Malice in the Palace

One of the better written and directed shorts with Shemp. Actually, the Shemp shorts up to about 1952 are pretty consistent as to quality. It's been written that a version with Curly was filmed, or planned. This makes sense, as it would free up Moe, Larry, and Shemp to react as a trio to Curly, who plays the A-type personality in charge of fixin's. It seems that all that remains is a single lobby card photo with a mustached Curly in a chef's costume. One source says that a complete Curly version exists alongside the Shemp version, but has never been shown. I am mystified that there isn't more interest in the alternate version. I hope to contact Columbia pictures and request it, as it appears that the original shorts will finally be released on DVD. Thanks!

Most aficionados of The Three Stooges consider Malice In The Palce to be their best short with Shemp. It certainly provides all of them with good moments.

The boys start out as waiters here in a restaurant somewhere in North Africa and a couple of rough customers come in for service which they get Stooge style. A rather lengthy bit with all the others including Moe and Shemp think Larry is cutting up cats and dogs for the dishes served at the establishment.

But the two villains decide that since a curse is on the famous lost diamond of King Rootin Tootin is said to strike the first who lay eyes on it, these guys are definitely expendable members of the human race. The Stooge mission is to retrieve that diamond and if one of them spots it first, no loss.

Of course there is a providence in heaven for women, small children and a Stooge. Check that last routine where the three of them come disguised in Santa Claus suits to fool the bad guys holding the Rootin Tootin diamond.

It's quite a rock and quite a Stooge delight.

There are some pretty funny gags in this Three Stooges comedy, and they generally make good use of a deliberately far-fetched, silly setup. It has a couple of slow stretches, but the high points easily make up for them. Most of it relies on standard Stooge gag ideas, with a couple of gags borrowed from other sources and one or two new ideas thrown in.

It starts off with Moe, Larry, and Shemp as the staff of a restaurant in which Vernon Dent and two other heavies plot a diamond robbery. The first part of the movie takes place there, followed by a wacky sequence in which the Stooges attempt to recover the diamond.

The restaurant sequence combines some slapstick with an extended gag that uses a dog and a cat. This gag goes on too long, especially for an idea that was not entirely new, and it mostly ends up slowing things down (although there are other viewers who have found it entertaining). The last part is mostly physical comedy, most of which is done with good timing and an appropriate sense of the absurd.

Overall, it's too uneven to be considered among the best Stooges comedies, but the highlights certainly make it worth watching.

Larry, Moe, and Shemp are bumbling waiters in Cafe Casbahbah. Hassan Ben Sober and Ginna Rumma are customers. The two are thieves trying to steal the diamond from the tomb of King Rootintootin. There is a curse on the jewel and they try to trick the Stooges to do the dirty work. Before that happens, they get a note that Emir of Shmow has already grab the diamond. The boys figure to steal it back for the reward while dressed as Santa Claus.

Petting the hot dogs is pure comedic genius. I would be happier to have the whole short be the boys trying to serve the food to their customers. A more daring comedic attempt would have no plot. It's funnier to be about nothing. The other stuff is fine but the map scene is way too long. It's trying to show the hilarity of the countries in the map but it's not that funny. I want more of the hot dogs.

oddly enough,Curly Howard had a brief gag appearance as the head chef in the restaurant but while this seen was in theaters it got cut from all TV and video copies and may have been lost forever.I would love to see that scene as it was the only post Hold that Lion cameo Curly made since his May6,1946 stroke that forced his retirement.That cut scene was also never used in stock footage as train passenger scene was.All that survives is a poster showing Curly holding a rolling pin at Larry and Moe.Does this have to do with TV rights,copyrights and things that were signed after Curly's death in 1952? Other that that the short was one of Shemp,s best,hilarious,even colorized.IT WAS ALSO THE FIRST SHORT WITH THE BLOCK PRINTING OF THE THREE STOOGES IN THE BEGINNING SEQUENCE AS UP FROM 1945-1949 OTHER SHORT HAD THE three stooges IN SCRIPT WITH FIRST CURLY AND THEN SHEMP.