The Three Stooges in Orbit

{{Short description|1962 film by Edward Bernds}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox film | name = The Three Stooges in Orbit | image = inorbitposter.jpg | caption = | director = [[Edward Bernds]] | screenplay = [[Elwood Ullman]] | story = [[Norman Maurer]] | producer = Norman Maurer | starring = [[Moe Howard]] [[Larry Fine]] [[Joe DeRita]] [[Emil Sitka]] [[Carol Christensen]] [[Edson Stroll]] [[George N. Neise]] [[Rayford Barnes]] [[Norman Leavitt]] [[Nestor Paiva]] [[Don Lamond (actor)|Don Lamond]] [[Peter Dawson (actor)|Peter Dawson]] [[Peter Brocco]] | cinematography = William P. Whitley | editing = Edwin H. Bryant | music = [[Paul Dunlap]] | studio = Normandy Productions | distributor = [[Columbia Pictures]] | released = {{Film date|1962|6|20|Los Angeles|1962|7|4|United States|1962|7|11|New York City}} | runtime = {{duration|m=87|s=28}} | country = United States | language = English | budget = | gross = $1,500,000<ref name=Scrapbook>{{cite book| last = Howard Maurer| first = Joan| author-link = Joan Howard Maurer|author2=Jeff Lenburg |author3=Greg Lenburg | title = The Three Stooges Scrapbook | publisher = [[Chicago Review Press]]| year = 2012 | orig-year = 1982| location = [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]] | pages = 326–327 | url = http://amzn.com/1613740743 | isbn = 978-1-61374-074-3}}</ref> }}

'''''The Three Stooges In Orbit''''' is a 1962 American [[comedy film|comedy]] [[science fiction film]] directed by [[Edward Bernds]]. It is the fourth feature film to star the [[Three Stooges]] after their 1959 resurgence in popularity. By this time, the trio consisted of [[Moe Howard]], [[Larry Fine]], and [[Joe DeRita]] (dubbed "Curly Joe"). Released by [[Columbia Pictures]] and produced by Normandy Productions,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=20431|title=The Three Stooges in Orbit on AFI}}</ref> ''The Three Stooges in Orbit'' was directed by long-time Stooge director [[Edward Bernds]], whom Moe later cited as the team's finest director.

==Plot== The Stooges are television actors grappling with the impending cancellation of their animated television show, ''[[The Three Stooges Scrapbook]]''. Their producer's dissatisfaction prompts a ten-day ultimatum to devise a compelling concept, forcing the Stooges to seek alternative lodging after an unfortunate cooking mishap results in eviction. Fortuitously, they find lodging in the eccentric abode of Professor Danforth, a fervent believer in an imminent Martian invasion. Danforth enlists the Stooges' assistance in developing a multifunctional military vehicle in exchange for his creation of an "electronic animation" device for their show. Despite initial skepticism, the Stooges acquiesce to Danforth's peculiar request.

Unbeknownst to them, the butler, disguised as a monster, is revealed as a Martian spy, signaling the extraterrestrial threat. As the Martians dispatch additional spies to Earth, a series of comedic mishaps ensue, including a transmission error of antiquated films and the inadvertent acquisition of a nuclear depth bomb, mistaken for a carburetor. A test run of the military vehicle leads the Stooges into a nuclear test area, culminating in an unexpected performance enhancement upon attaching the bomb to the engine.

Subsequently, a confrontation with the Martians ensues aboard the vehicle, climaxing in a daring endeavor to thwart the impending destruction of Earth and [[Disneyland]]. The Stooges successfully dismantle the Martians' scheme, averting catastrophe and ultimately saving their careers.

==Cast== *[[Moe Howard]] as Moe *[[Larry Fine]] as Larry *[[Joe DeRita]] as Curly-Joe *[[Emil Sitka]] as Professor Danforth *[[Carol Christensen]] as Carol Danforth *[[Edson Stroll]] as Capt. Tom Andrews *[[George N. Neise]] as Ogg/Airline Pilot *[[Rayford Barnes]] as Zogg/Airline Co-Pilot *[[Norman Leavitt]] as William, the Martian Butler *[[Nestor Paiva]] as Martian Chairman *Don Lamond as Col. Smithers *Peter Dawson as Gen. Bixby *[[Peter Brocco]] as Dr. Appleby *[[Cheerio Meredith]] as Tooth Paste Old Maid

==Production== The inception of ''The Three Stooges in Orbit'' can be traced back to ''[[The Three Stooges Scrapbook]]'', an unsuccessful color television pilot crafted in 1960 at a financial outlay of $30,000. Confronted with the pilot's lack of commercial success, producer [[Norman Maurer]] repurposed the existing footage by transforming it into black and white. Concurrently, Maurer structured the narrative around the premise of the Stooges engaging in rehearsals for their prospective television endeavor. Maurer also capitalized on the availability of numerous film props initially utilized in the production of ''[[Forbidden Planet]]''.<ref name=Scrapbook/>

==See also== * [[List of American films of 1962]] *[[Landwasserschlepper]]

==References== {{Reflist}}

== External links == * {{IMDb title|0056580}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Three Stooges in Orbit, The}} [[Category:1962 films]] [[Category:1960s science fiction comedy films]] [[Category:American science fiction adventure films]] [[Category:American black-and-white films]] [[Category:American science fiction comedy films]] [[Category:American space adventure films]] [[Category:Columbia Pictures films]] [[Category:1962 English-language films]] [[Category:Fictional-language films]] [[Category:American films about extraterrestrial life]] [[Category:Films directed by Edward Bernds]] [[Category:Films set in Los Angeles]] [[Category:The Three Stooges films]] [[Category:Films scored by Paul Dunlap]] [[Category:1962 comedy films]] [[Category:1962 American films]] [[Category:English-language science fiction comedy films]] [[Category:1962 science fiction films]]