Termites of 1938

Termites of 1938 (1938)

** (out of 4)

A woman needs a date so she decides to call an escort service but she accidentally dials a termite company being led by Moe, Larry and Curly. The boys end up going to this lavished party and all hell breaks loose of course. This is one of the very few Stooges short where I found nothing to be funny. I really don't recall laughing once, which is saying quite a bit but I found this thing to be rather boring from start to finish. The first half deals with the boys trying to catch a mouse by rigging a trap to fire off a canon but of course things go wrong. The second half deals with the party where we get some unfunny gags including one where the rich people start copying the way the Stooges are eating their mashed potatoes. I noticed that Charley Chase was credited with Associate Producer but you can't notice any of his touch here.

A rich lady is desperate to hire an escort for a party. Her maid mistakenly calls pest exterminators Larry, Curly, and Moe. The boys arrive expecting to do some exterminating but the misunderstanding continues. There is some good Stooges fun. I expected more with the food. Spraying the water is fun once but it gets repetitive twice. The rug is a fun bit and so is sawing open the cello. This is good solid Stooges fun.

The boys are exterminators. Through a series of events too long to go into here, they wind up at a posh party - the perfect place for the Three Stooges to create mayhem. They are supposed to be an "escort service," and a date of one of the swanky snobs.

If you seen The Three Stooges, chances are you've seen this short or at least a couple like it, where the uncouth slobs (in this one, they are also considered by the uniformed as "those college chaps") wreak havoc at an exclusive party. Yes, that happens here but, sadly, only to a small degree, not like I've seen it in all the other Three Stooges comedies. I kept excepting the wild scenes at the dinner or with the rodents afterward but the humor was bland....not up the boys usual high standards.

The best gags were at the beginning before they ever arrived at this party. Moe, Larry and Curly's efforts to get a mouse are pretty funny. Moe's is not practical, but the most elaborate (involving a cannon!).

Curses are pest exterminators, who are mistakenly hired by a rich lady who seeks an escort to a posh party in society. The trees have destroyed the elegant palace where the party is being held and confuse the guest of honor, the English lord.

First, love the title.

Second, another high society caper.

Third, a chance to see legendary Bess Flowers, dubbed Queen of the Hollywood Extras. That she was.

Flowers plays fabulously wealthy Muriel Van Twitchell who needs an escort? Her maid (Etta McDaniel) is supposed to call the Acme Escort Service, but instead dials the Acme Exterminating Company? Where the Stooges come in, and its insane. Any time the guys mixed with the elite, you know disaster follows. The exterminators bit was lifted from ANTS IN THE PANTRY, writer Elwood Ullman tweeking it.

Extermintors Moe, Larry and Curly are mistaken for escorts and hob nob with the rich and famous. One of the best scenes is with Bud Jamison, playing Lord Wafflebottom, who immitates the "distinguished" Stooges eating habits. A scene that may have been made up as they went along, thanks to director Del Lord. Bess Flowers is fun to watch as the astonished lady of the house, also Symona Boniface (as a guest), who would appear in similar roles opposite the Stooges. She was often compared to Margaret Dumont, who took on the Marx Brothers.

Two other mini classics; Moe, Larry and Curly perform their famous Cossack dance, again exceptionally handled by Del Lord, and don't miss the Gopher Bomb!

Dorothy Granger, best known as Leon Errol's wife in his comedy films, plays Mabel. Etta McDaniel was the sister of Oscar winner Hattie McDaniel (GONE WITH THE WIND) and Sam McDaniel. A salute to Bess Flowers, who appeared in over 800 films, several Oscar winning productions.

Always on Columbia dvd, generally released by decades, 30s, 40s and 50s episodes. Many thanks to METV for running these golden oldies Saturdays.