''Pardon My Backfire'' is a 1953

short subject A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

directed by Jules White 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 ...

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. Six Stooges appear ...

(

Moe Howard Moses Harry Horwitz (June 19, 1897 – May 4, 1975), known professionally as Moe Howard, was an American actor and comedian. He is best known as the leader of The Three Stooges, the farce comedy team who starred in motion pictures and television ...

Larry Fine Louis Feinberg (October 5, 1902 – January 24, 1975), known professionally as Larry Fine, was an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is best known as a member of the comedy act the Three Stooges. Early life Fine was born to a Russian Je ...

and

Shemp Howard Samuel Horwitz (March 11, 1895 – November 22, 1955), known professionally as Shemp Howard, was an American actor and comedian. He was called "Shemp" because "Sam" came out that way in his mother's thick Litvak accent. He is best known as the ...

). It is the 149th entry in the series released by

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the multi ...

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

Plot

The Stooges are auto mechanics who need money in order to marry their sweethearts. While working in their auto garage, some escaped convicts pull in with a damaged fender. While the trio are working on the vehicle, they hear a news flash over the radio about some escaped convicts. They put the pieces together and realize that the baddies are right in their garage. The boys capture the crooks, collect the reward, and marry their sweethearts.

Cast

Credited

as Moe *

as Larry *

as Shemp * Benny Rubin as Charles *

Frank Sully Francis Thomas Sullivan (June 17, 1908 December 17, 1975), known professionally as Frank Sully, was an American film actor. He appeared in over 240 films between 1934 and 1968. Today's audiences know him best as the dumb detective in the ''Bost ...

as Algernon * Phil Arnold as Shiv

Uncredited

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 bet ...

as Father *

Barbara Bartay Vari Komp (19 March 1921 – 20 August 1986), known professionally as Barbara Bartay, was a Czech-American film actress. She appeared in several short films at Columbia Pictures between 1951 and 1956. Career Bartay was born in Bohemia, Crochw ...

as Gun moll * Diana Darrin as Bettie * Angela Stevens as Hettie * Ruth Godfrey as Nettie *

Blackie Whiteford John Penman "Blackie" Whiteford (April 27, 1889 – March 21, 1962) was an American film actor. Biography In 1903, Whiteford was a seaman between jobs when he was offered a chance to work on '' The Great Train Robbery'' film. That opportuni ...

as first Policeman * Leonard Kening as second Policeman * Jules White as Radio announcer

Production notes

''Pardon My Backfire'' was the second and last short made by Columbia with the Stooges in 3D, the previous being '' Spooks!'' (released June 15). ''Pardon My Backfire'' premiered on August 15, 1953 with the 3D Columbia western ''

The Stranger Wore a Gun ''The Stranger Wore a Gun'' is a 1953 American Western film directed by Andre DeToth and starring Randolph Scott and Claire Trevor. Based on the short story "Yankee Gold" by John W. Cunningham, the film is about a former spy who moves to Arizo ...

''Solomon, Jon. (2002) ''The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion''; Comedy III Productions, Inc., starring

Randolph Scott George Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American film actor whose career spanned the years from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in a variety of ...

and featuring

Lee Marvin Lee Marvin (born Lamont Waltman Marvin Jr.; February 19, 1924August 29, 1987) was an American film and television actor. Known for his bass voice and premature white hair, he is best remembered for playing hardboiled "tough guy" characters. Alth ...

and

Ernest Borgnine Ernest Borgnine (; born Ermes Effron Borgnino; January 24, 1917 – July 8, 2012) was an American actor whose career spanned over six decades. He was noted for his gruff but relaxed voice and gap-toothed Cheshire Cat grin. A popular perfor ...

. Like its predecessor, ''Pardon My Backfire'' took five full days to complete filming due to the complexity of shots and angles required for 3D viewing. New Stooge films produced at the time generally took no more than three days to complete, with remakes usually being completed in a single day.''Pardon My Backfire'' at threestooges.net
/ref> This is the third and final Stooge short with the words "pardon my" in the title. This was also the last Stooge short featuring longtime supporting actor

. During the dinner scene, the song heard on the record is Oh! Susanna.

References

External links

* *
''Pardon My Backfire'' at threestooges.net
1953 films 1953 comedy films The Three Stooges films American black-and-white films American 3D films Films directed by Jules White 1953 3D films 3D short films Columbia Pictures short films American comedy films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films {{short-comedy-film-stub