QUIZ WHIZZ (1958) -- ThreeStooges.net

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Released February 13, 1958
Featuring Moe, Larry and Joe

Columbia
15.4 min. (Short Subject)

Sweepstakes winner Joe is taken to the cleaners by two conmen G. Y. Prince and R. O. Broad (aka "gyp" and "rob"). The Stooges head to their offices to get Joe's money back. Instead, they find two sympathetic businessmen (the two crooks, in disguise) who offer to pay back the losses if Moe, Larry and Joe will pose as juvenile wards for a rich and eccentric millionaire, Montgomery M. Montgomery. But Montgomery is actually Prince's and Broad's accomplice, and plotting to kill the Stooges.

Avg. Rating:

[5.83/10]

Cast List

Joe Besser
Joe

Moe Howard
Moe

Larry Fine
Larry

Emil Sitka
J. J. Figbee

Milton Frome
G. Y. Prince

Harold Brauer
R. O. Broad

Gene Roth
Montgomery M. Montgomery

Greta Thyssen
Lisa

Production Crew

Jules White
Producer

Jules White
Director

Searle Kramer
Story and Screenplay

Irving Lippman
Director of Photography

William A. Lyon
Film Editor

John McCormack
Art Director

Sidney Clifford
Set Decoration

Jerrold Bernstein
Assistant Director

Jules White
Music

Stooge Businesses (0)

Stooge Goofs (5)

Stooge Mayhem (Avg. 3.25)

Re: QUIZ WHIZZ
Posted 2022-03-21 20:08:35 by JWF

Not as bad as most of the Besser shorts. The supporting cast, save for Emil Sitka, is pretty bad.

What is with Greta Thyssen's first scene? She is wide eyed and frozen faced, staring out at something off camera. She sits there motionless for a good minute or two.

Re: QUIZ WHIZZ
Posted 2010-05-17 19:35:18 by Shemp_Diesel
Edited 2014-12-25 10:09:18 by Shemp_Diesel

One of the better Besser outings & I too get a kick out of seeing Joe force fed a cigar until he's ready to puke.

"Do barbecues have pits?"

6 pokes

Reviewer's Rating:

(6)

Re: QUIZ WHIZZ
Posted 2008-11-09 00:24:52 by The 4th Stooge

Oh, my god! This, as well as Flying Saucer Daffy, are my favorite Joe-era shorts. The whole smog-bag scam (and Moe's hysterical reaction to it), as well as Larry mentioning that the only reason Joe even won the contest was because the questions were about food (only to have Joe come in a short time later and begin making a huge sandwich.)Of course, the pure joy of watching Joe mention Havanas, and then instead of smoking it, had to eat it was genius. Gene Roth's looks of disgust were rather hysterical too.A couple of problems, though. Why in the world would Greta not see Moe with that yooge cake RIGHT AT HER FACE?! The same with Gene--Moe and Larry were right on top of them, and to make it even worse, while they were eavesdropping, the doors opened to the INSIDE of the room. You'd have to be blind not to see that. But then again, this IS the world of Stooge, and all is make well by the fact that they tear up the check, then try to put it together, complete with spit flying! Four-poker.

Reviewer's Rating:

(10)

Re: QUIZ WHIZZ
Posted 2001-02-21 23:49:00 by Stooge
Edited 2008-06-17 05:28:16 by Stooge

A lot call this one of the best Besser shorts, but I don't see why. There are certainly worse Besser shorts, but there are a few better ones as well (A MERRY MIX-UP, OIL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL, and FIFI BLOWS HER TOP are the only Bessers really worth watching, IMO). Some scenes are funny like the opening scene and the cigar-eating scene, but the rest was the typical mediocre Besser era stuff. Especially weak when compared to the similar ALL THE WORLD'S A STOOGE. Supporting cast was poor, too: Gene Roth was never anything special outside of his Borscht role. Greta Thyssen was nothing but a poor man's Christine McIntyre and Milton Frome a poor man's Vernon Dent. And the usually-good Harold Brauer made a forgettable return, but at least he can say that he's been in at least one Stooge short with each third Stooge.

Reviewer's Rating:

(4)

Re: QUIZ WHIZZ
Posted 2007-08-19 22:38:58 by FourthThird
Edited 2007-08-25 08:27:06 by FourthThird

Above-average Besser outing, not the worst or the best. Most of the funny stuff is at the beginning -- Moe describing the "missing" Joe while looking at him ("Color of hair? Skin!"), trying to grab Joe by the (nonexistent) hair, etc. It gets a lot less funny after that, although Joe does do some pretty good facial expressions while eating the cigar, and Larry looks hilarious in his wig.

BTW, this was one of two Stooge shorts I saw in the early '80s, some 25 years before I knew (or cared) much about the Stooges. (I think the other was "Sing A Song Of Six Pants", from which I only remembered one line.) After becoming a Stooge fan as an adult, I was a little surprised to find out that this had been one of the few Joe shorts; I had thought it must be a Curly one because that's what most of them were. My faulty memory had placed the "Montgomery's Wards" line in Curly's mouth and cast Larry as the cigar eater!

Does anyone else find it interesting that childish Joe is the one whose "adult" vices threaten to blow the Stooges' (nonexistent) cover?

And just what the heck is a "California Fujiama Smog Bag" anyway?

Re: QUIZ WHIZZ
Posted 2000-12-31 13:49:00 by Uncle Mortimer
Edited 2006-03-23 20:33:02 by shemps#1

I can't stand Besser, but this is one that I'm actually looking forward to seeing again. If it's the one I think it is, it's got a scene where Besser(dressed as a child, like the original Curly version) is getting CIGARS shoved into his mouth. He starts to get sick and turn blue as more cigars are shoved in. God, would I love to do that to Joe Besser!

Re: QUIZ WHIZZ
Posted 2003-06-26 02:07:00 by justplainbill

My Favorite Joe episode, just for getting to see his fat face pancake made-up to pure white after eating the cigars. "... Now eat the nice cigar Joey-Woey""But I don't waaa----, " {Cigar Jammed in Joe's Pie Hole}

Re: QUIZ WHIZZ
Posted 2003-02-23 05:21:00 by Bruckman

One of the few Bessers worth a second look once in a while, this does have a fairly clever beginning w/Joe being reported as a "missing person", the "genuine Calif. smog bags" Joe's invested in, and the investors (G.Y.Prince and R.O.Broad) are a nice throwback to the devious crooks of the Shemp era. Besser reprises his "Stinky" characterization from his turns on Abbott and Costello's show and ends up victim of his own greed, being stuffed full of cigars until he's ready to puke.

Reviewer's Rating:

(5)

Re: QUIZ WHIZZ
Posted 2001-11-02 22:28:00 by Mike Holme
Edited 2002-04-30 05:15:00 by Mike Holme

This is my favorite Joe B. film. The beginning was hilarious and seeing the stooges dressed up as kids was pretty funny too. I also saw that Moe had no problem hitting Joe in this one for once. There are a few other Joe B. shorts in which this happens(Fifi Blows Her Top, Flying Saucer Daffy) but they aren't as good as this one. Another reason why its my favorite is because it seems most like a Curly or Shemp film and for once the plot involves crooks. Besser Abuse: A slap in the face, a bonk on the head, a nose grab, and a kick in the rear, all are administered by Moe.3 1/2 pokes

Reviewer's Rating:

(8)

Re: QUIZ WHIZZ
Posted 2002-03-26 06:12:00 by black banana

Although I don't care for the Stooges as adopted childrenconcept, this still has funny moments. Highlights are theopening Smog Bag swindle sequence and Joe being forcedto digest cigars. Gene Roth is good as Montgomery M.Montgomery. About the fourth or fifth best of the Joe films.Rating 2 1/2 pokes...Review by Nick Barker & his 2 assistants

Re: QUIZ WHIZZ
Posted 2002-03-25 13:23:00 by shemps#1

I just got to see this one for the first time (thanks Mike), and I have to say that it is the best (or least worst) Besser short I have seen so far. That, however, is not saying all that much. Like others have said, I found Joe being force fed cigars funny, as well as the Stooges dressed as children (Joe in particular with that silly wig) and the ending. Other than that, the short does drag in places like a typical Besser outing, just not as much; and there's really nothing that makes you cringe like in other Besser shorts. Therefore I'll give the short the highest rating I can remember giving a Besser short, 2 1/2 pokes.New England Patriots: 2001-2002 NFL World Champions.

Reviewer's Rating:

(6)

Re: QUIZ WHIZZ
Posted 2002-02-26 20:38:00 by BeatleMoe

Finally, I have seen this, thus, making it all 190 Three Stooges films (a very special thanks to Jon Weaver, aka jonnyringo.) This is my fourth favorite Besser film. It never fails with the Stooges dressing as children, and the best part is in the middle, when Moe and Larry play blind man's bluff with the murderess female. Joe's a riot eating the cigars, turning white, and almost puking! Some slow parts, but all in all, very funny.Memorable scene: Moe and Larry's blind man's bluff game.Rating: 3 starsBeatleMoe

Re: QUIZ WHIZZ
Posted 2001-11-05 23:51:00 by [Deleted Member]

I guess I remember this short well enough to say something. It was one of the better Bessers. I got a kick out of the scene where Moe calls the police to report Joe missing. While giving the description, he says, "Hair- skin!" Shemp Shady ought to like the fact that Gene Roth is in this film- or would he have to say "Gifff me dat fillim"? I did like Moe's way of dividing the check up equally.And hey, if eating cigars would be better for you than smoking them, I say go for it!ISLIPP-you YIPP. ®2001

Reviewer's Rating:

(8)

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Prod. No.:	1907
Shooting Days:	2 days From: 1957-05-02 To: 1957-05-03
Locations:	Columbia Stage 7

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