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Woman Haters is a 1934 musical short subject directed by Archie Gottler starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Jerry Howard). It is the inaugural entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who would ultimately star in 190 short subjects for the studio between 1934 and 1959. This short is known to be the first program shown on Antenna TV,[citation needed] a channel that was launched on January 1, 2011, by Tribune Broadcasting (later bought by Nexstar Media Group).
| Woman Haters | |
|---|---|
 The Stooges were not known professionally as the Three Stooges when the film was released and were billed under their own names | |
| Directed by | Archie Gottler |
| Written by | Jerome S. Gottler |
| Produced by | Jules White |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Joseph August |
| Edited by | James Sweeney |
| Music by | Louis Silvers |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 19:18 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot
editThe Stooges are staunch members of the Woman Haters Club, dedicated to eschewing romantic entanglements with women. However, their resolve is swiftly tested when Jim (Larry Fine) succumbs to the charms of Mary and proposes marriage. His comrades, Tom (Moe Howard) and Jack (Jerry Howard (Curly)), initially dissuade him from the union, citing their oath to the club.
Things escalate when Mary's formidable father coerces Jim into marrying her, recounting a tale of familial honor and coercion. Reluctantly, Jim acquiesces to the marriage, leading to tension and confrontation aboard a train journey. Mary, utilizing her feminine allure, endeavors to provoke jealousy in Jim by captivating Tom and Jack with her charms, thereby undermining the Stooges' fidelity to their avowed oath. Through a series of exchanges and musical interludes, Mary's machinations unravel the Stooges' steadfast commitment to celibacy, ultimately revealing Jim's marital status. The climax unfolds as Mary, candidly disclosing her marriage to Jim, inadvertently propels Tom and Jack out of the train window during a chaotic struggle.
The denouement portrays the aging Stooges reuniting at the nearly deserted Woman Haters clubhouse, symbolizing the passage of time and the evolution of their attitudes towards relationships. Jim's desire to rejoin the club serves as a humorous conclusion.
Cast
editCredited
edit- Moe Howard as Tom
- Larry Fine as Jim
- Jerry Howard as Jackie
- Marjorie White as Mary
Uncredited
edit- Bud Jamison as Woman Hater's Club chairman
- Monte Collins as Mr. Zero
- Walter Brennan as train conductor
- Jack Norton as Justice of the Peace
- Fred "Snowflake" Toones as porter
- A. R. Haysel as Mary's father
- Dorothy Vernon as Mary's mother
- June Gittelson as Mary's overweight sister
- Jack "Tiny" Sandford as Mary's policeman uncle
- George Gray as Mary's brother-in-law on crutches
Production notes
edit- The teaser shows the emblem of National Recovery Administration
- Woman Haters was filmed over four days on March 27–30, 1934.[1] It was the sixth entry in Columbia's "Musical Novelty" series,[2] with all dialogue delivered in rhyme. Jazz Age-style music plays throughout the entire short, with the rhymes spoken in rhythm with the music. Being the sixth in a “Musical Novelties” short subject series, the movie appropriated its musical score from the first five films. The song “My Life, My Love, My All”, featured in this short, was originally “At Last!” from Umpa, a previous "Musical Novelty" entry.[1] Other music cues used in other Columbia "Musical Novelty" shorts like School for Romance and Susie's Affairs.
- Curly Howard was billed under his pre-Stooge name "Jerry Howard" in this short.
- The Stooges had different names in this short: Curly is "Jackie", Moe is "Tom", and Larry is "Jim". This also marked one of the few Stooge shorts that features Larry as the lead character. Others include Three Loan Wolves and He Cooked His Goose.[3]
- Bud Jamison's character delivers the first "eye pokes" to the Stooges, as part of the initiation into the Woman Haters Club. He pokes Larry in the eyes first, followed by Curly. Finally, he delivers an eye poke to Moe, who mistakenly blames Curly and promptly slaps him, igniting the first real Stooge brawl of the short films.
- This short includes a young Walter Brennan playing the train conductor being initiated into the Woman Haters Club by Moe and Curly.)[4]
- In contrast to later Stooge films, Larry and Curly are more willful and defiant to Moe, even giving him some slapstick vengeance of their own, rather than being mere subordinates.
- Curly delivers his first "woob-woob-woob-woob!" and "Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk" in this short, although the latter is not quite delivered in the eventual "classic" style.
- Curly spends most of this short wearing pants that are split in the back.
- This was Marjorie White's final film role before she died in a car accident in 1935.
- The clips of the Stooges fighting in the opening and closing moments were featured prominently in the 1986 film Short Circuit.
- A younger Emil Sitka makes a brief appearance as the fiancé whom was beaten up by Mary's father and uncles under the pseudonym, George Gray.
References
edit- ^ a b "Woman Haters". ThreeStooges.net. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
- ^ "The Two-Reel Comedies - the shorts department". Archived from the original on 2012-02-16. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
- ^ Solomon, Jon (2002). The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion. Comedy III Productions, Inc. ISBN 0-9711868-0-4.
- ^ Maurer, Joan Howard; Jeff Lenburg; Greg Lenburg (1982). The Three Stooges Scrapbook. Citadel Press. ISBN 0-8065-0946-5.