Three Missing Links

It's possible that Harry Cohn over at Columbia got wind of the fact that Hal Roach was planning to do an epic about prehistoric times that became One Million BC. So who better to do a spoof on that for a whole lot less money than his favorite comics, The Three Stooges.

After causing the usual amount of chaos and mayhem as janitors at a movie studio, Moe, Larry, and Curly are cast as two prehistoric men and a gorilla. Guess who has the gorilla look about him?

But that's a key part because as the gorilla you get to make love to Jane Hamilton, nicely and scantily clad in animal skins as befits a prehistoric sexpot.

For realism's sake they decide to shoot the thing in the real jungle as real as Hollywood back lot jungles got in those days. Of course when a real gorilla resents the invasion of his turf, the fun really starts.

A lot of the same gags, compacted into Three Missing Links can be found in the later Abbott&Costello feature film, Africa Screams. Best of course is seeing a real battle of wits between Curly and the gorilla.

I'd say they were evenly matched.

Absolute bananas, thanks to producer Jules White, who directed this mini classic and many more to come for good reason. White, like his brother Jack, wrote the book on Stooge comedy.

A Hollywood setting, Moe, Larry and Curly are janitors(?) at a movie studio called, Super Terrific Productions. Producer B. O. Botswaddle (James C. Morton, ofcourse) needs an actor to play a gorilla and Curly is chosen -- because he's just plain NUTS. Botswaddle claims he looks like the missing link? No arguement there. The guys head to Africa to film, "Jilted in the Jungle"(?) and its insane.

Best gag is Curly dressed as an ape confronting Naba, another gorilla (played by stuntman Ray "Crash" Corrigan) and the tribal witch doctor, Dr. Ba Loni Sulami (real life boxer John Lester Johnson). The doc gives him a "love portion" pill which is something like Viagra! Amazing

Lots of funny names; character actor Monte Collins plays Herbert Herrybone and Jane Hamilton plays Mirabel Mirabel. Searle Kramer's script is nuts, and enough material to have made this into a film. The Stooge possibilities were endless. Kramer later branched into tv and wrote for the FLYING NUN and GREEN ACRES.

Memorable line; "We're terrific! We're colossal! We're even mediocre!"

Always on remastered Columbia dvd, generally by decades, 30s, 40s and 50s episodes. Thanks much to METV for running these oldies Saturdays.

The Stooges go from totally-inept janitors to actors working for the "Super Terrific Productions" movie company, under the leadership of "B.O. Botswaddle." That occurs when the latter takes a good look at our guys and proclaims, "We've found our missing links."

They look just like the Neanderthals Botswaddle is looking for to shoot his next motion picture. The Stooges are too dumb to realize they've just been insulted. They are just happy to become actors.

The real fun happens when the film crew arrives in Africa. We get tons, literally, of gags signs to puns to outrageous physical stuff. (i.e. The Stooges see a sign on a hut that reads, "Dr. Ba Loni Sulami, Medicine Man, Hours 2-5 Or By Appointment.")

The best gags, IMO, come, when a real ape appears and gets confused with Curly the ape role. Both look identical and mayhem ensues and nobody knows if it's Curly or the real gorilla.

Jane Hamilton looked hot as the film-within-in-a-film female star "Mirabel Mirabel."

As far as the Three Stooges go, this one is a stand alone classic! All family members will enjoy this one. I highly recommend this 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 good Three Stooges short. Its funny and its cast includes Monte Collins, Jane Hamilton, Naba, John Lester Johnson, and James C. Morton! Very good acting by Johnson and Morton! The Stooges perform very good in this Three Stooges short! The lion and gorilla scenes are hilarious! I recommend this one to all Three Stooges fans!