''Knutzy Knights'' is a 1954

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

Jules White Jules White (born Julius Weiss; 17 September 1900 – 30 April 1985) was an American film director and producer best known for his short-subject comedies starring The Three Stooges. Early years White began working in motion pictures in 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

Shemp Howard Shemp Howard (born Samuel Horwitz; March 11, 1895 – November 22, 1955) was an American comedian and actor. He is best known as the third Stooge in The Three Stooges, a role he played when the act began in the early 1920s (1923–1932), while i ...

). It is the 156th 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. The film depicts Princess Elaine,

King Arthur According to legends, King Arthur (; ; ; ) was a king of Great Britain, Britain. He is a folk hero and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In Wales, Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a le ...

's daughter, as despondent with her upcoming

arranged marriage Arranged marriage is a type of Marriage, marital union where the bride and groom are primarily selected by individuals other than the couple themselves, particularly by family members such as the parents. In some cultures, a professional matchmaki ...

to the

Black Prince Edward of Woodstock (15 June 1330 – 8 June 1376), known as the Black Prince, was the eldest son and heir apparent of King Edward III of England. He died before his father and so his son, Richard II, succeeded to the throne instead. Edward n ...

. She is in love with a

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...

. A trio of

troubadours A troubadour (, ; ) was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages (1100–1350). Since the word ''troubadour'' is etymologically masculine, a female equivalent is usually called a ''trobairitz''. The tro ...

try to warn Arthur that his intended son-in-law is conspiring against him. Arthur eventually incarcerates the Prince and his co-conspirators.

Plot

The Stooges, acting as

, are dispatched to ameliorate the despondency of Princess Elaine, who finds herself disconsolate due to her imminent betrothal to the Black Prince, a suitor chosen for her in an

by her father, the King. However, Princess Elaine's affections are firmly directed towards Cedric, the local blacksmith. The Stooges endeavor to intercede on behalf of Cedric by engaging in a musical intervention, serenading Princess Elaine with a rendition reminiscent of the Sextette from ''

Lucia di Lammermoor ''Lucia di Lammermoor'' () is a (tragic opera) in three acts by Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian-language libretto loosely based upon Sir Walter Scott's 1819 historical novel '' The Bride of Lammermoor''. ...

''. Their lyrical rendition subtly conveys Cedric's presence and issues a cautionary note regarding the nefarious designs of the Black Prince. Subsequently, Cedric is apprehended by the king's guards and sentenced to

capital punishment Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence (law), sentence ordering that an offender b ...

by beheading. In due course, the King becomes cognizant of the sinister machinations of the Black Prince and his co-conspirators, leading to their incarceration. With this revelation, Princess Elaine is granted the liberty to espouse Cedric, culminating in a denouement characterized by harmonious resolution and felicity for all involved parties.

Cast

Credited

as Moe *

as Larry *

as Shemp *

Jock Mahoney Jacques Joseph O'Mahoney (February 7, 1919 – December 14, 1989), known professionally as Jock Mahoney, was an American actor and stuntman. He starred in two Action/Adventure television series, '' The Range Rider'' and '' Yancy Derringer''. H ...

as Cedric the Blacksmith * Christine McIntyre as Princess Elaine *

Philip Van Zandt Philip Van Zandt (October 4, 1904 – February 15, 1958), sometimes billed as Phil Van Zandt, was a Dutch-American actor of stage, film, and television. He made nearly 250 film and television appearances between 1939 and 1958. Life and career ...

as Black Prince

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 King Arthur * Ruth Godfrey as Lady in waiting * Harold Brauer as Sir Satchel (stock footage) ** Joe Palma as Sir Satchel (new footage) * Robert Stevens as Guard in blacksmith shop, Guard giving chase in castle hallways (new footage) *

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 Guard in blacksmith shop, Guard giving chase in castle hallways (new footage) * Bill Clark as guard in courtyard * Kenner G. Kemp as guard in courtyard * Douglas Coppin as King Arthur's personal guard * Judy Malcolm as Woman in king's entourage

Production notes

''Knutzy Knights'' is a

remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same s ...

of ''

Squareheads of the Round Table ''Squareheads of the Round Table'' is a 1948 short subject directed by Edward Bernds starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges ( Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Shemp Howard). It is the 106th entry in the series released by Columbia Pi ...

'' (1948), using ample stock footage; new scenes were filmed on January 18–19, 1954.''Knutzy Knights'' at threestooges.net
/ref> ''Knutzy Knights'' is notable for being the last film featuring new footage of longtime Stooge foil

. Dent was aged 58 at the time of filming and losing his eyesight from the effects of

Type 2 diabetes Type 2 diabetes (T2D), formerly known as adult-onset diabetes, is a form of diabetes mellitus that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin. Common symptoms include increased thirst, frequent ...

. (He would be completely blind by the time of Shemp Howard's death in November 1955.) Dent appeared in six more Stooge films after ''Knutzy Knights'', via recycled footage: '' Of Cash and Hash'', '' Bedlam in Paradise'' (both 1955), '' Flagpole Jitters'', '' Rumpus in the Harem'', '' Hot Stuff'' (all 1956), and '' Guns a Poppin'' (1957).

References

External links

*
''Knutzy Knights'' at threestooges.net
1954 films 1954 comedy films 1954 short films The Three Stooges films American black-and-white films The Three Stooges film remakes Films set in Roman Britain Arthurian films Films directed by Jules White Columbia Pictures short films 1950s English-language films American comedy short films 1950s American films Films about princesses Films about arranged marriage {{short-comedy-film-stub