''Slaphappy Sleuths'' is a 1950

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 Jules White (born Julius Weiss; hu, Weisz Gyula; 17 September 190030 April 1985) was a Hungarian-American film director and producer best known for his short-subject comedies starring The Three Stooges Early years White began working in mo ...

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 a ...

comedy team The Three Stooges ( Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Shemp Howard). It is the 127th 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 mu ...

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

Plot

The Stooges are investigators for the Onion Oil company, whose service stations are being robbed by a gang of crooks. On the job, the Stooges provide nothing less than first-class service. However, most of the services are not typical of your standard gas station (shaves, manicures and cologne and popcorn), and they still manage to be robbed when their backs are turned. Tracing a trail of motor oil to the crooks' hideout, the Stooges demonstrate boxing skills far more effective than their earlier detective skills.

Cast

Credited

* Moe Howard as Moe * Larry Fine as Larry * Shemp Howard as Shemp *

Stanley Blystone William Stanley Blystone (August 1, 1894 – July 16, 1956) was an American film actor who made more than 500 films appearances between 1924 and 1956. He was sometimes billed as William Blystone or William Stanley. Early years Blystone was ...

as the gang leader *

Gene Roth Eugene Oliver Edgar Stutenroth (January 8, 1903 – July 19, 1976), known profesionally as Gene Roth, was an American film actor and film manager. Early years Roth was born in Redfield, South Dakota. He was the son of a German father and ...

as Fuller Grime *

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 ...

as Customer

Uncredited

* Nanette Bordeaux as Girl * Vernon Dent as unknown (cut role) *

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 ...

as Joe, a gang member * Blackie Whiteford as a gang member

Production notes

''Slaphappy Sleuths'' was filmed on April 11–14, 1949''Slaphappy Sleuths'' at threestooges.net
/ref> and released 19 months later in November 1950. The gag of a third Stooge acting like a bloodhound and tries to sniff out the tracks of enemies was also used in ''

Goofs and Saddles ''Goofs and Saddles'' is a 1937 American Western short subject film directed by Del Lord and starring the slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard). It is the 24th entry in the series released by Columbi ...

'' (1937) and '' Phony Express'' (1943). The gas pumps have female gas names: Ethel; Hazel and Becky.

External links

* *

References

1950 films 1950 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 {{short-comedy-film-stub