Termites of 1938

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.

A rich lady is desperate to hire an escort for a party. Her maid mistakenly calls pest exterminators Larry, Curly, and Moe. The boys arrive expecting to do some exterminating but the misunderstanding continues. There is some good Stooges fun. I expected more with the food. Spraying the water is fun once but it gets repetitive twice. The rug is a fun bit and so is sawing open the cello. This is good solid Stooges fun.

Curses are pest exterminators, who are mistakenly hired by a rich lady who seeks an escort to a posh party in society. The trees have destroyed the elegant palace where the party is being held and confuse the guest of honor, the English lord.

References to Disney's "Wynken, Blynken and Nod". Three babies sail away in a Dutch wooden shoe and fish for starfish (yellow Juden stars). The French Maginot Line - ends in Holland and Switzerland - imagine that. "The Pied Piper of Hamlen" Robert Browning:

"Come in! - the Mayor cried, looking bigger: And in did come the strangest figure!

His queer long coat from heel to head Was half of yellow and half of red; And he himself was tall and thin, With sharp blue eyes, each like a pin, And light loose hair, yet swarthy skin, No tuft on cheek nor beard on chin, But lips where smiles went out and in - There was no guessing his kith and kin!

And nobody could enough admire The tall man and his quaint attire: Quoth one: It's as my great-grandsire, Starting up at the Trump of Doom's tone, Had walked this way from his painted tombstone!"

Curly proposes this as a descriptor of Chancellor Adolf Hitler. A huge strategic faux pas on the European chessboard.

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.