Horses' Collars (1935)

metaldams · **on:** May 24, 2013, 09:55:39 PM

http://www.threestooges.net/filmography/episode/5

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026494/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

I'll be away this weekend so I may or may not be on at all. Therefore, I'm starting early this week. I'm going to Cooperstown again, hoping they'll finally induct me for that walk off I had in Little League. I did it clean, folks.

HORSES' COLLARS to me is definitely Curly's short, as I think this is the wildest he has been at this point. The "Moe, Larry, the cheese" bit is iconic Stooges to me. In my teen years when I didn't watch the Stooges much, that bit stuck in my memory from childhood very deeply and is still funny to this day. It's hysterical how he's so desperate for cheese yet is also picky about what type of cheese he's fed, a different flavor every time! The first bit is extra bizarre because he has those painted eyelids while begging for the cheese.

The cheese bit is by far the highlight, as this overall is a good but not great entry. The short seems almost sedate at parts, like the opening scene at the desk where the best gag is the already mentioned eyelid gag and a lot of plot build up for a Stooge short, but when the cheese bit finally does happen, it feels like an explosion. I always liked the celery fight as well because only in the Stooges world will you see grown men fight each other with celery. The obvious harnesses being used to hold up Moe and Larry when they are hanging are funny in an unintentional Ed Wood like way.

7/10

Shemp_Diesel · **Reply #1 on:** May 25, 2013, 04:05:51 PM

Horses' Collars is another solid entry in the early part of the stooges career & the only directorial effort by the great writer Clyde Bruckman. I believe this is also the first short to use the old "coat-fighting" trick where 2 guys get tangled up in one coat.

Aside from the above mentioned cheese, my favorite part might be a little verbal exchange where the stooges pick up a photo of Fred Kelsey's wife & Moe says "which side is her face?"

I rate "Horses" a solid 8 out of 10.

archiezappa · **Reply #2 on:** May 27, 2013, 02:03:30 PM

In "Punch Drunks," we learn to keep that song "Pop Goes The Weasel" under wraps to keep Curly more on the sane side, if possible. Now, we learn that we need to keep cheese handy, just in case Curly sees a mouse. And different kinds of cheese at that! Crazy people!

Big Chief Apumtagribonitz · **Reply #3 on:** May 27, 2013, 06:08:19 PM

O K , so far we've got Curly freaking out on Pop Goes the Weasel and mice. Still to come are Wild Hyacinth, tasselated women's accessories, and what else? And some of you chowderheads think you have problems with gluten...

Big Chief Apumtagribonitz · **Reply #4 on:** May 27, 2013, 08:10:00 PM

And, by the bye, when Curly freaks, he FREAKS. No actorly mannerisms on display at all...: Jerry is letting it go. Especially, I think, in this one and in Tassels. He's literally a madman.

Big Chief Apumtagribonitz · **Reply #5 on:** May 27, 2013, 08:46:33 PM

O K , as long as I've got the floor, I'd like to ask a question: is the "two arms in the coat" fight original with the Stooges? It's so brilliant that I'm tempted to think it goes back to Vaudeville, where night-after-night performances would sharpen the timing to razor's edge, but I've never heard it referenced to anybody else, and I'm one of those bookworms who knows that " Who's on First " was not original with Abbott and Costello. And again by the bye, Fred Kohler is great as Decker, from the initial menace to the coat-fight.

metaldams · **Reply #6 on:** May 27, 2013, 11:24:30 PM

Quote from: Big Chief Apumtagribonitz on May 27, 2013, 08:46:33 PM

O K , as long as I've got the floor, I'd like to ask a question: is the "two arms in the coat" fight original with the Stooges? It's so brilliant that I'm tempted to think it goes back to Vaudeville, where night-after-night performances would sharpen the timing to razor's edge, but I've never heard it referenced to anybody else, and I'm one of those bookworms who knows that " Who's on First " was not original with Abbott and Costello. And again by the bye, Fred Kohler is great as Decker, from the initial menace to the coat-fight.

You know, I've seen so many old film comedies that predate The Three Stooges, yet I can't think of a single example of the coat gag. At the same time, I'm thinking I've had to have seen this gag before, it just seems too familiar beyond the Stooges. Anybody have an example that will make me slap my head as to why I didn't think of it?

Rich Finegan · **Reply #7 on:** May 29, 2013, 09:52:59 PM

HORSES' COLLARS trivia:

What part of the short is taken from the 1934 Columbia feature THE PARTY'S OVER?

metaldams · **Reply #8 on:** May 30, 2013, 07:02:52 AM

Quote from: Rich Finegan on May 29, 2013, 09:52:59 PM

HORSES' COLLARS trivia:

What part of the short is taken from the 1934 Columbia feature THE PARTY'S OVER?

Never heard of the movie, and looking at imdb, the film doesn't even have 5 votes, so it's a bit obscure. I'm going to guess the scene where the cowboy puts gasoline on his legs?

Rich Finegan · **Reply #9 on:** May 30, 2013, 12:19:26 PM

No, that's not it.
Clue:
It's near the end of the short.

That movie THE PARTY'S OVER is pretty obscure - I saw it only once and that was a screening at the film festival Cinefest about ten years ago. I don't have a copy, nor do I know anyone who does (except of course, the owner of the film print who has it on 16mm).

Big Chief Apumtagribonitz · **Reply #10 on:** May 30, 2013, 12:23:56 PM

The radio announcer's voice?

Rich Finegan · **Reply #11 on:** May 30, 2013, 02:48:53 PM

Quote from: Big Chief Apumtagribonitz on May 30, 2013, 12:23:56 PM

The radio announcer's voice?

Yes!
Correct!
You got it!
Good job!

In a scene in that movie (THE PARTY'S OVER, Columbia, 1934) a radio is playing and we hear in that voice so familiar to Stooges fans:
"You are listening to station WGN. Our Memorial Day musical program continues..."

Columbia just lifted the audio from the earlier movie and placed it on the soundtrack of HORSES' COLLARS.
Hey, anything to save a few pennies, avoiding recording something new for the short's radio scene.

Squirrelbait · **Reply #12 on:** June 01, 2013, 01:20:36 AM

Here's another short where Curly goes bonkers when he sees/hears/smells something. In this case, every time he sees a mouse (because his father was a rat!)

Favorite moments:
'That's a tin roof'
Celery fight
The dancing scene
Painted-on eyeballs
Curly going nuts on the bad guys, and then beating up on Moe and Larry. Hysterical!
The Limburger cheese ending

Also, watch for the goof when the Bartender's scoreboard changes from 117 back to 115.

This is the first of the Stooge westerns, which has never been my favorite genre, but this one's still pleasant enough.

My rating: 7.5/10
Moe, Larry - the cheese! Woo Woo Woo Woo!!

JazzBill · **Reply #13 on:** June 03, 2013, 09:28:37 PM

I always liked this one a lot. Curlys line "Hey, wait for me" so he can get hung. Double Deal Deckers line "At last I find you alone" and all the Stooges are sitting there. Moe, Larry the cheese. A lot of great one liners in this one. The radio tuned to WGN always got my attention because I live in Chicago and WGN radio is out of Chicago. It stands for Worlds Greatest Newspaper. Got to rate this short a 9.

Kopfy2013 · **Reply #14 on:** June 03, 2013, 11:29:34 PM

One of my favorites. Many classic lines. Many mentioned here.

"Moe, Larry the cheese"
"Tin roof"
"Your story is gripping me"
"You insinuatin'"
"At last I find you alone"
The celery fight
"You dance light on your feet"

Mr. Umpchay · **Reply #15 on:** August 18, 2013, 05:03:29 PM

"Horses Collars" is a fun romp out west despite lackluster performances from Dorothy Kent (Nell) and Fred Kohler (Decker). I find it difficult to believe in the ruthlessness of Kohler's Decker. He is rather bland, and that ridiculous hat doesn't help matters. Kent plays the prototypical blonde damsel in distress, but her acting is just as bland as as Kohler's. Well, at least she is cute.

No one can overcome lackluster performances from others like Moe, Larry, and Curly. Curly takes the center stage here, and his antics in this are a colossal success. Boy, you would think the country was overrun with mice. More likely, they are just following the stench of cheese coming from our boys' pockets. Its a vicious cycle. Like metaldams, I think its hilarious how Curly is desperate for cheese but finicky concerning the flavor.

The opening scene has some funny bits. Moe's spoon trick, and the look on his face like its no big deal is great. I like how Curly reveals his real eyeballs by blinking them open several times. The bar scene is my favorite, though. Most of us kick up dust behind us. Not the Three Stooges. A storm of dust announces their arrival into a world that they will rule with mayhem and stinky cheese. I noticed how Curly fell stomach first after drinking the whiskey, while Moe and Larry fell on their backs. It was because in the next sequence no one would dust off his back. Larry and Curly's "tin roof" joke is great, as is Curly's absorption of Decker's bullets.

Celery fights are always funny, but I think a lot of people who dislike our boys' brand of comedy fail to realize the intellectual side of their jokes. Take the Curly and Moe exchange before they sit down with the fair damsel at the table, Curly threatens Moe with a punch in the nose if he were alone, but that punch will never happen because Moe would never be by himself if Curly were there to punch him. It is a comic masterpiece of high order. On the flip side, after freeing the wallet from Decker's chain, they sit at the table and rifle through the wallet while Decker is same room. How dumb is that? This is not a "whodunit?" short though. To spur on the action (pun intended), Decker quickly apprehends the boys and tries to "string'em up" when the boys are rescued by the appearance of another mouse attracted to stinky cheese. The final scene is pretty weak, in my opinion. Kohler telegraphs the "two men in the coat fistfight" way to early.

Verdict: 8 pokes (-2 for inept performances by Kent and Kohler)

One more thing, does anyone know the name of the song being played during the dancing scene? Its a funny little tune.

Kopfy2013 · **Reply #16 on:** August 18, 2013, 08:48:04 PM

Nice synopsis. Agree with you on Ms. Kent

QuinceHead · **Reply #17 on:** August 29, 2013, 08:14:00 PM

Love the celery fight, enhanced by sound effects!

For duty and humanity,
JohnH aka QuinceHead

Rich Finegan · **Reply #18 on:** August 30, 2013, 05:34:54 AM

Quote from: Mr. Umpchay on August 18, 2013, 05:03:29 PM

"Horses Collars" is a fun romp out west...

One more thing, does anyone know the name of the song being played during the dancing scene? Its a funny little tune.

That tune is a favorite of mine too, especially the way it's played in HORSES' COLLARS. I've been researching the music used in Three Stooges films for decades and know that tune well. It is entitled "Are You Mine", composed by Charles Rosoff. I have heard it in several other movies but never performed as a song with words. It was a composition that Columbia did not have exclusive rights to, and so it appears in other movies made by many different studios.
Here is a listing I have compiled over my many years of researching Stooges film music, of other films in which we can hear "Are You Mine":
THE THRILL HUNTER (4-30-33) - Columbia
ABOVE THE CLOUDS (10-4-33) - Columbia
THE LOUD SPEAKER (6-1-34) - Monogram
THE HELL CAT (6-13-34) - Columbia
MONEY MEANS NOTHING (6-15-34) - Monogram
THE LADY IS WILLING (7-30-34) - Columbia
BEYOND THE LAW (7-31-34) - Columbia
KING KELLY OF THE USA (9-15-34) - Monogram
THE RETURN OF CHANDU (10-1-34) - Principal
THE PRESCOTT KID (11-8-34) - Columbia
THE CAPTAIN HATES THE SEA (11-30-34) - Columbia
MILLS OF THE GODS (12-15-34) - Columbia
HORSES' COLLARS (1-10-35) - Columbia short
THE BEST MAN WINS (1-15-35) - Columbia
STONE OF SILVER CREEK (4-15-35) - Universal
WHISPERING SMITH SPEAKS (5-15-35) - Fox
THE COWBOY MILLIONAIRE (5-25-35) - Fox
UNKNOWN WOMAN (7-14-35) - Columbia
PUBLIC MENACE (9-30-35) - Columbia
THE BORDER PATROLMAN (7-3-36) - Fox
PILOT X (12-1-36) - Fanchon Royer/Puritan
THE DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND (1-24-37) - Columbia
NAVY SPY (3-13-37) - Grand National
I PROMISE TO PAY (4-21-37) - Columbia
DAMAGED GOODS (5-2-37) - Criterion/Grand National
THE GIRL SAID NO (9-3-37) - Grand National
SMALL TOWN BOY (9-24-37) - Grand National
ASSASSIN OF YOUTH (11-37) - B.C.M./Grand National
LIFE GOES ON (4-1-38) - Million Dollar Productions

And by the way, there is no "master list" of this info online or anywhere else. These titles were learned and documented one at a time over more than 20 years of resereach.

Larrys#1 · **Reply #19 on:** December 10, 2013, 12:27:57 PM

Not much of a western person, so that might be a big reason why I didn't care for the episode. The beginning scene with the stooges and painted eyelids and Curly going crazy over a mouse were the only thing I really found funny. The rest was a bit of a drag to watch.

5/10

Kopfy2013 · **Reply #20 on:** December 10, 2013, 09:29:47 PM

Yikes Larry ... If this is a 5 what are you going to rate the Besser shorts?

Larrys#1 · **Reply #21 on:** December 12, 2013, 12:10:32 PM

You will just have to wait and see....

ccw8076 · **Reply #22 on:** August 02, 2014, 12:40:20 AM

I'm sorry but I'm brand new here... On or about 9:51 in Horses Collars, A cowboy hat is sitting on the table and the hat band is decorated with large swastikas. The short was made in 1935, long before the american people recognized Adolf Hitler as an enemy, so it makes sense.

I don't know if anyone has noticed this before me but I was looking through ThreeStooges.net and the official filmography and I didn't see anyone mention it. I think this would qualify as a "Stooge Goof". Can anyone else verify?

Svengarlic · **Reply #23 on:** August 02, 2014, 10:14:23 AM

Quote from: ccw8076 on August 02, 2014, 12:40:20 AM

I'm sorry but I'm brand new here... On or about 9:51 in Horses Collars, A cowboy hat is sitting on the table and the hat band is decorated with large swastikas. The short was made in 1935, long before the american people recognized Adolf Hitler as an enemy, so it makes sense.

I don't know if anyone has noticed this before me but I was looking through ThreeStooges.net and the official filmography and I didn't see anyone mention it. I think this would qualify as a "Stooge Goof". Can anyone else verify?

I'm just guessing here CW, but it's possible that the emblem was of the original swastika that was meant as a good luck symbol. Arab I think, but don't quote me. If correct, the legs would be turning counter-clockwise. (Hitler flipped it)

I'm going to check You Tube and take a look.

ccw8076 · **Reply #24 on:** August 02, 2014, 11:01:29 AM

Quote from: Svengarlic on August 02, 2014, 10:14:23 AM

I'm just guessing here CW, but it's possible that the emblem was of the original swastika that was meant as a good luck symbol. Arab I think, but don't quote me. If correct, the legs would be turning counter-clockwise. (Hitler flipped it)

I'm going to check You Tube and take a look.

Indian, I believe... I've seen ancient swastikas on Arab tombs dating from the 8th century but I believe that the original symbol is of indian origin. Anyway thanks for taking a look.

While I'm here I may as well say that this short contains one of my favorite stooges gags of all time, perhaps the most genuinely "bad-ass" that the stooges ever got. When Moe asks Decker for a 5 dollar gold piece and then shoots it and hands Larry a coin and then says, "Here's your quarter... THERE'S your change!", I die laughing every time.

Overall some of the performances were a little lackluster and in 1935 the stooges were still finding their voice and re-using many of Ted Healy's old gags so It's hard to say but I'd give it a 6 7/8 eye pokes...