''Scrambled Brains'' is a 1951

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 132nd 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

Moe and Larry are at a sanatorium where Shemp is being treated for suffering from hallucinations. Before being prematurely released, Shemp insists on saying farewell to his new fiancée, beautiful nurse Nora (

Babe London Babe London (born Jean Glover, August 28, 1901 – November 29, 1980) was an American actress and comedian, most remembered for her one-time partnership with Oliver Hardy in the 1931 Laurel and Hardy two-reeler ''Our Wife''. Career Londo ...

). When Nora calls out to Shemp, she appears, much to the scare of Moe and Larry: poor Nora is a homely, toothless thing who seems to have won Shemp's heart. It then becomes clear that Shemp is far from cured, and needs additional therapy. While Shemp is home, the boys receive a visit from Dr. Gesundheit (

Emil Sitka Emil Sitka (December 22, 1914January 16, 1998) was a veteran American actor, who appeared in hundreds of movies, short films, and television shows, and is best known for his numerous appearances with The Three Stooges. He is one of only two acto ...

). The doctor, who suffers from poor eyesight, tries his best to cure Shemp, but runs into difficulty when the stubborn stooge refuses to swallow a sleeping pill. Later, Shemp hallucinates an extra set of hands while enduring his piano lesson. On the verge of a

nervous breakdown A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitt ...

, Shemp insists on seeing Nora, with hopes of finally getting married. On their way to the doctor, the Stooges become wedged in a phone booth with a stranger (

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 and the main antagonist and ally to The Thr ...

), leading to a fist fight, making a mess from the foods the stranger had in his grocery bag. The physical altercation results in the phone booth toppling on its side where the Stooges escape. Back in their apartment, they find Nora waiting for her father—who happens to be the man the Stooges brawled with in the phone booth. Trying to escape, the Stooges knock themselves out thinking that the silhouette on the wall is a window. Nora claims Shemp as her own, carrying him away.

Cast

as Moe *

as Larry *

as Shemp *

as Nora **

Pamela Britton Pamela Britton (born Armilda Jane Owens, March 19, 1923 – June 17, 1974) was an American actress, best known for appearing as Lorelei Brown in the television series ''My Favorite Martian'' (1963–1966) and for her female lead in the film noi ...

as pretty Nora *

as Nora's father *

as Dr. Gesundheit * Royce Milne as Little Mary Belle *

Johnny Kascier Johnny Kascier (born John Kacerosky; July 1, 1889May 10, 1974) was an American actor who appeared in over 90 films between 1932 and 1957. Modern viewers will recognize Kascier as the Emir of Schmow in the Three Stooges film '' Malice in the Pala ...

as orderly

Production notes

''Scrambled Brains'' was filmed on March 21–23, 1950, 16 months before it was released.

often cited this film as his all-time favorite, with ''

You Nazty Spy! ''You Nazty Spy!'' is a 1940 comedy film directed by Jules White and starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Curly Howard). It is the 44th short film released by Columbia Pictures starring the comed ...

'' and ''

Cuckoo on a Choo Choo ''Cuckoo on a Choo Choo'' is a 1952 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Shemp Howard). It is the 143rd entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starr ...

'' his runners-up. He would often screen this film during his last days residing at the

Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital In physics, motion is the phenomenon in which an object changes its position with respect to time. Motion is mathematically described in terms of displacement, distance, velocity, acceleration, speed and frame of reference to an observer and meas ...

. The gag of making a doll whine by leaning a rocking chair on it was borrowed from

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957). Starting their career as a duo ...

's 1940 film ''

Saps at Sea ''Saps at Sea'' is a 1940 American comedy film directed by Gordon Douglas, distributed by United Artists. It was Laurel and Hardy's last film produced by the Hal Roach Studios, as well as the last film to feature Ben Turpin and Harry Bernard. ...

''.Solomon, Jon. (2002) ''The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion'', p. 387; Comedy III Productions, Inc.,

References

External links

* *
''Scrambled Brains'' at threestooges.net
{{The Three Stooges 1951 films 1951 comedy films The Three Stooges films American black-and-white films Films directed by Jules White Columbia Pictures short films American comedy films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films