Three Little Pirates

Only a fool would try to argue that any Stooge short is the "best", but some, like Three Little Pirates, can definitely be termed "one of the best". If you are a Stooge fan, this is the one that you HAVE to see.

The premise is simple: the Stooges, as castaways on an island seemingly locked in the Middle Ages and under despotic rule by an impetuous Emperor, must escape with their lives and take His Majesty's betrothed with them. Easier said than done!

Comedic highlights include the Stooges trying to break out of their cell with a jackhammer, numerous anachronisms (the jackhammer, a pinball machine), Curly's disastrous knife-throwing routine, a painting which comes to life, and jokes about execution.

The highlight, however, is the indescribable "Maha? Aha!" routine. The Stooges are trying to con their way out of the palace as nobility from foreign lands. Curly is the "Maharashi", and Moe is his translator, the "Djinn of Rummi". They chatter in a made-up language, and even though Curly repeatedly bursts into perfect English, and Moe repeatedly slaps him, the Emperor notices nothing.

If you love the Stooges, this is a must-see. It is undoubtedly one of the best ever.

It was only until i first logged onto IMDb.com that i realized this short was one of Curly's last episodes. It is also one of his best. One or two other of episodes with Curly "Idiots Deluxe" & "Micro-phonies" possibly could top this. What makes "Three Little Pirates" special is all the 'SECOND LANGUAGES' that is spoken here. You will find,hopefully, that i took quotes from this episode directly from Closed Captioning and added it to help die-hard Stooge fans decipher what exactly is being said(i still can't figure it out.) I may also take some quotes from the other two episodes i mentioned earlier. In Idiots Deluxe, Moe scorns a black cat for "Stomping Around" and in Micro-phonies Moe exclaims on a radio broadcast that GRITTO spelled sideways is OTTRIGGG-GGG-GGG!!! I wish i could find out why the FCC has deemed their episodes as PG(other than the petty violence). That's exactly what is meant by SLAPSTICK COMEDY!!!

In 1946, Curly wasn't the same Curly he was a few years earlier. He had had a few strokes, his speech and movements are slow, and he is so skinny here. However, with the help of Moe and Larry, he manages to pull off his last great comic performance, Three Little Pirates was Curly's second to last film. In this entry, the Boys are escapees chased after by A Governor and Pirates. While this short is not the best, it's close. It's hilarious and will have you watching it repeatedly. It's got all the ingredients of a great Stooge short, plus the series' best fight scene, where a crazed hammering pinball machine takes out the pirates. A hilarious series entry for the boys, but they were never again as good as they were here. Shemp was funny and had some hilarious shorts (i.e. Goof on a Roof, Mummy's Dummies, Hot Scots, and a few others), but all in all, they could never fully capture it again.

Bottom Line: One of the top 10 Stooges. A good laugh. 9/10

Three Little Pirates finds Moe, Larry, and Curly managing to drift into another time as well as another land when they loose control of their New York City garbage scow and drift out into the ocean. They arrive in a strange land that looks like the domain of some 17th century pirates with a jealous king Vernon Dent who throws them into jail just on general principles. As if being a Stooge wasn't enough.

But they are not without allies as the king's mistress Christine McIntyre sees the boys as her means of escape. Foolish girl, but she leads them to the pirate den where of course they have some more problems with pirate leader Robert Stevens.

Curly shines in this one as he and Moe play a visiting Rajah and an interpreter. It's a great comic sequence as they shower the king with 'gifts' from the new world like a lollipop ruby and bubblegum.

A really good stooge short.

Larry, Curly, and Moe are bumbling sailors from a modern day garbage scow. They shipwreck and find themselves taken prisoner by a old time Spanish settlement. Rita Yolanda needs help to escape the Governor and recruits the three boys. They disguise themselves and seeks the help of pirate Black Louie.

It's such a weird mix for a premise. It's somehow old timey but it has all the modern technology like electricity. I wouldn't mind straight-up time traveling Stooges. Their fish out of water would add another layer of comedy. There is plenty of ridiculous hilarity in this one. It's fun stupidity. It would be nice for them to actually escape as an ending.