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Sergei Eisenstein, a main contributor to Russian film from its earliest days, spent his last remaining years devoted to a trilogy on the life of Ivan IV Vasilyevich, Russia's first Tsar. Opening the projected three-part film series on the ruler was "Ivan the Terrible, Part One," released in December 1944. The second part was delayed until well after the head of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin, had died, while the third was partially filmed until Eisenstein's untimely death in February 1948 at age 50.

Eisenstein had laid down the foundation of the film montage, the collision of shots used to emphasize the emotions of dynamic oppositions on the screen in such classics as 1925's "Battleship Potemkin" and 1928's "October." In "Ivan the Terrible," scriptwriter and director Sergei was more interested in individuals who belonged to the forces, including Ivan, vying against the Russian institutions such as the all-powerful boyars and the Orthodox Church. Young Ivan, who inherited the position of the Grand Prince of Moscow in 1533, leading to the Tsar of Russia at 17, had to battle his way up to the throne. From the beginning he had ambitions to unite the vast territories throughout his country, running counter to those who opposed him. With grit and perseverance Ivan prevailed. Stalin admired the first part of Eisenstein's trilogy, allowing it to be shown in Russian theaters.

"Ivan the Terrible's" production was interrupted in the mid-1941 when Germany invaded Russia. The entire Moscow film industry relocated to Amma-Ata, the capital of Kazakhstan, to escape from the Nazis. Eisenstein's ambitious project didn't resume until April 1943, filming both Parts One and Two consecutively. The actors experienced some bizarre moments on the set, attributed to Eisenstein's crazy demands. Actress Serafima Birman, playing Euphrosinia, recalled actor Nikolay Cherkasov (Ivan, who also played the lead in Eisenstein's previous movie 1938 "Alexander Nevsky) had to wear a heavy cumbersome metal outfit. "He willingly stood in it on the edge of precipice, for take after take, in a temperature of sixty degrees centigrade," which was scalding hot, said Birman. Actress Lyudmila Tselikovskaya endured an entire night in a coffin, simply because Eisenstein demanded she stay in there. "Why did we do these things without protest?" Birman asked herself. "One reason is our deep professional respect for Eisenstein as an artist. But another case, and of equal importance, was a reflection of the war. Elsewhere in a country, people were fighting and being maimed for something they believed in, and perhaps the only way we could compensate for the privilege of our own safety was to fight a battle for what we regarded as serious and lasting art." Eisenstein's visuals in "Ivan the Terrible" carry the narrative. His use of symbols make viewing the two parts a symbolist's dream, with the ruler initially portrayed as a bird, then transforming into a predator in the second part. Cherkasov's jerky birdlike movements, more noticeable in the sequel, inspired director Peter Weller to have his 1987 "Robocop" flinch the same way. Shadows also predominate. Ivan is first draped in shadow with a globe of the world illuminated. Once the Tsar unites Russia, his shadow hovers over the globe. Critics claim "Ivan the Terrible" is the closest Eisenstein came to German Expressionism, and he focused on facial close-ups, such as seen in Carl Dreyer's 1928 "The Passion of Joan of Arc." Film critic Roger Ebert said, "Eisenstein had almost certainly seen it before he began filming in the early 1940s. Dreyer placed his heroine in a subservient position below a bench of fearsome judges, who along with onlookers are seen in frowning or angry close ups, at oblique angles, in stylized lighting," just as Sergei positions his characters throughout his film.

Eisenstein heavily researched the Tsar Ivan before embarking on his project. Stalin was a big fan of "Ivan the Terrible, Part One," but as Part Two turned towards a more repressive Tsar, Stalin, recognizing himself possessing similar traits as the ruler, forbade Eisenstein from releasing it. The director got word of Stalin's orders when he was filming Part Three, some portions in color.

"Ivan the Terrible" has been called "the most complex movie ever made" by film historians. Eisenstein's film has drawn some negative criticism, with authors Harry Medved and Randy Dreyfuss ranking it as one of cinema's most 'Overrated Art Film' in their 'Fifty Worst Films of All Time.' Even Roger Ebert, who listed it in his Great Movie series, cautions, "every serious movie lover should see it - once." Others loved it, including directors Akira Kurosawa and Eric Rohmer, listing it one of their favorites. Charlie Chaplin said it's "the greatest historic film that has ever been made." Film reviewer Matthew Dessem added the two-parter "is an unqualified masterpiece, a perfect union of form and function. Every scene, every shot, every frame presents a unified vision of humanity in which everyone is a jackal, an imbecile, or both." It's one of '1001 Movies You Should See Before You Die.'

September 1944's "Gents Without Cents" had an interesting gestation when a routine of theirs was cut from 1943's "Good Luck, Mr. Yates' with Claire Trevor. Their act, called the 'Niagara Falls' number, included dialogue of Moe and Larry saying, "slowly I turn...step by step...inch by inch..." Felix Adler took the excised clip from the film showing the Stooges on a stage and composed his script around the sketch. The comedy opens with the Stooges rehearsing their act when the tenants upstairs cause a racket. They march upstairs, only to find much to their surprise the female trio of Lindsay, Laverne & Betty perfecting their dancing act. The six eventually hook up, and audition for a talent agent. At this audition they make fun of the Axis leaders: Moe imitates Germany's Adolf Hitler, Curly Italy's Benito Mussolini, and Larry Japan's Hideki Tojo. A number of television stations have snipped out Larry's parody of the Japanese military leader because he uses his two fingers to spread his eyes wide.

The Stooges are hired to perform their schtick on the stage, which was the segment from 'Good Luck, Mr. Yates." The snippet producer/director Jules White was in possession of had the Niagara Falls routine. What is bizarre about the scene is Larry screws up his line after both state "Slowly I turn." While Moe is saying "step by step," Larry is heard skipping to "inch by inch." No explanation has ever been given why the mistake remained in "Cents for Gents," one of the deep mysteries in the Stooges canon.

The Three Stooges' 180 short films that Columbia Pictures produced are broken down into several categories. One such category was the movies they made during World War Two relating to the conflict. These parodies, classified as 'war films,' included November 1944's "No Dough Boys" The Stooges are hired as models for a magazine shoot where they're dressed up in Japanese Army uniforms.

During their lunch break Curly borrows a sight joke from Laurel in his movies with Oliver Hardy in 1937 "Way Out West" and 1938's "Block-Heads," where he used his hand to smoke a make-believe pipe. Going to a nearby diner for a quick bite, they find themselves fending off the restaurant owner's physical threats. In their escape they stumble upon a Nazi spy den, where they're treated like royalty.

The Stooges and their producers weren't exactly the most politically correct filmmakers during the war. The first word in the title, "No Dough Boys," refers to the Japanese-Americans loyalty oath the United States government subjected those confined in relocation camps to take. Confusion existed between two questions which many answered with 'no's.' Called the "no-no boys," they were moved to the more secure Tule Lake camp in California. The term 'Dough Boys' harkened back to the nickname U. S. Army World War One soldiers were called. In "No Dough Boys," the Stooges had the misfortune of a grand mix-up when they were instantly pegged as the enemy when a newspaper coincidentally ran a story of three Japanese soldiers who had survived a submarine sinking, and were believed to be roaming the area.

Actor Vernon Dent plays his usual Stooges' 'war movie' Nazi. His character Hugo realizes pretty quickly the three are not Japanese. He asks them to entertain three German female guests, including Celia Zweiback (Christine McIntyre). They immediately perform acrobatics stunts, a routine Moe, Larry and their then third member Shemp had performed on the vaudeville stage years earlier.