Mestres do Entretenimento

Termites of 1938 (1938)

** (out of 4)

A woman needs a date so she decides to call an escort service but she accidentally dials a termite company being led by Moe, Larry and Curly. The boys end up going to this lavished party and all hell breaks loose of course. This is one of the very few Stooges short where I found nothing to be funny. I really don't recall laughing once, which is saying quite a bit but I found this thing to be rather boring from start to finish. The first half deals with the boys trying to catch a mouse by rigging a trap to fire off a canon but of course things go wrong. The second half deals with the party where we get some unfunny gags including one where the rich people start copying the way the Stooges are eating their mashed potatoes. I noticed that Charley Chase was credited with Associate Producer but you can't notice any of his touch here.

Comedian Charley Chase had a long career in cinema, beginning in the early days of film in 1912. Working at Keystone Studios alongside a youthful Charlie Chaplin, he learned film making from the ground up, both in front of the camera as an actor as well as behind as a producer, director, and writer. Not only did he handle his own series as a master of embarrassment, but he steered "Our Gang" for producer Hal Roach during its initial episodes. Leaving Roach in 1937, Chase moved on to Columbia Pictures where one of his first assignments was co-producing The Three Stooges' January 1938 "Termites of 1938," a parody on the musical "Gold Diggers of 1937."

Chase's imprint on the Stooges' 28th movie is seen in his love for incidental music on film. The signature song for The Three Stooges, 'Listen to the Mockingbird,' is for the first time played other than in the titles during live action when the Stooges enter the picture. Chase later inserts a Victor Schertzinger composition during the dinner scene where the three, mistaken for escorts, are invited to a swanky dinner party by frustrated Muriel Van Twitchell (Bess Flowers), whose husband elects to go fishing instead. The escorts are really pests exterminators who arrive at the mansion in tuxedos, and are ready to go to work when dinner is announced.

Chase contributed his ideas to the table scene when the Stooges, ever the indecorous dinner guests, display dining manners that would make a kindergartner appear sophisticated in comparison. The party's host, Lord Wafflebottom (Bud Jamison), picks up on the Stooges' unorthodox eating habits, and imitates their style. The guests in turn, not wanting to insult their host, copy him. Chase had written and acted in a similar scene in 1929's 'Modern Love,' and inserted this hilarious eating sequence.

"Termites of 1938" also introduces two signature movements of the Stooges seen in many of their future films. They spontaneously perform their famous Russian Cossack dance, which usually breaks out when an object is dropped on a person's foot or some ice or a mouse somehow gets tucked underneath the clothes on the backs of people. The other is Curly's famous corkscrew maneuver lying on the floor. Seeing mice emerge from Moe's bass fiddle after he inadvertently cuts the instrument in half with a saw instead of playing with a normal bow sends Curly scurrying and twisting onto the floor.

Termites Of 1938 has Moe, Larry, and Curly as the Acme Exterminating company who when we first meet them are trying several new experimental methods of dealing with mice. One particular mouse gets the best of all of them.

But they could be moving up in the world as maid Etta McDaniel calls a wrong number as she is trying for the Acme Escort Bureau. These three as escorts is a concept you have to wrap your head around. But they go to an exclusive society party and start new trends in table manners and then go to work exterminating the party essentially.

Another really funny one from the Stooges.

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!

This is one of My favorite Three Stooges shorts with Curly! All Appearing in this short are Beatrice Blinn, Symona Boniface, Bess Flowers, Dorothy Granger, John Ince, and Bud Jamison! This one is so hilarious! Curly has a great performance here and in My opinion its one of his best. There are two others similar like this one called Ants in the Pantry and Pest Man Wins! I strongly recommend all three of these Three Stooges shorts!

First, love the title.

Second, another high society caper.

Third, a chance to see legendary Bess Flowers, dubbed Queen of the Hollywood Extras. That she was.

Flowers plays fabulously wealthy Muriel Van Twitchell who needs an escort? Her maid (Etta McDaniel) is supposed to call the Acme Escort Service, but instead dials the Acme Exterminating Company? Where the Stooges come in, and its insane. Any time the guys mixed with the elite, you know disaster follows. The exterminators bit was lifted from ANTS IN THE PANTRY, writer Elwood Ullman tweeking it.

Extermintors Moe, Larry and Curly are mistaken for escorts and hob nob with the rich and famous. One of the best scenes is with Bud Jamison, playing Lord Wafflebottom, who immitates the "distinguished" Stooges eating habits. A scene that may have been made up as they went along, thanks to director Del Lord. Bess Flowers is fun to watch as the astonished lady of the house, also Symona Boniface (as a guest), who would appear in similar roles opposite the Stooges. She was often compared to Margaret Dumont, who took on the Marx Brothers.

Two other mini classics; Moe, Larry and Curly perform their famous Cossack dance, again exceptionally handled by Del Lord, and don't miss the Gopher Bomb!

Dorothy Granger, best known as Leon Errol's wife in his comedy films, plays Mabel. Etta McDaniel was the sister of Oscar winner Hattie McDaniel (GONE WITH THE WIND) and Sam McDaniel. A salute to Bess Flowers, who appeared in over 800 films, several Oscar winning productions.

Always on Columbia dvd, generally released by decades, 30s, 40s and 50s episodes. Many thanks to METV for running these golden oldies Saturdays.