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False Alarms

  • 1936
  • 18m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
752
YOUR RATING
Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, and The Three Stooges in Hoi Polloi (1935)
SlapstickComedyShort

Three inept firemen try to avoid being fired by their increasingly exasperated chief.Three inept firemen try to avoid being fired by their increasingly exasperated chief.Three inept firemen try to avoid being fired by their increasingly exasperated chief.

  • Director
    • Del Lord
  • Writer
    • John Grey
  • Stars
    • Moe Howard
    • Larry Fine
    • Curly Howard
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.4/10
    752
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Del Lord
    • Writer
      • John Grey
    • Stars
      • Moe Howard
      • Larry Fine
      • Curly Howard
    • 14User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos17

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    Top Cast15

    Edit
    Moe Howard
    Moe Howard
    • Moe
    • (as Moe)
    Larry Fine
    Larry Fine
    • Larry
    • (as Larry)
    Curly Howard
    Curly Howard
    • Curly
    • (as Curly)
    Beatrice Blinn
    Beatrice Blinn
    • Mimi
    • (uncredited)
    Stanley Blystone
    Stanley Blystone
    • Fire Captain Ashe
    • (uncredited)
    Beatrice Curtis
    • Maisie
    • (uncredited)
    Charles Dorety
    Charles Dorety
    • Mechanic
    • (uncredited)
    June Gittelson
    June Gittelson
    • Minnie
    • (uncredited)
    George Gray
    George Gray
    • Pedestrian
    • (uncredited)
    John Grey
    • Fireman
    • (uncredited)
    Sol Horwitz
    • Pedestrian
    • (uncredited)
    Eddie Laughton
    • Helpful Pedestrian
    • (uncredited)
    Charles Phillips
    • Pedestrian
    • (uncredited)
    Elaine Waters
    • Pedestrian
    • (uncredited)
    Bert Young
    • Car Delivery Man
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Del Lord
    • Writer
      • John Grey
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews14

    7.4752
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    Featured reviews

    9ccthemovieman-1

    Minnie: 'You Know I Grow On People.' Curly: 'Yeah, So Do Warts!'

    This is one of those "classic" Three Stooges shorts that is funny no matter how many times you view it. You get some good sight gags, a few hilarious lines of dialog, a Keystone Kops-type wild ride in the city and the usual assortment of Stooge jokes and slapstick.

    The boys are pretty new at being firemen but, of course, they are pathetic and are "fired" for sleeping on the job (among other sins, such as never helping to put out a fire). They plead with the chief, played by Stanley Blystone, to give them one more chance.

    The ironic part of the story is that there never is a fire to be put out, only at the very end when the boys drive away in a big truck with the contents on fire in the back! Unfortunately, the contents happen to be the chief's brand-new car.

    Much of the story centers around Curly trying to find a "fella" for fat girl "Minnie" who is one of three girls at a birthday party the Stooges were invited to, but only Curly could attend. (Why that was, you'll have to watch).

    June Gittlelson, who plays the big woman, is very good. Every man she runs into, she asks, "Will you be my fella?" To Curly, she adds, "You know I grow on people." Curly answers, "Yeah, so do warts!"

    Minnie wants a man in the worst way, or she wants to go somewhere and eat. I suppose fat people will be insulted with movie. Near the end, she and Curly take turns slapping each other. It's wonderful stuff you'd never see today! The goofy antics at the fire hall, at the birthday party with the women and the mayhem in the streets all make this a very entertaining Stooges film .
    8movifan1785

    funny firefighter short

    In this short the stooges are firefighters that always get into trouble and are never on time when the alarm rings. There are some funny moments in here like when Moe locks himself and Larry in a room so they won't leave work early and go to a house where Curly and some girls are and Moe drops the key down the sink and there trying to get it, also Curly says some good stuff ex: woman: Curly sit down take a load off your feet. Curly: its not my feet that hurt. A funny short.
    10Movie Nuttball

    Great Three Stooges short!

    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!

    This is a very funny Three Stooges short. Its extremely hilarious. Curly is so different in this one. Stanley Blystone is very good in this one and his fire chief character is a good one. The scenes with Curly and the women is very funny. There is another fire fighter Three Stooges short called Flat Foot Stooges which it is pretty good. I recommend this one!
    10tcchelsey

    STOOGES AND FIRE DON'T MIX.

    Sleeping on the job, aye? Moe, Larry and Curly manage to get jobs as firemen, but they're lazy. Then again, between fires there's not much to do, right? Their boss, Captain Ashe(?), played by rough & tough Stanley Blystone, gives them one more chance -- and you know what means. TOTAL CHAOS. I agree with the last reviewer, this is a take-off on many other films and cartoons that make firemen look bad (really bad), or with hose malfunctions, which is common in real life. The Stooges take it to the next level.

    A terrific comedy that also finds Curly with a gal pal, Maisie (played by Beatrice Curtis). Never mind the fires, Maisie wants Curly to find her "plump" pal Minnie (June Gittelson) a date? That's where Moe and Larry come in? Gittelson was a staple in the Stooge comedies, always trying to latch onto a guy, any guy. She was best paired with Curly, for obvious reasons.

    Director Del Lord keeps this rolling, and that's the secret, non-stop action, including the Stooges wrecking the captain's new car. Surprisingly, the film must have had a higher budget to be able to wreck a new car, or at least a car that looked new? By the way if you're thinking Our Gang/Little Rascals, you are right. The kids also played goofy firemen (HOOK AND LADDER, 1932) and may have inspired this film.

    Always on Columbia dvd, generally released by decades, 30s, 40s, 50s episodes or theme boxes. Thanks always to METV for running these oldies every Saturday, making our weekend.
    5planktonrules

    Plenty of violence, but the plot is just okay

    Once again the Stooges are firemen. While this isn't the first time they've been in these roles, this isn't one of the best due to a plot and jokes that just don't seem to have a lot of energy or zip. Fortunately, while this is a problem, the mindless violence that many enjoy in their films is present--with some of the most painful-looking gags I've seen. Larry really has a tough time of it and I don't know how they did the one scene with Moe holding him by the hair as he dangled on the fire pole--could this have been real? Also, although it may offend some, I liked where Curly and the lady at the end of the film slap each other around--especially since in the 1930s you almost never saw a guy slap a lady--unless he's a Stooge! Overall, it's an amiable time-passer and not a lot more. Fans of the team will no doubt love it, while others will probably find it all a tad tiresome.

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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

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The Captain's new car is a 1936 Ford 5-window Coupe.
    • Goofs
      When Moe is helping Minnie out of the car trunk, she accidentally kicks the actress behind her in the jaw. Looking closely at that actress's face, she can be seen to hold back a grin.
    • Quotes

      Moe: Is there any gas in the tank?

      Larry: The arrow's half-way. I don't know if it's half empty or half full!

    • Connections
      Referenced in Rental Reviews: The Three Stooges: A Retrospective (2019)

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 16, 1936 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • YouTube - Video
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • フォールス・アラーム
    • Production company
      • Columbia Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 18m
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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