Three Little Pirates

Infobox Film
name = Three Little Pirates


caption =
director = Edward Bernds
writer = Clyde Bruckman
starring = Moe Howard
Larry Fine
Curly Howard
Vernon Dent
Christine McIntyre
Robert Stevens
Dorothy DeHaven
Joe Palma
Cy Schindell
Al Thompson
cinematography = Philip Tannura |
editing = Paul Borofsky
producer = Hugh McCollum
distributor = Columbia Pictures
released = December 5, 1946
runtime = 17' 51"
country = USA
language = English
preceded_by = "Rhythm and Weep"
followed_by = "Half-Wits Holiday"
amg_id = 1:147565
imdb_id = 0039027

"Three Little Pirates" is the 96th 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 year is 1642, and the Stooges are garbage scow sailors stranded on Dead Man's Island. At first, the governor (Vernon Dent) finds it hard to believe the three are sailors due to their modern uniforms, but changes his mind once Curly starts flirting ("Hiya, babe!") with his fiancée, Rita (Christine McIntyre). The governor throws the Stooges in jail, and sentences them to death via burning at the stake.

Lucky for the Stooges, Rita has no interest in marrying the ruthless colonial governor and helps the boys escape by exposing some hidden tools. She then directs them to drill their way through the west wall specifically in order to escape safely. Unfortunately, the Stooges argue incessantly (big shock), choose the wrong wall, and land right right back in their cell.

Rita quickly suggests the boys disguise themselves as "wayfarers from a strange land" bringing priceless gifts. Curly is the great, nearsighted Maharaja of Canarsie who has domains on the isles of Coney and Long. Moe is the Gin of Rummy, and Larry is an accomplice. Moe and Curly exchange in conversations consisting of doublespeak and gibberish and offer the governor a raspberry lollipop, which he mistakes as a ruby as large as a turkey's egg. Moe dubs it the "Ruby de Lollipopskia." Next is a fountain pen that the governor mistakes as a tusk from a black walrus. The governor is delighted with these gifts, and requests that the Maharaja bring him some fair damsels. The Stooges escape quickly, not wasting a moment. However, the governor's secretary (Dorothy DeHaven) reveals the Stooges' true identities, and the governor is livid. Once he learns they are headed to the cutthroat pirate Black Louie's, however, he enlists the scoundrel's help to kill the escaped sailor Stooges.

The Stooges meet Black Louie (Robert Stevens) at a saloon, and engage in a game of target practice. They enlist a reluctant Larry as the live target, and begin the knife-throwing. In the interim, Rita quietly makes her presence known to the boys, and alerts them of the governor's plan. They realize they must flee, but Curly's awkward knife throwing (thanks to his glasses containing lenses as thick as soda bottles) puts Black Louie on the defense. The fight breaks out in the saloon, with the Stooges winning out.

Curly's last hurrah

"Three Little Pirates" was made after 42-year-old Curly Howard had suffered a series of minor strokes. As a result of his illness, Curly's performances had been marred by slurred speech, and slower timing. Much of the action in previous films ("Three Loan Wolves", "G.I. Wanna Home") had been shifted away from the ailing Stooge and placed in the hands of co-stars Moe Howard and Larry Fine.

However, Curly was on his game during the filming of "Three Little Pirates". Though still not 100% himself, the comedian performed the memorable "Maharaja" routine with Moe almost flawlessly. Director Edward Bernds recalled the progression of Curly's decline through each film in the order they were made (vs. released):

cquote|I guess I should be thankful that Curly was in one if his 'up' periods, because it was strange the way he went up and down. He was down for "A Bird in the Head" and "The Three Troubledoers", he was up for "Micro-Phonies", way down for "Monkey Businessmen".cite book
last = Okuda
first = Ted
authorlink = Ted Okuda
coauthors = Watz, Edward
title = "The Columbia Comedy Shorts"
publisher = McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
date = 1986
location =
pages = 66, 67
id =
isbn = 0899501818] In "Three Little Pirates", he was terrific. It was the last flash of the old Curly. [Lenburg, Jeff; Howard Maurer, Joan; Lenburg, Greg; (1982). "The Three Stooges Scrapbook", p. 77, Citadel Press. ISBN 0806509465 ]

It has been said that the Stooge releases of 1946 were the worst batch since they joined Columbia Pictures. Much of this can be attributed to Curly's languid performances. In retrospect, "Three Little Pirates" turned out to be the only real standout of the year.

Notes

*Canarsie, Bay Meadows, Flatbush, and the isles of Coney and Long are references to New York-based localities where brothers Moe, Curly, and Shemp Howard spent their childhood. It is all the more appropriate, as the Stooges are sailors shipwrecked off of a New York City Garbage scow. [Solomon, Jon. (2002) "The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion", p. 287; Comedy III Productions, Inc., ISBN 0971186804]
*The Stooges had previously performed the "Maharaja" routine in the 1941 film "Time Out for Rhythm".

Quotes

**Governor: "You may choose the manner in which you will die!"
**Larry: "Oh, that's easy: old age! Ha, ha, ha, h..." *SLAP!*
**Governor: "You have your choice — you may have your heads chopped off, or you may be burned at the stake."
**Curly: "We'll take burning at the stake!"
**Governor: "Very well. We'll toast them Monday at sundown."
**Moe "(angrily)": "What did you pick 'burning at the stake' for?!"
**Curly: "Cause a hot steak is better than a cold chop!"

**Curly: "Eenee, meenee, miney, moe. See, ya can't go wrong with moe."
**Moe "(sarcastically)": "Heh, heh, heh. Thanx!" *SLAP!*

References

Further reading

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