The Yoke's on Me

Moe, Larry and Curly are supposed to go in the army but they return after two days. Their father makes them work on a farm. We also learn that some Japanese guys have escaped and of course they are near the farm.

The Three Stooges have made another fine piece of comedy with this short. Especially Curly has some great moments. Terrific.

Ma and pa are proud that their sons Larry, Curly, and Moe have joined the armed forces. They are annoyed when their boys return after getting rejected. The boys try to regain their parents' respect by buying a rundown farm and working for the war effort. Some Japs escaped from a relocation center. An ostrich ran away from a circus.

This is a fine Stooges short until the Japs show up. One must remember that this is wartime propaganda. That means belittling the Japanese and even stuffing them with bad teeth. It is ugly. It cannot be ignored even if it is understandable for its times. It colors the whole thing and its off-putting nature sucks out all the fun.

I saw this as a kid, before it had been yanked from the rotation, and even then it left a bad taste in my mouth. There were some competently worked out gags, but making slapstick villains out of American citizens who'd been interned in camps strictly due to their race was amazingly tasteless.

Moe himself might have wanted this one buried. He was a liberal guy. In his autobiography he told of visiting a town in the segregated South, where he saw a black man get off the sidewalk to avoid passing too close. Moe stepped into the street to show it wasn't a problem, and the man then got back on the curb. Then off again. Finally, the man told Moe nervously that if Moe didn't stop trying to share the sidewalk with him, he might get them both lynched.

Another thing: There are exploding ostrich eggs but no oxen in the film, so the title should actually be (if anyone cares) "The Yolk's on Me."

The Yoke's on Me (1944)

** (out of 4)

After being rejected by the Army and Navy, brothers Moe, Larry and Curly return home where their father makes them by a farm so that they can work. It turns out the farm isn't in the greatest shape but soon some escaped Japanese men meet them.

THE YOKE'S ON ME is one of the lesser Stooges short as there's really not too many funny moments in it. The film starts off on a pretty weak note as there's not a single laugh to be had with the father. From here there are a few minor jokes but there's not a single classic Stooges moment. If I had to pick a highlight it would be the scene dealing with the disappearing jack-o-lanterns. While it could be said there was never an awful short from the boys, this one here is certainly disappointing.

The Three Stooges has always been some of the many actors that I have loved. I love just about every one of the shorts that they have made. I love all six of the Stooges (Curly, Shemp, Moe, Larry, Joe, and Curly Joe)! All of the shorts are hilarious and also star many other great actors and actresses which a lot of them was in many of the shorts! In My opinion The Three Stooges is some of the greatest actors ever and is the all time funniest comedy team!

I have always liked this Three Stooges short. Its cool, its funny, and its really a different one! One thing Larry is quite different in this one. The dance that Curly does after he plucks the ostrich is hilarious! Also another funny scene is when he goes after the duck. The pumpkin scenes are also great! This is a great Three Stooges short!