A Pain in the Pullman

The moment I saw this comedy, I immediately thought of Laurel and Hardy's outrageous film, BERTH MARKS (1929). Anything that could go wrong on a CRAMPED train goes wrong, and very fast. Shades of CHOO CHOO (1932), an Our Gang/Little Rascals comedy, which was totally insane.

This film is the team's longest running production, clocked at nearly 20 minutes. Yes, I agree, it's also one of their most popular, frequently in reruns. A Top Five contender. Strugging entertainers Moe, Larry and Curly, who can't pay the rent, hop aboard a train to get to their next big gig. This time for kicks, they have a pet monkey called Joe -- who gets them in a ton of trouble. Director and writer Jack White (alias Preston Black) rewrote the script from the Thelma Todd-Zasu Pitts comedy, SHOW BUSINESS, including their monkey. White's brother, Jules, directed that short.

The Stooges chase Joe all over the train, bumping into spoiled movie star James C. Morton, who loses his wig! Morton's stage name is Paul Pain? Wacky recurring gag featuring stone-face Bud Jamison continuously bumping his head, similiar to a bit in CHOO CHOO with Del Henderson getting punched in the nose by Spanky.

In the injury department, Moe claims Curly cut the roof his mouth biting into shellfish. Moe added he disliked any kind of fish with claws, and if you notice the scene, he very gingerly tastes the fish.

Character actress Loretta Andrews plays one of the show girls, who appeared in several 30s musicals, including GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933. Silent comedy star Bobby Burns also has a bit part, frequently used by the team.

A comedy winner on steroids. Always on Columbia remastered dvd box sets, generally by decades, 30s, 40s and 50s episodes. Big thanks to METV for running these gems every Saturday.

I have the film on the original 16mm film reel, roughly 200 ft in length. I ran it through the old projector. And I have to say it's a great Stooges film. Although I had a hard time paying attention to the film, since the film kept getting jammed in the projector (a 1926 Bell & Howell, ancient!)

It starts off when the three receive a phone call telling them they just got a job offer in acting. They have to catch a train to get to the location. On the train, with their monkey, they reek havoc on the passengers. Everyone on the train finally gets fed up and throw them off the train in a funny manner.

I did love the scene where they're all struggling to answer the phone. I loved it!

N the days of riding the rails, comedy was built in and around train cars to tremendous effect, largely because the close confinement of the inside berths offered a number of hilarious situations. The Three Stooges' June 1936 "A Pain in the Pullman" took advantage of that fact, making their 16th short one of their more popular films.

Jack White (Preston Black) both directed and wrote the script where our three heroes, after skipping rent, head to their next acting engagement by way of the rails. Compounding the mayhem on board is their pet monkey, Joe, who serves as a spark for many of the movie's knee-slapping laughs. White may have been inspired by ZaSu Pitts and Thelma Todd's 1932 'Show Business,' posing as out-of-work vaudevillians, who, like the Stooges, possessed a pet monkey that delivered belly-aching guffaws.

One scene that caused fits for Moe was when he and his two associates come across a table full of crabs, which the Stooges say in the film they had never seen before. Curly eats the shell and all, while Moe, in real life, hated all forms of shellfish. He said he couldn't even put a real cooked crab claw in his mouth, never mind simply lick it. Black, the director, ordered the prop crew to concoct a lookalike claw with sugar and food coloring. Moe in his autobiography said he was still uncomfortable with that fake, noting, "I was afraid they had coated the real shell with sugar and that that awful claw was underneath. I chewed that claw during the scene, but if you'll notice, I did it very gingerly."

"A Pain in the Pullman" is the longest film two-reeler the Stooges ever produced, running at 19 minutes and 46 seconds. And rare for the trio, several people in the film actually call them by their act, The Three Stooges.

Pain the the Pullman, A (1936)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

The Three stooges board a train heading for a new job but their pet monkey causes all sorts of trouble. Once again, this short is pretty good but there are still plenty of misses in the joke department. The best moment is when the boys are trying to get into their bed but it's up to high so they have a little trouble. The monkey also gets a few nice laughs.

Now available on Columbia's 2-disc set, which features over 20 shorts, all digitally remastered and looking better than ever.

"A Pain in the Pullman" is a not especially distinguished short from the Three. It's not bad...but there really aren't the usual laughs you'd expect from the team.

When the story begins, the Stooges are out of work, hungry and owe rent. Fortunately, their agent calls because they have an acting job....and interestingly through the film they are referred to as The Three Stooges!

Once they arrive at the train for the acting company, the the make such nuisances of themselves that soon everyone on board hates them and the manager is threatening to toss them and their pet monkey off the train.

That's really all there is to the plot. As far as laughs go, as I mentioned there aren't a lot and most of the jokes rely on the team acting like clods on the train. Passable entertainment...not much more.