Dutiful But Dumb

{{short description|1941 film by Del Lord}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox film | name = Dutiful But Dumb | image = DutifulbutDumbTITLE.jpg | caption = | director = [[Del Lord]] | producer = Del Lord [[Hugh McCollum]] | writer = [[Elwood Ullman]] | starring = [[Moe Howard]] [[Larry Fine]] [[Curly Howard]] [[Vernon Dent]] [[Bud Jamison]] [[Fred Kelsey]] [[Eddie Laughton]] [[Chester Conklin]] [[Harry Semels]] [[Marjorie Deanne]] Stanley Brown [[Lew Davis]] | cinematography = [[Benjamin H. Kline]] | editing = Art Seid | distributor = [[Columbia Pictures]] | released = {{Film date|1941|03|21|U.S.}} | runtime = {{duration|m=16|s=47}} | country = United States | language = English }}

'''''Dutiful But Dumb''''' is a 1941 [[short film|short subject]] directed by [[Del Lord]] starring American [[slapstick]] comedy team [[The Three Stooges]] ([[Moe Howard]], [[Larry Fine]] and [[Curly Howard]]). It is the 54th entry in the series released by [[Columbia Pictures]] starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

==Plot== The Stooges are Click, Clack and Cluck, paparazzi-like photographers employed by Whack Magazine, a publication renowned for its sensationalist approach to imagery. Following their unsuccessful endeavor to capture a photograph of the esteemed movie star Percival De Puyster and his newlywed spouse, their employer, Mr. Wilson, dismisses them from their positions. However, Wilson subsequently dispatches the trio to Vulgaria (a fictionalized representation of a totalitarian regime reminiscent of fascist [[Bulgaria]]) for their next assignment, fully aware that photography in Vulgaria is deemed an act of espionage punishable by death.

Upon their arrival in Vulgaria, the bumbling trio inadvertently facilitate the escape of another photographer who was slated for execution. They subsequently find themselves ensnared in the clutches of the Vulgarian authorities, culminating in their incarceration within a Vulgarian prison. As the Stooges face imminent execution by firing squad, a comedic interlude ensues when Curly requests a final smoke, humorously unveiling an improbably lengthy cigar. The trio narrowly evade the firing squad's bullets by concealing their heads within their shirts.

Subsequent scenes depict the Stooges encountering a demonstration of Vulgaria's new ray gun, mistakenly identified by the trio as a camera. In a series of slapstick mishaps, they inadvertently activate the device, resulting in chaos as they attempt to evade detection by the returning Vulgarian officers. Curly takes refuge inside a malfunctioning radio, engaging in a cacophonous performance using unconventional musical instruments.

After getting the better of the officers, the Stooges assume their identities and enter a nearby cafe for lunch. Within this setting, Curly engages in battle against a live oyster hiding within his bowl of stew. Despite their efforts to sustain their masquerade, the Stooges are ultimately apprehended by the guards. They are physically transported away in an inverted fashion, suspended by the bayonets of their captors' rifles.

==Cast== ===Credited=== * [[Moe Howard]] as Moe Click * [[Larry Fine]] as Larry Clack * [[Curly Howard]] as Curly Cluck

===Uncredited=== * [[Vernon Dent]] as Mr. Wilson * [[Edmund Cobb]] as Wilson's Assistant * Neal Burns as Photographer in Hallway * Stanley Brown as Percival DePuyster * [[Marjorie Deanne]] as Mrs. DePuyster * George Gray as Frightened man in Hallway * [[Blanca Vischer]] as Wilson's Secretary * [[Harry Semels]] as Villager * [[Bud Jamison]] as Vulgarian Sergeant * [[George Ovey]] as Civilian Photographer * [[Fred Aldrich]] as Firing Squad Soldier * [[Fred Kelsey]] as Vulgarian Colonel * [[Eddie Laughton]] as Ray Machine Operator * [[Bruce Bennett]] as Vulgarian Soldier in Colonel's Office * Bert Young as Vulgarian Sentry * [[Kit Guard]] as Vulgarian Sentry * [[Chester Conklin]] as Counterman * [[Al Thompson]] as Vulgarian soldier in Restaurant * Charlie Phillips as Vulgarian soldier in Restaurant * [[Joe Palma]] as Vulgarian soldier in Restaurant

==Production notes== ''Dutiful But Dumb'' was filmed on August 1–5, 1940;<ref name=pauley>{{cite book | last = Pauley | first = Jim | title = The Three Stooges Hollywood Filming Locations | publisher = Santa Monica Press, LLC | year = 2012 | location = [[Solana Beach, California]] | pages = 91 | url = http://www.santamonicapress.com/index.php?page_name=threestooges&page_type=book&show=desc&hide0=excerpt&hide1=author&hide2=reviews&hide5=number5 | isbn = 9781595800701}}</ref> the film title is a play on "beautiful but dumb."<ref name=Solomon>{{cite book| last = Solomon | first = Jon | title = The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion | publisher = Comedy III Productions, Inc | year = 2002 | location = [[Glendale, California]] | pages = 190–191 | isbn = 0-9711868-0-4}}</ref>

An adaptation of the oyster soup battle is featured in [[The Three Stooges (video game)|The Three Stooges video game]], where players control Curly, who attempts to pick up and eat as many crackers from the oyster soup as possible before the oysters do. Oysters occasionally fire soup at Curly.<ref name=Joystiq>{{cite web | url = http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/17/virtually-overlooked-the-three-stooges/ | title = Virtually Overlooked: The Three Stooges | last = Fletcher | first = JC | date = 2008-04-17 | accessdate = 2011-02-25}}</ref> The gag was later performed by Moe in 1948's ''[[Shivering Sherlocks]]'', and Larry, who fights the Lobster Gumbo in 1954's ''[[Income Tax Sappy]]''.<ref name=Solomon/> The gag also appears in the 1945 [[Abbott and Costello]] film, ''[[Here Come the Co-Eds]]''.<ref name=Solomon/>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{IMDb title|0033565}} *[http://www.threestooges.net/filmography/episode/54 ''Dutiful But Dumb'' at threestooges.net]

[[Category:1941 films]] [[Category:1941 comedy films]] [[Category:1941 short films]] [[Category:The Three Stooges films]] [[Category:American black-and-white films]] [[Category:Films set in Europe]] [[Category:Films directed by Del Lord]] [[Category:Columbia Pictures short films]] [[Category:American slapstick comedy films]] [[Category:Films about photographers]] [[Category:1941 English-language films]] [[Category:1941 American films]] [[Category:English-language short films]]