Movie Maniacs

The Stooges are heading to Hollywood as stowaways on a train. They've created quite the setup in the boxcar where they are traveling...almost like a hotel on wheels.

Once in Hollywood, they are mistaken for executives with Carnation Pictures. Because of this, they are given control of the studio...and they begin making films their own way. In one, Curly plays the pretty lady and Larry her ardent suitor! Eventually the studio figures out the mistake...though considering how awful the film the Stooges are making, it's surprising it took this long! What's next? See the film.

Overall, this film is a big disappointment...much of it because their prior short, "Ants in the Pantry" was comedy gold. This one, by contrast, is a rather run of the mill short and could have been funnier given the situations. Good for die-hard Stooge fans...others...not so much.

The Three Stooges released two short films within one month, the first "Ants in the Pantry, the second, February 1936's "Movie Maniacs." Sneaking into a film studio lot, the three aspiring movie stars are mistaken for the newly-arrived studio executives. The trio walk in the middle of a shoot and take over from the frustrated director. The actress playing the 'Leading Lady' was Mildred Harris, who earlier was Charlie Chaplin's first wife. As a child film actress at age 10, Harris began her career in 1912, and attracted the attention of Chaplin, 29, when she was 18. The soon married, only to separate a year later. Harris was proliferate in silents during that era, but failed like many of her peers to make the successful transition into talkies.

"Movie Maniacs" contains one of the more controversial sequences in the Stooges' catalogue. Each Stooge demonstrates his kissing technique to the scantily dressed dancing girls on the set. When the short was shown on television in the late 1950s, the scene was sliced because of its suggestive nature to its young TV audience. "Movie Maniacs" used two lions, named Tanner and Jackie, the Stooges find themselves with in a room. Tanner was used in the MGM opening credits logo, who the more rambunctious Jackie was conscripted if more than one lion was needed in filming.

As a child and thru my lifetime I watched this movie several times. We always loved the 3 Stooges, but the real reason was my father's cousin Mildred Harris,the leading lady. She died before I was born, my older sister looks just like her. Her father and my grandmother were sis/brother. I would love to find some pictures and any other information available. I do know that she was divorced. There were no living children. When my grandmother died, seems most of the Harris Family lost contact. Most of her Dad's family is from South Dakota and Indiana. She is also cousin to Bongo Phil Harris, he was the voice from the Jungle Book cartoon and recorded music. All information would be appreciated. Thanks.

This Three Stooges short was a particular disappointment given the Hollywood milieu; in fact, the opening scene aboard the train is more inventive than the ensuing studio silliness! The comic trio are mistaken for movie executives and given the run of the studio (the president's name, Fuller Rath, emerges as the film's best gag): unsurprisingly, they drive the director and leading actors to distraction with their antics and end up by replacing them (with Moe as director, Larry the leading man, and Curley – naturally in drag – takes on the part of the leading lady)! The film is okay in itself, but clearly not in the same league as feature films on the subject starring other contemporary comedians – such as Harold Lloyd's similarly-titled MOVIE CRAZY (1932) and W.C. Fields' NEVER GIVE A SUCKER AN EVEN BREAK (1941).

I love Laurel and Hardy, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd, but The Three Stooges do absolutely nothing for me, their childish slapstick routines leaving me stony faced. This short sees the guys (Larry, Moe and Curley) travelling to Hollywood where they hope to become famous; after sneaking into a studio and being mistaken for New York film executives, they cause chaos on the set of a movie.

If you're a fan of the trio, I guess this one will keep you entertained, but all of the face-slapping, eye-poking, head-bopping and cross-dressing failed to make me crack a smile, and even at just 17 minutes, I found myself quite bored with this one. I'm willing to give the trio a couple more goes to try and amuse me: this was an early effort from the Stooges and they might get better, but I have my doubts.