Hot Stuff (1956 film)

Infobox Film
name = Hot Stuff


caption =
director = Jules White
writer = Felix Adler
starring = Moe Howard
Larry Fine
Shemp Howard
Joe Palma
Emil Sitka
Gene Roth
Connie Cezon
Evelyn Lovequist
Christine McIntyre
Vernon Dent
Philip Van Zandt
Jock Mahoney
Andri Pola
Harold Brauer
cinematography = Ray Cory |
editing = Harold White
producer = Jules White
distributor = Columbia Pictures
released = flagicon|US September 6, 1956
runtime = 15' 55"
country = USA
language = English
preceded_by = "Rumpus in the Harem"
followed_by = "Scheming Schemers"
amg_id = 1:149287
imdb_id = 0049337

"Hot Stuff " is the 172nd short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.

Plot

The Stooges are secret agents working undercover at the home of Professor Sneed (Emil Sitka) and his daughter (Christine McIntyre). Sneed is developing a rocket fuel in secret for the government. Armenian spy Captain Rork (Philip Van Zandt) watches the professor through his front window, with hopes of kidnapping him. Of course, the Armenians capture the Stooges instead, mistaking Larry for the professor. Trouble brews when the Stooges are required to whip up some the fuel, and then download the formula. It does not take long for the Armenians to capture the real Professor Sneed, along with his daughter, and throw them all in jail until the formula is disclosed. Thanks to a shy prison guard (Jock Mahoney) who cannot help but flirt with Sneed's daughter, the group make a quick exit.

End of the Shemp Howard era

As Shemp Howard had already passed away, for his last four films ("Rumpus in the Harem", "Hot Stuff", "Scheming Schemers" and "Commotion on the Ocean"), Columbia utilized supporting actor Joe Palma to be Shemp's double. Even though the last four shorts were remakes of earlier Shemp efforts, Palma's services were needed to link what few new scenes were filmed to the older stock footage.cite book
last = Solomon
first = Jon
authorlink = Jon Solomon
coauthors =
title = "The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion"
publisher = Comedy III Productions, Inc
date = 2002
location =
pages = 483
url = http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Three-Stooges-Filmography-Companion/dp/0971186804/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201570359&sr=1-1
doi =
id =
isbn = 0971186804]

For "Hot Stuff", Palma is seen several times. The first time occurs when the Stooges, disguised in beards, are trolling through office hallways. Moe instructs Shemp to pursue a suspicious looking girl, to which Palma grunts "Right!" He then walks off-camera, allowing Moe and Larry to finish the scene by themselves. This is the only time Palma allowed his face to be seen on-camera. As he was purposely wearing a beard, his face is successfully concealed.

Later, Palma is seen from the back while the boys are locked in the laboratory. Palma attempts to imitate Shemp's famed cry of "Heep, heep, heep!". Again, Moe directs Shemp, this time to guard the door. Palma obliges, mutters a few additional "Heep, heep, heeps!," and conveniently hides behind the door. This was one of the few times during his tenure as Shemp's double that Palma was required to speak without the aid of dubbing. [Lenburg, Jeff; Howard Maurer, Joan; Lenburg, Greg; (1982). "The Three Stooges Scrapbook", p. 263, Citadel Press. ISBN 0806509465 ]

Notes

"Hot Stuff" is a reworking of 1949's "Fuelin' Around", using ample stock footage.

See also

* Fake Shemp

References

Further reading

*"Moe Howard and the Three Stooges"; by Moe Howard, (Citadel Press, 1977). ISBN 0806507233
*"The Three Stooges: An Illustrated History, From Amalgamated Morons to American Icons"; by Michael Fleming (Broadway Publishing, 2002). ISBN 0767905563
*"One Fine Stooge: A Frizzy Life in Pictures"; by Steve Cox and Jim Terry, (Cumberland House Publishing, 2006). ISBN 1581823630