Hoi Polloi

"Hoi Polloi" could be regarded as the first classic film of the Three Stooges series. The Stooges play trash collectors who are selected by two professors to be the determining factor to a bet. One professor says that heredity determines social position; the other claims that environment makes gentlemen. The environment professor tries to make gentlemen out of the Stooges, and the usual chaos ensues!

"Hoi Polloi" delivers solid laughs and a good storyline. Helen Howard, Moe's wife, is now credited with giving the basic storyline to Felix Adler, who received credit for the story at the time the film was released.

This basic plot was reworked as "Half-Wit's Holiday," Curly's last starring Stooge film, in May 1946. Some elements of "Hoi Polloi" appeared in post-Curly Stooge films; most of the plot was remade with Joe Besser in the Stooge film "Pies and Guys" (1958); the spring gag was used by Joe DeRita in "Have Rocket Will Travel" (1959). These reworkings, while not as good as the 1935 original, reflect the quality of the story and the humor found in making gentlemen of stooges.

A total romp. 10 out of 10.