In 2002, Punch Drunks became the first and only Stooge film to be selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Plot
Moe, a struggling boxing manager, finds himself embroiled in a tumultuous lunchtime confrontation with his disgruntled fighters, who threaten to abandon him due to unpaid wages. A serendipitous turn of events unfolds as strolling violinist Larry unwittingly triggers a violent outburst from the timid waiter, Curly, upon playing the melody of "Pop Goes the Weasel". Seizing upon this unexpected display of physical prowess, Moe swiftly enlists Curly as a boxer and engages Larry to play the titular tune during Curly's matches, enabling him to effortlessly defeat opponents and secure prize money.
As Curly undergoes rigorous training under Moe's guidance, a chance encounter with a stranded female motorist interrupts their routine. Despite Moe's admonition against entanglements with women, Curly aids the young lady, propelled by the musical accompaniment provided by Larry.
Adopting the moniker "K.O. Stradivarius," Curly ascends to prominence in the boxing arena, positioning himself as the leading contender for the heavyweight championship. However, on the eve of the title match, Moe discovers Curly in the company of the lady, prompting a stern reprimand and a directive to focus solely on the impending bout.
The championship showdown ensues, with reigning titleholder Killer Kilduff asserting his dominance by swiftly dispatching Curly from the ring, causing devastation to Larry's violin in the process. Desperate to revive Curly's fighting spirit, Larry embarks on a frantic quest to procure an alternative means of playing the tune. Amidst the tumult of the bout, Larry's resourcefulness prevails as he secures a radio broadcasting the melody, revitalizing Curly's resolve.
However, just as Curly gains momentum, the radio abruptly shifts its broadcast, interrupting the crucial musical accompaniment and tilting the scales in Kilduff's favor once more. Frustration mounts as Moe and Larry scramble to restore the melody, resorting to unconventional methods in their pursuit.
Ultimately, Larry commandeers a politician's campaign truck equipped with the desired tune, crashing into the arena to deliver the decisive musical aid. Empowered by the restored melody, Curly rallies to secure victory, claiming the championship title.
The script for Punch Drunks was written by the Stooges, credited as "Jerry Howard, Larry Fine, and Moe Howard". According to Moe, the initial treatment of the script was originated by him; on its strength, the studio decided to produce the Stooges' next film sooner than scheduled.[1] Filming was completed May 2–5, 1934.[2]
In 2002, Punch Drunks was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant", the only Stooge film to achieve such an honor.[3]
Punch Drunks was originally titled A Symphony of Punches, but was changed before its release. The title Punch Drunks comes from the expression "punch drunk", referring to any fighter who has been hit so many times he is unsteady on his feet. Punch Drunks was remade with Shemp Howard in 1945 as A Hit With a Miss. The plot device of gaining uncontrollable strength after hearing "Pop Goes the Weasel" was reworked with Joe DeRita in the Stooges' 1963 feature film The Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze.[4]
A colorized version of this film was released in 2004 as part of the DVD collection Goofs on the Loose.
The short is notable as being one of the few in which the Stooges are not an established trio at the beginning of the film.
Curly's first "woo-woo-woo!", done when Larry first plays "Pop Goes the Weasel", ended up being reused as a stock overdub in several future Stooge shorts featuring Curly.
This is the first film in which Curly calls himself a "victim of soycumstance!" (circumstance): this comment would become one of Curly's catch-phrases.
When the Stooges are taking part in Curly's first workout as a boxer (rowing down the street), Larry is playing a tune on his violin that sounds akin to "Let's Fall in Love", a song sung 23 years later by the character Tiny (Muriel Landers) in the Stooge film Sweet and Hot. Larry plays the song before he loses his balance and falls, causing Moe to push him backwards, ending up in a shallow lake. Larry, who has hidden behind the door of the dressing room, suddenly appears, attempting to play a snippet of the same song, later on in the film for the young lady in the dressing room before Moe angrily uses a bucket of water to put on his head, to tell him to go upstairs to the arena.
Character actor Charles King, who played the man standing on the back of the truck, broke his leg during the fall.[5]
The short ends with the playing of the song "Pop Goes the Weasel", which would become the opening theme for the short Pop Goes the Easel.
This is the first of several films in which a normally passive Curly sees, hears, or smells something that triggers a violent reaction from him. The idea would be reused in Horses' Collars, Grips, Grunts and Groans, and Tassels in the Air.[4]
This was also the first of 9 shorts that featured Larry Fine playing his violin.
Over the course of their 24 years at Columbia Pictures, the Stooges were occasionally cast as separate characters, with this being one such occurrence (the boys start out in separate roles and end up working together).
During the fight, when Larry is seen running down the street, Curly's voice can be heard in the distance saying, "Run! All the way!" After a few seconds, he also says ‘Then come back!’ This happens twice in the film. This was a mistake in production and was left in.
As the referee is introducing challenger Curly, an audience member gestures obscenely at the camera.
Larry's running down the street is sped up for comic effect, with postproduction sounds of rapid footsteps added. His frantic driving of the van, with its speakers booming out "Pop Goes the Weasel" (the same recording as on the radio earlier), is also sped up.
This film features a rare scene in which Moe smacks someone other than one of his two pals; as several people begin to rub Curly down after a rather painful round of boxing and accidentally pull Moe into it, he slaps one of them in the back of the head.
Originally, the song "Stars and Stripes Forever" was going to be used, but the producer did not want to pay royalties, so the song "Pop Goes the Weasel" was selected because it was in the public domain.[8]
The Stooges receive "story" credit for the short, with Curly credited under his real name; they did not actually write the script. The story was submitted by Moe, and he added Larry and Curly's names in consideration of his partners. The "screenplay" was written by Jack Cluett.
One repeated gag occurs when Moe sees a young boy in the audience and asks for a piece of hard candy so that he could throw it at the bell, causing it to ring and stop the fight, saving Curly by the bell. The kid repeatedly does the throwing, thus keeping Curly in the ring.
^ abSolomon, Jon (2002). The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion. Comedy III Productions, Inc. p. 45. ISBN0-9711868-0-4.
