While their seemingly low-brow physical comedy may not appeal to cinema snobs, The Three Stooges still rank high as a Daveland favorite, especially thanks to the genius of Curly Howard. Today, I pay homage to one of my favorite Stooge shorts, “Micro-Phonies,” released November 15, 1945. Shot in only four days, it was filmed not long after Curly had suffered a stroke.
BEWARE PLOT SPOILERS! The film begins with The Stooges horsing around on the job at a recording studio. Moe hits his head on the radiator and when he comes to, hears “the voice of an angel.”
The angel is none other than frequent Stooge costar, Christine McIntyre as Alice Andrews. Yes, that is her gorgeous voice trilling away to “Voices of Spring” by Johann Strauss.
She is recording it as a surprise to snag a job without her father knowing. Convoluted, but go with it. Meanwhile, The Stooges get into an altercation with an Italian violin playing grump, Signor Spumoni (Gino Carrado). They escape back into the recording studio and start clowning around at the mic. Larry puts on Alice’s record and Curly begins to lip-sync to it.
Moe and Shemp take the cloth and fruit basket off the piano and adorn Curly while he continues to mime to Alice’s record.
Rich society matron Mrs. Bixby (Symona Boniface, another frequent Stooges costar) “hears” Curly singing and assumes that he/she is the new voice she came to audition for her radio program. She is impressed and whips out the contract for “Senorita Cucaracha” to sign. Mrs. Bixby also invites them to perform at a party she is giving that evening.
Larry and Moe dress up in tuxes, taking on the identities of Signor Mucho and Signor Gusto. In all Stooges comedies, the names of the characters, products, etc. are part of the gag.
Alice and her father (Sam Flint) just happen to be at the same party and she recognizes The Stooges from earlier in the day.
The guests look forward to hearing Senorita Cucaracha. Seated on the couch at left is Bess Flowers, known as the “Queen of the Extras,” who bears the distinction of appearing in the most films nominated for a Best Picture Oscar.
Planning to lip sync again, The Stooges settle on “Sextet from Lucy” (actually Lucia di Lammermoor, by Gaetano Donizetti).
See the guy at the piano?
He’s silent screen comic Chester Conklin, seen below in Charlie Chaplin’s final silent film, “Modern Times” (1936).
Signor Spumoni is also at the party and decides to spoil the fun for The Stooges. He pulls the plug on Mrs. Bixby’s record player.
“What is it,” asks a concerned Mrs. Bixby, “laryngitis?” “No,” replies Moe, “fallen arches.”
Alice confronts the trio and asks them to perform again, but to her voice this time, as she wants to impress her father and Mrs. Bixby without them knowing who it is.
Alice again sings “Voices of Spring” from behind the curtain…
and Senorita Cucaracha lips syncs to the impressed society guests, especially Mrs. Bixby and Alice’s father who bemoans, “If only Alice could sing like that!”
Signor Spumoni figures out what is going on when Alice accidentally hits him through the curtain. He reveals the trickery once again.
Alice ends up getting Mrs. Bixby’s job, but The Stooges get a stack of records tossed at them as they make a hasty retreat. THE END!
Regular readers of my blog will recall the post about Shirley Temple lip syncing to “The Sextet from Lucia di Lammermoor” in “Captain January” nine years before The Stooges did (ably assisted by Guy Kibbee and Slim Summerville). The difference is that Shirley and crew were just having fun; they weren’t attempting to fool anyone.
The ultimate lip-synch gag came in 1952 with “Singin’ in the Rain,” when Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds) did the honors for the shrill Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen).
See “Micro-Phonies” for yourself!
See more photos at my main website.
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