G.I. Wanna Home

Infobox Film
name = G.I. Wanna Home


caption =
director = Jules White
writer = Felix Adler
starring = Moe Howard
Larry Fine
Curly Howard
Judy Malcolm
Ethelreda Leopold
Doris Houck
Symona Boniface
Al Thompson
cinematography = George F. Kelley |
editing = Edwin H. Bryant
producer = Jules White
distributor = Columbia Pictures
released = flagicon|US September 5, 1946
runtime = 15' 44"
country = USA
language = English
preceded_by = "Three Loan Wolves"
followed_by = "Rhythm and Weep"
amg_id = 1:144371
imdb_id = 0038544

"G.I. Wanna Home" is the 94th 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 discharged from the service, with World War II having ended. Upon returning home, they are prepared to marry their fiancées (Judy Malcolm, Ethelreda Leopold, and Doris Houck), but are dispossessed. The boys search around for a room to rent, and hit blind alley after blind alley until finally settling for an open-lot-turned living quarters. All goes well with the unusual setup until a farmer on a tractor plows down the boys' domicile.

Afterwards, the Stooges find a pathetically small apartment, with the living room, dining room, and kitchen cramped into the space of a den.

Curly's illness

"G.I. Wanna Home" was filmed near the end of Curly Howard's career. The 42-year-old comedian had suffered a series of minor strokes several months prior to filming, and his performances had been unpredictable. By the time of "G.I. Wanna Home", he had lost a considerable amount of weight, and lines had creased his baby face. While director Edward Bernds devised ways to cover his illness, Jules White simply shifted the action towards Larry. The scene where Larry climbs the tree to grab eggs from a bird's nest would normally have revolved around Curly climbing up the tree. In addition, Curly could no longer ad lib for the camera as in previous instances. His scene where he cleans potatoes is sluggish and lethargic. Films like "Playing the Ponies", "An Ache in Every Stake", "Sock-a-Bye Baby", and "I Can Hardly Wait" are finer examples of Curly preparing food and creating comedy genius with little effort. [Lenburg, Jeff; Howard Maurer, Joan; Lenburg, Greg; (1982). "The Three Stooges Scrapbook", p. 77, Citadel Press. ISBN 0806509465] ]

Notes

*"G.I. Wanna Home" is often inadvertently referred to as 'G.I. Wanna "Go" Home.' [Solomon, Jon. (2002) "The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion", p. 232; Comedy III Productions, Inc., ISBN 0971186804]

References

Further reading

*"Moe Howard and the Three Stooges"; by Moe Howard [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0806507233] , (Citadel Press, 1977).
*"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).