Men in Black (1934 film)
| Men in Black | |
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The Stooges were not professionally known as "The Three Stooges" when the film was released as they were billed by their individual names
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| Directed by | Raymond McCarey |
| Produced by | Jules White |
| Written by | Felix Adler |
| Starring |
Moe Howard Larry Fine Curly Howard Dell Henderson Billy Gilbert Bud Jamison Jeannie Roberts 'Little Billy' Rhodes Ruth Hiatt |
| Cinematography | Benjamin Kline |
| Edited by | James Sweeney |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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19 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Men in Black is the third short film released by Columbia Pictures in 1934 starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard). The comedians released 190 short films for the studio between 1934 and 1959.
The trio play medical school graduates whose only credentials are that they had the highest temperatures in their class. They are hired as doctors at the "Los Arms Hospital" only because they have been in their senior class for too many years. The new graduates at the hospital are warned by the superintendent that all three of them (the Stooges) are "not overly bright," but it is promised that their identities will be concealed as long as they promise to devote their lives to "the glorious cause of duty and humanity", which prompts the three to step forward and thank him profusely for not being able to let their identities be known. The superintendent has told the Stooges to rush and answer the loudspeaker whenever their names are called. The short consists of a series of skits in which the Stooges go from one patient to the next, making mistakes ranging from drinking a patient's medicine to sewing their tools inside a man on the operating table.
Each time the Stooges rush and answer the loudspeaker, a different scenario takes place:
1st - They rush to answer using a three-person bike. When they arrive they respond by "calling all cars". Several people appear in the hallway. After taking a woman's temperature they dismiss her and clear the area.
2nd - The loudspeaker orders them to various rooms to check on patients.
3rd - They report to the superintendent with their results.
4th - They rush to answer riding a horse, where they end up greeting a telegram delivery man. The man reveals that the telegram is from Nellie (a love interest of all three men) who says she'll marry the man who does the greatest thing for "duty and humanity". They bet him "double or nothing" for his fee on a coin toss which they win by cheating. Afterwards they help observe a "comatose" patient.
5th - They report back to the supervisor who orders them to check on a dangerous patient. They rush to his room using mini-race cars. The patient is mentally unstable and makes outlandish claims such as rats appearing through a hole in his shirt. The trio prepares medicine but drink it themselves. The patient then claims he sees a "giant green canary". Moe scoffs at this but a green canary soon enters the room frightening everyone.
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