Hold That Lion!

There are two big surprises about "Hold That Lion!". First, it has an appearance of post-Stooges Curly Howard...making this the only Stooges short with all three Howard brothers (Moe, Shemp and Curly). Second, it's surprisingly funny and worth seeing.

When the short begins, you learn that the Stooges are expecting an inheritance and the executor, Mr. Slipp, has apparently run off with the money! When they try to find him at his office, he attacks them all...beating them up and running away from the boys. So, they head for the train, as Slipp is trying to use it to make his escape. Aboard the train, they spend their time avoiding the conductor since they don't have tickets as well as looking for Slipp. Ultimatley, they accidentally release a lion and hilarity ensues.

Curly Howard had a debilitating stroke the year before this short was made. As a result, his older brother Shemp joined the team (he'd been a Stooge back in the early stage days). Here, Curly remains seated on the train....because he was wheelchair bound at this point. He was offered the bit part to lift his spirits....sadly it was his last film appearance before his early death in 1952.

Overall, this is a pretty funny short. It is more original than many of the Stooge films (many of the Shemp shorts were actually remakes of earlier Stooge shorts) and made me laugh a few times. This, combined with Curly's appearance, make this a must-see for mans.

ONE OF THE better 3 Stooges shorts of its period, HOLD THAT LION scores high marks with us on many fronts. It accomplishes the difficult task of bridging the War years-type shorts with the Post War. It displays Shemp in the best light that we know; giving him a chance to shine.*

JUST COINCIDENTALLY THE short features an un-billed cameo by the now physically ailing Curly. His bit as a slumbering train passenger was meant to be the kick-off for some regular guest shots with Larry Fine and his brothers, Shemp and Moe Howard.

THIS ONGOING LIMITED partnership never materialized, leaving this as a unique solo example of what could have been.

AS FOR THE story itself, it is a sort of Detective Story spoof; featuring stolen money, a crooked shyster lawyer and our heroes in hot pursuit. The chase even extends to a railroad trip and a confrontation with a real caged Lion in the baggage car. That would seem to be the origin of the title (Duh!); but it is also a play on the then popular song, "The Tiger Rag" ( you know, "Hold That Tiger").

WE HAVE ALWAYS felt that perhaps the greatest asset this movie has is the character of crooked lawyer, Ichabod Slip. With a characterization that revealed an unexpected talent for farce, actor Kenneth MacDonald managed to steal much of the short's best gags and scenes; in spite of the presence of our Stooges.

THIS IS THE same guy who made so many appearances on the PERRY MASON TV Series as the Judge. To quote him, "Your witness, Mr. Mason."

Seeing a previous user comment about Curly's appearance:

There is a train passenger with a beard, but I didn't think HE was Curly. The passenger I recognize as Curly did indeed have a full head of hair, but NO BEARD.

Watch this film very carefully for a piece of show biz history. The one and only time on film we see the three brothers Howard (Moe, Shemp and Curly)together. Curly has a full head of hair, a bushy beard and no dialog, but the snoring he makes as a sleeping train passenger are vintage Curly all the way.

All Stooge elements come together to form a cohesive whole in this early Shemp effort. The Stooges are sole heirs of their Uncle Ambrose Rose's estate. The boys track "Honest" Icabod Slipp (Kenneth MacDonald) who has made off with their inheritance. Will they find him and recover their inheritance?

With this film, Shemp Howard demonstrates no rustiness after being absent from the Stooges for 14 years. He fits comfortably into the third Stooge role; his fight with MacDonald is hilarious, and his natural comedic gifts are fully on display. The short features a classic exchange between Larry and Shemp: "The moola! The geetis! No slippery guy like Slipp is ever gonna cheat us! Zoot Zoot! Zoot!" If this sounds silly in words, watch the short and try not to crack up when Larry and Shemp say it!

As mentioned by others, "Hold That Lion" features a cameo by Curly Howard as a sleeping passenger. He demonstrates verbal signs of the old Curly, but he is obviously sitting down due to his stroke. He's funny in this brief scene, but it is also sad to watch.

The film was remade with a combination of stock footage and new scenes as "Loose Loot" in 1953. The remake is actually better, offering a tighter storyline and better laughs. "Hold That Lion" is still a gem, though. 7 out of 10.