The Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze

Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze, The (1963)

** (out of 4)

The Three Stooges (Moe, Larry, Joe DeRita) play servants to the great-grandson of Phileas Fogg. Fogg the third (Jay Sheffield) is taken by a con man who says he won't be able to make it around the world in eighty days so Fogg takes the bet with the Stooges going along for the ride. This was the fifth feature film for the Stooges after regaining their popularity and sadly it's really not a very memorable one. It goes without saying but the film is spoofing the Jules Verne classic but it seems like the writers just thought that the Stooges spoofing it would be funny enough and it's not. The film contains a few nice laughs but the thing falls well short when it comes to big laughs. One of the running gags has Curly Joe going crazy when he hears "Pop Goes the Weasel" and fans of the group will remember this is something the original Curly did to perfection in some of their earliest Columbia shorts. The comic bit is decent here but it never gets a major laugh and when you see it you can't help but think back to when Curly was doing it and doing it much better. Another gag early on has the boys inside some large trunks, which of course get bumped and tossed around. The joke here doesn't work because it's obvious the Stooges aren't in any trunks and its even more obvious that the camera is doing the "twirls" that we're seeing. One funny gag that does work has the boys in China when three psychiatrists are trying to "work them over" but instead they come out acting as dumb as crazy as the Stooges in their original shorts. This bit actually has some good laughs in it and there's even a nice joke about the eye poking that this group of Stooges wouldn't do any more. Moe, Larry and DeRita are all in fine form but it's clear that age slowed the boys down. I know many fans can love all stages of the Stooges but I'm still in belief that their greatest days were their earlier ones and these here just don't have that same power. This film here will probably appeal to younger viewers because it is very child-like but I think most adults will still prefer the earlier shorts where the Stooges were at their prime.

It's now the 60s and Phileas Fogg III great grandson of the original Fogg of Jules Verne's famous story makes a similar bet with a couple of crooks who have just robbed the Bank of England and thrown suspicion on him. But instead of a Cantinflas like man Friday he has three house servants who accompany him. Guess who those servants are?

There's a twist to this bet. Jay Sheffield has to do it all without spending a dime or working for passage. No credit cards allowed. But as Moe says he's fortunate to be employing three of the biggest chiselers around. The Stooges are ingenious at finding ways to travel on the arm.

Like in the book and the Mike Todd extravaganza the super punctual Phileas Fogg finds some romance in India and in this case it's stranded Joan Freeman from Council Bluffs, Iowa.

My favorite bit is how the guys drive the Chinese Communists crazy by resisting brainwashing techniques. Quite simple, they're too stupid for them to have any effect. Shades of The Manchurian Candidate.

Another good piece is Curly Joe's attempts at Sumo wrestling. You have to see this one.

Stooge fans should approve.

Many hardcore Stooges fans look down on the latter-day Three Stooges, but "the Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze" is a fine film and a worthy addition to the Three Stooges canon. Shemp and the original Curly Joe aren't here, but this is Joe Derita's finest moment as a Stooge. The Stooges are in fine form, slapping and clobbering each other and falling into various misadventures(based loosely on the classic Jules Verne novel). You needn't worry about the romantic subplot drawing too much attention away from the boys - this film's sense of proportion is admirable. The Stooges resurrect a few of their old routines and throw in some new ones. The gentlemen playing the heels also turn in admirable comic performances. For my money, my favourite part of the movie is when the Three Stooges go to Red China. This part alone is worth the price of the movie. See for yourself. People who hate the Stooges won't be converted here, but the faithful will find much to rejoice in. Even in their latter days, they could still mug and thwock. Onesies or twosies? Nyuck, nyuck, nyuck. Greg Cameron, Surrey, B.C., Canada

While I'm not wildly enthusiastic about the Moe, Larry and Curly-Joe trio of the late 50s and 1960s--not to mention the softer approach the boys were taking during this time period--every now and then I find myself in the mood to watch a full-length Three Stooges feature, and this is the one I generally view the most.

This film spends a lot of time at the beginning setting up the plot and introducing us to all the main players of this story--in what I can assume is an effort on Norman Maurer's part to get us to care about these characters.

Of course--with seemingly any stooge feature of this period--a love story seemed to be requisite to help pad out the running time. As far as love interests go, Jay Sheffield is competent I would say. Not quite as cardboard or unlikable as some romantic leads I've seen in other movies and Joan Freeman is quite the looker.

But, the reason I think any of us are paying attention to this particular film is the stooges themselves and I would say they bring considerable "funny" to this feature. Most of it seems to occur during the second half of the film--although there is the good scene in the opening minutes where the "boys" are introduced and they have quite a time preparing Mr. Fogg's breakfast.

Stooge fans all over the world have no doubt been debating for years Joe Derita's "skills" in handling old Curly Howard material--most notably in this film, "Pop Goes the Weasel" and the "Maharajah" routine. I would say I think Derita did well in his handling of said material. While I'm not exactly crazy about "Curly-Joe", he could on occasion deliver a good one-liner or display some skill at slapstick--and let's be honest, anyone would have been a step up from Joe Besser.

Funniest moment in the movie has to be Curly-Joe's sumo wrestling rematch with Itchy-Kitchy.

7 stars

Hi I'm 13 years old. I'm a big fan of the Stooges! and the Three Stooges Go Around The World In A Daze is good and funny! Moe, Larry, Curly Joe, Are Going Around The World In Eighty Days It Is A good movie But I Like The Other 2 movies better! Of Them!! But It Is Still Good Though!!