Make 'Em Laugh (The Funny Business of America)
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Featuring Miscellaneous Appearances
83 min. (Feature Film)
The story of Howard F. Howard (Josh Mostel), an overweight everyguy. Engaged to the beautiful Beverly (Melanie Chartoff), Howard has one problem... an overactive fixation on The Three Stooges. Everywhere Howard goes, and in his dreams, he sees Moe, Larry, Shemp and Curly intruding in his life. Determined to overcome his "habit," Howard and Beverly prepare for their wedding. But on his way to the ceremony, Howard descends into a Stooge-dementia and finds himself walking the city streets with other Stoogeaholics. His only hope is commitment to Stooge Hills Stoogetarium, under the care of Dr. Fixyer Mindyer (Sid Caesar), until the inmates take over the asylum on graduation day.
The film utilizes footage from the four public domain Columbia shorts, taken from 16mm dupes, and much of it (very) poorly colorized.
Healy-replacement-Stooge Paul "Mousie" Garner appears as a Stooge-arcade manager.
STAR TREK DS9's Armin Shimerman costars as the sanitarium's resident 'Larry.'
In an inside joke, the sanitarium's interns are named Gower and Gulch. Gower Gulch was the nickname given to the buildings that housed Columbia's short subject department during the 1930s and 1940s.
Josh Mostel
Howard F. Howard
Moe Howard
Moe
Larry Fine
Larry
Shemp Howard
Shemp
Jerry Howard
Curly
Melanie Chartoff
Beverly
Sid Caesar
Dr. Fixyer Mindyer
Gracia Lee
Beverly's mother
Harvey Vernon
Beverly's father
Joshua John Miller
Young Howard
Bill Kirchenbauer
Gower
James Avery
Gulch
Richard Brestoff
Dr. Onandonada
Victoria Jackson
Nurse Grabatit
Patrick De Santis
Moe Jr.
Armin Shimerman
Larry II
Mark Holton
Son of Curly
Paul 'Mousie' Garner
Arcade owner
Wendell Craig
TV commercial announcer
Annie Gagen
Prosti-stooge
Tony Goodstone
Mr. Crull
Ronald E. House
L. Ron Howard
Thom Sharp
Bob Smoynck
Nancy Lenehan
Connie Smoynck
Jeremy Workman
Smoynck son
Carmela Maniscalco
Orderly
Christopher Metas
Intern
Daneen Maniscalco
Frantic nurse
Bridget Holloman
Sexy nurse
Terry Calloway
Dancing nurse
Alan Shearman
Justice of the Peace
Diz White
Justice's wife
Leslie Wilshire
Bridesmaid
Grace Townshend
Stoogemaniac
Mark Major
Stoogemaniac
Jim Geoghan
Stoogemaniac
Irving Wasserman
Stoogemaniac
Tom Tangen
Stoogemaniac
Neil Jano
Stoogemaniac
Debbie James
Musician
Britt Bacon
Musician
Gary Tigerman
Musician
Jimmie Woods
Musician
Phil Proctor
Television voice
Danny Mora
Television voice
Wendy Cutler
Television voice
Tracy Newman
Television voice
Leigh French
Television voice
Hank Bell
archive footage
Harry Semels
archive footage
Bud Jamison
archive footage
James C. Morton
archive footage
Edward LeSaint
archive footage
Suzanne Kaaren
archive footage
Virginia Hunter
archive footage
Alyn Lockwood
archive footage
Nancy Saunders
archive footage
Emil Sitka
archive footage
Dee Green
archive footage
Bertha Priestley
archive footage
Doris Houck
archive footage
Christine McIntyre
archive footage
Cy Schindell
archive footage
Vernon Dent
archive footage
Harold Brauer
archive footage
Phil Arnold
archive footage
Johnny Kascier
archive footage
George J. Lewis
archive footage
Chuck Workman
Director
James Ruxin
Producer
Chuck Workman
Producer
Scott Rosenfelt
Executive Producer
Chuck Workman
Screenplay
Jim Geoghan
Screenplay
Christopher Tufty
Director of Photography
James Ruxin
Film Editor
Marker Karahadian
Video Recording
Tim Heyen
Negative Matcher
Danny Retz
Asst. Optical Editor
Tim Clark
Video Editor
Brad Earl
Video Editor
Charles D. Tomlinson
Art Director
Tom Talbert
Set Decoration
Phoebe Schmidt
Set Dresser
Marian Wilde
Asst. Sound Editor
Randy Vandegrift
Sound Effects Editor
Carl Graham
Sound Effects Editor
Ed Callahan
Sound Effects Editor
Jan Brodin
Sound Mixer
Hummie Mann
Music
Gary Tigerman
Music
Arthur Leigh
Music Editor
Leslie Wilshire
Costume Design
Joseph Porro
Costume Design
Patricia K. Crane
Wardrobe
John Maldonado
Makeup
Lucy Bush-Bornstein
Hair Stylist
Sylvan Duchovnay
2nd Assistant Director
Ronald Colby
1st Assistant Director
Victoria J. Puthumana
Asst. to the Producer
Amir M. Mokri
Asst. to the Producer
Ronald Colby
Unit Production Manager
Don Daniel
Production Coordinator
Kit Hellman
2nd Assistant Cameraman
Jorgen Wedseltoft
1st Assistant Cameraman
Matthew Iadarola
Sound Re-recording
Wayne Heitman
Sound Re-recording
Eric Barrett
Apprentice Editor
Maria DiGiovanni
Assistant Editor
John Santos
Assistant Editor
Mark Manos
Assistant Editor
David McSwanson
Telecine Operator
Escott O. Norton
Special Effects
Chuck Workman
Optical and Video Effects
John Keim
Special Effects
Mary Rogers
Foley Artist
Scott Ganary
Foley Recording
Gary Hecker
Foley Artist
Scott Greer
Stooge Emulator Sound Effects
Suzie Katayama
Music Coordinator
George Neil
Best Boy Electric
Charles V. Mason
Electrical
Richard Sands
Gaffer
Paul Fischer
2nd Grip
Dwight La Vers
Key Grip
Kevin Wadowski
Best Boy Grip
Donna A. Stamps
Property Master
R. Vincent Smith
Assistant Property Master
Melissa Friedman
Assistant Property Master
Paul Ventura
Casting
Leigh French
Casting
Trudy Ramirez
Script Supervisor
Linda Folk
Dialogue Editor
John Muto
Animation Design
Steve Jezewski
Scenic Artist
Harold Adler
Title Artist
Ken Sax
Still Photography
Steve Posey
Additional Photography
John Muto
Visual Consultant
Murray Naidich
Color Effects Supervisor
Paul O'Driscoll
Color Timer
Robert K. Rock
Location Manager
Greg J. Grande
Location Scout
John Weldon
Production Assistant
Robert Huerta
Production Assistant
Randall Sekon
Production Assistant
Brian J. Smith
Production Assistant
Lokeni Lokeni
Production Assistant
Thom Shephard
Production Assistant
Sara Chopin
Production Assistant
Rob Mummey
Production Assistant
Norm Epperson
Production Assistant
Ann St. John
Production Office Coordinator
Bruce Markoe
Sound Facility Coordinator
Jeff Forrester
Creative Consultant
Tom Hansen
Creative Consultant
Hector Mendoza
Craft Services / Transportation
Jon Greene
Security
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