Three Little Twirps

{{short description|1943 film by Harry Edwards}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox film | name = Three Little Twirps | image = Three Little Twirps lobbycard 1943.jpg | caption = | director = Harry Edwards | writer = Monte Collins Elwood Ullman | starring = Moe Howard Larry Fine Curly Howard Stanley Blystone Chester Conklin Bud Jamison Heinie Conklin Al Thompson Duke York | cinematography = John Stumar | editing = Paul Borofsky | producer = Del Lord Hugh McCollum | distributor = Columbia Pictures | released = {{Film date|1943|07|09|U.S.}} | runtime = {{duration|m=15|s=27}} | country = United States | language = English }} '''''Three Little Twirps''''' is a 1943 short subject directed by Harry Edwards starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard). It is the 71st entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

==Plot== Employed as poster hangers, The Stooges effortlessly sabotage a circus advertisement they were tasked with affixing to a billboard, leading to their dismissal by their boss, Herman. Upon realizing their sole compensation is tickets to the circus, they seize the opportunity to profit by selling them at a discounted rate. However, their illicit ticket-scalping activities attract the attention of authorities, prompting a pursuit.

As they evade capture, Curly inadvertently damages a circus performer, the Bearded Lady, leading to further complications. To evade capture, Curly and Larry resort to disguising themselves as a horse, a comedic trope familiar to Curly's character.

Their escapades culminate in a confrontation with Herman, now revealed as the circus owner, and the local sheriff. Facing imprisonment, Herman offers the Stooges an unconventional proposition: serve as human targets for the spear-throwing act performed by the "Sultan of Abudaba." In a daring escape, the Stooges evade the perilous fate by leaping into a crater created by Curly's earlier mishap on the high wire.

==Production notes== ''Three Little Twirps'' was filmed on August 3–7, 1942. It is the eighth of sixteen Stooge shorts with the word "three" in the title.<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 = 245 | isbn = 0-9711868-0-4}}</ref>

''Three Little Twirps'' marked the second and final Stooge film helmed by director Harry Edwards. Edwards, afflicted by alcoholism, garnered a notorious reputation at Columbia Pictures as one of the studio's least efficient directors. His previous project, the arduous ''Matri-Phony'' (1942), endured an extensive production period exceeding three weeks, a significant departure from the typical shooting schedule of 3-4 consecutive days customary for Stooge productions. Faced with mounting frustrations, the Stooges expressed their dissatisfaction and resolved never to collaborate with Edwards again.<ref name="Okuda">{{cite book | last = Okuda | first = Ted | author-link = Ted Okuda |author2=Watz, Edward | title = The Columbia Comedy Shorts | publisher = McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers | date = 1986 | pages = 214 | isbn = 0-89950-181-8}}</ref>

== Quotes == * Larry: Beat it, Grandpa! We ain't got time for kibbitzers!

==References== {{Reflist}}

== External links == * {{IMDb title|0036434}}

Category:1943 films Category:1943 comedy films Category:The Three Stooges films Category:American black-and-white films Category:Columbia Pictures short films Category:Films directed by Harry Edwards (director) Category:American comedy short films Category:1943 English-language films Category:1943 American films