3 Dumb Clucks (1937)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Del Lord

Writer:

Clyde Bruckman (screenplay)

Release Date:

17 April 1937 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Short

Plot:

The Stooges escape from jail in order to save their father from gangsters and a beautiful gold-digger.

Plot Keywords:

Gangster | Golddigger | Hot Stove | Jailbreak | Actor Playing Multiple Roles

Cast

Curly Howard	...	Curly / Pop Howard (as Curly)
Larry Fine	...	Larry (as Larry)
Moe Howard	...	Moe (as Moe)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Frank Austin	...	Prison Guard (uncredited)
Lynton Brent	...	Hat Salesman (uncredited)
Lew Davis	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Charles Dorety	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Eddie Laughton	...	Chopper's Henchman (uncredited)
Lucille Lund	...	Daisy (uncredited)
Frank Mills	...	Chopper (uncredited)
Cy Schindell	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Harry Tenbrook	...	Chopper's Henchman (uncredited)
Al Thompson	...	Pop's Butler (uncredited)
Elaine Waters	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)

Directed by
Del Lord

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Clyde Bruckman		screenplay

Produced by
Jules White	....	associate producer

Cinematography by
André Barlatier

Film Editing by
Charles Nelson

Music Department
Louis Silvers	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1937) (USA) (theatrical)
• Screen Gems (1958) (USA) (TV)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (2000) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Three Dumb Clucks (USA) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

17 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor High Fidelity Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Curly Howard (as Pop) briefly speaks in his normal voice in one scene.

Quotes:

Curly: I got an idea in the back of my head!
Curly: Well, bring it out front!
[He hits him in the head]
Moe: What is it?
Curly: You knocked it clear out!

Movie Connections:

Spoofs Three Smart Girls (1936)

Lesser Stooge

3 Dumb Clucks (1937)

** (out of 4)

Weaker Three Stooges short has the boys breaking out of prison so they can stop their father from marrying a blonde who is working with a gangster. After the marriage they plan on killing the father but the boys have their own plans. The boys were in an incredibly hot stretch during this period of their career so it's rather shocking to see how bland this short is but no one could have batted a thousand. The biggest problem I found was that the film was extremely lazy in its writing and acting. The screenplay is a pretty poor one because it recycles plenty of gags seen in previous films but this time out they aren't one bit funny. Another issue with the laziness comes in an early gag where Moe and Larry pick Curly up to use his head to break out of the prison. The edit to the stunt double is poorly done but what's even worse is that the stunt double is so obvious because he's skinny and has a full head of hair! Also, having Curly play the father is fine but they make no attempt to make him look different. I know this plays a part in a joke towards the end but the joke itself is rather lame, which just makes this stick out like a sore thumb.