Back to the Woods

Back to outrageous historical times, the Stooges about to be thrown into prison, instead get kicked out of England and sent to the struggling American colonies in the 17th century. Bottom line, the court didn't want to feed them. Let someone else do it!

Moe, Larry and Curly turn up in Massachusetts and meet the beautiful daughters of the governor, played by no nonsense Vernon Dent. Is there any other type of role? As expected, there's a feud going on with the Indians (who want an old debt paid off), forbidding the settlers to hunt. Out to impress the ladies, the Stooges defy the Injuns, go hunting and that's where the fun starts. Lots of goofy escapades with the enemy, including Chief Rain in the Puss? (played by stone-face Theodore Lorch, as usual). Look for veteran actor Blackie Whiteford as an indian, who appeared in dozens of westerns.

Best bit; In prison, the Stooges drop their ball and chains (one at a time), which chime(!), sounding like the famous NBC chimes. Fairly clever stuff, written by Andrew Bennison, longtime Hollywood writer. Also the last movie directed by Jack White, brother of producer Jules White.

Grumpy Bud Jamison plays the court prosector, veteran actor Murdock MacQuarrie plays the judge. Former model Ethelreda Leopold plays Hope, one of the governor's daughters. She was a famous bit actress for decades.

Look for Curly's original skunk cap and the super fast canoe!

Always remastered on Columbia dvd, generally by decades, 30s, 40s and 50s episodes. Thanks to METV for running these mini classics on Saturdays.

It's Merrie Olde England. Larry, Curly, and Moe are sentenced to long prison stints. Instead of spending money on feeding them, they are sent to the colonies to fight the savages. They meet three fetching daughters of the governor. The Indians turn out to be tough negotiators and they forbid the colonists from hunting until they paid off their debt. The boys go hunting anyways. This has plenty of The Stooges running around doing their physical slapstick comedy. The one joke that really got me is making the Indian chief a hardnosed money man. That's satire which I've never seen before and it hit me in a weird way. This is generally a solid Stooges short and it has its fun moments.

Working under the pseudonym of 'Preston Black' as the story goes, to keep his ex-wife out of the loop on his extra income, Jack White (brother of Jules) directs his last stooge short. Unfortunately, it's a rather long-winded effort, harboring on the below average scale. A pity, considering I find all of "Preston's" previous outings to all be stooge classics (i.e. Disorder in the Court/A Pain in the Pullman).

The biggest laughs to be had come from the dancing sequence the boys have with three sweeties named Hope, Faith, and Charity.

5.5/10

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In The Three Stooges' May 1937 "Back to the Woods," the three travel in time even further back then the Old West when they're convicted for crimes in England that sends them to the Massachusetts Colony in Plymouth. The native Indians in the area have prohibited the settlers from hunting for game at any time. The Stooges' tussle with the tribesmen result in some hilarious hijinx that result in a wild goose chase. This 23rd episode of the Stooges was the last film directed by Jack White, a.k.a. Preston Black, who was with the trio after two years. He went on to become a full-time producer and writer. "Back to the Woods" is also the second longest Stooges' film at 19 minutes and 27 seconds, just 20 seconds short of their longest, 1936's "A Pain in the Pullman."

"Back in the Woods" is known for showing the first example of an 'Alexa' audio device. When the Stooges first arrive at Plymouth, they meet the three daughters of the colony's governor (Vernon Dent). Moe turns on his music box the size and shape of a large ice hockey puck to dance with the women. The irate governor enters the cabin and yells at the music box to stop, which it does. The film is also the first time stock footage is used in a Stooges' short film, as seen in the introduction showing a street scene in Old Towne London, England. "Back in the Woods" is also the first instance where they re-use footage from their earlier film. Towards the end of the movie, they dash onto a canoe while the Indians are in pursuit. With one paddle movement the boat jettisons across the lake. The scene was previously used in 1936's "Whoops, I'm an Indian." History records that when the Stooges caused all the mayhem against the Indians, Plymouth settlers were even worse off with its inability to hunt for food since the natives were agitated beyond belief by the three and were angrily looking for revenge.

One of the better Stooge films. The portrayal of Native Americans is less than PC, but if you bear in mind the period in which the film was made, you'll enjoy it.

The premise is that the Stooges are petty thieves, exiled by the British government to colonial America, where they must hunt for food against the edicts of Chief Rain In The Puss. Eventually the hunters are the hunted, as the Chief's warriors attack our heroes. Can the three knuckleheads escape certain death? See for yourself.

Highlights include Curly's commentary of an imaginary horserace, the boys' rendition of "A-Hunting We Must Goeth" with a soulful piece of scat by Larry, an extremely violent dance, and Curly's surprisingly athletic display of the martial arts.

The social commentary is a bit dated, but otherwise a fine film!