The Stooges are street peddler greeting card salesmen, inciting the ire of a disgruntled passerby during an accidental altercation. Their subsequent encounters lead them to the doorstep of a woman seeking assistance in igniting jealousy within her husband, unknowingly revisiting the same individual they had previously antagonized. Confronted once more by the aggrieved husband, the Stooges employ their pugnacious antics to defend themselves before hastily fleeing his wrath.
Upon entering the army, the Stooges face the ironic twist of having their drill instructor, Sergeant Hugh Dare, be the very man they sought to escape. Sgt. Dare subjects them to rigorous military drills and bayonet practice, resulting in a cascade of comedic mishaps. Sent to the front lines, the Stooges, opting for a nap instead of duty, inadvertently become involved in a mission involving a laughing gas shell.
During their attempt to maneuver the shell, a series of comical incidents unfold, culminating in an explosion. Captured by the enemy and detained with Sgt. Dare, who communicates with them in pig Latin, the Stooges, influenced by the laughing gas, engage in a boisterous confrontation. The resulting chaos involves violent antics, including accidental injuries to both allies and adversaries.
Emerging triumphant, the Stooges find themselves under fire, narrowly avoiding each shell with laughter and mirth. The final shell propels them into the clouds, perpetuating their laughter as they ascend into an ethereal realm.
Jules White would reuse the army drill footage for the ending of Dizzy Pilots in 1943. Joe Besser had his own version of the army drill routine, which was used on stage for the first time in April 1941 and titled "You're in the Army Now". The skit was revised with Joe Besser and his straight man Jimmy Little who first joined Joe in October 1940 in the Olsen and Johnson production of Sons of Fun (October 1941 until January 1944). White later filmed Besser's performing his army drill version of the routine in 1952 Columbia short, Aim, Fire, Scoot, and its 1956 remake, Army Daze.[2][3]
After joining the army, Curly beings to recite lyrics from the song "You're in the Army Now". After Curly says "You'll never get rich," Moe stops him before he can utter the next line, sometimes sung as "You son of a bitch".
However, the first comedians to appear in an army comedy were the Stooges with Boobs in Arms. Columbia Pictures placed the Stooges in an unnamed army with military uniforms consisting of Zorro hats and tan uniforms with sergeant chevrons worn upside down to the American way; they are also armed with Civil War-type muskets instead of modern rifles.[2]
^ abcdefSolomon, Jon (2002). The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion. Comedy III Productions, Inc. p. 183. ISBN0-9711868-0-4.
