Hokus Pokus

This couple is pulling off an insurance scam where the woman ("Mary") is faking being a wheelchair-bound victim. Today is the day the crooks get interviewed and then, hopefully, their money: $25,000, which was a lot of loot back then. The lady says she has "three saps who will testify what a hopeless cripple I am." Guess what "saps" she means?

The first seven minutes of the "movie" are the boys - Moe, Larry and Shemp - getting up in the morning, shaving each other and cooking Mary's breakfast. Nothing that funny in all that, maybe because most of the gags are re-hashed material from the "Curly" days.

Finally, the claims adjuster from the "Calamity Insurance Company" (series regular Vernon Dent) comes to Mary's apartment. The boys give him a piece of their mind, the only funny thing being Shemp's amazing footwork, and then leave to do their shop - putting up posters.

The poster they are plastering on the wall reads, "Here This Week - The Great Hypnotist SVENGARLIC! He'll Steal Your Breath Away" The hypnotist, looking for publicity to help his show, spots the Stooges and hypnotizes them. That leads to justice prevailing in the insurance scam. Overall: weak.

In this short subject the Three Stooges have a sweet little racket going. Mary Ainslee has taken them in because they are three dumb clucks who will go into court and swear she's a cripple due to an automobile accident. They believe it and of course they're too stupid to lie.

Naturally for their room and board they have to help around the house. Seeing them cook and do the household chores has a bunch of laughs for the audience.

But come the big day they get hypnotized by mesmerist Svengarlic and they do a bit of Harold Lloyd type high wire act on a flagpole.

Very good stuff. One of the best Shemp features for the team.

As for Ainslee, she should have hired Whiplash Willie Gingrich.

The Three Stooges has always been some of the many actors that I have loved. I love just about every one of the shorts that they have made. I love all six of the Stooges (Curly, Shemp, Moe, Larry, Joe, and Curly Joe)! All of the shorts are hilarious and also star many other great actors and actresses which a lot of them was in many of the shorts! In My opinion The Three Stooges is some of the greatest actors ever and is the all time funniest comedy team!

This is a fair Three Stooges short with Shemp. The beautiful Mary Ainslee, David Bond, Vernon Dent, Jimmie Lloyd, and Ned Glass are in it. The scenes when the Stooges are getting out of bed and ready is funny. Bond is good as the hypnotist, The Great Svengarlic. There is another Three Stooges short similar like this one called Flagpole Jitters and its just as good as this one. Three Stooges fans, check this one out!

Mary is faking her injury for a $25k insurance claim. She has to stay in a wheelchair for one more day before going to the insurance adjustor's office. Larry, Moe, and Shemp are clueless idiots who have been tricked into waiting on her hand and foot. The boys put up a poster for hypnotist "The Great Svengarlic". The hypnotist decides to play around with them and put them in his street show to walk a flagpole outside an office building.

It's a solid Shemp Stooges short. I would add one scene with Mary rolling into office so that the final scene can be setup. I love the sing-sing bit and I wish the hypnotist can do something more imaginative. The flagpole is good but I can think of something wackier. They could do a dance or Rocket kicks. All in all, this is pretty good.

I've always thought of this one as perhaps one of the more underrated or perhaps I should say "overlooked" stooge shorts-- especially considering the great short that preceded it (the all time great Who Done it?).

But, this is a great short in its own right--a great mix of big belly laughs and little small moments that add up to 16 minutes of pure fun. And when I think of the "big laughs," my mind goes immediately to Shemp's smackdown with Vernon Dent (shoot one that way, shoot one this way, whoa).

I also enjoyed Larry's moment with the mixing bowls. Overall--if you're a Shemp fan--or just a stooge fan in general, then give this one a few looks.

9 stars