Topic: This is perplexing! ("Maha" routine)

[qwest4fyr]

I remember a Stooge short, that had the boys in the Middle East. Its hard to remember everything, but I think Curly was mistook for a rich Arabian. He had a sucker that the other Arabian thought was a jewel of some kind. Moe was the interpreter. He would sit down next to Curly and repeat this phrase before asking Curlysomething...."Ma-ha', in which Curly would reply, "Ah-ha". Moe would then ask, "Rahs-bania, yengy-bengy-foodgy.....that puddin-head, (refering to the other Arab), thinks that sucker is" the Jewel of something or another. I have watched numerous Stooge marathons and have yet to see this classic again. Can someone tell me what its name was? HELP

[Dunrobin]

THREE LITTLE PIRATES (1946)

[qwest4fyr]

Thats the one. Thanx!  To make a long story short, I remember telling my daughter about that one, when she was about 12 or 13 years old. I ve been trying to find it, off and on for a while. She is now 27 years old.

[Senorita Rita]

Was it ever established whether the Stooges made up this routine, and/or if the gibbersh atually means anything? (The phrases are repeated in several shorts and TV appearances verbatim.)

[wallawalla]

You asky-tasky so I'll try to answer...

I thought I had read somewhere that is a mixture of Yiddish and doubletalk. They worked Yiddish into a few episodes - Larry's toast in Pardon My Scotch, and his lengthy spiel to the cop when dressed up as a Chinese laundry worker that ends in "...and I don't mean efsher."

[BinHere]

I have seen a short video file of this same routine but it is with joe derita.  I laugh every time I think about it.  The Stooges are doing this skit in front of an audience on a stage and I assume it is from a day time talk show but I cannot find any information on it.  Culy joe is the maharaja and is almost blind....when moe holds up a pizza pan and asks him what it is.......curly replies...a half a dollar....then curly proceeds to shoot a raisin off of larry's head with a rifle....can anyone identify this for me.

Thanks

[BeAStooge]

I have seen a short video file of this same routine but it is with joe derita.  I laugh every time I think about it.  The Stooges are doing this skit in front of an audience on a stage and I assume it is from a day time talk show but I cannot find any information on it.  Culy joe is the maharaja and is almost blind....when moe holds up a pizza pan and asks him what it is.......curly replies...a half a dollar....then curly proceeds to shoot a raisin off of larry's head with a rifle....can anyone identify this for me.

The Stooges performed "The Maharaja" routine twice on national television during the DeRita years...
 -   4/5/59 THE STEVE ALLEN SHOW (NBC) *
 - 10/6/63 THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW (CBS)

And once with Shemp...
 - 10/10/50 THE TEXACO STAR THEATRE (NBC)

* Included on GoodTimes' DVD "The Three Stooges: Kings of Laughter."

[BinHere]

BeAStooge,

Thanks for the Info.... now that is what I call a serious Stooge enthusiast when you produce information like that. 
Now I just have to try and find those routines for my collection.... It is some of my all time favorite stooge routines.

Thanks Again!

[CouncilmanGoodrich]

Hi,

Did you know ... Moe also performed this routine on the Mike Douglas Show on Sept. 11, 1973, with Mike Douglas as the Majarajah, and Soupy Sales more or less playing Larry's part.  After the sketch everyone engaged in a pie fight, naturally!

--Councilman Goodrich

[Dog Hambone]

You asky-tasky so I'll try to answer...

I thought I had read somewhere that is a mixture of Yiddish and doubletalk. They worked Yiddish into a few episodes - Larry's toast in Pardon My Scotch, and his lengthy spiel to the cop when dressed up as a Chinese laundry worker that ends in "...and I don't mean efsher."

I realize we are getting off on a tangent here, but not too long ago on the ThreeStoogesdotcom site, someone explained at least part of Larry's line to Officer O'Halloran outside the Chinese laundry (from Mutts To You) - referenced above. I am not Jewish & I don't know any Yiddish, so I can't personally verify anything, but the quote was "Huck mir nisht a chynek, and I don't mean efsher" which he said translates as leave me alone, or stop bothering me, and I don't mean maybe. 

[Dog Hambone]

Was it ever established whether the Stooges made up this routine, and/or if the gibbersh atually means anything? (The phrases are repeated in several shorts and TV appearances verbatim.)

I found at least a partial answer to this question in my most treasured & valuable reference book, The Three Stooges Scrapbook by Jeff Lenburg, Joan Howard Maurer, & Greg Lenburg, (Citadel Press, Secaucus, NJ) quoted below:

"According to director Edward Bernds, Moe dictated the entire Maharaja routine to writer Clyde Bruckman, 'crazy syllable for crazy syllable' in a writer's conference on April 2, 1946." 

[MR77100]

Wasn't that routine used in the movie "Time Out For Rhythm"? BTW, is that movie available?