PUNCH DRUNKS

(director: Lou Breslow; screenwriters: Jack Cluett/Larry Fine; cinematographer: Henry Freulich; editor: Robert Carlisle; cast: Curly Howard (Curly), Larry Fine (Larry), Moe Howard (Moe), Dorothy Granger (Girl), Al Hill (Killer Kilduff), Casey Columbo (Mr. McGurn ); Runtime: 17; MPAA Rating: NR; producer: Jules White; Columbia; 1934)
“It’s trademark Three Stooges’ slapstick, that should appeal to their fans.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

The Three Stooges’ second short for Columbia is directed by Lou Breslow (“Officer, Save My Child”/”Fancy Curves”/”Over the Fence”). Not too much is going on in this primitive physical comedy but a few pratfalls.

Moe Howard is a down-on-his-luck fight manager, whose fighters keep losing. While Moe is eating in a restaurant with his boxing stable, Curly Howard is his waiter. Larry Fine is a violinist playing for some food. When he plays “Pop Goes the Weasel,” Curly gets agitated and goes into a fit. After dancing around and whooping it up, Curly knocks out everyone in the restaurant and gets hired by Moe as a boxer. For every fight Larry sits ringside and plays on his violin “Pop Goes the Weasel,” as Curly wins every fight as he goes ape when the tune is played. The climax has Curly fighting Killer Kilduff for the championship, as trouble ensues when Larry’s violin is accidentally busted when Curly falls on his lap. Larry then rushes out to the street and steals the mayor’s campaign truck blaring the magical tune from its speakers and gets to the arena in the nick of time so Curly can hear the tune to get off the mat to win the fight.

It’s trademark Three Stooges’ slapstick, that should appeal to their fans.

REVIEWED ON 9/10/2008 GRADE: C+