An Ache in Every Stake

There are some classic sight gags in this Three Stooges flick, one of better ones the boys did, even though some of jokes were familiar, like the cooking scenes. Nonetheless, who can forget that long line of stairs up to the house where Curly and his mates try to bring a woman a big block of ice? The ice truck scenes, complete with big blocks and tongs to carry them, are really a look at ancient history, as that was the way people obtained ice for their homes.

Vernon Dent is the main "victim" in this Three Stooges a short. He's a poor guy whose just trying to celebrate his birthday but every time he tries to bring home the birthday cake for himself and party guests, the Stooges give him a face full of it.

The boys wind up catering his party - don't ask how - and we get more memorable scenes, such as Curly's having a sofa spring stuck to the seat of his pants.....and what happens every time he tries to dance, or Curly pretending he's a barber shaving a block of ice - and talking to it! It was funny material decades ago, and it's still funny.

Moe and Larry also contribute in their customary entertaining fashion, but this really highlight's Curly in his prime.

Just to correct one thing that was mentioned in a couple of the other reviews here. In this one, Vernon Dent is not a judge. He's merely a guy trying to get home with his birthday cake in one piece. The one where he's a judge is the remake made with Shemp where, as usual, Columbia spliced two stories in order to get one, "An Ache In Every Steak" with "A Plumbing We Will Go". With that said and done...this is without any doubt one of their very best comedies ever. It's right up there with "Men In Black" from 1934. The one thing I never hear though from other admirers of the boys is how their shorts never really seem dated or old fashioned. As much as I enjoy Abbott & Costello, they seem stuck in the 1940's and WWII. The Stooges are timeless because they hit the nerve in all of us and I've seen people who don't even understand English or some of the contemporary references laugh unceasingly at their antics. If that's not a testimonial to greatness, I don't know what is. Just watch this one and don't be drinking anything while doing so or it might come out your nose.

An Ache in Every Stake (1941)

*** (out of 4)

Nice short has The Three Stooges working as ice delivery men but they can't seem to get a block up a large flight of stairs so they must come up with a new plan. After finally reaches the top of the steps they end up filling in for a cook at a birthday part and sure enough everything goes wrong. This isn't a classic from the trio but I think there are enough laughs to make it worth viewing. As with many of their shorts, this one here isn't the most original thing out there as many elements were borrowed from Laurel and Hardy's THE MUSIC BOX but these elements are mainly kept to the first half. The impact isn't nearly as good as that film but I think we get some pretty good violence early on and especially the scenes with Curly's head stuck in a block of ice and Moe and Larry have to get it out. The cooking scenes aren't all that original either but the three really sell it and get some nice laughs.

This is the funniest stooge short, Moe, Larry and curly deliver ice to a woman then she is upset because she doesn't have a cake for her husband so the stooges bake a cake and also make a turkey. The funniest part is when curly shaves the ice and he's talking to it and everything its great.

This short begins hilariously, and builds to the riotous ending. It contains several well-known scenes, including the "ice-block down the stairs" piece, and Curly shaving the ice with great patter included. These stairs were also used in a wonderful Laurel and Hardy short involving a piano, and, as usual, Vernon Dent is hilarious as a pompous judge.