Who knew The Three Stooges were Academy Awards material? But they were. In just their third film for Columbia Pictures, the boys were nominated for Best Short Subject in a Comedy in September 1934's "Men In Black." This spoof on doctors and hospital life, based on Clark Gable's and Myna Loy's 1934 "Men in White," was their only Oscar nominated film among 190 short films they produced. It lost to 1934's Technicolor movie "La Cucaracha."
"Men in Black," not to be confused with the Tommy Lee Jones/Will Smith 1997 sci-fi film of the same name, has the three of the most unlikely doctors working in a hospital right after graduating from med school (They received their degrees mainly from having the highest temperatures in their class.). This episodic film has them immediately responding to a variety of cases at the hospital. After each case they think they have cured, they report to the hospital superintendent, breaking his full-paneled glass door while leaving his office, a situational joke seen in several later Stooges films.
As only their third short without Ted Healy, several signature trademarks of the Stooges are introduced in "Men in Black." Curly's penchant of saying "Woo-woo-woo-woo," unlike the violent exclamations in the previous "Punch Drunk," is on full display. The actor occasionally used the expression whenever he forgot his lines. The film was also the first to show the three combine several liquids to create an elixir they think will cure a patient's sickness. In addition, they huddle for the first time to discuss a strategy they plan to carry out. Inserted in the Stooges' film contains the first time one of the supporting cast, in this case actress Jeanie Roberts, speaks in a very high-pitched voice, a frequent occurrence in their later movies. She's the nurse who has the hiccups.
"Men in Black" introduced one of earliest examples of a "hammerspace," also known as a 'malletspace,' where large objects appear out of thin air. Every time the Stooges are summoned to a distant wing in the hospital, they run to the storage closet and ride a different mode of transportation, such as a horse, go-carts, and a three-man bicycle. The short is famous for the voice from an intercom bellowing out repeatedly, "Doctor Howard, Doctor Fine, Doctor Howard," causing instant chaos in the hospital ward. They've been told by the hospital head their mission is for "the glorious cause of duty and humanity," which the Stooges repeat incessantly.
"Men in Black" has been cited as having the Stooges' quickest turnaround time from when filming wrapped until its release-27 days.
"Men in Black," not to be confused with the Tommy Lee Jones/Will Smith 1997 sci-fi film of the same name, has the three of the most unlikely doctors working in a hospital right after graduating from med school (They received their degrees mainly from having the highest temperatures in their class.). This episodic film has them immediately responding to a variety of cases at the hospital. After each case they think they have cured, they report to the hospital superintendent, breaking his full-paneled glass door while leaving his office, a situational joke seen in several later Stooges films.
As only their third short without Ted Healy, several signature trademarks of the Stooges are introduced in "Men in Black." Curly's penchant of saying "Woo-woo-woo-woo," unlike the violent exclamations in the previous "Punch Drunk," is on full display. The actor occasionally used the expression whenever he forgot his lines. The film was also the first to show the three combine several liquids to create an elixir they think will cure a patient's sickness. In addition, they huddle for the first time to discuss a strategy they plan to carry out. Inserted in the Stooges' film contains the first time one of the supporting cast, in this case actress Jeanie Roberts, speaks in a very high-pitched voice, a frequent occurrence in their later movies. She's the nurse who has the hiccups.
"Men in Black" introduced one of earliest examples of a "hammerspace," also known as a 'malletspace,' where large objects appear out of thin air. Every time the Stooges are summoned to a distant wing in the hospital, they run to the storage closet and ride a different mode of transportation, such as a horse, go-carts, and a three-man bicycle. The short is famous for the voice from an intercom bellowing out repeatedly, "Doctor Howard, Doctor Fine, Doctor Howard," causing instant chaos in the hospital ward. They've been told by the hospital head their mission is for "the glorious cause of duty and humanity," which the Stooges repeat incessantly.
"Men in Black" has been cited as having the Stooges' quickest turnaround time from when filming wrapped until its release-27 days.