Viewing the Three Stooges today, some non-fans may fail to appreciate the talent the three actors, Moe Howard, Curly Howard and Larry Fine possessed in those days. In September 1943's "Dizzy Pilots," the three exhibit the incredible dexterity rarely demonstrated by today's actors.
Moe is the main butt of the film's jokes as he accidentally falls into a tub of molten rubber to be used to finish their airplane. They hope the plane's successful demonstration will result in a big government contract and allow them to get a deferment from the military draft during World War Two. Covered with the rubbery substance, Moe comes up with the idea of inserting hydrogen between him and the rubber so it'll separate like a balloon. Trouble is, the hydrogen makes him airborne, causing fits for Curly and Larry to get him down. As he's flying through the air, Curly uses a shotgun to puncture the balloon. He succeeds, but Moe lands inside a well.
Moe, 46, born Moses Harry Horwitz, in Brooklyn, New York, was the fourth of five sons. As an avid reader, Moe had a creative imagination, which he carried throughout his life. The future comedian's voracious reading has been credited with his uncanny memory which helped him learn his lines quickly and effortlessly. His haircut predated the early Beatles, whose members may-or may not-have copied Moe's hair style. His mother, Jennie Gorvitz, didn't want to cut his hair, letting it grow down to his shoulders. He was constantly picked on in school because he looked like a girl. Moe decided to use a bowl found inside his home's backyard shed to cut his own hair. Recalling those rough and tumble school days, Moe said, "I used to fight my way to school, in school, and back home from school." This may explain why Moe is the one who largely dishes out the punishment to his younger brother Curly and pal Larry.
The Stooges' innovative airplane is a bust in "Dizzy Pilots," forcing the three to be conscripted into the Army. The movie's ending recycles a segment from their 1940's "Boobs in Arms," which many have speculated was cost-savings move by Columbia Pictures. This was also the final Stooges film for actor Harry Semels, who plays one of two government inspectors sent to approve the advanced airplane. Appearing in over 315 movies while making his debut in 1917, Semels was in several Stooges' movies. One of his children, David, was killed in action during WW2. Semels died at 58 from a heart attack in March 1946.
