# Back from the Front > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Back_from_the_Front > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Back_from_the_Front.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_from_the_Front > Source revision: 1356840385 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 1943 film by Jules White Back from the Front Directed by Jules White Written by Ewart Adamson Jack White Produced by Jules White Starring Moe Howard Larry Fine Curly Howard Stanley Blystone Vernon Dent Bud Jamison Heinie Conklin Lew Davis George Gray Jack "Tiny" Lipson Harry Semels Al Thompson Adele Mara Sally Cairns Ruth Skinner Cinematography John Stumar Edited by Edwin H. Bryant Distributed by Columbia Pictures Release date May 28, 1943 (1943-05-28) (U.S.) Running time 17:52 Country United States Language English ***Back from the Front*** is a 1943 [short subject](/source/Short_film) directed by [Jules White](/source/Jules_White) starring American [slapstick](/source/Slapstick) comedy team [The Three Stooges](/source/The_Three_Stooges) ([Moe Howard](/source/Moe_Howard), [Larry Fine](/source/Larry_Fine) and [Curly Howard](/source/Curly_Howard)). It is the 70th entry in the series released by [Columbia Pictures](/source/Columbia_Pictures) starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959. ## Plot The Stooges embark on a patriotic endeavor, bidding farewell to their romantic partners and enlisting in the [Merchant Marines](/source/United_States_Merchant_Marine) to contribute to the [war effort](/source/World_War_II). While aboard ship, they engage in a brief altercation with Lieutenant Dungen (later revealed as a Nazi spy) before encountering a torpedo mistaken for a beached whale. Mistaking it for a threat, Moe commands its destruction, resulting in an unexpected explosion. Lost at sea for an extended duration, the Stooges encounter the SS *Schicklgruber*, where they clandestinely board the vessel. Amidst their time adrift, they undergo significant physical transformations, characterized by the growth of full beards. Encountering Lieutenant Dungen once more, they remain unrecognized due to their altered appearances. Realizing the presence of German sailors aboard, they engage in a covert operation to overpower the crew, ultimately assuming control of the ship by forcing the sailors overboard. ## Cast ### Credited - [Moe Howard](/source/Moe_Howard) as Moe - [Larry Fine](/source/Larry_Fine) as Larry - [Curly Howard](/source/Curly_Howard) as Curly ### Uncredited - [Stanley Blystone](/source/Stanley_Blystone) as German Captain - [Neal Burns](/source/Neal_Burns) as German Sailor - [Sally Cairns](/source/Sally_Cairns) as Tizzy - [Heinie Conklin](/source/Heinie_Conklin) as German Sailor - [Vernon Dent](/source/Vernon_Dent) as Lt. Dungen - Hubert Diltz as German Sailor - [Lew Davis](/source/Lew_Davis) as German Sailor - [Kit Guard](/source/Kit_Guard) as Crewman - George Gray as German Sailor - [Bud Jamison](/source/Bud_Jamison) as German Petty Officer - [Johnny Kascier](/source/Johnny_Kascier) as German Officer - [Sam Lufkin](/source/Sam_Lufkin) as German Sailor - [Jack "Tiny" Lipson](/source/Jack_%22Tiny%22_Lipson) as Heavyset German Sailor - [Adele Mara](/source/Adele_Mara) as Dizzy - [Ruth Skinner](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ruth_Skinner&action=edit&redlink=1) as Lizzy - [Harry Semels](/source/Harry_Semels) as German Sentry - [Al Thompson](/source/Al_Thompson) as German Sailor ## Production notes *Back from the Front* was filmed over four days on July 24–28, 1942.[1] Notably, this film marked a significant innovation for the Stooge franchise, introducing a distinctive sound effect to accompany the eye poke gag. The incorporation of a "TWANG" sound effect synchronized with Moe's action of poking Lieutenant Dungen in the eyes distinguished this film from its predecessors.[2] Subsequent Stooge films experimented with different sound effects to enhance comedic moments. Throughout 1943 and 1944, varying degrees of success were achieved with alternative sound effects. For instance, in *[Higher Than a Kite](/source/Higher_Than_a_Kite)*, a nose honk sound effect was utilized, albeit inappropriately. Similarly, in *[Crash Goes the Hash](/source/Crash_Goes_the_Hash)*, a xylophone sound effect was integrated into comedic sequences.[2] The film series found consistency in its use of specific sound effects post-1945. The sound of a ukulele or violin string being plucked became a staple, frequently employed to accentuate comedic moments.[2] Moe reprises his [Adolf Hitler](/source/Adolf_Hitler) role from *[You Nazty Spy!](/source/You_Nazty_Spy!)* and *[I'll Never Heil Again](/source/I'll_Never_Heil_Again)*. The end was satire, with Moe telling the [Nazis](/source/Nazis) to use their heads and shoot out their brains, to which [Stanley Blystone](/source/Stanley_Blystone) replies, "But mein [Führer](/source/F%C3%BChrer), we're Nazis. We have no brains."[2] When the Hitler-disguised Moe sneezes and his [toothbrush moustache](/source/Toothbrush_moustache) flies off his face, he gets it back and refers to it as "my personality". "Schicklgruber" is the surname Adolf Hitler's father, [Alois Hitler](/source/Alois_Hitler) carried for the first 40 years of his life, until he took the name Hitler (Hiedler) from his stepfather. While Adolf Hitler himself never carried the surname, the British made use of it for propaganda purposes since even to Germans, the name is laughable. The Stooges used it numerous times as the only name by which they would refer to Hitler.[2] ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [*Back from the Front* at threestooges.net](http://threestooges.net/filmography/episode/70) 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Solomon_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Solomon_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Solomon_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Solomon_2-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Solomon_2-4) [Solomon, Jon](/source/Jon_Solomon) (2000). *The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion*. Comedy III Productions, Inc. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-9711868-0-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-9711868-0-4). ## External links - [*Back from the Front*](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035658/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier)) - [*Back from the Front* at threestooges.net](http://threestooges.net/filmography/episode/70) v t e The Three Stooges Moe Howard Larry Fine Curly Howard Shemp Howard Joe Besser Curly Joe DeRita Works The Three Stooges filmography The Three Stooges Collection Jerks of All Trades The New 3 Stooges The Three Stooges Scrapbook Kook's Tour Moe Howard and the Three Stooges Related topics List of supporting actors in Three Stooges films Yogi Bear and the Three Stooges Meet the Mad, Mad, Mad Dr. No-No The Robonic Stooges Stoogemania "Swingin' the Alphabet" "The Curly Shuffle" 1984 arcade game 1987 video game 2000 TV biopic 2012 feature film C3 Entertainment Stooge sort Associated people Felix Adler Edward Bernds Tiny Brauer Clyde Bruckman Charley Chase Paul Garner Ted Healy Rich Koz Del Lord Norman Maurer Hugh McCollum Christine McIntyre Frank Mitchell Joe Palma/Fake Shemp Fred Sanborn Emil Sitka Greta Thyssen Elwood Ullman Jack White Jules White Category v t e The Three Stooges filmography (1934–1947): Moe, Larry, Curly 1934 Woman Haters Punch Drunks Men in Black Three Little Pigskins 1935 Horses' Collars Restless Knights Pop Goes the Easel Uncivil Warriors Pardon My Scotch Hoi Polloi Three Little Beers 1936 Ants in the Pantry Movie Maniacs Half Shot Shooters Disorder in the Court A Pain in the Pullman False Alarms Whoops, I'm an Indian! Slippery Silks 1937 Grips, Grunts and Groans Dizzy Doctors 3 Dumb Clucks Back to the Woods Goofs and Saddles Cash and Carry Playing the Ponies The Sitter Downers 1938 Termites of 1938 Wee Wee Monsieur Tassels in the Air Healthy, Wealthy and Dumb Violent Is the Word for Curly Three Missing Links Mutts to You Flat Foot Stooges 1939 Three Little Sew and Sews We Want Our Mummy A Ducking They Did Go Yes, We Have No Bonanza Saved by the Belle Calling All Curs Oily to Bed, Oily to Rise Three Sappy People 1940 You Nazty Spy! Rockin' thru the Rockies A Plumbing We Will Go Nutty but Nice How High Is Up? From Nurse to Worse No Census, No Feeling Cookoo Cavaliers Boobs in Arms 1941 So Long Mr. Chumps Dutiful But Dumb All the World's a Stooge I'll Never Heil Again An Ache in Every Stake In the Sweet Pie and Pie Some More of Samoa 1942 Loco Boy Makes Good Cactus Makes Perfect What's the Matador? Matri-Phony Three Smart Saps Even as IOU Sock-a-Bye Baby 1943 They Stooge to Conga Dizzy Detectives Spook Louder Back from the Front Three Little Twirps Higher Than a Kite I Can Hardly Wait Dizzy Pilots Phony Express A Gem of a Jam 1944 Crash Goes the Hash Busy Buddies The Yoke's on Me Idle Roomers Gents Without Cents No Dough Boys 1945 Three Pests in a Mess Booby Dupes Idiots Deluxe If a Body Meets a Body Micro-Phonies 1946 Beer Barrel Polecats A Bird in the Head Uncivil War Birds The Three Troubledoers Monkey Businessmen Three Loan Wolves G.I. Wanna Home Rhythm and Weep Three Little Pirates 1947 Half-Wits Holiday Category --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Back from the Front](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_from_the_Front) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_from_the_Front?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.