''Three Missing Links'' is a 1938 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team

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 ...

(

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 ...

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 ...

and

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 ...

). It is the 33rd entry in the series released by

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

starring the comedians, who appearing in 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

Plot

The boys are janitors at Hollywood studio Super Terrific Productions. They are cleaning the office of B. O. Botswaddle ( James C. Morton), who is reviewing a script for a new picture called, ''Jilted in the Jungle'', where the leading man will be a gorilla. After unintentionally destroying Botswaddle's office, the trio are nearly fired. But, after Curly does his classic imitation of a "chicken with its head cut off" followed by other motions, Botswaddle declares Curly to be the "dead image of the missing link". Moe and Larry are also cast in the movie, and they are sent off to Africa to begin shooting. While setting up camp, Curly buys some "love candy" from a cannibalistic medicine man (

John Lester Johnson John Lester Johnson (born John Leslie Johnson; August 13, 1893 – March 27, 1968) was an American professional boxer and actor. He is perhaps best known for his 1916 boxing match against Jack Dempsey, and his 1933 performance as Bumbo, the titul ...

), in hopes of impressing leading lady Mirabel Mirabel (

Jane Hamilton Jane Hamilton (born July 13, 1957) is an American novelist. Early life Jane Hamilton was born and grew up in Oak Park, Illinois (U.S.), the youngest of five children. She won prizes for poetry and short stories throughout high school and colleg ...

). That night, while the Stooges are sleeping, a lion ( Tanner) licks their feet, frightening them as they run off with their tent. Problems arise when Curly (dressed as a gorilla) gets entangled with a real gorilla (

Ray "Crash" Corrigan Ray "Crash" Corrigan (born Raymond Benitz; February 14, 1902 – August 10, 1976) was an American actor most famous for appearing in many B-Western movies (among these the Three Mesquiteers and Range Busters film series). He also was a st ...

), who scares the film crew off the set. The gorilla then turns his attention to Curly, who, in trying to placate the beast, eats some of the love candy and falls in love with it. Repulsed, the gorilla dashes off with a lovestruck Curly in pursuit.

Cast

Credited

Production notes

''Three Missing Links'' was filmed on April 7–12, 1938.''Three Missing Links'' at threestooges.net
/ref> It is the fourth of sixteen Stooge shorts to use the word "three" in the title and the first entry directed by Columbia Pictures Short Subject head Jules White. The clip of the Stooges arguing in B. O. Botswaddle's office was featured prominently in the 1989 film ''

Lethal Weapon 2 ''Lethal Weapon 2'' is a 1989 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Richard Donner, and starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Joss Ackland, Derrick O'Connor and Patsy Kensit. It is a sequel to the 1987 film ''Lethal Weapon'' ...

''. Tanner the Lion appears before the final act of the film, having previously appeared in

Wee Wee Monsieur ''Wee Wee Monsieur'' is a 1938 short subject directed by Del Lord starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard). It is the 29th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the c ...

from the same year, and

Movie Maniacs ''Movie Maniacs'' is a 1936 short subject directed by Del Lord starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard). It is the 13th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the co ...

from 2 years prior.

Quotes

*Moe: "We're terrific!" *Larry: "We're colossal!" *Curly: "We're even mediocre!"

References

External links

* *
''Three Missing Links'' at threestooges.net
{{The Three Stooges 1938 films The Three Stooges films American black-and-white films 1938 comedy films Films directed by Jules White Columbia Pictures short films American slapstick comedy films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films