Hold That Lion!

Larry, Moe, and Shemp are looking for their inheritance. The three nephews are sole heirs but the executor Mr. Icabob Slipp is nowhere to be found. They go to his office with subpoenas but they don't know what he looks like. They follow him to a train where they accidentally release a lion.

It's a fine Stooges short with Shemp. This one has a fourth Stooge. In a way, Dudley Dickerson plays a Stooge-like character in the black porter but I'm really talking about Curly who makes a cameo after his stroke. And he has hair! Although his distinctive snoring gives him away.

Actually Curly did not pass away until January 18,1952. And he made another cameo as an Angry Chef in the 1949 Malice In The Palace,and after he married for the 4th time,and had his second daughter. He is funny in this Comedy,and its nice to see the Howards all together. Its a shame that he didn't take better care of himself. Shemp is excellent here,and is under rated. And Kenneth McDonald is so good here,as he was as the Judge on the Perry Mason shows. His granddaughter Andrea Server is a fine Singer. RIP Curly,you were Funny! And its nice to see Curly as he is quite good in what was clearly an improvised,off the cuff appearance. And Dudley Dickerson was a scream as always.

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.

Ailing Curly Howard was in no position to return full time to The Three Stooges anytime soon when he paid a visit to Columbia Pictures studios to observe his replacement-and older brother-Shemp filming July 1947 "Hold That Lion." His visit in January 1947 when filming took place came almost nine months after he suffered a major stroke in May 1946. Curly had let his hair grow in the interim when director Jules White noticed the comedian was in the wings of the studio sound stage. White recalled the day Curly returned to his old digs. "It was a spur-of-the-moment idea," recalled White. "Apparently he came in on his own, since I didn't see a nurse with him. He was sitting around, reading a newspaper. As I walked in, the newspaper he had in front of his face came down and he waved hello to me. I thought it would be funny to have him do a bit in the picture and he was happy to do it." In "Hold That Lion" the Stooges find themselves inheriting a large sum of money, only to find the estate's executor, Icabod Slipp (Kenneth MacDonald), abscond with their inheritance. The three follow him on to a train where they come across a trainload of passengers. One man has his hat over his head sleeping. Larry takes his hat off and unclasps the clothes pin clamped over his nose. It turns out to be Curly, who gives his trademark "Woowoo-woo" and "Rruff! Rruff!" until Larry places back the pin and places back the hat. The scene is the only one where all three Howard brothers appear together.

"Hold That Lion" was Shemp's third Three Stooges short film, filling in for Curly. The three dodge a persistent conductor on the train by hiding inside a large crate in the luggage car. Unbeknownst to them, the container contains a lion, scaring the bejesus out of the Stooges. Character actor Emil Sitka remembered Shemp was totally freaked out by having a lion on the set. According to Sitka, Tanner the Lion had his teeth removed, "and it was old and sickly-looking, with flies buzzing around its head. Sometimes it fell asleep in the middle of a take." In the crate scene a glass panel was placed between the Stooges and the lion. "Even then, Shemp was almost mesmerized with fear, and when filming ended he was first to rush off," added Sitka. For the sleeping berth scene where the lion climbs in, a realistic FAO Schwartz fake stuffed lion stood in for Tanner at the foot of the bed.

Thanks for AMC and their NYUK Three Stooges show on the weekends starring Leslie Neilson. While the introductions to the shorts are 'hokey', good factual historical information regarding the Stooges is often given.

This is the case with 'Hold That Lion.' I found this short to be 'average,' but knowing that Curly makes a cameo, I watch it every time I know it will be shown.

About 1/2 way through the short, Moe, Larry, and Shemp are walking down the center isle of a moving train searching for a man in disguise. They happen on a sleeping man with his Derby over his face. To check to see if he is the villain, the boys stop, lift the hat and we find Curly, thin faced, full head of hair, NO BEARD, and a clothes pin on his nose! One of the boys remove the clothes pin only to cause Curly to begin snoring loudly. In classic Curly fashion - He does the typical loud, deep 'SNOGGGGGG' on the inhale, but on the exhale he lets out a 'W00 WOO WOO R'ARF R'ARF R'ARF' and takes another deep breath with a 'SNOGGGGGGGG'

After two or three cycles, Moe says 'This guy must be some kind of Spaniel,' and Shemp says 'More like a Cocker Spaniel!' They replace the clothes pin, Curly's Derby and continue down the isle....

I watch this short EVERY TIME I see it now, and I find it somber. Curly has just suffered a massive stroke. He can barely walk, thus the appearance sitting and sleeping, and his snoring as described above is only with 1/2 the energy. Curly looks human.....and his two brothers (Moe and Shemp) are on screen with him to make light of the situation. This is classic Stooges. Curly would die one short year later...

As I said: A piece of history...