''Squareheads of the Round Table'' is a 1948

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

Edward Bernds Edward Bernds (July 12, 1905May 20, 2000) was an American screenwriter and director, born in Chicago, Illinois. Career While in his junior year in Lake View High School, he and several friends formed a small radio clique and obtained amateur li ...

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,

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 106th 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 are

troubadours A troubadour (, ; ) was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages (1100–1350). Since the word ''troubadour'' is etymologically masculine, a female equivalent is usually called a ''trobairitz''. The tro ...

during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

amidst the era of King Arthur's reign, during the

in King Arthur Pendragon's time. The narrative unfolds wherein nefarious Black Prince harbors aspirations of union with Princess Elaine. However, the princess's affections lie with Cedric, the humble blacksmith. The intervention of the Stooges is pivotal, as they endeavor to advocate for Cedric's cause through the medium of music, specifically performing the sextet excerpted from

Gaetano Donizetti Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti (29 November 1797 – 8 April 1848) was an Italian Romantic music, Romantic composer, best known for his almost 70 operas. Along with Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, he was a leading composer of the ''be ...

's opera '' Lucia di Lammermoor''. Following a daring escape from confinement within the dungeon, where the King has sentenced them to face decapitation, Moe overhears a clandestine dialogue between the Black Prince and an accomplice. This exchange reveals a treacherous plot to assassinate the King subsequent to his nuptials with Princess Elaine, with the ulterior motive of securing the throne for the Black Prince. Through a display of diversionary antics, the trio engages in an armored dance choreographed to the strains of

Stephen Foster Stephen Collins Foster (July 4, 1826January 13, 1864), known as "the father of American music", was an American composer known primarily for his parlour music, parlour and Folk music, folk music during the Romantic music, Romantic period. He wr ...

's composition "

Old Folks at Home "Old Folks at Home" (also known as " Swanee River") is a folk song written by Stephen Foster in 1851. Since 1935, it has been the official state song of Florida, although in 2008 the original lyrics were revised. It is Roud Folk Song Index ...

", successfully disrupt the unfolding scheme, thereby affording Elaine the opportunity to liberate Cedric from captivity. The King ultimately apprehends the Black Prince and his confederate, thereby thwarting their machinations. Princess Elaine is consequently granted permission to unite in matrimony with Cedric.

Cast

Credited

as Shemp *

as Larry * Moe Howard as Moe * Christine McIntyre as Princess Elaine * Jock Mahoney as Cedric the Blacksmith *

Philip Van Zandt Philip Van Zandt (October 4, 1904 – February 15, 1958), sometimes billed as Phil Van Zandt, was a Dutch-American actor of stage, film, and television. He made nearly 250 film and television appearances between 1939 and 1958. Life and career ...

as Black Prince * Vernon Dent as

King Arthur According to legends, King Arthur (; ; ; ) was a king of Great Britain, Britain. He is a folk hero and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In Wales, Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a le ...

Uncredited

* Harold Brauer as Sir Satchel * Joe Palma as Guard * Robert Stevens as Guard * Joe Garcio as Headsman * Douglas Coppin as King's Personal Guard * Judy Malcolm as Woman in King's Entourage

Production notes

''Squareheads of the Round Table'' was the ninth Stooge film released but only the third one filmed after Shemp rejoined the comedy team. Filming occurred on December 9–12, 1946, but was withheld from release until March 1948, approximately 15 months later. It was filmed approximately five months after the last entry, '' Out West'' (1947), was filmed.''Out West'' at threestooges.net
/ref> ''Squareheads of the Round Table'' was remade in 1954 as '' Knutzy Knights'', 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 ...

. Like '' Fiddlers Three'' and ''

The Hot Scots ''The Hot Scots'' is a 1948 short subject directed by Edward Bernds starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges ( Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Shemp Howard). It is the 108th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring ...

'', ''Squareheads of the Round Table'' was filmed on the existing set of the feature film ''

The Bandit of Sherwood Forest ''The Bandit of Sherwood Forest'' is a 1946 American Technicolor adventure film directed by Henry Levin & George Sherman and starring Cornel Wilde, Anita Louise, Jill Esmond and Edgar Buchanan. Plot Robin Hood's son ( Cornel Wilde) returns to ...

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

Quotes

*King Arthur: "My daughter marry a ‘smith?!" *Shemp: "Take it easy, King; millions of women marry Smiths every year!"

References

External links

* {{Films based on Arthurian legends 1948 films 1948 comedy films 1948 short films The Three Stooges films American black-and-white films Films set in Roman Britain Arthurian films Short films directed by Edward Bernds Columbia Pictures short films American comedy short films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films Films about princesses