''Pardon My Terror'' is a 1946

short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

starring Richard Lane and

Gus Schilling August "Gus" Schilling (June 20, 1908 – June 16, 1957) was an American film actor who started in burlesque comedy and usually played nervous comic roles, often unbilled. A friend of Orson Welles, he appeared in five of the director's films � ...

. The supporting cast also includes Christine McIntyre, Lynne Lyons,

Philip Van Zandt Philip Van Zandt (October 4, 1904 – February 15, 1958), sometimes billed as Phil Van Zandt, was a Dutch-American actor of stage, film, and television. He made nearly 250 film and television appearances between 1939 and 1958. Life and career ...

, Kenneth McDonald,

Dick Wessel Richard Michael Wessel (April 20, 1913 – April 20, 1965) was an American film actor who appeared in more than 270 films between 1935 and 1966. He is best remembered for his only leading role, a chilling portrayal of strangler Harry "C ...

Vernon Dent Vernon Bruce Dent (February 16, 1895 – November 5, 1963) was an American comic actor, who appeared in over 400 films. He co-starred in many short films for Columbia Pictures, frequently as the foil and the main antagonist and ally to The Thr ...

Emil Sitka Emil Sitka (December 22, 1914January 16, 1998) was a veteran American actor, who appeared in hundreds of movies, short films, and television shows, and is best known for his numerous appearances with The Three Stooges. He is one of only two acto ...

and

Dudley Dickerson Dudley Henry Dickerson Jr. (November 27, 1906September 23, 1968) was an American film actor. Born in Chickasha, Oklahoma, he appeared in nearly 160 films between 1932 and 1952, and is best remembered for his roles in several Three Stooges films ...

Plot

Private detectives Dick and Gus are asked to investigate the disappearance and possible murder of her wealthy grandfather Jonas Morton. The duo encounter houseguest Mr. Grooch and his two assistants, who are behind the goings-on, and plotting to steal the Morton fortune. Creepy butler Jarvis also seems to have an ulterior motive. Dick and Gus' presence is not appreciated, and they find themselves the targets of poison, gunfire, and an electrifying death trap.

Production

''Pardon My Terror'' was originally meant to star

The Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical farce and slapstick. Six Stooges appeared ...

. Director

Edward Bernds Edward Bernds (July 12, 1905May 20, 2000) was an American screenwriter and director, born in Chicago, Illinois. Career While in his junior year in Lake View High School, he and several friends formed a small radio clique and obtained amateur li ...

had completed the script in 1946 and was ready to shoot the film after the Stooges' ''

Half-Wits Holiday ''Half-Wits Holiday'' is a 1947 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard in his final starring role). It is the 97th entry in the series released by C ...

'',

Curly Howard Jerome Lester Horwitz (; October 22, 1903 – January 18, 1952), known professionally as Curly Howard, was an American actor and comedian. He was best known as a member of the American comedy team the Three Stooges, which also featured his elder ...

's last starring film with the Stooges. Howard's untimely

stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...

rendered him unable to continue with the act, so Bernds jettisoned his original script and hastily rewrote it for Schilling & Lane. Schilling's part was written as a combined Curly/

Larry Fine Louis Feinberg (October 5, 1902 – January 24, 1975), known professionally as Larry Fine, was an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is best known as a member of the comedy act the Three Stooges. Early life Fine was born to a Russian Je ...

role, while Lane's was as

Moe Howard Moses Harry Horwitz (June 19, 1897 – May 4, 1975), known professionally as Moe Howard, was an American actor and comedian. He is best known as the leader of The Three Stooges, the farce comedy team who starred in motion pictures and television ...

. Bernds later admitted that the rewritten script was not a good fit for Schilling & Lane and he was determined to have the Stooges film their version of ''Pardon My Terror''. As such, he reverted to his original script, adhered Curly's previous lines for

Shemp Howard Samuel Horwitz (March 11, 1895 – November 22, 1955), known professionally as Shemp Howard, was an American actor and comedian. He was called "Shemp" because "Sam" came out that way in his mother's thick Lithuanian Yiddish, Litvak accent. He is ...

(who had replaced his brother in 1946), and retitled the film '' Who Done It?''. ''Who Done It?'' would become one of the finest comedies the team ever produced. Stooge expert Jon Solomon, author of ''The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion'' commented that "this well-balanced mixture of physical abuse, verbal banter, and emotional surprise is particularly vibrant even for a Stooge film." Coincidentally, Columbia Pictures actors

and Christine McIntyre appeared in both films. ''Pardon My Terror'' is a remake of the

Walter Catlett Walter Leland Catlett (February 4, 1889 – November 14, 1960) was an American actor and comedian. He made a career of playing excitable, meddlesome, temperamental, and officious blowhards. Career Catlett was born on February 4, 1889, in S ...

film ''You're Next''. It was remade with

Harry Langdon Harry Philmore Langdon (June 15, 1884 – December 22, 1944) was an American comedian who appeared in vaudeville, silent films (where he had his greatest fame), and talkies.Obituary ''Variety'', December 27, 1944, page 39. Life and career Bor ...

as ''To Heir as Human''.

References

External links

*
''Pardon My Terror'' at ThreeStooges.net
*Pardon My Terror at columbiashortsdept.weebly.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Pardon My Terror 1946 films Columbia Pictures short films American black-and-white films Films directed by Edward Bernds 1946 comedy films American comedy films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films