The Tooth Will Out (1951)

metaldams · **on:** November 13, 2015, 12:56:40 PM

http://www.threestooges.net/filmography/episode/133
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044139/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Umu25dU0IyI

Watch THE TOOTH WILL OUT in the link above

Another week, another Stooge short, time marches on. This week, it's a pretty good one! One thing that has always stood out about THE TOOTH WILL OUT is the beginning harkened back to the early forties. The boys get thrown out of a restaurant for breaking dishes and land on an outdoor street. Emil Sitka at one point even chases them on a sidewalk with people looking on. These outdoor scenes, common in the early forties heyday, are rare in the early fifties, more known for their indoor, boxed in comedy. Take MERRY MAVERICKS last week, there you had a bar scene with no extras, it looked barren. So yeah, just that brief little setting gives THE TOOTH WILL OUT a flavor we haven't seen in a while, the boys performing comedy in public.

The rest of the short, not much to say which can't be said for several other Stooge shorts, but it's nice and entertaining. I do love the way Larry makes one little crack about not being able to see his tooth, leading to Moe and Shemp performing major surgical slapstick on the guy. Margie Liszt had to save the day for Larry, but it's great commentary on the team's dynamic. An innocent little crack like that is an excuse for slapstick....meaning you don't need much of an excuse.

It's true, Vernon is getting older, but I still like him here, giving the old tried and true warhorse, "Go west, young man" speech to the boys and also lending his voice to those bizarre pair of dentures. The boys themselves are in good spirits, singing in harmony, dancing, and just being their normal fun selves overall. Slim Gaut absolutely kicks ass as the dental patient, legs flailing everywhere and displaying some virtuosic, as well as funny, slapstick comedy. Dick Curtis is fine here as well, though he's looking sicker in his last appearance, continuing a sad tradition of making his last appearance eleven months before his death. My only real complaint about this one, like so many others, is the ending just comes out of nowhere, but I just spent a chilly Sunday morning watching this, and it was a nice time. Good stuff.

9/10

Kopfy2013 · **Reply #1 on:** November 13, 2015, 01:40:08 PM

To me a very disappointing short. Vernon Dent has lost his vitality. Very few funny moments " Sand his chest? Must be something new in dentistry." Last role for Dick Curtis with the Stooges.

I give it a four.

Paul Pain · **Reply #2 on:** November 13, 2015, 02:24:59 PM

This entire short is satisfying even if it is not on the upper echelon of shorts. There are lots of unique funny moments in this, such as the talking dentures and sandpapering the chest. This short is typical of the low budget comedies this era produced, but at least there's a legitimate outdoor scene for once!

Sadly, Vernon Dent's age is showing at this point, and it is quite sad to see, but he delivers his role perfectly even if it isn't the typical role we see him in.

"Hiya, Miss Buckshot!"

8/10

Dr. Hugo Gansamacher · **Reply #3 on:** November 13, 2015, 06:04:25 PM

Shemp's character seems to be having false visions of a female again: "Isn't she gorgeous!" This time the lady misperceived is played by Margie Liszt, back after playing the landlady in Baby Sitter Jitters ("'Nyaaa' yourselves!").

I am disappointed to find that the page on this short in the Emil Sitka site doesn't yet have any materials on it, as I have somewhere read an account of how, when Sitka was directed to run down the street waving a meat cleaver and yelling at the Stooges, on the first take, he let loose with such a stream of profanities that the filming crew collapsed in laughter.

The opening reminds me of a Curly short that begins with an exterior shot of the entrance to a building with the sound of angry yelling coming from within, followed by dummies of the Stooges flying out the entrance and landing in a heap on the roadway. This opening, with what I take to be stunt doubles, is not as funny in the execution, but it's still a great way to open a short.

GreenCanaries · **Reply #4 on:** November 13, 2015, 08:32:40 PM

Quote from: Dr. Hugo Gansamacher on November 13, 2015, 06:04:25 PM

The opening reminds me of a Curly short that begins with an exterior shot of the entrance to a building with the sound of angry yelling coming from within, followed by dummies of the Stooges flying out the entrance and landing in a heap on the roadway. This opening, with what I take to be stunt doubles, is not as funny in the execution, but it's still a great way to open a short.

That Curly short would be LOCO BOY MAKES GOOD. Indeed, the Stooges falling out in this one are the reliable stand-in trio of Breen, Cross and Kascier.

Lefty · **Reply #5 on:** November 14, 2015, 10:38:33 AM

Fortunately, my half brother (or my "Brother from another mother" as it were), who was a dentist, was not like Shemp. I like this short, as it has lots of good scenes and lines.

"$5 each or 3 for $25" (or "$5 apiece or 3 for $25") is a line I use many times when talking about deals. Shemp doing a chopping motion when saying "George Washington -- Washington", after Emil Sitka was seen nearby. "You better be darn sure you're right with this bird or you'll be notch number 10" (or something like that). "You went to dental school didn't you? That whole week wasn't wasted, was it?" And of course, how can we ever leave out "Next you sandpaper the chest ... then you varnish the lid."

My favorite scene was Shemp as the dentist, working on Slim Gaut and Dick Curtis.

JazzBill · **Reply #6 on:** November 15, 2015, 07:09:02 AM

I like this short. The stunt actors were busy in the beginning of this one. The singing teeth with the boys and Vernon Dent is my favorite bit in this short. Vernon may be getting older but he still shines on. He is my favorite all time costar. I thought the dentist scene with the old man was dragged out a little long but I still rate this one a 8.

Shemp_Diesel · **Reply #7 on:** November 15, 2015, 08:09:45 AM

As I said in the discussion for last week, Ed Bernds had what was his only "hiccup" during the Shemp years. And now, he rebounds very nicely with Tooth--maybe not an all-time classic in the vein of a Scrambled Brains, but funny regardless.

I'm sure everyone here already knows the story of how the "dentist office" footage was originally shot for Merry Mavericks, but was too long for that short, so Bernds saved that footage and filmed new material to give us this particular short.

The bit with Shemp's "Vampire Dentures From Hell" may be the high point of this short (bum bum bum bum)--even better than Shemp as the dentist, which is great too.

Overall, I give it a strong 8 out of 10....

Paul Pain · **Reply #8 on:** November 15, 2015, 02:48:51 PM

Quote from: metaldams on November 13, 2015, 12:56:40 PM

It's true, Vernon is getting older, but I still like him here, giving the old tried and true warhorse, "Go west, young man" speech to the boys and also lending his voice to those bizarre pair of dentures.

"Do me a favor; go somewhere far away from here to practice."

One must pay close attention to get the insult he throws at the boys here, but at least he wasn't flaaaaat.

ThumpTheShoes · **Reply #9 on:** November 15, 2015, 05:53:09 PM

Fine-tuned and funny, right down to the "musical" smacks to Shemp's face: "Tap, ta-tap, tap, ta-tap, TAP! Oh! OH!" Listen for it.

No greater ruse than, "Hey, teeth? Look!"

"He made that freak thing. Let him suffer!"

"He's been standin' too close to that oven!"

The sounds of the drill, particularly when drilling the chair.

Will we get to see Shemp this animated ever again?! It is like he's back in the Vitaphone days in this one.

"Make sure it's a finishing nail so you can put put-y, on the head of it."

Chock-a-block full of goodness, this one.

Big Chief Apumtagribonitz · **Reply #10 on:** November 21, 2015, 06:04:50 PM

This one is indeed a pleasant surprise, no classic, but watchable, as we all seem to agree. Slim Gaut ( never knew his name before ) is excellent in the chair. I always enjoy how Larry jumps into any musical bit with gusto: here he starts belting out his part right on key without even a hint of consternation, or even awareness, that he's singing back-up to a set of false teeth.

Woe-ee-Woe-Woe80 · **Reply #11 on:** November 20, 2017, 04:58:14 PM

Great stooge episode and definitely a major rebound from the mediocre "Merry Mavericks" (the worst stooge film directed by Edward Bernds) the only problem I've had with this short is the ending was kind of abrupt but the rest of the episode was great, I loved the outdoor footage of the boys getting fired from their jobs and them running from their angry bosses, that IMO was a throwback to the 30's/early 40's Curly shorts.

Overall I give this episode an 8/10 (would've been a 9/10 if the ending wasn't abrupt).

Dr. Mabuse · **Reply #12 on:** January 25, 2020, 01:45:09 AM

Good — not great — Stooges, though a helluva lot better than "Merry Mavericks." I like the first half better than the second, but the outdoor scenes at the beginning certainly kick it up a notch. The ending would have worked much better if there was an exterior closing shot of Dick Curtis chasing the boys out of town.

7/10

Daddy Dewdrop · **Reply #13 on:** November 06, 2021, 08:33:35 AM

Slightly above average Shemp short. The dentist scene with Shemp is always fun.

#109. The Tooth Will Out

bradleyr436 · **Reply #14 on:** July 28, 2024, 10:36:25 AM

Hi my question is so difficult and so rare to find it would take the strength of a mule to answer it!

When they finish dentistry school, Vernon Dent who does very well in this one, quotes Horace Greely? saying GO WEST young man! GO WEST! which was an actual quote by the newspaper guy.

So my question is what is the song they break out into singing?

Thats a hint, go west! (all) OHHHHHH how many .... (inaudible) what are they saying??

way back then, singing in public was very common, today it is totally taboo, wrong and strange.

Larrys#1 · **Reply #15 on:** September 16, 2024, 03:38:58 PM

I was watching this one recently on the new Blu-ray release and I forgot how much I enjoyed this one. It's shorts like this that make me wonder if Curly is really better than Shemp because Shemp has me laughing hysterically in this one, moreso than Curly ever did.

Thank goodness they saved the dentist footage for this short when it was unused in Merry Mavericks. That whole scene is priceless!

bradleyr436 · **Reply #16 on:** September 16, 2024, 07:53:30 PM

Nobody knows what song they sang after the dental school owner graduates them and says remember what Vernon Dent said?
Shemp: dont give up the ship?

NO! he said GO WEST young man! GO WEST!

Moe: thats a hint, go west
(all) Ohhhhh how many ? does it take to

what was the song? Who ever can answer it I will give you a check for $10,000. !!!

[checks will not be honored]

Larrys#1 · **Reply #17 on:** September 17, 2024, 01:25:02 PM

I'm no mule because my ears are too short, but I don't think they were singing any specific song there. Sounds like they're just mumbling gibberish. I could be wrong tho.

bradleyr436 · **Reply #18 on:** September 17, 2024, 02:41:24 PM

the closed caption says gibberish, but that wouldnt make sense. in that time people sang songs, they do it other times, it was common. Its not for us in 2024, the culture is so different.

they had to walk, they rode horseback or wagon and would sing. they start out Ohhh, how many... ? which is some obscure song that was common or they made up, but they would not sing gibberish, not possible. like with the teeth who starts in bom bom bom bom... (all) I made a lucky strike when I found you... bom bom bom

who in 2024 knows that song? who would start in singing that?

Big Chief Apumtagribonitz · **Reply #19 on:** September 17, 2024, 02:44:12 PM

It's the teeth that start the singing, isn't it?

Larrys#1 · **Reply #20 on:** September 18, 2024, 08:19:02 AM

Are we referring to the song that the teeth was singing? If so, then it's "My Lucky Strike".

The Tooth Will Out (1951)

ThumpTheShoes