Three Missing Links

Three Missing Links
Directed by Jules White
Produced by Jules White
Written by Searle Kramer
Starring Moe Howard
Larry Fine
Curly Howard
James C. Morton
Monte Collins
Jane Hamilton
John Lester Johnson
Ray "Crash" Corrigan
Cinematography Henry Freulich
Edited by Charles Nelson
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date
  • July 29, 1938 (1938-07-29) (U.S.)
Running time
 18:04
Country United States
Language English

Three Missing Links is a 1938 film directed by Jules White and starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard). It is the 33rd short film released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 short films for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

Plot

The boys are janitors at Hollywood studio Super Terrific Productions. They are cleaning the office of B. O. Botswaddle (James C. Morton), who is reviewing a script for a new picture Jilted in the Jungle where the leading man will be a gorilla. After nearly destroying Botswaddle's office, Curly does his classic imitation of a "chicken with its head cut off" followed by other motions that cause Botswaddle to declare Curly to be the "dead image of the missing link" and sends the boys off to Africa to begin shooting.

While setting up camp, Curly buys some "love candy" from a cannibalistic medicine man (John Lester Johnson), in hopes of impressing leading lady Mirabel Mirabel (Jane Hamilton). Curly has problems driving the spikes into the ground, for the purposes of securing the tent, in which the spikes leap out if the ground repeatedly. Also, while the Stooges are sleeping, a lion comes to lick the feet of the stooges, licking them, until the lion roars, causing the frightened Stooges to flee with their tent. Problems arise when Curly (dressed as a gorilla) gets entangled with a real gorilla (Ray "Crash" Corrigan), who scares the film crew off the set. The gorilla then turns his attention to Curly, who, in trying to placate the beast, eats some of the love candy and falls in love with it. The gorilla, repulsed, dashes off with a lovestruck Curly in pursuit.

Production notes

Three Missing Links was filmed on April 7-12, 1938.[1] It is the fourth of sixteen Stooge shorts to use the word "three" in the title and the first entry directed by Columbia Pictures Short Subject head Jules White.[2]

The clip of the Stooges arguing in B. O. Botswaddle's office was featured prominently in the 1989 film Lethal Weapon 2.[3]

Quotes

  • Moe: "We're terrific!"
  • Larry: "We're colossal!"
  • Curly: "We're even mediocre!"

References

  1. ↑ threestooges.net
  2. ↑ Solomon, Jon (2002). The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion. Comedy III Productions, Inc. p. 135. ISBN 0-9711868-0-4.
  3. ↑ Wilmington, Michael (July 7, 1989). "Movie Review: A Lethal 'Weapon 2'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
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