Dutiful But Dumb (1941)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Del Lord

Writer:

Elwood Ullman (story)

Release Date:

21 March 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Short

Plot:

The stooges are photographers for Whack magazine ("If it's a good picture it's out of Whack") who, after messing up an assignment...

Plot Keywords:

Reverse Footage | Slapstick | The Three Stooges | Beautiful Woman

Cast

Curly Howard	...	Cluck (as Curly)
Larry Fine	...	Clack (as Larry)
Moe Howard	...	Click (as Moe)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fred Aldrich	...	Firing Squad Member (uncredited)
Bruce Bennett	...	Soldier in General's Office (uncredited)
Stanley Brown	...	Percival De Puyster (uncredited)
Edmund Cobb	...	Wilson's Assistant (uncredited)
Chester Conklin	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Marjorie Deanne	...	Mrs. De Puyster (uncredited)
Vernon Dent	...	Wilson (uncredited)
Kit Guard	...	Sentry (uncredited)
Bud Jamison	...	Army Sergeant (uncredited)
Fred Kelsey	...	Colonel (uncredited)
Eddie Laughton	...	Ray Machine Operator (uncredited)
James C. Morton	...	(uncredited)
Harry Semels	...	Villager (uncredited)
Bert Young	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Del Lord

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Elwood Ullman		story and screenplay

Produced by
Del Lord	....	producer
Hugh McCollum	....	producer
Jules White	....	producer (uncredited)

Cinematography by
Benjamin H. Kline		(as Benjamin Kline)

Film Editing by
Art Seid		(as Arthur Seid)

Music Department
Howard Jackson	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Ben Oakland	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1941) (USA) (theatrical)
• Screen Gems (1958) (USA) (TV)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)

Runtime:

17 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The scene with Curly Howard getting in a fight with his bowl of clam chowder had to be stopped and restarted several times during filming (watch the tassels on Curly's cap swing and stop) because the crew members were laughing so hysterically at Curly he was also breaking up laughing.

Quotes:

Vulgarian Soldier: You shoot the picture! Now we shoot you!

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Studio Stoops (1950)

Paparazzi - 1941 Version

Here, the boys - "Click, Clack and Cluck" - pretend to be newspaper cameramen and are given the assignment of taking some pictures of a Hollywood celebrity couple

The boys were in prime condition in the early 1940s and they are full to watch in here. It's just a little weird watching this in early '08 with all the Britney Spears-paparazzi nonsense. The Stooges look like such innocents compared to the modern-day piranhas.....but the mentality is the same. Invade someone's privacy? No problem. However, it's funny when you see things like Curly's head on a platter on top of a dinner table. Anything to get the picture!

By the way, Stanley Brown and Marjorie Deanne are great as "Percival DePuyster" and his gorgeous wife. Unfortunately, their scenes are completed after just two-and-a-half minutes.

Most of the movie takes place in "Vulgaria," a place our Dimwits are assigned after they mess up in the dark room. They are assigned to take some photos there because "No cameras are allowed, under penalty of death," the boss figures he has nothing to lose by sending these three idiots.

Most of this Three Stooges short are a bunch of continuous slapstick gags. Some are still funny to this day; some are stupid, but they come so frequently, you just go with the flow.

I did laugh out loud at a number of things Curly said and did. I think he was a comic genius, and I don't say that about many people. In one scene, the boys are lined up to be shot. "Hey, wait a minute," says Moe. "According to International Law, we are entitled to a last request."

"Yeah," says Curly, "this is Request Night!"

When the boys ask for "a last smoke," Curly pulls out a three-foot cigar!

Bud Jamison, a frequent contributor to the Stooges films, is a hoot with his fake Eastern European accent.

The only weak point - for those who have seen a ton of Stooges films - is the ending is mostly taken up with a comedy routine used many times by Curly, namely he battling something in a bowl of soup. If you haven't seen many TS shorts, then you'll love the ending.