Hércules y los tres chiflados

The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962) was another theatrical film that the aging "Three Stooges" did for their new generation of fans. Having to tone down the physicality of their slapstick humor, the Stooges had to use a lot more verbal exchanges than they have did in the past. The three lovable geezers work in a pharmacy. Theie boss is a swell guy but he's also a spineless creep. A freak accident causes all of them to travel back to Ancient Greece and create all kinds of havoc. Several questions are raised (aren't there always). How did they wind up traveling backwards in time? Who will greet them in Ancient Greece. Where do they wind up at? How can they communicate to the natives if they speak ancient Greek? To find out the answers to these earth shaking questions then you'll have to watch THE THREE STOOGES MEET HERCULES!!!

Recommended for die-hard geriatric Three Stooges fans.

This is one of the best of all the later '60s feature films to star the enduring comedy trio. It succeeds admirably because Moe, Larry and Curly Joe are kept up front of the proceedings and it doesn't hurt at all (except perhaps for them when they get smacked around) that the comedy is consistent and faithful to what we expect from seeing all those old Stooge shorts. Despite their advancing ages, the "boys" hit all their marks perfectly and never do we get the impression that we're dealing with men well into their sixties. The Stooges are pharmacy workers who get a hold of a time traveling device (it doesn't matter how or why) and find themselves in ancient times where they face a lot more than just Hercules. For such a film, the production looked more expensive than it probably was, and I had to smile at the winks to BEN-HUR. *** out of ****

I was a big fan of the three stooges back then and this was the first feature movie I saw, and it was at a drive in. I think I was in my pyjamas when I at the drive in. The most memorable part of the movie was when the three stooge were in a jail cell and cut through a bar to escape. The bar was attached to a small table on the above floor where Hercules was eating grapes or something. In their attempt to escape the jail cell the three stooges push the bar up and hence push the plate of grapes into Hercules face which infuriates him. There begins a game push and tug with the table and the jail bar. I don't know why I remember this through all these years but I do. I was young at the time and impressionable. Now all these people I watched are now dead.

Most comedy is subjective. Whether one enjoys the comedy of the Stooges, like the Marx Brothers, WC Fields, Martin & Lewis, A&C, etc., is up to the individual. BTW, the Ritz Brothers were seldom funny, and the Dead End Kids really wore thin.

This individual loves them. I did when I was a kid - and still do now that I'm pushing 50. I'm primarily referring to their 20-minute shorts (1932-1959).

Personally, I feel that this is far and away their best feature. Most of their features are rather long in the tooth and geared towards kids.

This one makes me laugh. I hope you enjoy it as much as I.

1) Note the Title. (2) You know the cast. (3) Since Hercules is mentioned, we know the story occurs in ancient Greece. And since we are now in ancient times, the focus will be on galleys, slaves, kings, and wild beasts. There will even be a mythical creature, a two-headed, four-legged Cyclops!

For the first time since 1945 (Rockin' in the Rockies), The Three Stooges came back to features in 1959. About midway into their renaissance came this feature, which has both a plot and decent script. The sets are most acceptable, although some may complain that the budget was not high. The story involves three pharmacy workers who are accidentally transported back in time to the early period of ancient Greece, nearly three millennia ago. They will tangle with the evil usurper Odius and his henchman, Hercules (don't worry, the strongman will later see the right way). Of course there will be the slapstick and obligatory anachronisms, but pay no heed. We will see head-smacks and food in faces. The Greeks will speak and understand English (although Moe will utter something like "… I'll clobber anyone who says it's all Greek to me" when the Stooges encounter a Greek language sign.). As the guys are aging and somewhat subdued, one cannot expect them to sustain their old zaniness of the 1930s. Nevertheless, it is great to see the old comedy act extend into the 1960s, with two of the three original Stooges still around to pick up some royalty checks. Around 1965 there was a Tonight Show episode with Johnny Carson, who had the Three Stooges as guests. He asked about their LAST movie feature. Curly Joe quipped, "You mean our LATEST one." The audience, of course, was delighted. Joe DeRita as Curly Joe assumed the Curly/Shemp/Besser role. While Curly Joe looked like the old Curly, some folks complained that he was not as funny. The criticism is rather gratuitous, as no one else could have been Curly either. And Curly Joe certainly was an improvement over Joe Besser. In all, he fit in pretty well as the third Stooge.

It is a positive thing that the Stooges could finally make movies and receive the financially rewarding royalties, something denied them during their long tenure at Columbia (1934-1959). This movie is a must for Stooges' fans, and is an improvement over their post-Shemp short films of the latter half of the 1950s. People wanted to laugh at the Stooges during their revival, and they were indeed kept happy by some good gags (for one, see Hercules disrupt the king's speech by cracking nuts with his biceps). By the way, this movie made money. It deserved to do so.