Uncivil Warriors

This review is of the eighth Three Stooges short they made for Columbia Pictures. In this one, Moe, Larry, and Curley (as his name was spelled at the time) are Union spies during the Civil War disguising themselves as Confederates in order to discover their plans. Plenty of many very funny and what would become very familiar routines abound here and they all come together perfectly. And it's always a treat to see usual supporting player Bud Jamison whenever he has a scene with the boys. Also, usual writer Felix Adler and director Del Lord-with only his second film with the boys-do a fine job of making this an almost perfect Stooges short. Oh, and while there's a visual joke near the end that would probably be politically incorrect today, the way Moe explains it does excuse it a little. So on that note, Uncivil Warriors comes highly recommended.

During the US Civil War, Operator 12 (Larry Fine), Operator 14 (Moe Howard), and Operator 15 (Curly Howard) are given a secret mission behind the southern lines. They take on the captured identities of Lieutenant Duck (Larry), Captain Dodge (Moe), and Major Hyde (Curly).

This has all the great Three Stooges slapstick. It has a bit of drama but it's mostly Stooges stupidity in the funniest sense. The feathers in the cake are a charming touch. A cross-dressing Curly is also good. This ends with the guys fired from the cannon and landing on the northern general. It's a bit abrupt but the 20 min short still works. The boys could have at least given a quick report to the general.

Uncivil Warriors (1935)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

The Three Stooges are fighting for the North in the Civil War but go undercover to spy on the South. This is a short that actually looks better than anything else. The period piece actually looks very realistic with the costumes but there are a few laughs as well. The highlight has to be the scene where the boys eat a cake, which just happens to make them cough up feathers.

Now available on Columbia's 2-disc set, which includes over 20 classic shorts, all digitally remastered.

"Uncivil Warriors" is one of the funniest shorts that the 3 Stooges have ever done. Though "Men In Black" was nominated for an Oscar in the Short Subject category, this film could have been nominated as well in 1935. The Three Stooges displayed their greatest comedic energy between 1934 and 1937, and "Uncivil Warriors" is a gem among all of their films. The funniest scene is when the boys are masquerading as Confederate officers and Curly has to dress up as an officer's wife. But when the boys have to "produce" a child to keep up the masquerade and the child is black, that is hysterical. That was a joke that was very brave to do in 1935 - the same year that Southern theater owners didn't want their audiences to see a dance number between Shirley Temple and Bill "Bo Jangles" Robinson. Much respect goes to director Del Lord - for letting the Stooges go to the comedic edge of the universe. Also, much respect goes to actor Bud Jamison, one of the best straight men in comedy at that time. Had Jamison not passed away in 1944, he would have been very much a part of the Stooges legend. Now that television is editing all of the Stooges films for commercial time, it is better to get all of your favorite Stooges films on VHS or DVD.

I know that if I had a sensitive mission involving obtaining some enemy secrets at wartime, I'd entrust that mission to none other than the team of Howard, Howard, and Fine to get the job done. It's agreed they're the best men for the job.

That's what the Three Stooges have to do in Uncivil Warriors, get some battle plans from the Confederate headquarters which is in an old plantation house. Of course Moe, Larry, and Curly especially Curly aren't exactly housebroken yet to mix in that society.

Funniest scene is them eating a cake where feathers have been stuffed into the batter mix. Seeing these three coughing up enough feathers for an indoor blizzard will really tickle the old funny bone.