PARDON MY BACKFIRE (1953) -- ThreeStooges.net

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Released August 15, 1953
Featuring Moe, Larry and Shemp

Columbia
15.9 min. (Short Subject)

The Stooges' 10-year engagement to their fiancees has reached the end of their future father-in-law's patience. He gives them one week to earn enough money to marry his daughters, or they'll be promised to the three plumbers down the street. So Moe, Larry & Shemp promise to keep their garage open night and day if necessary. The garage's first new customers are three gangsters, and the leader's moll, who've wrecked their car escaping from the police. Assuming that the Stooges have made a overtures to the moll, the hoods decide to 'silence' our heroes.

Filmed and released in 3-D.

Scheduled for 4 days, but White's pencil notation on his script says "Took 5 days + 11 1/2 hrs. O.T."

Costar Diana Darrin ('Bettie') was interviewed at the 2006 Fan Club Meeting in Fort Washington PA. Her interview appears in The Three Stooges Journal # 118 (Summer 2006). Ms. Darrin was also a guest of the 1993 Three Stooges Convention in Philadelphia, see Journal # 67 (Fall 1993).

Avg. Rating:

[8.76/10]

Cast List

Shemp Howard
Shemp

Moe Howard
Moe

Larry Fine
Larry

Diana Darrin
Bettie

Angela Stevens
Hettie

Ruth Godfrey
Nettie

Fred Kelsey
Father

Benny Rubin
Charles

Barbara Bartay
Gun moll

Phil Arnold
Shiv

Frank Sully
Algernon

Jules White
Radio announcer

Blackie Whiteford
Policeman

Harold Breen
2nd policeman

Production Crew

Jules White
Producer

Jules White
Director

Felix Adler
Story and Screenplay

Henry Freulich
Director of Photography

Edwin Bryant
Film Editor

Walter Holscher
Art Director

Milton Feldman
Assistant Director

Raphael Penso
Music

Mischa K. Bakaleinikoff
Music

Howard Jackson
Music

Stooge Businesses (0)

Stooge Goofs (3)

Stooge Mayhem (Avg. 2.50)

Re: PARDON MY BACKFIRE
Posted 2002-02-20 19:41:00 by Shemp_Diesel
Edited 2015-01-14 13:46:52 by Shemp_Diesel

Very good short--I still prefer SPOOKS! however. One thing I must say--as lame as the 3-D may seem to some, if anything the cheesiness of it adds to the humor; especially the way the cake Moe throws at Shemp floats through the air sideways & you can see the strings holding it up. Remember that this was shot in 1953, long before mind blowing, Star Wars type special fx would revolutionize motion pictures.

7 pokes (Diana Darrin looked particularly yummy in this short. Yowsers!)

Reviewer's Rating:

(7)

Re: PARDON MY BACKFIRE
Posted 2011-02-03 20:50:36 by shemps#1

A very funny Shemper and I personally didn't think the 3-D took anything away from the short. On The Three Stooges Collection Volume 7 this one and Spooks! comes in both 2-D and 3-D with a couple of pairs of glasses to watch them with. I thought the plot was strong and the gags were funny. I would go so far as to put both of them in my top 20 with Pardon just edging out its predecessor.4 pokes

Reviewer's Rating:

(10)

Re: PARDON MY BACKFIRE
Posted 2003-05-27 16:05:00 by Pat Stooge

Haven't seen it since October 1997 butI liked it. I was very absurd and weird at the same time, I thought it was hilarious!I loved the flying knife part and noticed that when you watch the non 3-D version its lame.In instant classic but not worth watching without 3-D.

Re: PARDON MY BACKFIRE
Posted 2003-05-26 01:07:00 by Stooge

I finally saw the unedited version of this, so I can give it a fair review. This short is almost up there with THEY STOOGE TO CONGA in terms of violence, especially the wire-up-Larry's-nose bit. Still, I think this short is weak and overrated, and the lame 3-D gags don't do a thing for me.

Re: PARDON MY BACKFIRE
Posted 2003-02-25 04:32:00 by Bruckman

Second of 2 shorts done in 3-D (qv. SPOOKS), this film manages some typical Stoogian slapstick with tools in the garage scenes, with the added flourishes of 3-D filming, where objects (bottles, knives) come sailing directly into the camera and a blowtorch flares right into the viewer's face. Not especially distinguished knockabout w/a plot reminiscent of the earlier and better SLAPHAPPY SLEUTHS, this still manages to keep up a funny level of sadistic humor. The thug who snarls "Knives are quiet!" always gets a laugh from me.

Reviewer's Rating:

(8)

Re: PARDON MY BACKFIRE
Posted 2002-02-13 17:31:00 by BeatleMoe

Mike, I don't know how to get your attention, but creating a post site to you was inventive. I would like a copy of this film with about twenty other missing 60 you have. It's been a while since I have seen this, and like a lot of Three Stooges films of this era, I have only seen the Family Channel version. I didn't like this as much as SPOOKS!, but if I get the chance to see it again instead of waiting a year, call me impatient, then my rating will probably change. Memorable Scene: The opening 10th anniversary partyRating: 2 starsBeatleMoe

Re: PARDON MY BACKFIRE
Posted 2001-10-30 03:26:00 by Mike Holme
Edited 2002-02-11 07:21:00 by Mike Holme

I love this short. I am the first one to give it real praise. The stooges reaction to the convict's girlfriend is priceless. The beginning was quite funny and the stooges act like total slobs at the dinner table in front of their girlfriends' father! The fight scene was just hilarious. The auto-mechanic scenes are just as hilarious as "Higher Than A Kite"s auto-mechanic scenes. I even liked the 3-D. This short is also in my opinion, the most violent Shemp short, especially the scene in which Moe tortures Larry with a wrasp after accidentally hitting him several times. This is a classic and I recommend it for any stooge fan.Slaps: 7 Bonks: 1 Eyepokes: 1 Other punishments: 11Favorite scene: The auto mechanic scenes after the convicts arrive.Stooge of the short: Moe(he is so mean in this one)4 pokes

Reviewer's Rating:

(10)

Re: PARDON MY BACKFIRE
Posted 2001-05-30 22:59:00 by Stooge

Another 3-D short, but this one seems even weaker than SPOOKS. The 3-D gags look really forced, and there's some weak writing, and Shemp has a weak performance. I only have the edited version of this, though, and I'm probably missing a lot of scenes and I can't really give a fair review of this. If it's really as violent as you two say, then I've really gotta see the uncut version. I saw a clip from an edited scene which had Larry slowly pulling a wire out of his nose, that let out of his ear. Ouch! How'd that happen?Grade: D (for now, but I'll probably raise my grade when I see this unedited)Edited by - Stooge on 9/13/01 9:53:44 PM

Re: PARDON MY BACKFIRE
Posted 2001-05-20 17:19:00 by B. Bopper

A very funny short, but it would have been better if they spared us the rather "cheesy" 3-D.Edited by - B. Bopper on 7/1/01 4:43:48 AM

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Prod. No.:	4212
Shooting Days:	5 days From: 1953-06-30 To: 1953-07-06

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