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Three Little Pigskins

  • 1934
  • Approved
  • 20m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
1.2K
YOUR RATING
Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Curly Howard in Three Little Pigskins (1934)
SlapstickComedyShortSport

The stooges are mistaken by a gangster for the "Three Horsemen of Boulder Dam", famous football players. Hired to play for his team, they blow the big game and get it in the end. Lucille Bal... Read allThe stooges are mistaken by a gangster for the "Three Horsemen of Boulder Dam", famous football players. Hired to play for his team, they blow the big game and get it in the end. Lucille Ball has a nice part as a gun moll.The stooges are mistaken by a gangster for the "Three Horsemen of Boulder Dam", famous football players. Hired to play for his team, they blow the big game and get it in the end. Lucille Ball has a nice part as a gun moll.

  • Director
    • Ray McCarey
  • Writers
    • Felix Adler
    • Griffin Jay
  • Stars
    • Moe Howard
    • Larry Fine
    • Curly Howard
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.4/10
    1.2K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Ray McCarey
    • Writers
      • Felix Adler
      • Griffin Jay
    • Stars
      • Moe Howard
      • Larry Fine
      • Curly Howard
    • 19User reviews
    • 4Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos15

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    Top cast21

    Edit
    Moe Howard
    Moe Howard
    • Moe
    • (as Moe)
    Larry Fine
    Larry Fine
    • Larry
    • (as Larry)
    Curly Howard
    Curly Howard
    • Curley
    • (as Curley)
    Lucille Ball
    Lucille Ball
    • Daisy Simms
    Gertie Green
    • Lulu Banks
    Phyllis Crane
    Phyllis Crane
    • Molly Gray
    Harry Bowen
    Harry Bowen
    • Man with honest work
    • (uncredited)
    Lynton Brent
    Lynton Brent
    • First Pedestrian
    • (uncredited)
    Bobby Burns
    Bobby Burns
    • Third Pedestrian
    • (uncredited)
    Charles Dorety
    Charles Dorety
    • Photographer
    • (uncredited)
    Milt Douglas
    • Henchman
    • (uncredited)
    Oscar 'Dutch' Hendrian
    • Referee
    • (uncredited)
    Alex Hirschfield
    • Moe Jr.
    • (uncredited)
    William Irving
    William Irving
    • Photographer
    • (uncredited)
    Johnny Kascier
    • Fourth Pedestrian
    • (uncredited)
    Joe Levine
    Joe Levine
    • Larry Jr.
    • (uncredited)
    Jack 'Tiny' Lipson
    • Referee
    • (uncredited)
    Walter Long
    Walter Long
    • Joe Stacks
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Ray McCarey
    • Writers
      • Felix Adler
      • Griffin Jay
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews19

    7.41.1K
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    Featured reviews

    Snow Leopard

    Some Very Funny Moments

    This is a Three Stooges short comedy that starts and ends a little slowly, but in between there are some hilarious moments. It starts when the three are pan-handling on a college campus, and get mistaken for the school's three star football players. They are then hired by a group of gangsters to play for a professional team, with predictable results. The funniest parts are in the middle of the film, when the Stooges are in the apartment where the gangsters and their girls (which include a very young Lucille Ball) hang out. "Three Little Pigskins" may not be one of the Stooges' best, but it's still pretty good.
    6revgen

    Not Bad. Not Great.

    Like the previous reviewer mentioned, this movie is not the best they ever made. Part of that is attributed to the injuries that occurred on the set. Larry lost a tooth when one of the bit players mistimed a punch. Curly broke his leg in one of the scenes. Even the stunt doubles sustained injuries. These injuries probably affected their ability to perform at their best.

    Nonetheless, I still think it's entertaining and funny.

    This short was filmed at the Los Angeles Gilmore Stadium with the Loyola University football team as extras. The name "Three Little Pigskins" was in reference to Walt Disneys popular cartoon short "Three Little Pigs."
    7tavm

    Three Little Pigskins was another funny Three Stooges outing from their early years

    What I'm now reviewing here is the fourth Three Stooges short made for Columbia Pictures in which Moe, Larry, and Curley (as it was originally spelled at the time) get mistaken for actual football players and get asked to play in a game. This is the first time the boys get involved in a "mistaken identity" plot and boy, whoever makes that blunder usually regrets it soon enough! Incidentally, additional interest for this short is provided by the fact that this is one of the earliest film appearances of one young woman named Lucille Ball. She, and a couple of other young ladies, seemed game in participating in some of the shenanigans with the boys which makes what they do to them a little fun to watch. My favorite scenes, though, involve seltzer water, a dumbwaiter (basically a hand-held elevator), and many of the dumb football plays involving the boys. Not as hilarious as the first three they did but Three Little Pigskins is funny enough to recommend to any Stooge fan that just can't get enough of Howard, Fine, and Howard.
    James L.

    Pretty funny

    Just a funny little Three Stooges short. The slapstick is rather good , it is pretty compact and well-done, a good chance for them to do their shtick. Lucille Ball appears, very pre-Lucy . Funny concept in which Moe, Larry, and Curly get mistaken for famous football players. I saw this right after the New Years proceedings a year ago.
    7ccthemovieman-1

    Has Its Moments (and famous guest star) But Overall Not Up To Expectations

    The big professional football game between the Cubs and the Tigers is coming up on the weekend and the Tigers' owner is just informed that his three best backs got plastered and rolled over in their car. Now he has to go out and find three players, fast. He's told about some great amateur backs - The Three Horsemen - at Boulder Dam College.

    Meanwhile, in the college town our boys are on the street panhandling and getting socked in the jaws for their efforts. However, they do get a job holding signs promoting the big college football in town, and they are dressed in football gear.

    You guessed it. The boys are mistaken for the Three Horsemen - by the men's girlfriends, no less - and are taken back up to their apartment. One of the girls, by the way, is Lucille Ball, but you wouldn't recognize her.

    The scenes in the apartment are far better than the football game which is only shown in the last three minutes and aren't much.

    Overall, okay but a little too dumb and not as good as expected out of the guys. However, it was still early (1934) in their careers and they were learning. It was interesting to find out how many people got injured filming this short.

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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
    Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill in Moneyball (2011)
    Sport

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Later in her career, when this short was brought up, Lucille Ball (apparently referring to the seltzer squirting scene) would remark, "The only thing I learned from The Three Stooges was how to duck!" noting, "I still got wet!"
    • Goofs
      When the stooges huddle, Moe is standing in the wide shot, on his knees in the close-up cut, and standing again in the next cut.
    • Quotes

      Molly Gray: I bet you're the best football player.

      Curley: I can't play football!

      Molly Gray: Oh, you heroes are all so modest.

      [Curley blushes]

      Molly Gray: What I really meant was, what's included in your curriculum?

      [Curley looks confused]

      Molly Gray: I mean, what do you study?

      Curley: Oh... music, songwriting, whatnots.

      Molly Gray: Songwriting?

      Curley: Yeah. You ever hear of "snow, snow, beautiful snow"?

      Molly Gray: Why, yes! Did you write that?

      Curley: No, I shoveled it!

    • Connections
      Edited into The Three Stooges: Volume XIII (1985)
    • Soundtracks
      Eastmoor College March
      (opening theme) (uncredited)

      Written by Louis Silvers

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 8, 1934 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • YouTube - Video
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Hyden Zeeke
    • Filming locations
      • 6315-6317 Yucca Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA(advertising sign scene)
    • Production company
      • Columbia Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 20m
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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