Goofs and Saddles

A large majority of The Three Stooges' films was set in contemporary times. But once in a while they traveled in the past to inject a bit of history into their short movies.

In July 1937 "Goofs and Saddles," only their second Western after 1935's "Horses' Collars," the Stooges find themselves as scouts for the United States Cavalry assigned by General Muster (Ted Lorch) to arrest a gang of cattle rustlers. Sporting long hair in the opening scenes, the kind Curly had before he was asked to shave it off for the screen, Moe as Wild Bill Hiccup (Hickok), Larry as Just Plain Bill (a popular radio show back in the 1930s), and Curly as Buffalo Billous (Buffalo Bill), use many disguises, including as movable bushes as they go undercover to get as close to the rustlers as they can in an open field. They also pose as gamblers to glean some information from the gang's leader, Longhorn Pete (Stanley Blystone).

"Goofs and Saddles" is known for having the least of amount of slapstick of all the Stooges' films. By one count, there's only eight face slaps and one eye poke. The unusual title is derived from General George Custer widow Elizabeth Custer's book about her husband, 'Boots and Saddles.' The film is famously known for Larry signaling to his two cohorts when they're playing a game of poker, exclaiming as he's overlooking Longhorn Pete's cards, "I've got four kinks in my back," referring to the rustler's four kings he's holding in his hand. This was also actor Joe Palma's film debut. Known as the "Fake Shemp" when he filled in for Shemp Howard when the regular Stooge suddenly died in 1955. Palma worked as a mortician at his parents' funeral home before journeying to Hollywood in 1937 to join Columbia Pictures as an extra and spot actor.

Yikes, that subject headline quote what Three Stooges are told in this old TTS short. Imagine, if that was real life; there would still be no life west of the Mississippi!

In this Old West short, the Stooges play "Buffalo Bilous" (Curly), "Wild Bill Hiccup" (Moe) and "Just Plain Bill" (that's Larry for you, always in the middle between the lovable Curly and mean Moe.) Their mission is to get every last cattle rustler and either kill him or bring him in. The rustling has to end! Giving them the orders is "General Muster." Yeah, the writers of the Stooges short films sure loved to be corny went it came to names of people, cities, businesses, you name it.

The main foes for the good-guy cowboys are a group led by "Longhorn Pete (Stanley Blystone) who is one, tough hombre and won't take any baloney from the Buffalo Bilous and his partners.

Some of the things in here classic Three Stooges and guaranteed to have you laughing out loud. A few of the gags I really liked were when the guys pretended to be big bushes, the p.s. on the note to Gen. Muster written by the guys,and about everything involving Curly, from a donkey chewing his butt, to his vest, to his reactions to people at the bar, on and on. He was a hoot, as usual.

One of their best shorts ever. The boys are spies called in to round up a team of cattle rustlers. There is one great gag after another in this really fast moving short. A card game with the boss of the rustlers is a particular highlight. A great short the shows how funny and often underrated the Stooges are!

The boys are part of the cavalry and find themselves sent off to put down some rustlers. Of course, they are considered and elite fighting force. They bumble their way along until they are in danger. Of course they seem to come out on top not matter what happens. There is a great battle scene at the end. Much more creative and imaginative than most of these.

If you're keeping score, yes, another one of Curly's GREATEST hits. Insanity on wheels.

Wild Bill Hiccup (Moe), Buffalo Billous (Curly) and Just Plain Bill (Larry) are hereby ordered by General Mustar (stone-face Theodore Lorch) to nab every dang cattle rustler they can get their hands on. Shoot and ask questions later!

The Three Bills (way, way out west!) eventually wind up at Longhorn Pete's (Stanley Blystone, of course) saloon. Where the action is! The place is full of no-account rustlers, but first lets have a crooked game of cards? Deuces WILD. A game you have to see. Thanks to Felix Adler's nuttier than nuttier script, Curly is the ultimate GOOF, with or without a saddle. And then there's the matter of a monkey?

The gang saddles up and chases Moe, Larry and Curly to a remote cabin, and it looks like curtains for them, although they have a secret weapon? -- a meat grinder that doubles as a machine gun! Another laugh out loud bit that makes this film a class comedy act.

Many familiar faces from B westerns; Sam Lufkin plays the colonel and Ethan Laidlaw plays the rustler boss. Ethan later moved to tv westerns, appearing in HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL. Look for silent screen comedian Snub Pollard as a baddie. Snub was also in tv westerns, like DEATH VALLEY DAYS, playing old timers.

Famous footnote. Joe Palma made his Stooge debut in this film. Joe later worked as a double for Shemp in the 50s, in scenes he did not complete following his death. That was him in the background shots, looking a lot like Shemp.

By the way, Larry's Just Plain Bill character was a nod to the famous radio soap opera of the same title.

Not to be missed if you're the ultimate Stooge-a-holic. Remastered on Columbia dvd, generally by decades, 30s, 40s and 50s episodes. Big thanks to METV for running these oldies Saturdays.