Squareheads of the Round Table

In The Three Stooges March 1948's "Squareheads of the Round Table," this Edward Bernds written and directed comedy-the Stooges 106th in the Columbia Pictures series-has our three heroes as traveling troubadours who find themselves in the middle of the Black Prince's (Philip Van Sandt) efforts to marry Princess Elaine (Christine McIntyre), the daughter of King Arthur Pendragon (Vernon Dent). She's in love with a blacksmith, Cedric (Jock Mahoney), but the Black Prince is a confidant to the king and has the inside track, even though secretly he's planning to kill the king to gain the throne after the marriage.

"Squareheads of the Round Table" was Van Sandt's first Stooges movie. The prolific actor appeared in over 140 films from 1939 until his final one, the Stooges 1958's "Fifi Blows Her Top," released two months after his death. Van Sandt's most visible role was in Orson Welles' 1941 "Citizen Kane," where he played magazine editor Mr. Ralston. "Squareheads of the Round Table" was actually Shemp's third Stooges film after relieving the ailing Curly, and was shot in December 1946 but withheld until March 1948.

Director Bernds used the 'Bandit of Sherwood Forest's' interior castle to great effect in "Squareheads of the Round Table." In the castle's jail cell, the three use tools snuck inside a loaf of bread by the the Princess. The calamity of hitting each other with the tools while noisily banging away at the cell's bars was a favorite sketch used in a number of Stooges films. Another regular routine by the Stooges sees them chased throughout a corridor with several rooms where they and their pursuers enter and exit. In this case the Stooges are running from the Black Prince's soldiers, with rib-tickling results, in a sketch that never gets old.

This short is a different version of many of the episodes that feature Christine McIntyre; she is being forced to marry a man she hates while the man she loves is locked up in prison, and the Stooges come to her rescue. This episode contains the usually high laugh count of the Stooges with outstanding laughs in the scene in which they attempt to break out of prison. But the real classic scene here is one of the best scenes of all Stooge shorts. It is when Shemp thinks he is talking to McIntyre (covered up in bed) but is really talking to Vernon Dent, the man who plays her father. In one of the most hilarious things I've ever seen Shemp do, he makes a couple of jokes to "McIntyre" about her father and, while hysterically laughing, gives her a punch-line punch, as if she is one of the guys. Hilarious.

The Three Stooges has always been some of the many actors that I have loved. I love just about every one of the shorts that they have made. I love all six of the Stooges (Curly, Shemp, Moe, Larry, Joe, and Curly Joe)! All of the shorts are hilarious and also star many other great actors and actresses which a lot of them was in many of the shorts! In My opinion The Three Stooges is some of the greatest actors ever and is the all time funniest comedy team!

One of the most different Three Stooges shorts is Squareheads of the Round Table. In this short are Christine McIntyre, Philip Van Zandt, Jock Mahoney, Vernon Dent, Tiny Brauer, and Joe Palma. The acting by these actors are good especially by McIntyre. There are many funny scenes here that I think most Three Stooges fans will love! In My opinion this one of the most different Three Stooges shorts. I recommend this one!

Some years later this Three Stooges short subject was remade as Knutsy Knights with the same cast just about. I guess we can call this the director's cut. It's also rated a couple of notches higher than the remake.

Moe, Larry, and Shemp play a pair of wandering minstrels who befriend Jock Mahoney, a poor, but humble blacksmith in love with King Arthur's daughter the fair princess Elaine played by Christine McIntyre. She loves him, but it's that class thing.

Who does want to marry her is the evil Black Prince Vernon Dent who plans to usurp Arthur himself once he's in the family. Not that I'd look to Moe, Larry, and Shemp for aid and assistance, but they're the blacksmith and the princess have. And they do come through, kind of, sort of.

Some nice gags, especially that cake which seems to have the storage capacity of a TARDIS.

In Days of Old, when Knights were Bold and Suits were made of Iron. Larry, Moe, and Shemp are troubadours on their way to King Arthur's court. Knights are searching for Cedric the Blacksmith. He's in love with Princess Elaine but the King had promised her hand to The Black Prince. This is fine for a Shemp Stooges short. There is a fun corridor chase although the knights could do something funnier. Everything could be funnier but they just don't have Curly. This is perfectly fine.