Dizzy Detectives

The Three Stooges short films traditionally were shown on television during the 60's and 70's on Saturday mornings aimed at children. As funny as the three comedians were, some parents felt they were too violent for their kids. The second Stooges' shorts released in early 1943 gave them plenty of ammunition to support their case.

In February 1943's "Dizzy Detectives," this Stooges classic shows decapitations, a knocked-out police commissioner, and a three-way brawl which everyone except Curly is clonked unconscious, and ends with a gorilla blown up. Directed by Jules White, who was known for his affinity with physical comedy, "Dizzy Detectives" is strangely front-ended by a four-minute clip from the Stooges' 1935 "Pardon My Scotch," where they're carpenters. The scene is the one Moe actually was sent to the hospital after falling off a table Curly had cut in half with a power saw, causing him to break several ribs. The sequence seamlessly segues to the three as police officers assigned to capture the "Ape Man" (Ray 'Crash' Corrigan, the stuntman who specialized in dressing in his own gorilla costumes.). The ape is causing havoc in the city, but is controlled by three thugs, one who wants to be commissioner of the police to rip off the city.

The violence grows as the Stooges stake out an antique store where the ape is known to frequent. In one scene Curly is lying on a sofa napping when he wakes up to discover a hat on one of his feet. Startled, he shoots at it, clipping one of his toes off. As an early teenager, Curly was cleaning a rifle when it accidentally discharged, hitting his ankle, an injury causing him to limp throughout his life. Curly also sits on a chair rocking back and forth, not knowing there's a cat beneath him with his tail waging. Curly rocks one too many times crushing the feline's tail, causing the cat to scream while sending the Stooge flailing in fright. Later, Curly finds himself stuck in a guillotine, and unknowingly pulls on a rope in an effort to free himself, only to find its blade falling upon his neck. Moe and Larry, emerging from their hideout in a trunk, see the head of a mannequin next to them the gorilla has knocked off, thinking it's Curly's head decapitated.