Disorder in the Court

Last updated
Disorder in the Court
Lobby36disordercourt.jpg
Directed by Preston Black
Written by Felix Adler
Produced by Jules White
Starring Moe Howard
Larry Fine
Curly Howard
Bud Jamison
Harry Semels
Suzanne Kaaren
James C. Morton
Edward LeSaint
Solomon Horwitz
Al Thompson
Eddie Laughton
CinematographyBenjamin H. Kline
Edited by William A. Lyon
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date
  • May 30, 1936 (1936-05-30)(U.S.)
Running time
16:37
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Disorder In The Court, full movie

Disorder in the Court is a 1936 short subject directed by Preston Black starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard). It is the 15th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

Contents

Plot

The Stooges harass defense attorney Bud Jamison in Disorder in the Court Disorder jamison.jpg
The Stooges harass defense attorney Bud Jamison in Disorder in the Court

The Stooges are key witnesses at a murder trial where their colleague, Gail Tempest, stands accused of murdering Kirk Robin. Despite being pivotal witnesses, the Stooges are initially absent, preoccupied with leisurely activities. Eventually, Curly takes the stand and recounts the events, ultimately offering a musical interlude with Larry on violin, Moe on harmonica, and Curly on both spoons and upright bass to illustrate the night of the crime.

However, the courtroom is thrown into chaos when Larry mistakenly identifies the court clerk's toupee as a tarantula, prompting Moe to discharge the guard's firearm. Amidst the confusion, Moe and Curly enact the purported murder, leading to the discovery of a parrot carrying a confession from the true culprit, Buck Wing.

With Tempest's innocence established, the proceedings conclude amidst a comedic mishap involving a ruptured fire hose.

Cast

Credited

Uncredited

Production notes

Disorder in the Court was filmed over six days on April 1–6, 1936. [1] The film title is a play on the stereotypical judge's cry, "Order in the court!" [2]

A colorized version of this film was released in 2006 as part of the DVD collection "Stooges on the Run."

The two Howard brothers' real life father Sol Horwitz, (the father of Moe, Curly, and Shemp Howard), makes an uncredited appearance as a member of the public audience. [2]

Disorder in the Court was the first Stooges short to give Curly Howard top billing over costars Larry Fine and Moe Howard. Disorder in the Court title 1936.jpg
Disorder in the Court was the first Stooges short to give Curly Howard top billing over costars Larry Fine and Moe Howard.

This is the first Stooges short in which Curly is spelled "C-U-R-L-Y" in the opening titles instead of the previous "C-U-R-L-E-Y." The title card also has the Stooges inverted reading from left to right, Curly-Larry-Moe, as opposed to Moe-Larry-Curly in previous shorts, effectively giving Curly "top billing." This change in the title card coincides with the refined and more familiar Columbia Pictures image of a torch-bearing woman, with a shimmering light instead of the primitive animation of light rays in the previous version. In addition, the "Columbia" theme now uses a more upbeat theme, featuring a brass introduction. [2]

Disorder in the Court is one of four Columbia Stooges shorts that fell into the public domain after the copyright lapsed in the 1960s, the other three being Malice in the Palace (1949), Sing a Song of Six Pants and Brideless Groom (both 1947). Consequently, these four shorts frequently appear on budget video compilations and streaming services. [2]

Gail Tempest (Suzanne Kaaren) dancing in the courtroom. Gail Tempest dancing.JPG
Gail Tempest (Suzanne Kaaren) dancing in the courtroom.

The presumed perpetrator is a dancer named Buck Wing, a reference to the buck-and-wing dance common in vaudeville and minstrel shows. [2]

The classic "swearing in" routine ("Take off your hat!"; "Raise your right hand"; "Judgy Wudgy") was borrowed nearly verbatim from Buster Keaton's 1931 film Sidewalks of New York , directed by Stooges producer Jules White. [2]

A shot of the trio performing in court was used by Hershey's in a 1980s advertising campaign. [3]

The short appears in the 2019 horror film 3 from Hell .

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Punch Drunks</i> 1934 film by Lou Breslow

Punch Drunks is a 1934 short subject directed by Lou Breslow starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. It is the second entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 short subjects for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shemp Howard</span> American comedian and actor (1895–1955)

Shemp Howard, was an American comedian and actor. He was called "Shemp" because "Sam" came out that way in his mother's thick Litvak accent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curly Howard</span> American comedian and actor (1903–1952)

Jerome Lester Horwitz, better known by his stage name Curly Howard, was an American comedian and actor. He was a member of the comedy team The Three Stooges, which also featured his elder brothers Moe and Shemp Howard, as well as actor Larry Fine. In early shorts, he was billed as Curley. Curly Howard was generally considered the most popular and recognizable of the Stooges.

<i>I Can Hardly Wait</i> 1943 film by Jules White

"I Can Hardly Wait" is a 1943 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. It is the 73rd entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

<i>Horses Collars</i> 1935 film by Clyde Bruckman

Horses' Collars is a 1935 short subject directed by Clyde Bruckman and starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges . It is the fifth entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 short films for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

<i>Grips, Grunts and Groans</i> 1937 American short film by Preston Black

Grips, Grunts and Groans is a 1937 short subject directed by Preston Black starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. It is the 20th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who appeared in 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

<i>Malice in the Palace</i> 1949 film by Jules White

Malice in the Palace is a 1949 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. It is the 117th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

<i>Sing a Song of Six Pants</i> 1947 film by Jules White

Sing a Song of Six Pants is a 1947 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. It is the 102nd entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

<i>Movie Maniacs</i> 1936 American short film by Del Lord

Movie Maniacs is a 1936 short subject directed by Del Lord starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. It is the 13th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

<i>A Pain in the Pullman</i> 1936 American short film by Preston Black

A Pain in the Pullman is a 1936 short subject directed by Preston Black starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. It is the 16th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

<i>False Alarms</i> (film) 1936 American short film by Del Lord

False Alarms is a 1936 short subject directed by Del Lord starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. It is the 17th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

<i>Three Missing Links</i> 1938 American short film by Jules White

Three Missing Links is a 1938 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. It is the 33rd entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who appearing in 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

<i>3 Dumb Clucks</i> 1937 film by Del Lord

3 Dumb Clucks is a 1937 short subject directed by Del Lord starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. It is the 22nd entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

<i>Sappy Bull Fighters</i> 1959 American short film by Jules White

Sappy Bull Fighters is a 1959 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. It is the 190th and final entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians between 1934 and 1959.

<i>A Gem of a Jam</i> 1943 film by Del Lord

A Gem of a Jam is a 1943 short subject directed by Del Lord starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. It is the 76th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

<i>Who Done It?</i> (1949 film) 1949 American short film by Edward Bernds

Who Done It? is a 1949 short subject directed by Edward Bernds starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. It is the 114th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

<i>Crash Goes the Hash</i> 1944 film by Jules White

Crash Goes the Hash is a 1944 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. It is the 77th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who appeared in 190 shorts at the studio between 1934 and 1959.

<i>Monkey Businessmen</i> 1946 film by Edward Bernds

Monkey Businessmen is a 1946 short subject directed by Edward Bernds starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. It is the 92nd entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

<i>Three Loan Wolves</i> 1946 film by Jules White

Three Loan Wolves is a 1946 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. It is the 93rd entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

<i>The Three Stooges</i> (2000 film) 2000 biopic about the Three Stooges

The Three Stooges is an American biographical comedy television film about the slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges directed by James Frawley. The film was entirely shot in Sydney, Australia. It was broadcast on ABC on April 24, 2000.

References

  1. ↑ "Disorder in the Court at threestooges.net". Archived from the original on 2016-04-23. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Solomon, Jon (2002). The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion. Comedy III Productions, Inc. p. 96. ISBN   0-9711868-0-4.
  3. ↑ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine : "1987 Hershey's Commercial (One of the All-Time Greats)". YouTube .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.