Three Little Pirates
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''Three Little Pirates'' is a 1946
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 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
Curly Howard Jerome Lester Horwitz (October 22, 1903 – January 18, 1952), better known by his stage name Curly Howard, was an American comedian and actor. He was a member of The Three Stooges comedy team, which also featured his elder brothers Moe and ...
). It is the 96th 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

In 1672, the Stooges are mariners aboard a refuse barge, marooned on the desolate Dead Man's Island. Their arrival attracts the attention of the island's governor, initially skeptical of their claims until their unmistakable sailor-like behavior confirms their profession. However, their fortunes quickly sour when Curly's harmless flirtation with the governor's betrothed, Rita, earns them the governor's ire. Condemned to a grim fate of either beheading or immolation, the Stooges face imminent execution. A twist of fate intervenes in the form of Rita's disdain for her would-be husband's tyrannical rule. Resourcefully, she aids the Stooges in their escape by revealing concealed tools and guiding them to safety through an underground passage. However, their relentless bickering leads them astray, leading to their re-incarceration. Undeterred, Rita proposes a ruse wherein the Stooges masquerade as exotic dignitaries bearing lavish gifts. Curly assumes the guise of the myopic
Maharaja Maharaja (also spelled Maharajah or Maharaj; ; feminine: Maharani) is a royal title in Indian subcontinent, Indian subcontinent of Sanskrit origin. In modern India and Medieval India, medieval northern India, the title was equivalent to a pri ...
of
Canarsie Canarsie ( ) is a mostly residential neighborhood in the southeastern portion of Brooklyn, New York City. Canarsie is bordered on the east by Fresh Creek Basin, East 108th Street, and Louisiana Avenue; on the north by Linden Boulevard; on th ...
, boasting dominions over the islands of Coney and
Long Long may refer to: Measurement * Long, characteristic of something of great duration * Long, characteristic of something of great length * Longitude (abbreviation: long.), a geographic coordinate * Longa (music), note value in early music mens ...
. Moe adopts the role of Gin of Rummy, while Larry plays his accomplice. Their nonsensical banter and comically absurd offerings, including a raspberry lollipop mistaken for a gemstone and a fountain pen misconstrued as a walrus tusk, deceive the governor, facilitating their escape. Their flight leads them into the clutches of the nefarious pirate Black Louie, with whom they engage in a perilous game of knife-throwing. Rita discreetly alerts them to the governor's vendetta, necessitating their hasty departure. However, Curly's ineptitude, compounded by his thick-lensed glasses, disrupts their escape, precipitating a showdown with Black Louie's crew. Emerging victorious, the Stooges briefly entertain dreams of sovereignty until Moe's ignoble defeat by a whimsical contraption, humbling their aspirations and prompting their departure from the island.


Cast


Credited

*
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 ...
as Moe *
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 ...
as Larry *
Curly Howard Jerome Lester Horwitz (October 22, 1903 – January 18, 1952), better known by his stage name Curly Howard, was an American comedian and actor. He was a member of The Three Stooges comedy team, which also featured his elder brothers Moe and ...
as Curly *
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, main antagonist, and an ally to The Three ...
as Governor *
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 Rita Yolanda * Robert Stevens as Black Louie *Dorothy DeHaven as Chiquita


Uncredited

*
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 *
Cy Schindell Seymour "Cy" Schindell (March 4, 1907August 24, 1948) was an American actor. He appeared in 37 Three Stooges short subjects, mostly as a heavy, though he was never credited in any Stooge shorts. Career Brooklyn-born Schindell was born Seymour ...
as Dirk *
Al Thompson Al Thompson (September 21, 1884 – March 1, 1960) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 170 films between 1916 and 1958. Well known in the industry for performing the more difficult stunts, he kept busy as a stunt doubl ...
as Pirate


Production notes

This is the 12th of 16 Stooge shorts with the word "three" in the title. The Stooges had previously performed the "Maharaja" routine in ''
Time Out for Rhythm ''Time Out for Rhythm'' is a 1941 American musical comedy film directed by Sidney Salkow and starring Rudy Vallée, Ann Miller and the Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Curly Howard). It was based on the stage musical ''Show Business'' ...
'' (1941). They would resurrect the routine with
Joe DeRita Joseph Wardell (July 12, 1909 – July 3, 1993), known professionally as Joe DeRita, was an American actor and comedian, who is best known for his stint as a member of The Three Stooges in the persona of Curly Joe DeRita. Early life DeRita ...
as the third stooge on ''
The Steve Allen Show ''The Steve Allen Show'' is an American variety show hosted by Steve Allen from June 1956 to June 1960 on NBC, from September 1961 to December 1961 on ABC,
'' (1959) and in the theatrical feature ''
The Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze ''The Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze'' is the fifth feature film made by The Three Stooges after their 1959 resurgence in popularity. By this time, the trio consisted of Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Joe DeRita (dubbed "Curly Joe"). D ...
'' (1963). Moe Howard also later performed a variation of the routine, with
Mike Douglas Michael Delaney Dowd Jr. (August 11, 1920Cook County Birth Certificates, file number 6053268, borAugust 11, 1920/ref>Social Security Death Index, Michael D. Dowd Jr., Birth: 11 Aug 1920, death: 11 Aug 2006 residing in North Palm Beach, FL, acce ...
and
Soupy Sales Milton Supman (January 8, 1926 – October 22, 2009), known professionally as Soupy Sales, was an American comedian, actor, radio-television personality, and jazz aficionado. He was best known for his local and network children's television ser ...
, in November 1973 television appearance on ''
The Mike Douglas Show ''The Mike Douglas Show'' is an American daytime television talk show that was hosted by Mike Douglas. It began as a local program in Cleveland in 1961 before being carried on other stations owned by Westinghouse Broadcasting. The show went i ...
''.
Canarsie Canarsie ( ) is a mostly residential neighborhood in the southeastern portion of Brooklyn, New York City. Canarsie is bordered on the east by Fresh Creek Basin, East 108th Street, and Louisiana Avenue; on the north by Linden Boulevard; on th ...
, Bay Meadows,
Flatbush Flatbush is a neighborhood in the New York City Borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood consists of several subsections in central Brooklyn and is generally bounded by Prospect Park (Brooklyn), Prospect Park to the nort ...
, and the isles of Coney and
Long Long may refer to: Measurement * Long, characteristic of something of great duration * Long, characteristic of something of great length * Longitude (abbreviation: long.), a geographic coordinate * Longa (music), note value in early music mens ...
are references to
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
-based localities where brothers Moe, Curly, 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 ...
spent their childhood. It is all the more appropriate, as the Stooges are sailors shipwrecked off of a
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
garbage scow.Solomon, Jon. (2002) ''The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion'', p. 287; Comedy III Productions, Inc.,


Curly's last hurrah

''Three Little Pirates'' was produced during April 15–18, 1946,''Three Little Pirates'' at threestooges.net
/ref> a period marked by
Curly Howard Jerome Lester Horwitz (October 22, 1903 – January 18, 1952), better known by his stage name Curly Howard, was an American comedian and actor. He was a member of The Three Stooges comedy team, which also featured his elder brothers Moe and ...
's health struggles following a series of minor
strokes Stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop ...
. Prior films like '' Three Loan Wolves'' and ''
G.I. Wanna Home ''G.I. Wanna Home'' is a 1946 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard). It is the 94th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring th ...
'' had notably shifted focus away from Curly, with Moe and Larry assuming more prominent roles due to Curly's impaired speech and slower timing. Despite his ailments, Curly delivered a commendable performance in ''Three Little Pirates''. Notably, he flawlessly executed the memorable "Maharaja" routine alongside Moe. Additionally, Curly showcased his talent for physical comedy, as seen when he briefly reclines on a chair in one scene. Director
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 ...
observed Curly's decline across successive films produced during this period: While
1946 1946 (Roman numerals, MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1946th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 946th year of the 2nd millennium, the 46th year of the 20th centur ...
was considered a weak year for Stooge releases due to Curly's health challenges, ''Three Little Pirates'' stood out as a notable exception, showcasing Curly's enduring comedic prowess despite his illness.


Quotes

:Governor: "You have your choice — you may have your heads chopped off, or you may be
burned at the stake Death by burning is an list of execution methods, execution, murder, or suicide method involving combustion or exposure to extreme heat. It has a long history as a form of public capital punishment, and many societies have employed it as a puni ...
." :Curly: "We'll take burning at the stake!" :Governor: "Very well. We'll toast them Monday at sundown." :Moe ''(angrily)'': "What did you pick 'burning at the stake' for?!" :Curly: "Cause a hot steak is better than a cold chop!" :Curly: "Eenee, meenee, miney, moe. See, ya can't go wrong with moe." :Moe ''(sarcastically)'': "Heh, heh, heh. Thanks!" *SLAP!*


References


External links

*
''Three Little Pirates'' at threestooges.net
{{Authority control 1946 films 1946 comedy films The Three Stooges films American black-and-white films Short films directed by Edward Bernds Columbia Pictures short films American comedy short films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films