Saved by the Belle

Film comics throughout the ages have used the destructive power of dynamite, which has the potential to kill scores of people, as a prop for their visual jokes. The Three Stooges proved such explosives can elicit belly-laughs by the caseloads. In two straight 1939 films, the three displayed such a dexterity in handling dynamite that once their viewers saw the sticks with the word on them they expected the jokes to be flying fast and furious.

The Stooges used dynamite to great effect in June 1939's "Saved by the Belle." In this last directed Stooges short of Charlie Chase's, who died the following year of a heart attack at 47, the three are traveling salesmen in the fictional South American country of Valeska. Accused of plotting to kill the country's leader, the Stooges escape prison thanks to revolutionary member Señorita Rita (Carman Laroux). They take a rolled up map (they think) of the government's military positions to the revolutionary leader, only to present a calendar instead. Escorted to a wall where they think they're about to have their picture taken, Curly says to Moe, "I'm gonna send one home to Elaine," who in real life was his wife Elaine Ackerman. They finally realized an execution squad was about to fire upon them. The Stooges commandeer an ammunition truck before Curly casually flings a match he used to light a cigarette into a crate of dynamite, igniting a fuse. After chomping on some grenades, whom Curly thinks are pineapples, the dynamite explodes, sending the three onto a swayed-back horse, galloping away.

"Saved by the Belle" featured Mexican actress Carmen Laroux. The highpoint in her screen acting career which began in 1927 in silent movies was appearing alongside John Wayne in 1935's low-budget 'The Desert Trail.' This was her second-to-last film before she appeared as the maid in Orson Welles' 1941 "Citizen Kane." She committed suicide on August 1942 at 32 by swallowing ant poison.

Saved by the Belle (1939)

** (out of 4)

Lesser Three Stooges short has the boys in the town of Valeska trying to sell clothes to people who don't want them. Soon they find themselves in the middle of a war but thankfully for them the town is prone to earthquakes. This short starts off pretty flat and never really picks up as we get one lazy joke after another and none of them contain any major laughs. The only bright spot in the short is when the boys are locked up in prison and they're given weapons to escape but of course they're too dumb to do much good with them. Other jokes that don't work include a strange looking horse, a murder attempt on the boys and the side plot of the earthquakes. The earthquake effects are poorly done but they're nearly so bad that they have a bizarre charm to them. I'm sure fans of the boys will want to check this out just so they can see everything they've done but don't expect any laughs.

For those of you younger cinema fans don't think for one moment that this Three Stooges short Saved By The Belle has anything to do with a school named Bayside out in California. This film takes place in some unnamed South American country where our three intrepid heroes are salesmen trying to sell winter apparel in the tropics. The country also is on a shifting tectonic plate where sudden earthquakes seem to happen at the strangest and most opportune times for The Three Stooges.

Their antics manage to aggravate hotel owner LeRoy Mason when they can't pay their bill. Of course the company that gave them this territory won't provide them transportation back until they get rid of their winter stock. But they manage to endear themselves to South American siren Carmen Leroux who is involved in the revolution that's brewing. She gives them a mission, like is this woman out of her mind?

Western fans might recognize LeRoy Mason he was in many a western at this time usually as a bad guy, he was in several John Wayne films for Republic and Monogram. The short is directed by silent screen comedian Charley Chase and he brings the best out in Moe, Larry, and Curly.

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!

Saved by the Belle is fair Three Stooges short. LeRoy Mason, Carmen Laroux, and Vernon Dent are in this one. Laroux has some good and funny scenes with The Stooges. Mason plays some character! If you are a Three Stooges fan then watch Saved by the Belle for some good performances!

Somehow, someway the Stooges wind up in a small town called Valeska in tropical, steamy South America, selling winter coats??? That alone to make you laugh out loud. I agree with the last reviewer, lots of wild stuff is crammed into this 17 minute short, which could have been a movie. That's the way it goes.

It doesn't take too long for the guys to be suspected of trying to kill the leader, first getting thrown into the jug, and then facing a firing squad! Their ace in the hole happens to be lovely Senorita Rita (played by Carmen Laroux), a revolutionary who has plans of her own, managing to get them out of trouble and then back in. All along its insane, and toss in an occasional earthquake(?), because the place is prone to shakers. Why not?

The dialogue and one liners by Elwood Ullman and Searle Kramer is classic 101, again Curly the champ scene stealer. Director Charley Chase has some of his best moments with the firing squad bits. Real funny schtick by one and all. Vernon Dent returns, always a standout, also western heavy LeRoy Mason playing Singapore Joe. Love that name. Gino Corrado, who reminded me of Billy Gilbert, plays the general. Who else?

Camen Laroux, who appeared in many B films and westerns, has an excellent role here, possibly her best, her career ending in a few short years. Her health declined and she took her own life. Carmen's final film appearance was in CITIZEN KANE.

Series episode Number 40.

Always on Columbia dvd, released via decades, 30s, 40s and 50s episodes. Thanks always to METV for running these oldies Saturdays, making our weekends.