All the World's a Stooge

All the World's a Stooge
Directed by	Del Lord
Written by	John Grey
Produced by	Hugh McCollum Del Lord
Starring	Moe Howard Larry Fine Curly Howard Lelah Tyler Emory Parnell Richard Fiske Olaf Hytten Bud Jamison Symona Boniface Ethelreda Leopold
Cinematography	Benjamin H. Kline
Edited by	Art Seid
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date	May 16, 1941 (1941-05-16) (U.S.)
Running time	16:03
Country	United States
Language	English

All the World's a Stooge is a 1941 short subject directed by Del Lord starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard). It is the 55th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

Plot

Wealthy Ajax Bullion finds himself in a predicament when his eccentric wife expresses a desire to adopt a refugee, prompted by the prevailing socio-political climate. Meanwhile, Ajax grapples with a severe toothache, prompting his wife to insist he visit the dentist while she prepares for the nursery.

Simultaneously, The Stooges are engaging in their occupation as window washers on a tall building's scaffold. Following a mishap involving a bucket of water splashing into a dentist's office, the irate dentist threatens termination. Instructed by Moe, the Stooges are then tasked with drying the wet floor. Ajax encounters the Stooges, mistaking them for interim dentists. In an attempt to alleviate his suffering, the Stooges inadvertently knock him unconscious and proceed to extract his bridge-work. The ensuing efforts to reinsert the bridge with cement go awry, prompting them to resort to dynamite. The dentist returns just as the dynamite is ignited, compelling the Stooges to flee, leaving Mr. Bullion unharmed but oblivious to the dental intervention.

Capitalizing on the situation, Mr. Bullion concocts a scheme to exploit the Stooges as pseudo-refugee children, aiming to dissuade his wife from her philanthropic aspirations. The Stooges, now dressed as toddlers, endure a comical adoption by Mrs. Bullion, with Moe, Curly, and Larry assuming the names Johnny, Frankie, and Mabel, respectively.

As the Stooges integrate into the Bullion household, their antics and disruptive behavior during a party organized by Mrs. Bullion lead to regret on her part. Simultaneously, Mr. Bullion, initially complicit in the scheme, finds himself frustrated by the Stooges' continuous interference, including the theft of his cigars and wine. The culmination of chaos prompts Mr. Bullion to chase the Stooges out of the house wielding an axe.

Production notes

Filmed on August 24–28, 1940,^[1] the title of the film parodies William Shakespeare's "All the world's a stage."^[2]

Adopting refugees from European countries was a common event amongst society people during World War II.^[2]

References

1. Pauley, Jim (2012). The Three Stooges Hollywood Filming Locations. Solana Beach, California: Santa Monica Press, LLC. p. 38. ISBN 9781595800701.
2. Solomon, Jon (2002). The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion. Glendale, California: Comedy III Productions, Inc. p. 191. ISBN 0971186804.

External links

• All the World's a Stooge at IMDb
• All the World's a Stooge at threestooges.net