''For Crimin' Out Loud'' is a 1956

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 170th 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 work for Miracle Detective Agency, and are hired by a middle-aged millionaire named John Goodrich (

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 ...

) to track down some racketeers who have threatened his life. Mr. Goodrich apprises them of the malevolent activities perpetrated by the Phantom Gang, an malevolent organization implicated in the murder of prominent socialites and affluent individuals, with Mr. Goodrich himself slated as their next victim. Upon their arrival, the Stooges find Mr. Goodrich incapacitated and confined, with his complicit butler, who is revealed to be a member of the Phantom Gang, receiving them. Furthermore, Mr. Goodrich's niece, a member of the gang, endeavors to ensnare Shemp, culminating in an attempt to administer poison. Subsequently, the Stooges find themselves pursued by Nikko, a formidable henchman of imposing stature, throughout the premises. Following a confrontation wherein Shemp incapacitates Nikko, the unconscious Mr. Goodrich inadvertently discloses the machinations of the Phantom Gang. A melee ensues amidst the darkness, ultimately resulting in the apprehension of the malefactors by the Stooges. Notably, Shemp concludes the encounter by inadvertently rendering himself, Moe, Mr. Goodrich, and Larry unconscious, subsequent to his successful neutralization of the Phantom Gang utilizing a fireplace shovel.

Cast

Credited

as Moe *

as Larry *

as Shemp (final short released with new footage) *

Christine McIntyre Christine Cecilia McIntyre (April 16, 1911 – July 8, 1984) was an American actress and singer who appeared in various films in the 1930s and 1940s. She is mainly remembered as the beautiful blonde actress who appeared in many of The Three St ...

as Delores (stock footage) *

as Councilman John Goodrich *

Ralph Dunn Ralph Dunn (May 23, 1900 – February 19, 1968) was an American film, television, and stage actor. Early years Dunn was born in Titusville, Pennsylvania, on May 23, 1900. His father was a veterinarian for the U.S. Army during World War I, a ...

as gang leader (stock footage)

Uncredited

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

as newsgirl * Charles Knight as Crandall (stock footage) *

Duke York Duke York ( Charles Everest Sinsabaugh; October 17, 1908January 24, 1952), was an American film actor and stuntman who appeared in nearly 160 films between 1932 and 1952. He was also known as Duke Owl. Early years The son of Mr. and Mrs. Floyd ...

as Nikko (stock footage)

Production notes

''For Crimin' Out Loud'' is a reworking of 1949's '' Who Done It?'' (itself a remake of the Schilling and Lane short '' Pardon My Terror'') using ample

stock footage Stock footage, and similarly, archive footage, library pictures, and file footage is film or video footage that can be used again in other films. Stock footage is beneficial to filmmakers as it saves shooting new material. A single piece of stock ...

from the original film. The first five minutes consist of new footage filmed on June 30, 1955. The remainder of the film (save one closeup of the Stooges after Shemp is poisoned) is made up of stock footage. The title is a play on the expression, "For crying out loud!" ''For Crimin' Out Loud'' is the last film released to contain new footage of

. However, it was not the last one filmed. ''For Crimin' Out Loud'' was filmed on June 30, 1955: the previous release, '' Flagpole Jitters'', was actually filmed the next day on July 1 but the first of the two films to be released. Shemp died of a sudden

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

on November 22, 1955, before any new films were produced.''Flagpole Jitters'' at threestooges.net
/ref>

References

External links

*
''For Crimin' Out Loud'' at threestooges.net
{{The Three Stooges 1956 films Columbia Pictures short films 1956 comedy films American black-and-white films Films directed by Jules White The Three Stooges film remakes The Three Stooges films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films American comedy short films