Title: Guns a Poppin!
Studio: Columbia
Short Number: 179
Release Date: June 13, 1957
Running Time: 16:27
“This area’s fine for hunting.” “How do you know?” “I saw a sign outside that said ‘Fine For Hunting.’”
Short Take
Moe is on trial for assaulting Larry and Joe. Moe appeals to the judge (Vernon Dent), claiming he is a sick man who was instructed by his doctor to maintain peace and quiet. This peace is broken by Larry and Joe who are loudly rehearsing their “The Original Two-Man Quartet” routine to serenade Moe. Moe cracks and wraps Larry’s trombone slides around the quartet’s neck. Realizing Moe is in bad shape, Larry and Joe decide to take their ailing leader on a hunting trip to relieve his stress. Moe takes to the idea like ducks to bread, and the Stooges start packing.
No sooner do they arrive in an empty cabin when a hungry bear devours some eggs and potatoes while Moe has his back turned. His nerves double frayed, Moe asks Larry and Joe to pursue the bear. One thing leads to another, and the bear ends up behind the wheel of The Stooges’ car, driving away with it. Then, when Moe thinks he is at the end of his rope, The Boys get involved with a sheriff (Frank Sully) in hot pursuit of outlaw Mad Bill Hookup (Joe Palma).
Back in the courtroom, Moe ends his story by concluding that he must go back to bed for six additional months. The judge takes pity on the poor Stooge and finds him not guilty. Joe and Larry are disgusted by the ruling and are about to get theirs. But thanks to Larry’s tough skull, the ax is now broken and Moe begins to lose his nerves again.
| Directed by | Jules White |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Jules White |
| Written by | Elwood Ullman (story) Jack White (story and screenplay) |
| Starring | Moe Howard Larry Fine Joe Besser Vernon Dent Frank Sully Joe Palma |
| Cinematography | Henry Freulich |
| Edited by | Saul A. Goodkind |
Guns a Poppin! Trivia
- This is Joe Palma’s first Stooge appearance since substituting for Shemp the previous year
- The working title was Nerveless Wreck
- Larry plays the trombone in the Two-Man Quartet; we usually see Larry on the violin, guitar or piano
Production Notes
- Guns a Poppin! is a remake of 1945’s Idiots Deluxe, using a surprisingly minimal amount of stock footage from the original
- All new scenes were filmed on November 28, 1956
