THREE SMART SAPS (1942) -- ThreeStooges.net

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Released July 30, 1942
Featuring Moe, Larry and Curly

Columbia
16.75 min. (Short Subject)

Wedding plans for the Three Stooges are cut short when the father of their fiancees is wrongly jailed, and the inmates take over the prison where he was the warden. Moe comes up with a plan for them to get into jail and bust the father out. After some unsuccessful attempts to get arrested, they wind up walking through the front door of the county jail. To expose the criminal operation, the Stooges go undercover as gentlemen at the inmates' formal party to take pictures as evidence.

The 1-sheet and lobby cards give cast credit to Barbara Pepper. She does not appear in the short. Due to her name's prominence on publicity materials, it is currently guessed that she was intended to play one of the Stooges' girlfriends, but was recast. Existing production photos, and still frame viewings of the film, do not reveal her as one of the extras on the party dancefloor. Jules White's files at the Herrick Library do not explain the discrepancy. A mystery that's still looking for an answer.

A 2004 interview with costar Julie Gibson appeared in The Three Stooges Journal # 110 (Summer 2004).

The rhumba number in this film is titled "Brazilian Cotillion;" see The Three Stooges Journal # 92 (Winter 1999).

Avg. Rating:

[9.07/10]

Cast List

Jerry Howard
Curly

Moe Howard
Moe

Larry Fine
Larry

Julie Gibson
Stella Stevens

Julie Duncan
Mella Stevens

Ruth Skinner
Bella Stevens

Victor Travers
Justice of the Peace

Frank Coleman
Cop

Chuck Callahan
Man on street

Eddie Laughton
Guard

Jack Parker
Convict 5736

John Tyrrell
Mr. Stevens

Johnny Kascier
Party doorman

Vernon Dent
Man with tailor

Frank Terry
Tailor

Barbara Slater
Curly's dancing partner

Sally Cairns
Moe's dancing partner

Bud Jamison
Party guest

Lucille Porcett
Party guest

Marjorie Kane
Party guest

Bert Young
Party guest

Jack Cooper
Party guest

Lew Davis
Card player

Dorothy Vernon
Ma Stevens

Barbara Pepper
scenes deleted

Marjorie Deanne
scenes deleted

Unidentified THREE SMART SAPS 1
Mr. Laski

Unidentified THREE SMART SAPS 2
Window installer

Unidentified THREE SMART SAPS 3
Convict Nolan

Unidentified THREE SMART SAPS 4
Party guests

Unidentified THREE SMART SAPS 5
Pedestrians

Production Crew

Jules White
Producer

Jules White
Director

Clyde Bruckman
Story and Screenplay

Benjamin Kline
Director of Photography

Jerome Thoms
Film Editor

Bob Wright
Music

Chet Forrest
Music

Stooge Businesses (0)

Stooge Goofs (4)

Stooge Mayhem (Avg. 4.75)

Re: THREE SMART SAPS
Posted 2001-09-29 12:43:00 by Shemp_Diesel
Edited 2015-01-16 11:10:10 by Shemp_Diesel

Shorts that focused on Curly entertaining and/or dancing always promise to be great & this short delivers big. Nice ending too with Curly getting pelted relentlessly.

9 pokes

Reviewer's Rating:

(9)

Re: THREE SMART SAPS
Posted 2008-02-17 11:45:01 by screwball

I just viewed this for the first time in a long time and must include this as one of my all-time favorites.The dance scene alone makes this a four poker

Reviewer's Rating:

(10)

Re: THREE SMART SAPS
Posted 2001-07-23 03:12:00 by [Deleted Member]
Edited 2006-03-25 08:00:28 by shemps#1

Excellent film! A true Curly classic! The tall girl Curly dances with is a knockout! Nobody comments on the unique method of transportation the boys use to get to their fiancees house. I could see that in an "Our Gang" short. Excellent dance scene and great gags! If you haven't seen it yet, do Moe a favor tear your tonsils out for him!

Re: THREE SMART SAPS
Posted 2003-09-06 21:46:00 by jaronson

This is a great short, especially the rhumba dance and the whole party scene for that matter. However, I never liked the gag about the Stooges trying to go to jail on purpose to bust someone out, even in SO LONG, MR. CHUMPS. It would have been funnier in both shorts if Curly dressed up as the convict's mother and bailed him out.Grade: A (3 1/2 pokes)

Reviewer's Rating:

(9)

Re: THREE SMART SAPS
Posted 2002-01-25 21:10:00 by Hammond Eggar
Edited 2003-07-04 10:42:00 by Hammond Eggar

Well, once again I get to voice my undying praise for this film. I am a HUGE fan of the Rhumba Dance sequence. Like his brother Shemp, Curly was an extremely gifted physical comedian. That dance sequence alone makes this short a Stooges classic, as far as I'm concerned. It IS certainly underappreciated. I also dig the scene in which the Stooges find the 'marble machine' in prison. That's always good for a laugh. "The wedding bells will start to ring". . .indeed!!!

Re: THREE SMART SAPS
Posted 2001-09-30 20:23:00 by Mike Holme

An excellent short. For some reason on the Monkey Businessmen tape, the quality is bad, same with "Monkey Businessmen" itself. Anyway, Larry as a drunk was also great. 4 pokes Mike Holme

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Working Title(s):	FATHER'S IN JAIL AGAIN
Title Origin:	THREE SMART GIRLS (1936 Universal)
Prod. No.:	532
Shooting Days:	4 days From: 1942-04-07 To: 1942-04-10

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