son of William Henry Cobb and Eddie (Edmun ...

as Wilson's Assistant * Neal Burns as Photographer in Hallway * Stanley Brown as Percival DePuyster * Marjorie Deanne as Mrs. DePuyster * George Gray as Frightened man in Hallway *

Blanca Vischer Blanca Vischer (January 5, 1915 – November 24, 1969) was a Guatemalan film actress who moved to the United States where she made most of her films. Vischer generally played supporting or minor roles, but occasionally played more prominent charac ...

as Wilson's Secretary *

Harry Semels Harry Semels (November 20, 1887 – March 2, 1946) was an American film actor. He appeared in over 315 films between 1917 and 1946. Career Semels made his film debut in 1917. He appeared in several Three Stooges shorts for Columbia Picture ...

as Villager *

Bud Jamison William Edward "Bud" Jamison (February 15, 1894 – September 30, 1944)Okuda, Ted, and Edward Watz. 1999. The Columbia Comedy Shorts: Two-reel Hollywood Film Comedies 1933–1958'. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland. . was an American film actor. ...

as Vulgarian Sergeant *

George Ovey George Overton O’Dell, known as George Ovey professionally (December 13, 1870 – September 23, 1951), was an American film actor and comedian. Ovey was born December 13, 1870, in Trenton, Missouri. He appeared in more than 200 films betwe ...

as Civilian Photographer *

Fred Aldrich Fred Aldrich (December 23, 1904 – January 25, 1979) was an American character actor of both film and television. Born in New York. He would break into the film industry in 1939, appearing in two films that year in small roles: '' My Son ...

as Firing Squad Soldier *

Fred Kelsey Frederick Alvin Kelsey (August 20, 1884 – September 2, 1961) was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. Kelsey directed one- and two-reel films for Universal Film Manufacturing Company. He appeared in more than 400 films betw ...

as Vulgarian Colonel *

Eddie Laughton Eddie Laughton (20 June 190321 March 1952) was a British-American film actor. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1935 and 1952, and is best known for his work with The Three Stooges. Career Laughton's family immigrated to the United Stat ...

as Ray Machine Operator *

Bruce Bennett Bruce Bennett (born Harold Herman Brix, also credited Herman Brix; May 19, 1906 – February 24, 2007) was an American film and television actor who was a college athlete in football and in intercollegiate and international track-and-field co ...

as Vulgarian Soldier in Colonel's Office * Bert Young as Vulgarian Sentry *

Kit Guard Kit Guard (born Christen Klitgaard May 5, 1894 - July 18, 1961) was a Danish-American actor whose career started in the 1920s. In the sound era, Guard would often be cast in supporting roles as “a small-time hood.” Biography and career Gua ...

as Vulgarian Sentry *

Chester Conklin Chester Cooper Conklin (January 11, 1886 – October 11, 1971) was an early American film comedian who started at Keystone Studios as one of Mack Sennett's Keystone Cops, often paired with Mack Swain. He appeared in a series of films with ...

as Counterman *

Al Thompson Al Thompson (September 21, 1884 – March 1, 1960) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 170 films between 1916 and 1958. Well known in the industry for performing the more difficult stunts, he kept busy as a stunt doubl ...

as Vulgarian soldier in Restaurant * Charlie Phillips as Vulgarian soldier in Restaurant *

Joe Palma Joe Palma (born Joseph Provenzano; March 17, 1905 – August 14, 1994) was an American film actor. Palma appeared in over 120 films between 1937 and 1968. He was well known as a supporting player for The Three Stooges and his brief tenure a ...

as Vulgarian soldier in Restaurant

Production notes

''Dutiful But Dumb'' was filmed on August 1–5, 1940; the film title is a play on "beautiful but dumb." An adaptation of the oyster soup battle is featured in The Three Stooges video game, where players control Curly, who attempts to pick up and eat as many crackers from the oyster soup as possible before the oysters do. Oysters occasionally fire soup at Curly. The gag was later performed by Moe in 1948's ''

Shivering Sherlocks ''Shivering Sherlocks'' is a 1948 short subject directed by Del Lord starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Shemp Howard). It is the 104th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring ...

'', and Larry, who fights the Lobster Gumbo in 1954's ''

Income Tax Sappy ''Income Tax Sappy'' is a 1954 short subject directed by Jules White starring the American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Shemp Howard). It is the 153rd entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures star ...

''. The gag also appears in the 1945

Abbott and Costello Abbott and Costello were an American comedy duo composed of comedians Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, whose work in radio, film, and television made them the most popular comedy team of the 1940s and 1950s, and the highest-paid entertainers in t ...

film, ''

Here Come the Co-Eds ''Here Come The Co-Eds'' is a 1945 American comedy film starring the comedy team Abbott and Costello. Plot Oliver Quackenbush, Molly McCarthy and her brother Slats who acts as her publicity agent work for the Miramar Ballroom as taxi dancers. ...

''.

References

External links

*
''Dutiful But Dumb'' at threestooges.net
{{Authority control 1941 films 1941 comedy films 1941 short films The Three Stooges films American black-and-white films Films set in Europe Films directed by Del Lord Columbia Pictures short films American slapstick comedy films Films about photographers 1940s English-language films 1940s American films English-language short films