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Income Tax Sappy

  • 1954
  • Approved
  • 17m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
416
YOUR RATING
Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Shemp Howard in Income Tax Sappy (1954)
SlapstickComedyShort

Tax cheats Moe, Larry, and Shemp decide they're so good at cheating the government, that they start a business as crooked tax advisors. They become rich, but an undercover agent from the IRS... Read allTax cheats Moe, Larry, and Shemp decide they're so good at cheating the government, that they start a business as crooked tax advisors. They become rich, but an undercover agent from the IRS gets the goods on them, and it's off to jail for the Stooges.Tax cheats Moe, Larry, and Shemp decide they're so good at cheating the government, that they start a business as crooked tax advisors. They become rich, but an undercover agent from the IRS gets the goods on them, and it's off to jail for the Stooges.

  • Director
    • Jules White
  • Writer
    • Felix Adler
  • Stars
    • Moe Howard
    • Larry Fine
    • Shemp Howard
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.0/10
    416
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Jules White
    • Writer
      • Felix Adler
    • Stars
      • Moe Howard
      • Larry Fine
      • Shemp Howard
    • 13User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos8

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    Top cast8

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    Moe Howard
    Moe Howard
    • Moe
    • (as Moe)
    Larry Fine
    Larry Fine
    • Larry
    • (as Larry)
    Shemp Howard
    Shemp Howard
    • Shemp
    • (as Shemp)
    Margie Liszt
    • Sis
    Benny Rubin
    Benny Rubin
    • Mr. Cash
    Nanette Bordeaux
    • Mrs. Cash
    Vernon Dent
    Vernon Dent
    • IRS Agent
    • (uncredited)
    Joe Palma
    • 2nd IRS Agent
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Jules White
    • Writer
      • Felix Adler
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews13

    7.0416
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    Featured reviews

    9Raine-8

    The Stooges in a lot of hot water...

    "Income Tax Sappy" is a gem of a short. Everybody's performance in this is as great as ever and almost all the gags are top notch. The premise: The stooges decide they can cheat on their income tax in ingenious ways and conclude that if they can do it, they can teach others to do it too. With this new "tax-cheating" establishment, the Stooges become rich culminating in a VERY fancy dinner party which their guest, Mr. Cash (played by the wonderful Benny Rubin) attends much to his eventual consternation (it is not wise to cut off your dinner guest's beloved beard). Among the funniest gags: Shemp doing the old "Human adding machine" bit, Moe tangling with a foot-long sandwich which suddenly develops a mind of its own and bites back, and all the Stooges' attempts to appease Mr. Cash (not to mention conceal the fact that they have given him a close shave) who finally reveals himself to be an undercover man from the IRS! If you love the Stooges, this short will leave you in stitches!
    4maxcellus46

    Fair to midland.

    First, it's sort of strange to me at least, that several previous reviewers consider this a classic "Shemp" short even though his actual screen time is minimal. Are they trying to say something? Regardless, this is one of those "late era" shorts that shows the beginning of the end for the Stooges. The basic premise for this short is fairly good but could have been so much funnier if given over to serious comedy writers and not someone who was way past his prime like Felix Adler. This guy was a good comedy and gag writer...twenty years earlier during the silents and early talkies. However, by this time he was a raging alcoholic and pretty much wrote jokes and gags for drinks, and it shows up here. The Stooges apparently have a "bare bones" script to work with so as is their tradition they make every attempt to beef it up. Maybe that's why Moe seems very irritable and grouchy in this one. He knows what's happening and doesn't like it but he has a contract that he's obliged to play out. Another thing is that Columbia by this time or maybe even earlier since at least the time of "Three Loan Wolves" or "Half Wits Holiday" with an obviously ailing Curly, just didn't care and told them to do it regardless of any health problems. Nice place to work, huh? Shemp was recovering from a mild stroke at this time but the "front office guys" apparently said something like,"Gee, we hope you get well but do this pic or else!" Hence why his screen time is limited and also sort of missing in key scenes with Moe and Larry. The Stooges should have had a better agent, contract or sharpie lawyer who would've looked out for their own interests a little bit better. This short can be missed.
    6bkoganbing

    Would You Hire Moe, Larry, And Shemp To Do Your Taxes?

    Anyone, and I mean anyone who hires the Three Stooges as tax experts deserves what they get. Not even H&R Block would hire Moe, Larry, and Shemp and they hire some winners there. Believe me, regretfully I know.

    It's tax time and the boys are doing their taxes and they think of some wild deductions. Larry opines that he should deduct $3000.00 for charity, after all charity does begin at home. Other such similar things occur and the boys get away with it. In fact they decide they're so good why not offer themselves as tax consultants. I'm not sure some real ones didn't start this way.

    But even in the days before computers inevitably people do get audited and the IRS sends out Benny Rubin as a potential customer for the Stooges. Rubin was a long time vaudeville, burlesque, and borscht belt comedian and he gives the guys a run for their money in the laugh department.

    Let's just say it all doesn't go well and that maybe taxes was not the lucrative employment opportunity as originally thought.

    Income Tax Sappy is a pretty good short subject for the boys and I stand by what I said in the title.
    crusefamily

    Only one short better than this one!

    The only Three Stooges short I like better than INCOME TAX SAPPY is HEAVENLY DAZE. INCOME TAX SAPPY is my second favorite of all Three Stooges shorts. The plot is funny and not all about income taxes. I love this short! The only part that I didn't like, which was kind of gross, as a scene where Larry has a zipper on his stomach. But otherwise a VERY enjoyable short. The funniest part is when the stooges run into the kitchen and throw a pie at the IRS agents.

    **** out of 4 stars.
    9csweetleaf2

    Absolute Classic

    This short is easily one of the best Shemp shorts of all time and surprisingly, this short was in 1954 when they're doing stock footage in most of the other shorts during this time and every actor turns in a splendid performance. The boys are trying to cheat on their taxes and Moe is really grouchy in this short, especially in the first half and there is alot of hilarious scenes such as when Shemp destroys Moe's prized possesion and Moe tells Shemp to give it back, Shemp does as he bonks Moe's head with it, very out of character for Shemp, then at the party scene the stooges have a nice home and they're serving food for the guests and Benny Rubin (the guy with the phony beard) does a great performance and he is one of the most underrated stooges actors in this short, I wish that he got to be in the Curly shorts and I love it when Moe accidentally cuts Benny Rubin's beard and acts nervously and tries to keep him from finding out that his beard is missing and it turns out, Benny Rubin is a undercover IRS agent and he arrests the stooges while the stooges try to flee but they accidentally sit on the hot oven while the get captured with their butts on fire, a classic short.

    Although Shemp doesn't get quite as much screen time due to a minor stroke in 1952, Moe and Larry gives a great performance (especially Moe) and the people who say that Goof on the Roof (the short before this) was their final classic, I think they're wrong, I think that this short was their final classic. 9/10

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    Related interests

    Leslie Nielsen in The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
    Slapstick
    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy
    Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)
    Short

    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      Shemp Howard did not slick back his long hair in this film. This was because he had begun dying his hair by this time and, initially, could not use pomade.
    • Goofs
      When Shemp is standing up after smashing a half of bowling ball over Moe's head, he accidentally hits his head on a nearby table lamp and almost tips it over.
    • Quotes

      Shemp: [after Moe had crunched Larry's nose with scissors] Looks like a V8!

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 4, 1954 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • YouTube - Video
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Tax Saps
    • Production company
      • Columbia Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 17m
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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