''Shot in the Frontier'' 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 157th 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

Following their matrimonial ceremonies, the Stooges are confronted with an unsettling revelation: the Noonan brothers, during the Stooges' recent absence, have developed an affection for the newlywed wives and sworn to exact vengeance upon our protagonists should the weddings transpire. Subsequently, in the aftermath of the Justice of the Peace's departure, the Stooges find themselves pursued by the Noonan brothers, leading to a comedic skirmish involving firearms and ultimately devolving into a physical altercation. Amidst the chaos, an elderly individual named Lem inadvertently exacerbates the tension by persistently serenading both factions with an off-key rendition of "

Red River Valley The Red River Valley is a region in central North America that is drained by the Red River of the North; it is part of both Canada and the United States. Forming the border between Minnesota and North Dakota when these territories were admitted ...

". Moe, reaching his threshold of patience, resorts to destroying Lem's guitar in frustration. Unperturbed, Lem promptly produces a miniature guitar and resumes his discordant performance, adding an element of absurdity to the escalating conflict.

Cast

Credited

as Moe *

as Larry *

as Shemp

Uncredited

Diana Darrin Diana Darrin (born Harriet Bernice Tenen; ) is an American actress and singer. She has made over 35 film and television appearances in her career. Early years Darrin is the daughter of Edward and Lillian ( Hymowitz) Tenin (who later divorced); ...

as Bella *

Vivian Mason Vivian Mason (July 12, 1918August 24, 2009) was an American actress who appeared in over 30 television shows and films between 1937 and 1955. Career Mason is familiar to modern viewers for roles in the Three Stooges films '' A Missed Fortune'' ...

as Ella * Ruth Godfrey as Stella *

Emmett Lynn Emmett Earl Lynn (February 14, 1897 – October 20, 1958) was an American actor of the stage and screen. Early life Lynn was born in Muscatine, Iowa. When he was nine years old, Lynn became a song plugger in Denver, Colorado. From tha ...

as Lem * Kenneth MacDonald as Bill Noonan *

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 Jack Noonan *

Emil Sitka Emil Sitka (December 22, 1914January 16, 1998) was an American actor who appeared in hundreds of movies, short films, and television shows, and who is best known for his numerous appearances with The Three Stooges. He was the unofficial "last S ...

as Justice of the Peace *

Mort Mills Mort Mills (born Mortimer Morris Kaplan; January 11, 1919 – June 6, 1993) was an American film and television actor who had roles in over 150 movies and television episodes. He was often the town lawman or the local bad guy in many popular w ...

as Dick Noonan * Wanda Perry as Wedding witness * Harold Breen as Wedding witness *

Harriette Tarler Harriette Tarler (November 4, 1920November 18, 2001) was an American film actress. Born in New York, New York, Tarler appeared in over 15 films between 1956 and 1959. Career Tarler is best known for her prominent work in many late Three Stooges s ...

as Mandy

Production notes

''Shot in the Frontier'' was filmed on October 26–28, 1953, nearly one year prior to its release. It is a parody of the 1952

Stanley Kramer Stanley Earl Kramer (September 29, 1913February 19, 2001) was an American film director and producer, responsible for making many of Hollywood's most famous " message films" (he called his movies ''heavy dramas'') and a liberal movie icon.

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

High Noon ''High Noon'' is a 1952 American Western (genre), Western film produced by Stanley Kramer from a screenplay by Carl Foreman, directed by Fred Zinnemann, and starring Gary Cooper. The plot, which occurs in Real time (media), real time, centers ...

''. In 1954, two shorts were released with entirely new footage: ''

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 ...

'' and ''Shot in the Frontier''. In both productions, Shemp Howard did not slick down his long hair due to his recent commencement of hair dyeing, which initially precluded the use of

pomade Pomade is a greasy, waxy, or water-based substance that is used to style hair. It generally gives the user's hair a shiny, slick appearance. It lasts longer than most hair-care products, and often requires repeated washes for complete remov ...

References

External links

*
''Shot in the Frontier'' at threestooges.net
1954 films The Three Stooges films American black-and-white films Films directed by Jules White Columbia Pictures short films 1950s Western (genre) comedy films American Western (genre) comedy short films 1954 comedy films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films English-language Western (genre) comedy short films {{1950s-US-comedy-film-stub