Snow White and the Three Stooges

Infobox Film
name = Snow White and the Three Stooges


director = Walter Lang
producer = Harry A. Romm
Charles Z. Wick
writer = Noel Langley
Elwood Ullman
Charles Wick
starring = Moe Howard
Larry Fine
Curly Joe DeRita
Carol Heiss
Edson Stroll
Patricia Medina
Guy Rolfe
Michael David
Buddy Baer
Edgar Barrier
Peter Coe
Mark Bailey
Mel Blanc
Herbie Faye
music = Earl K. Brent
Harry Harris
Lyn Murray
cinematography = Leon Shamroy
editing = Jack W. Holmes
distributor = 20th Century Fox
released = flagicon|US June 21, 1961
runtime = 108' 21"
country = USA
language = English
preceded_by = "Stop, Look and Laugh"
followed_by = "The Three Stooges Meet Hercules"
amg_id = 1:45384
imdb_id = 0055458

"Snow White and The Three Stooges" was the second feature film to star the Three Stooges after their 1959 resurgence in popularity. By this time, the trio consisted of Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Curly Joe DeRita. Released by 20th Century Fox, "Snow White and The Three Stooges" was the trio's take on the classic fairy tale "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". The film was marketed with the tagline "Once Upon a Wonderful Time".

Olympic gold medalist figure skater Carol Heiss starred as Snow White, who must flee her home after her stepmother wishes her to be dead. Seeking refuge in the cottage of the seven dwarfs, she accidentally meets the Stooges, who are house sitting for them while they are away.

"Snow White and The Three Stooges" was the only 1960s Stooges feature filmed in color, as well as the only one not made by Columbia Pictures. It also became the least popular. Critics did not take kindly to the film, citing a lack of on-screen time for the trio. Even Moe Howard later commented that "Snow White and The Three Stooges" was the team's "technicolor mistake." The film was also a box-office flop. Nonetheless, it won the Writers Guild of America award for Best Musical Screenplay for 1961. The film was produced and co-written by future U.S. Information Agency head Charles Z. Wick.

Plot summary

Once upon a time, in the kingdom of Fortunia, a noble king and his lovely young queen lacked but one blessing to make their joy complete. The queen gave birth to a daughter with skin as white as snow, lips as red as rubies, and hair as black as ebony. She was called Snow White, but however, soon after her birth, her mother dies. The king mourned her with a broken heart, but in time, he remarried under the pleading of his people. His new Queen was a beautiful, but evil woman who soon became jealous of Snow White's beauty.

On the day of her 17th birthday, Snow White's father died, and the wicked Queen immediately imprisoned her. Eventually, the Queen's jealousy of her stepdaughter became so great, that she ordered her killed. Snow White escaped her hired assassin and found refuged in the empty cottage of the seven dwarfs, soon to be joined by the Three Stooges, who are traveling to the castle with their ward Quatro. But the boy they have raised since childhood (also narrowly escaping as assassination attempt by the Queen) is in reality Prince Charming, who though he has lost his memory, is actually betrothed to Snow White.

Snow White and the Prince fall in love, of course, but the Queen has him kidnapped when she suspects his true identity. The Stooges, disguised as cooks, attempt to rescue him, but he falls from a staircase in the palace, and is presumed dead. Meanwhile, the Queen learns from her magic mirror that Snow White is still alive. With the help of her magician, Count Oga, she transforms herself into a witch, and succeeds in getting Snow White to take a bite from a poisoned apple.

As she rides back to the palace, she encounters the Stooges, and thanks to an inadvertent wish they make on a magic sword, (stolen from Count Oga) she accidentally crashes her broom into a mountainside and falls to her death. By this time, the Prince has led a successful revolt against the Queen's castle, recovering his memory along the way. After he learns the whereabouts of Snow White, he arrives in time to dispel the effects of the poisoned apple. Snow White and Prince Charming are married, and live happily ever after...

Primary Cast

*Moe Howard: Moe
*Larry Fine: Larry
*Curly Joe DeRita: Curly-Joe
*Carol Heiss: Snow White
*Edson Stroll: Quatro/Prince Charming
*Patricia Medina: Queen/Witch
*Guy Rolfe: Count Oga
*Michael David: Rolf
*Buddy Baer: Hordred
*Edgar Barrier: King Augustus
*Peter Coe: Captain
*Mark Bailey: Captain of the Guard (uncredited)
*Mel Blanc: voice of Quinto
*Herbie Faye: Head Cook

Further reading

*"Moe Howard and the Three Stooges"; by Moe Howard [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0806507233] , (Citadel Press, 1977).
*"The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion"; by Jon Solomon [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0971186804] , (Comedy III Productions, Inc., 2002).
*"The Three Stooges Scrapbook"; by Jeff Lenburg, Joan Howard Maurer, Greg Lenburg [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0806509465] (Citadel Press, 1994).
*"The Three Stooges: An Illustrated History, From Amalgamated Morons to American Icons"; by Michael Fleming [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0767905563] (Broadway Publishing, 2002).
*"One Fine Stooge: A Frizzy Life in Pictures"; by Steve Cox and Jim Terry [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1581823630] , (Cumberland House Publishing, 2006).

External links

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