Topic: You Nazty Spy! (1940)

[Tony Bensley]

YOU NAZTY SPY is the topmost example of a rush-job because Columbia wanted to beat out THE GREAT DICTATOR.

Hi Paul!

While Columbia, no doubt, rush released this iconic short, THE GREAT DICTATOR didn't even have its U.S. premiere until October 1940, while YOU NAZTY SPY was released in January of that year.  Thus I don't believe there was ever really a race (Between the Stooges and Chaplin, at least!), as there was never much danger of Chaplin's iconic Feature seeing release first, even if the usual delay between shooting and release of a Stooges short applied here!

Just my opinion.

CHEERS!

Tony

[Paul Pain]

Watched this today... I didn't find much humor, if any, in Mattie Herring.  In fact, it was downright retarded in the grand scheme of things, as was Mrs. Pfeffernus's dance.

But God bless Lorna gray, who's turning 99 in 12 days!

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

re Miss Pfeffernuss:  I may be wrong about this but I'm thinking that this is a takeoff on the fact that Hitler at one point had a secretary or someone in his entourage who had been or still was, or something, a ballerina.  And no, it wasn't Goerring.  And I agree that if this factoid is not right, Miss Pfeffernuss makes no sense at all.

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

A quick google turns up more than one Hitler ballerina, if you can imagine.  I don't care enough to follow the trail, but the quick scan seems to show that Nazty Spy predates any knowledge of either one, though it may be that rumors were flying even that early.  My interest, anyway, is the stooges, not the Nazis.

[Paul Pain]

A quick google turns up more than one Hitler ballerina, if you can imagine.  I don't care enough to follow the trail, but the quick scan seems to show that Nazty Spy predates any knowledge of either one, though it may be that rumors were flying even that early.  My interest, anyway, is the stooges, not the Nazis.

It still was a sucky bit in the short.  The sequel is definitely better than the original in this scenario.

[Dr. Mabuse]

I strongly feel that Charlie Chaplin saw "You Nazty Spy!" while filming "The Great Dictator." How could he not? In fact, the Stooges may have given Chaplin a few ideas.

For example: "Any resemblance between the characters in this picture and any persons, living or dead, is a miracle."

Chaplin's opening title card: "Any resemblance between Hynkel the dictator and the Jewish barber is purely co-incidental."

One can also find similarities between Moe Hailstone's speech and Hynkel's initial rally.

Any thoughts?

[metaldams]

I strongly feel that Charlie Chaplin saw "You Nazty Spy!" while filming "The Great Dictator." How could he not? In fact, the Stooges may have given Chaplin a few ideas.

For example: "Any resemblance between the characters in this picture and any persons, living or dead, is a miracle."

Chaplin's opening title card: "Any resemblance between Hynkel the dictator and the Jewish barber is purely co-incidental."

One can also find similarities between Moe Hailstone's speech and Hynkel's initial rally.

Any thoughts?

I think there had to be some kind of disclaimer, even a comic one, at the beginning of each film because in 1940, Hitler was not officially an enemy of the U.S.

As far as speeches, it’s possible either The Stooges knew what Chaplin was up to or maybe Chaplin added in scenes after watching The Three Stooges.  Hard to say, but things like speeches could also be coincidence.  After all, they were spoofing the same regime.

I don’t have a definitive answer, but it is interesting to think about.  Would have to look online or through old Three Stooges Journals when I have more time to see what is out there.

[Toast5884]

I always assumed because of the era the Stooges and Chaplin came up in, as comics they knew Yiddish (especially the Stooges) and both Moe and Chaplin used that to their benefit in imitating Hitler.

(By the way, first post, happy to be on the message boards  )

[Dr. Mabuse]

Historically valuable as a political satire, but not the Stooges at their absolute best.  The ambitious "You Nazty Spy!" gradually runs out of steam after Moe Hailstone's classic speech as the laughs become more sporadic in the second half. Even at 18 minutes, the short feels a bit long by Stooge standards. "I'll Never Heil Again" (the only sequel of the Curly era) is a definite improvement — funnier, better paced and, most importantly, Moe wears his Hitler mustache throughout. 

8/10

[Steveb]

Anyone else out there have a problem with pundits who make statements like "The Three Stooges educated the American public about the evil of Hitler at a time when Roosevelt refused to do so?" Obviously, YOU NAZTY SPY and I'LL NEVER HEIL AGAIN were made for an audience who already knew plenty about Hitler, things they'd read in the newspapers(and news about his policies was not owned by Roosevelt and not his to conceal from the public). They might as well be saying "Boris Badenov and Natasha informed America about the crimes of the Soviet Union when Eisenhower and Kennedy hid the truth from the public".

[metaldams]

Anyone else out there have a problem with pundits who make statements like "The Three Stooges educated the American public about the evil of Hitler at a time when Roosevelt refused to do so?" Obviously, YOU NAZTY SPY and I'LL NEVER HEIL AGAIN were made for an audience who already knew plenty about Hitler, things they'd read in the newspapers(and news about his policies was not owned by Roosevelt and not his to conceal from the public). They might as well be saying "Boris Badenov and Natasha informed America about the crimes of the Soviet Union when Eisenhower and Kennedy hid the truth from the public".

I’m not sure how much of an impact a Stooge short would have had on the public at the time.  If anything, I’m sure The Great Dictator was much more publicized but even there, I agree the majority of the American public - or at least the portion who are inclined to care about such things, already had some idea what was going on in Europe and also already had their mind made up about entering or not entering the war.  To me You Nazty Spy is a political statement and parody by The Three Stooges, nothing more, nothing less.  As far as educating the public, most likely not.

[Dr. Mabuse]

The Miami Herald (February 27, 1940)

https://img.newspapers.com/img/img?institutionId=0&user=2725284&id=617133550&width=557&height=1235&crop=257_333_1300_2937&rotation=0&brightness=0&contrast=0&invert=0&ts=1594277149&h=807ff5cc2900d66e739df059e9538327

[Dr. Mabuse]

Showmen's Trade Review (February 10, 1940)

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

Thanks for these two reviews, Doctor, it's nice to see that the Stooges were very much appreciated for their best work in their own time.