GOLD RAIDERS is a slightly less than one hour b western where The Three Stooges play some comedy relief. They share top billing with George O’ Brien and is definitely one of the better pre Curly Joe Stooge features, even if it is not one hundred percent pure Stooges. Basically a western where The Three Stooges get some comedy routines and are integrated nicely into the plot.
As far as the western aspect, I’m not really a deep Western guy, so I’ll be brief here. This was George O’ Brien’s last starring role. He was in his early fifties at this point and did a lot of westerns. He does an OK job as far as I can tell, but he was getting older and towards the end of his action star leading man days. These days, he is most famous for playing the leading man in F.W. Murnau’s SUNRISE (1927) one of THE great silent films. It’s fascinating watching him in that film and thinking he winds things down in a b western with Moe, Larry and Shemp by his side.
If this was the end for George O’ Brien’s film career, it was signaling a new beginning for somebody we are more interested in on this board - Edward Bernds. While not the first feature film he directed, shortly after GOLD RAIDERS Bernds would leave the Columbia shorts department and be a director full time. It’s a shame The Three Stooges didn’t go with him, judging by Bernds work with The Bowery Boys. Bernds does a fine job in GOLD RAIDERS, keeping a brisk pace between plot, action and comedy and never feeling like there’s a lull, exactly what I want from a b feature like this.
As for The Three Stooges, this isn’t a ROCKIN’ IN THE ROCKIES scenario. The team dynamic is kept firmly in place this time and I imagine having Bernds directing and Elwood Ullman writing makes all the difference in the world. Working with familiar, sympathetic people makes all the difference between the joy of this film we’re now discussing and the disappointment of the other.
There’s nothing really Earth shattering about the comedy, but it’s all entertaining stuff. A few good verbal and slap exchanges and a few entertaining bits where the boys partake in three part harmony in song. Simple things that makes The Stooge fan in me smile. There is one nice bit where the boys are peddling glasses that universally work for anybody no matter their vision. It’s an opportunity for Shemp to pretend to be a customer and do his glasses routine where in actuality, the glasses make him blind. Great bit where they pretend he’s reading from an eye glass chart where it’s obvious he’s not looking at it - having the chart committed to memory.
Another scene of interest involves Slim Gaut, the same guy who does all the gymnastics in the dental chair in THE TOOTH WILL OUT. A similar scene, with an unconscious Gaut, is done here where the boys test his reflexes by hitting his knee and he gets twisted around in the chair. At one point, his foot is completely behind his head! No doubt inspired by the earlier filmed scene mentioned above, though quicker and not quite as developed. Still a lot of fun to watch.
GOLD RAIDERS ends with a climatic gun and fist fight that we see in so many westerns and only a few insert shots of The Three Stooges, reminding us we are watching a western first and Stooge comedy second. Midway through, the boys do get integrated into the plot by hiding the gold the outlaws are after, so that is nice to see. A lot of these comedies the comedians are in another world, but at least the boys feel integrated whenever they’re on.
So if you’re expecting a straight Stooge comedy, I’m afraid GOLD RAIDERS ain’t it. However, this is an entertaining b western that has a good amount of Stooge screen time and moments and because of that, I give this one a thumbs up.
