Wee Wee Monsieur | |
---|---|
Directed by | Del Lord |
Written by | Searle Kramer |
Produced by | Jules White |
Starring | Moe Howard Larry Fine Curly Howard Vernon Dent William Irving Bud Jamison Harry Semels John Lester Johnson Jean De Briac Alex Novinsky Eugene Borden Ethelreda Leopold Tanner The Lion |
Cinematography | André Barlatier |
Edited by | Charles Nelson |
Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 17:38 |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Wee Wee Monsieur 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 29th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.
Plot
The Stooges are artists (Moe is a sculptor, Larry is a music composer, and Curly is a painter) living in Paris. When the landlord (Harry Semels) comes for their overdue rent and calls the Parisian police on them by locking them up in the Bastille for not paying the rent, the boys skip out and wind up accidentally joining the French Foreign Legion that they confuse with the American Legion. Posted to the desert, their assignment is to guard Captain Gorgonzola (William Irving) from the natives. When the captain is kidnapped, the boys are given a chance to bring him back alive.
The Stooges make their way to the stronghold where the captain was taken, all disguised as Santa Claus (complete with a sleigh and a reindeer). Despite the disguise not working, they are able to quickly knock out a guard who confronts them and make their way inside. They find their captain held by an evil sheik named Tsimmis (Vernon Dent) who is trying to offer him expensive jewelry and a harem of beautiful women in exchange for the Legion's ammunition. The trio are forced to disguise themselves again as part of the harem and use an opportunity during a dance to render the sheik and his head bodyguard unconscious. The four then escape, but end up coming across a lion's den by accident. Before the lion can eat them, Curly is able to placate it into drawing them on a wagon back to their camp.
Cast
Credited
- Moe Howard as Moe
- Larry Fine as Larry
- Curly Howard as Curly
Uncredited
- Jean De Briac as Gendarme
- Eugene Borden as Enlistment Officer
- Vernon Dent as Tsimmis - Arab Chief
- William Irving as Captain Gorgonzola
- Bud Jamison as Sergeant
- John Lester Johnson as Harem Guard
- Ethelreda Leopold as Harem Girl from Brooklyn
- Ida May as Homely Harem Girl
- Alex Novinsky as Street Peddler
- John Rand as Man in Street
- Harry Semels as Landlord
- Victor Travers as Man walking by Legion HQ
- Tanner The Lion as Lion
- Bert Young as Palace Sentry
Quotes
- [Curly has just put his painting on the landlord]
- Moe: Come on.
- [He, Larry and Curly make their escape as the landlord is left spinning around.]
- Landlord: Police. Police. Police. Police.
- [A Gendarme in a barrel overhears the call of the landlord and runs over.]
- Landlord: Gendarme. Gendarme.
Production notes
Wee Wee Monsieur was filmed on November 12–17, 1937.[1] The film's title is a parody of "Oui, oui, Monsieur" (French for "Yes, sir").[2]
The lion at the end of the short is Tanner, the (at the time) mascot for Metro-Goldwyn Mayer. Tanner previously appeared in Movie Maniacs (2 years before this film was released).
References
- ↑ Pauley, Jim (2012). The Three Stooges Hollywood Filming Locations. Solana Beach, California: Santa Monica Press, LLC. p. 305. ISBN 9781595800701.
- ↑ Solomon, Jon (2002). The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion. Glendale, California: Comedy III Productions, Inc. p. 125. ISBN 0-9711868-0-4.
External links