3 Dumb Clucks
3 Dumb Clucks is a 1937 short subject directed by Del Lord starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard). It is the 22nd entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.
| 3 Dumb Clucks | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Del Lord |
| Produced by | Jules White |
| Written by | Clyde Bruckman |
| Starring | Moe Howard Larry Fine Curly Howard Lucille Lund Frank Mills Eddie Laughton Cy Schindell Al Thompson Harry Tenbrook Lew Davis |
| Cinematography | André Barlatier |
| Edited by | Charles Nelson |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 16:49 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot
The Stooges are in jail when their mother sends them a letter. The letter states that their father (Curly Howard, pulling double duty as both himself and his father) has just become rich via an oil well and is planning to leave their mother and marry young gold digging blonde Daisy (Lucille Lund). The Stooges break out of jail and set off to try to stop the wedding. But since Curly and his father look exactly alike, Daisy ends up marrying the wrong man. The Stooges manage to escape the clutches of the criminals trying to kill them for their father's oil money, and rescue their father.
Production notes
Filming for 3 Dumb Clucks commenced between February 1 and 5, 1937.[1] It is a send-up of the feature film Three Smart Girls.[2]
This is the third of sixteen Stooge shorts using the word "three" in the title, however, 3 Dumb Clucks is the only one to use the number "3".[2] It was reworked in 1953 as Up in Daisy's Penthouse, using minimal stock footage from the original.[2]
During the scene where Curly's father arrives for his wedding, two of the gold digger's henchmen dispose of him by throwing him down an elevator shaft. The prop men had padded the bottom of the shaft to cushion Curly's fall, but neglected to cover a protruding 2" x 4" panel. Curly was thrown down the shaft quickly, and landed head-first on the 2" x 4", tearing his scalp open. As the Stooges were workhorses at Columbia Pictures, Curly was not taken to the hospital. Instead, the studio physician was rushed to the set to apply several stitches to Curly's scalp. Some fresh hair was glued over the wound, and with a healthy dose of painkillers, the slightly wobbly Stooge was back in action within a few hours.[3]
References
- Pauley, Jim (2012). The Three Stooges Hollywood Filming Locations. Solana Beach, California: Santa Monica Press, LLC. p. 258. ISBN 9781595800701.
- Solomon, Jon (2002). The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion. Glendale, California: Comedy III Productions, Inc. p. 105. ISBN 0-9711868-0-4.
- Howard, Moe. (1977, rev. 1979) Moe Howard and the Three Stooges, p. 101; Citadel Press. ISBN 978-0-8065-0723-1
