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Pardon My Scotch (1935)

metaldams · 24 · 18043

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Offline metaldams

http://www.threestooges.net/filmography/episode/9
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026848/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

The Del Lord/Stooge hot streak continues.  PARDON MY SCOTCH is another classic Stooge short.  Though there were hints of the Stooges dealing with high society in other shorts (as homeless people in THREE LITTLE PIGSKINS looking to the wealthy for jobs, dealing with a somewhat higher art crowd in POP GOES THE EASEL), it's PARDON MY SCOTCH in which an entire reel is dealt with the truly wealthy.  Opera singing, tuxedos and gowns, formal dinners in which the Stooges display their lack of manners, it's all here!  The boys dealing with high society is one of my two favorite Stooge premises, the other is when there are lots of tools around....and we get that earlier in the short as well!

Let's see, favorite parts, where to begin?  Well, from a strictly film making point of view, the close up of Moe's face when he's lying down stuck in the door and the from above shot of the boys lying on the ground through layers of broken ceiling in which they fell through are fairly artistic for Stooge shorts.  I love the little bit with Larry at the dinner table eating the flower next to Symona Boniface (who is making her Stooge debut).  Such a wonderfully bizzare scene.  Curly trying to do Chaplin's roll dance is funny as is the entire scene where the boys are shooting fruit into opera singing Billy Gilbert's mouth.  Really, the entire short is a highlight, as everything flows perfectly story and gag wise and the slapstick is spot on throughout the entire short.  The Moe and Curly slapstick exchanges while in kilts are especially good.

A bit of trivia is that even though Al Thompson appeared in more Stooge shorts than any supporting player, this is one of the few roles where he has a substantial role.

Finally, the ending shot is wonderful.  The entire room flooded in bubbling liquor, snobs in back, Stooges in front, with Moe delivering the goods.  They look like a bunch of sea monsters covered in all those suds. Overall, a pretty kick ass short, and fortunately, the hot streak does not end here.

10/10
« Last Edit: November 29, 2014, 09:15:59 PM by metaldams »
- Doug Sarnecky


Offline Shemp_Diesel

You know, this short doesn't seem to come up much when people discuss their favorites, but it's definitely in my Top 5 of Curly shorts & I would go so far as to say it's even better than the 2 shorts that follow it. As Metal mentioned, the roll Del Lord was on starting with "Pop" continues.

Pretty much everything is what I love about this 2-reeler; the left-right gag, Moe falling through the hole that Curly saws, mixing the drink for Nat Carr. I like watching the stooges reactions in the background as Carr goes on about how great the scotch is & how they'll make millions.

But probably the funniest bit in the whole film comes at the dinner party when Billy Gilbert makes a welcome appearance as an Opera Singer. The stooges flinging fruit into his mouth & Billy's disgusted reaction. "What you try to make for me, the fruit salad; Pigs!" And of course Moe doesn't take kindly to being called a pig, so he chucks a pineapple that magically floats through the air & smacks Gilbert offscreen.

To me that whole scene ranks with "Cousin Basil", Curly's wrestling match from Grips, Grunts and Groans, and the immortal phone booth scene from Scrambled Brains as some of the funniest stuff the stooges ever did.

To wrap up, I'll just say that this is definitely the cream of the crop as far as stooge shorts go & the first to get a perfect score from me. 10 out of 10.

 
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Offline Dr. Hugo Gansamacher

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(Note: The contents of this post originally appeared as three messages posted in succession. I have copied the second and third messages into this one and am deleting the now superfluous originally posted ones.)

The photograph attached below recently turned up in my Facebook feed and reminded me of the Stooges dealing with the instruction "The door goes on the right." It exhibits a more sophisticated form of stupidity, but, in contrast to what Moe and Curly are doing, it seems to have been intended seriously.

It strikes me that Moe undergoes some unusually brutal treatment in the first part of this short: the table on which he is standing collapses under him--a stunt that looks really unsafe and painful for Moe Howard the actor, not just Moe the fictional character--a door in a frame is knocked down on him, a circular saw is brought frighteningly close to him, and finally he is made to fall through the floor.

Well, as Larry says to the customer, ver geharget--which, as I am informed, is Yiddish for "Drop dead!"

But probably the funniest bit in the whole film comes at the dinner party when Billy Gilbert makes a welcome appearance as an Opera Singer. The stooges flinging fruit into his mouth & Billy's disgusted reaction. "What you try to make for me, the fruit salad; Pigs!" And of course Moe doesn't take kindly to being called a pig, so he chucks a pineapple that magically floats through the air & smacks Gilbert offscreen.

To me that whole scene ranks with "Cousin Basil", Curly's wrestling match from Grips, Grunts and Groans, and the immortal phone booth scene from Scrambled Brains as some of the funniest stuff the stooges ever did.

The magic pineapple is indeed a special treat, but those are some pretty lofty comparisons! For me it doesn't attain the sublime heights of the phone booth scene or the "Cousin Basil" scene (the mere thought of which raises tears in my eyes!).

The idea of that hoarse-voiced clown with his atrocious Italian diction being a "famous baritone" is already pretty funny.



Offline Kopfy2013

A very enjoyable short.

A couple of notes:

Watching the Sony disc in super slow-motion you really see Moe hit his ribs on the table. I can definitely see why those ribs were broken.

As for the stooge goofs I have trouble seeing the string attached to the table or to the banana on the Sony discs.

Not only does Moe have his pinky on his right hand Band-Aid but his middle finger and ring finger on his left hand has a Band-Aid.  I tried to add it to Goofs but I got an error.

I like Curly playing with the breadsticks. And Moe with the breadstick poke.
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Offline Shemp_Diesel

Can't believe I didn't point this out before, but this was also the first short to introduce us to the Listen to the Mockingbird theme.



 [pie]
Talbot's body is the perfect home for the Monster's brain, which I will add to and subtract from in my experiments.


Offline Dr. Hugo Gansamacher

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Watching the Sony disc in super slow-motion you really see Moe hit his ribs on the table. I can definitely see why those ribs were broken.
You mean he broke some ribs in this stunt? That doesn't surprise me, but I didn't know that. You have to wonder how anybody could have thought that such a stunt would be safe and why Moe agreed to do it.
I like Curly playing with the breadsticks. And Moe with the breadstick poke.
I think that the gag of making breadsticks or rolls dance on forks was stolen from some other movie comic. There was a bit about this in an episode of The Simpsons, in which Abe does the same bit and gets confronted by lawyers bringing suit against him on behalf of whoever it was--Charlie Chaplin, perhaps?


Offline metaldams

There was a bit about this in an episode of The Simpsons, in which Abe does the same bit and gets confronted by lawyers bringing suit against him on behalf of whoever it was--Charlie Chaplin, perhaps?

From THE GOLD RUSH

- Doug Sarnecky


Offline Big Chief Apumtagribonitz

Possible that Moe could have hurt his hands as well as his ribs,  but I don't pick up on him being hobbled in any other scenes - for such a serious injury, you'd think he'd be gimpy somewhere else.  He's certainly not phoning in the Lowland Shim.  Could the table scene have been, fortuitously, shot last?
     And incidentally in the Chaplin clip, the Oceana Roll was an actual pop tune back then,  though to the best of my knowledge it would have been about fifteen years old already by the time of The Gold Rush.  The piano music in the clip is not The Oceana Roll.


Offline metaldams

Another example of the roll dance that pre dates Chaplin's version, though is inspired by Chaplin's walk, is Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle in 1917's THE ROUGH HOUSE.  It's fun to see where these gags originate, as this inspired Chaplin to do his version, which in turn inspired Curly.

- Doug Sarnecky


Offline JazzBill

I like this short for the things mentioned  by other people, the Billy Gilbert bit, the roll dance, etc. But I don't rate it as one of my favorites.  I have heard and read many times about Moe breaking his ribs while filming this. I wanted to see if Moe had anything to say about this so checked out his book "Moe Howard & The 3 Stooges". On page 95 he writes that in the comedy Beer And Pretzels he fell off a table and broke 3 of his ribs. I guess he was a little confused by the time he wrote this book because there were a few mistakes in it. As mentioned, this is the first short that Symona Boniface appeared in. She turned out to be one of my favorite cast members. I'm curious as to why she was buried in 1950 in an unmarked grave. The Three Stooges fan club got her one in 2005. With all the work she did in films I find it hard to believe she was broke. I rate this short OK and give it a 7 1/2.   
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Offline Squirrelbait

This one is another great early short. The Stooges start out working as carpenters trying to install a door, when they are mistaken for bootleggers.

It's painful to watch Moe break his ribs after Curly saws through the table he was standing on. This footage would later be reused in 'Dizzy Detectives' along with Moe falling through the floor. "You only fell 14 feet, why you gettin' sore?"

It's also the first short to use the familiar 'Listen To The Mockingbird' theme song.

Favorite moments:

The Stooges trying to tell their right from their left (I'll explain this so even YOU can understand it!)
The aforementioned mayhem that occurs with Moe falling off the table and through the floor
The first time the Stooges mix something in an old boot
This oughta pick him up (and lay him down too!)
Mr. McSniff, Mr. McSnuff, and Mr. McSnort
"No - We're from Lock Jaw! Nyuk nyuk nyuk!" *SMACK*
The Stooges shooting grapes and a banana into Billy Gilbert's mouth (and Curly's "Hit me again - I can STILL hear him!")
...and then hitting him with a flying pineapple
The Lowland Shim (and Larry's kilt that's too big and keeps falling down)
The entire dinner scene (especially Larry eating the flower and Curly playing with his breadsticks)
The ending with the exploding barrel (and everybody covered in suds!)

This one is great fun all the way through!

Rating: 9/10

Something tells me I might want to get my '10' paddle ready for next week, though....

If there's no other place around the place, I reckon this must be the place, I reckon.


Offline Mr. Umpchay

"Pardon My Scotch" is another great short. Moe, Larry, and Curly are carpenters installing a door in an upstairs room above Mr. Jones' store. Mr. Jones (Al Thompson) is having some real problems. His store is in the red, and he has to have liquor to sell so he can cover his losses. He's on the phone with J.T. Walton (James C. Morton), a liquor distributor, receiving the bad news that Jones' scotch order can't be filled. The sequence of "hello" dialogue between Jones and the boys is very funny here. The boys take their door and frame upstairs to begin work. You know that when the Three Stooges take to working, the fun is about to begin.

Of course, the door does not get installed. In fact, it is destroyed. First, they can't figure out their right from their left. Moe decides where the door should go and takes a very nasty spill when Curly saws through the table. I love how Curly opens the uninstalled door to get a piece of wood and the way Larry measures six inches. After the fall, Moe chases Larry and Curly through the door. I love the way Moe can't go through the door because the piece of wood he grabbed to chase them with is to long to fit through the door. Fed up with the door, Moe orders them to shut it. The door falls on Moe. They extricate Moe from under the door by sawing through it, only they not only saw through the door but the wood floor as well. Moe falls through the wood floor and lands on the 1st floor. This scene is a bonafide masterpiece of comedic destruction and is one of the best scenes that they ever filmed.

Another phone call from Walton prompts Jones to make haste to Walton's office. Jones asks the boys to "mind the store". Mr. Martin (Nat Carr) is also having a bad day. J.T. Walton is his boss and blames Martin for the mishaps with the liquor. Walton sends him to the store to placate Mr. Jones, but the Three Stooges are in charge in Jones' absence. Martin wants a drink to drown his sorrows in. The boys proceed to created a bubbly, flammable concoction that eats through wicker and is mixed in an old boot. Martin loves the "scotch" and sees the answer to his liquor problem. He sets up the boys with an offer to distribute this concoction as scotch. Once again, the boys jump at the chance to earn money for doing practically nothing. The highlight of the scene is the mixing of the ingredients by three knuckleheads who know nothing about making liquor.

The final scene is very long and full of Stooge greatness. Mr. Walton has invited Moe, Larry, and Curly to a swanky gathering of high society-types at his house. The boys are disguised as distillers from Scotland who are ready to bring their volatile liquor to the masses. The comedy is just hilarious as the boys are asked by a real Scotsman if they are from Loch Lomond. Curly answers that they are from Loch Jaw. The native dance is funny, but the sabotage, or should I say sabotoogie, of the baritones' rendition of "Santa Lucia" is side-splitting. Grapes and a banana are thrown by the boys and get stuck in Cantino's throat, ruining an already bad performance.

After their "native dance", the boys find the dining room where a feast is waiting where they make a mess of everything and everyone. Larry, seated next to a sexy Symona Boniface, is hilarious fixing Moe's plate for him. Of course, Larry ends up wearing it. Curly's forked bread sticks and fight with a sandwich routines are very funny. The boys roll out there keg of volatile liquor. It explodes, covering the whole dining room in suds. The explosion of the keg and subsequent flooding of the room are very well done.

I like this short a lot. The pacing is just right, and our boys once again thumb their noses at high society. There is more to come in "Hoi Polloi" and others. I can't help but notice that Mr. Martin's voice sounds a lot like Shemp's voice, especially when he says "Alright" to J.T. before heading out to the store.

Verdict: 9 pokes


Offline Larrys#1

Some good moments and some weak moments. I like the beginning where the stooges try to install the door. It's too bad that Moe got injured in real life when he fell because instead of me laughing when he fell, I feel sorry for him knowing he was hurt badly. The stooges mixing the scotch was also good. I also like the part where the stooges throw grapes into the singer's mouth and I laughed hard when he said, “What you try to make for me? A fruit salad? Pigs!” Great line! And I like the ending where the barrel of beer exploded and everyone is swimming in beer. The stooges doing their Scottish dance didn’t do it for me tho. It was ok, but not something that I found all that funny.

8/10


Offline Paul Pain

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 ;D  This has by far has got to be a 9.9 in my book (Three Little Beers being 10).

"We'll all get started together, and then it's every man for himself. Help me out now. Get busy!" -- The most awesome set of directions ever given by anyone.

I adore this one from start to finish. There is so much little stuff ---- "What's that?" "A fist!"  "Make it six inches..." and then Larry holding the ruler up in front of his eyes while he marks off six inches on the board on the table. I always wince knowing Moe broke two ribs; for as many times as they used obvious stunt doubles, I'm surprised they didn't make better preparations with this stunt. The incomparable Moe saying, "GET A SAW!!!" My boyfriend and I cut firewood in the back yard often; we scream this the entire time with the head quiver and everything.  "Come here.....BOTH OF YA!" We buy a generic corn pops cereal sometimes; it's called Gold Nuggets or something, and when we pour it out we say, "Oh, nuggets!" And I haven't even gotten to the kilt scene yet. The only issue I have with the beginning is the eye makeup on the "Boy, do I feel low" liquor contract liaison guy.

Once we get to the party; oh my...where to start. I won't get to involved in the dinner part of it because the Stooges did so many dinner scenes that I can't distinctly recall this one, though I do think I remember Symona Boniface sitting next to Curly and trying to "play" a little young; the dress she was wearing was really not right for her. But the bagpipe dance, the first time I saw it in 35 years probably, I was howling; I mean crying real tears. Moe's dance alone is worth the price of admission. Watch the liquor contract liaison guy's exaggerated "aside" gestures to the Stooges when they're talking to the stuffy woman; pretty awesome. Luis Balero Cantina, is that the singer's name? I love Moe breaking the cupie doll over Curly's head and Curly says, "And yet I can still hear him". I love the curve-ball pineapple. "More pigs!!"

Two last awesome things...."Are you sure that's the Breath of Heather?" "P-p-p-p-pretty sure..." And when the keg explodes the Stooges are covered in liquid and suds up close to the camera, but the people in the back are just under white blankets. Check it out; it's true!!


Offline BeatleShemp

Love this short.  The carpentry bit in the beginning is just classic.  Liked seeing the gag of the Stooges mixing that horrible concoction in a boot for the first time.  The sight of them in kilts was extremely hilarious.  I love their attempts at mingling with high society.  Larry is always the fun one to observe in my book.  I love when he made that crap and took that shot in his eye, and ate the flower.  And at the end when Moe was driving that faucet into the barrel even after it was rumbling. His determination to get it in was just priceless.  Love this short.


Offline Dr. Mabuse

One of the all-time greats — beautifully constructed from start to finish. With "Pardon My Scotch," "Hoi Polloi" and "Three Little Beers," the Stooges and Del Lord found their slapstick niche. Definitely among my Top 10 Curly Classics.

10/10
« Last Edit: March 16, 2020, 11:40:57 AM by Dr. Mabuse »


Offline metaldams

One of the all-time greats — beautifully constructed from start to finish. With "Pardon My Scotch," "Hoi Polloi" and "Three Little Beers," the Stooges and Del Lord found their slapstick niche. Definitely among my Top 10 Curly Classics.

10/10

Those three shorts no doubt made a great little hot streak.  I consider late ‘39 - ‘41 to be the best era, but this mini pocket of early Del Lord shorts gives that era a run for its money.
- Doug Sarnecky


Offline Toast5884

I always preferred a lot of these early shorts. Without a doubt '39 to '41/'42 was the peak Curly years but these early ones have that extra little bit of working class anarchy similar to the Paramount Marx Brothers movies. This one has always been a favorite of mine. Even though they refined what they did here in Hoi Polloi, the classic bits in this one like "The door goes on the right" and throwing food in the opera singers mouth, and just the Stooges eating with others are brilliant. I think Curly is the only other person besides Chaplin who I've seen do the Oceana Roll Dance that made me smile and laugh as much as as I did seeing Chaplin do it in The Gold Rush.
 


Offline Paul Pain

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After watching this one, here is the version of the tale I read, and perhaps it is wrong:

Moe indeed broke his ribs when the table fell, a big part of why stunt doubles play such an immense role in later shorts.  That scene was redone, however, as Moe passed out from the pain right after slapping Larry and Curly.  This version, however, is the one that was spliced into DIZZY DETECTIVES, for whatever reason.

Is this true or not?
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Offline metaldams

After watching this one, here is the version of the tale I read, and perhaps it is wrong:

Moe indeed broke his ribs when the table fell, a big part of why stunt doubles play such an immense role in later shorts.  That scene was redone, however, as Moe passed out from the pain right after slapping Larry and Curly.  This version, however, is the one that was spliced into DIZZY DETECTIVES, for whatever reason.

Is this true or not?

As far as I know, it’s the same version in both films, and my understanding Moe passed out after the camera cut of him slapping Moe and Larry.

It’s been a while though and I haven’t compared them back to back.
- Doug Sarnecky


Offline Dr. Mabuse

As far as I know, it’s the same version in both films, and my understanding Moe passed out after the camera cut of him slapping Moe and Larry.

Yes, it is the same version — with the same edit after Moe slaps Curly and Larry.


Offline Paul Pain

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Yes, it is the same version — with the same edit after Moe slaps Curly and Larry.

I just watched DIZZY DETECTIVES again to force myself to believe this fact, and now I am thoroughly convinced that they are both the same film strip.
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Offline Daddy Dewdrop

Cue Casey Kasem, we're heading into my personal Three Stooges Top 40!  And what better way to kick off the countdown than with this Curly classic.  I love it when the boys invade high society!  Extra points for Moe's painful stunt work.

I rank this at #40 overall.