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{{Short description|1938 American short film by Del Lord}}
{{Infobox film
{{Infobox film
| name = Termites of 1938
| name = Termites of 1938
Line 5: Line 6:
| director = [[Del Lord]]
| director = [[Del Lord]]
| writer = [[Elwood Ullman]]
| writer = [[Elwood Ullman]]
| starring = [[Moe Howard]]<br>[[Larry Fine]]<br>[[Curly Howard]]<br>[[Bess Flowers]]<br>[[Bud Jamison]]<br>[[Dorothy Granger]]<br>[[Hattie McDaniel]]<br>[[John Ince (actor)|John Ince]]<br>[[Symona Boniface]]
| starring = [[Moe Howard]]<br>[[Larry Fine]]<br>[[Curly Howard]]<br>[[Bess Flowers]]<br>[[Bud Jamison]]<br>[[Dorothy Granger]]<br>[[Etta McDaniel]]<br>[[John Ince (actor)|John Ince]]<br>[[Symona Boniface]]
| cinematography = [[André Barlatier]] - ([[:fr:André Barlatier|French Wikipedia]])
| cinematography = [[André Barlatier]] - ([[:fr:André Barlatier|French Wikipedia]])
| editing = [[Art Seid]]
| editing = [[Art Seid]]
Line 11: Line 12:
| distributor = [[Columbia Pictures]]
| distributor = [[Columbia Pictures]]
| released = {{Film date|1938|01|07|U.S.}}
| released = {{Film date|1938|01|07|U.S.}}
| runtime = {{duration|m=16|s=33}}
| runtime = {{duration|m=16|s=40}}
| country = United States
| country = United States
| language = English
| language = English
Line 18: Line 19:


==Plot==
==Plot==
A high-society woman named Muriel harbors aspirations of attending an esteemed dinner gathering hosted by an acquaintance. However, her spouse, Arthur, elects to embark on a fishing expedition, leaving her to contend with the prospect of attending the event unaccompanied. Faced with this predicament, Muriel instructs her maid to enlist the services of the Acme Escort Service to procure suitable companions, purportedly of collegiate demeanor. Regrettably, an inadvertent miscue transpires, resulting in a communication with the Acme Exterminator Co., overseen by the Stooges.
A high-society woman named Muriel ([[Bess Flowers]]) wants to attend a swanky dinner party thrown by a friend of hers, but her husband, Arthur, decides instead to go on a fishing trip. Rather than showing up stag to the party, Muriel tells her housekeeper to call the Acme Escort Service to bring a few "college boy" escorts. However, the housekeeper accidentally calls the Acme Exterminator Co., run by the Stooges. The phone rings as the Stooges are testing unorthodox techniques for catching a mouse, including Curly playing a [[piccolo]] and Moe using a cannon; a mouse sets off the cannon and causing Moe being being shot into a wall. Moe, his ears still ringing from the cannon, answers and, unwittingly, the boys are hired to be Muriel's escorts to the party.


The Stooges, engrossed in the pursuit of innovative methods for rodent eradication, inadvertently accept the commission, ignorant of its true nature. Clad in formal attire, they arrive at the opulent abode amidst a gathering of distinguished guests, laboring under the misconception that their role is to cleanse the premises of vermin. However, upon being apprised of the commencement of the repast, the Stooges, accustomed to the hospitality afforded at such affairs, hasten to partake in the banquet, much to the consternation of the assembled company, who are aghast at their disregard for decorum.
At the mansion, the guests all arrive, and not long afterwards the Stooges show up in tuxedos in a dilapidated automobile. The Stooges, convinced that they were hired to clear the house of pests, are about to get to work when they hear that dinner is served. Moe tells his pals that they "always feed ya at these high class joints", and the Stooges rush to the dining room to eat. The Stooges astonish the guests with their lack of proper dinner etiquette.


Following the meal, as musical accompaniment ensues, the Stooges, seizing an opportunity for performance, unwittingly disrupt the proceedings with their antics, culminating in a calamitous altercation involving a saw, leading to the release of rodents and ensuing chaos. Recognizing the exigency of their task, the Stooges undertake earnest efforts to fulfill their perceived duty, albeit with calamitous consequences, inadvertently causing structural damage to the domicile and inadvertently injuring Muriel.
After dinner, the guests enter the main hall where a small group of musicians are playing. The Stooges then take over and begin to perform while actually syncing to music playing from a nearby [[Victrola]]. The Stooges continue their mock performance until Moe accidentally grabs a saw and cuts the bass in half. Several mice inside begin to scurry about, causing the guests to run away, and the boys decide then and there to get to work. The boys make a shambles of the house.


Upon Arthur's return, wielding a gopher bomb, he confronts the chaos unfolding before him. As the Stooges hastily attempt to flee in their automobile, Arthur's decisive action leads to the gopher bomb finding its way into their vehicle just as they step inside, precipitating a chaotic and disordered dispersal of the Stooges.
Larry and Curly drill holes into the wall and spray for termites, not realizing they are actually drilling into the next room. After having no luck finding termites, Larry and Curly try one more time, only to accidentally hit Muriel with the tip of the drill. She screams and jumps, causing her to break through the stairs. It is at this point that Arthur, the owner of the house, arrives home to find Muriel stuck halfway out of the stairs. He finds the Stooges, and chases them out of the mansion, wielding a Gopher Bomb. The boys run to their car and make an escape, but Arthur throws the bomb into the car, causing it to explode and scatter the Stooges all over the street.

==Cast==
===Credited===
*[[Moe Howard]] as Moe
*[[Larry Fine]] as Larry
*[[Curly Howard]] as Curly

===Uncredited===
*[[Bess Flowers]] as Muriel Van Twitchell
*[[Etta McDaniel]] as Mandy - The Maid
*[[Bud Jamison]] as Lord Wafflebottom
*[[John Ince (actor)|John Ince]] as Clayhammer
*[[Edward Peil Sr.]] as 2nd Butler
*[[Jules Cowles]] as 3rd Butler
*[[Dorothy Granger]] as Mabel Sturgeon
*[[Symona Boniface]] as Party Guest
*[[Carlton Griffin]] as Party Guest
*[[Delos Jewkes]] as Party Guest
*[[Kay Valon]] as Tall Blonde Guest
*[[Lew Davis]] as Party Guest
*[[Helen Davis]] as Party Guest
*[[Beatrice Blinn]] as Party Guest
*[[Helen Godwin]] as Party Guest
Note: [[IMDB]] lists [[Richard Fiske]] as Arthur Van Twitchell, but it is not Fisk, the role is played by an unidentified actor.


==Production notes==
==Production notes==
''Termites of 1938'' was filmed on October 19–23, 1937.<ref name=pauley>{{cite book | last = Pauley | first = Jim | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = The Three Stooges Hollywood Filming Locations | publisher = Santa Monica Press, LLC | year = 2012 | location = [[Solana Beach, California]] | pages = 253 | url = http://www.santamonicapress.com/index.php?page_name=threestooges&page_type=book&show=desc&hide0=excerpt&hide1=author&hide2=reviews&hide5=number5 | doi = | id = | isbn = 9781595800701}}</ref> The film's title is a parody of the film title ''[[Gold Diggers of 1937]]''.<ref name=solo>{{cite book | last = Solomon | first = Jon | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion | publisher = Comedy III Productions, Inc | year = 2002 | location = [[Glendale, California]] | pages = 122–123 | url = https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Three-Stooges-Filmography-Companion/dp/0971186804/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201570359&sr=1-1 | doi = | id = | isbn = 0-9711868-0-4}}</ref> The film has two musical quirks unusual for Stooge shorts. First, the Three Stooges' opening theme, "[[Listen to the Mockingbird]]," is played again when the Stooges first appear onscreen.<ref name=solo/> Second, music derived from [[Victor Schertzinger]]'s score for the 1933 Columbia feature ''Cocktail Hour'' is featured during the dinner scene.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Finegan | first = Richard | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Notes on Stooge Film Music and Other Oddities | journal = The Three Stooges Journal | volume = | issue = 79 | pages = 4 | publisher = The Three Stooges Fan Club, Inc. | location = [[Lower Gwynedd Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania|Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania]] | date = Fall 1996 | url = http://threestooges.net/journal/view/96 | jstor = | issn = | doi = | id = | mr = | zbl = | jfm = | accessdate = 2014-01-03}}</ref> This is the result of producer Charley Chase, who liked incidental music from his time at the [[Hal Roach]] studio.<ref name=solo/>
''Termites of 1938'' was filmed on October 19–23, 1937.<ref name=pauley>{{cite book | last = Pauley | first = Jim | title = The Three Stooges Hollywood Filming Locations | publisher = Santa Monica Press, LLC | year = 2012 | location = [[Solana Beach, California]] | pages = 253 | url = http://www.santamonicapress.com/index.php?page_name=threestooges&page_type=book&show=desc&hide0=excerpt&hide1=author&hide2=reviews&hide5=number5 | isbn = 9781595800701}}</ref> The film's title is a parody of the film title ''[[Gold Diggers of 1937]]''.<ref name=solo>{{cite book | last = Solomon | first = Jon | title = The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion | publisher = Comedy III Productions, Inc | year = 2002 | location = [[Glendale, California]] | pages = 122–123 | isbn = 0-9711868-0-4}}</ref> The film has two musical quirks unusual for Stooge shorts. First, the Three Stooges' opening theme, "[[Listen to the Mockingbird]]," is played again when the Stooges first appear onscreen.<ref name=solo/> Second, music derived from [[Victor Schertzinger]]'s score for the 1933 Columbia feature ''Cocktail Hour'' is featured during the dinner scene.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Finegan | first = Richard | title = Notes on Stooge Film Music and Other Oddities | journal = The Three Stooges Journal | issue = 79 | pages = 4 | publisher = The Three Stooges Fan Club, Inc. | location = [[Lower Gwynedd Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania|Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania]] | date = Fall 1996 | url = http://threestooges.net/journal/view/96 | access-date = 2014-01-03}}</ref> This is the result of producer Charley Chase, who liked incidental music from his time at the [[Hal Roach]] studio.<ref name=solo/>


''Termites of 1938'' was remade in 1946 as ''[[Society Mugs]]'', starring [[Shemp Howard]] and [[Tom Kennedy (American actor)|Tom Kennedy]].<ref name=solo/>
''Termites of 1938'' was remade in 1946 as ''[[Society Mugs]]'', starring future Stooge [[Shemp Howard]] and [[Tom Kennedy (American actor)|Tom Kennedy]].<ref name=solo/>


==References==
==References==
Line 36: Line 61:
==External links==
==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0030842}}
* {{IMDb title|0030842}}
* {{Amg movie|143118}}


{{The Three Stooges}}
{{The Three Stooges}}
{{Stooges Filmography (1934–1946)}}

{{Authority control}}
[[Category:1938 films]]
[[Category:1938 films]]
[[Category:1930s comedy films]]
[[Category:1938 comedy films]]
⚫
[[Category:American films]]
[[Category:American black-and-white films]]
[[Category:American black-and-white films]]
⚫
[[Category:English-language films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Del Lord]]
[[Category:Films directed by Del Lord]]
[[Category:The Three Stooges films]]
[[Category:The Three Stooges films]]
[[Category:Columbia Pictures short films]]
[[Category:Columbia Pictures short films]]
[[Category:American comedy films]]
[[Category:American comedy films]]
⚫
[[Category:1930s English-language films]]
⚫
[[Category:1930s American films]]

Latest revision as of 07:22, 22 December 2024

Termites of 1938
Directed byDel Lord
Written byElwood Ullman
Produced byCharley Chase
Hugh McCollum
StarringMoe Howard
Larry Fine
Curly Howard
Bess Flowers
Bud Jamison
Dorothy Granger
Etta McDaniel
John Ince
Symona Boniface
CinematographyAndré Barlatier - (French Wikipedia)
Edited byArt Seid
Distributed byColumbia Pictures
Release date
  • January 7, 1938 (1938-01-07) (U.S.)
Running time
16:40
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Termites of 1938 is a 1938 short subject directed by Del Lord starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard). It is the 28th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

Plot

[edit]

A high-society woman named Muriel harbors aspirations of attending an esteemed dinner gathering hosted by an acquaintance. However, her spouse, Arthur, elects to embark on a fishing expedition, leaving her to contend with the prospect of attending the event unaccompanied. Faced with this predicament, Muriel instructs her maid to enlist the services of the Acme Escort Service to procure suitable companions, purportedly of collegiate demeanor. Regrettably, an inadvertent miscue transpires, resulting in a communication with the Acme Exterminator Co., overseen by the Stooges.

The Stooges, engrossed in the pursuit of innovative methods for rodent eradication, inadvertently accept the commission, ignorant of its true nature. Clad in formal attire, they arrive at the opulent abode amidst a gathering of distinguished guests, laboring under the misconception that their role is to cleanse the premises of vermin. However, upon being apprised of the commencement of the repast, the Stooges, accustomed to the hospitality afforded at such affairs, hasten to partake in the banquet, much to the consternation of the assembled company, who are aghast at their disregard for decorum.

Following the meal, as musical accompaniment ensues, the Stooges, seizing an opportunity for performance, unwittingly disrupt the proceedings with their antics, culminating in a calamitous altercation involving a saw, leading to the release of rodents and ensuing chaos. Recognizing the exigency of their task, the Stooges undertake earnest efforts to fulfill their perceived duty, albeit with calamitous consequences, inadvertently causing structural damage to the domicile and inadvertently injuring Muriel.

Upon Arthur's return, wielding a gopher bomb, he confronts the chaos unfolding before him. As the Stooges hastily attempt to flee in their automobile, Arthur's decisive action leads to the gopher bomb finding its way into their vehicle just as they step inside, precipitating a chaotic and disordered dispersal of the Stooges.

Cast

[edit]

Credited

[edit]

Uncredited

[edit]

Note: IMDB lists Richard Fiske as Arthur Van Twitchell, but it is not Fisk, the role is played by an unidentified actor.

Production notes

[edit]

Termites of 1938 was filmed on October 19–23, 1937.[1] The film's title is a parody of the film title Gold Diggers of 1937.[2] The film has two musical quirks unusual for Stooge shorts. First, the Three Stooges' opening theme, "Listen to the Mockingbird," is played again when the Stooges first appear onscreen.[2] Second, music derived from Victor Schertzinger's score for the 1933 Columbia feature Cocktail Hour is featured during the dinner scene.[3] This is the result of producer Charley Chase, who liked incidental music from his time at the Hal Roach studio.[2]

Termites of 1938 was remade in 1946 as Society Mugs, starring future Stooge Shemp Howard and Tom Kennedy.[2]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Pauley, Jim (2012). The Three Stooges Hollywood Filming Locations. Solana Beach, California: Santa Monica Press, LLC. p. 253. ISBN 9781595800701.
  2. ^ a b c d Solomon, Jon (2002). The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion. Glendale, California: Comedy III Productions, Inc. pp. 122–123. ISBN 0-9711868-0-4.
  3. ^ Finegan, Richard (Fall 1996). "Notes on Stooge Film Music and Other Oddities". The Three Stooges Journal (79). Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania: The Three Stooges Fan Club, Inc.: 4. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
[edit]
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