Summary
Pardon My Backfire is a 1953 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Shemp Howard). It is the 149th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.
| Pardon My Backfire | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Jules White |
| Written by | Felix Adler |
| Produced by | Jules White |
| Starring | Moe Howard Larry Fine Shemp Howard Benny Rubin Frank Sully Phil Arnold Fred Kelsey Barbara Bartay Diana Darrin Angela Stevens Ruth Godfrey Blackie Whiteford Leonard Kening Jules White |
| Cinematography | Henry Freulich |
| Edited by | Edwin H. Bryant |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 15:52 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot edit
The Stooges are automotive technicians grappling with the dual imperatives of professional advancement and personal fulfillment in the context of impending matrimonial commitments. Situated within the confines of their automotive workshop, the trio finds themselves entangled in a serendipitous encounter with a cohort of fugitives seeking repair for a damaged vehicular component.
Amidst the routine tasks of their occupation, a fortuitous revelation emerges through a broadcast news bulletin, disclosing the presence of escaped convicts within their proximate vicinity. Leveraging their astute deductive faculties, the Stooges swiftly discern the correlation between the criminals in their midst and the televised alerts, thereby precipitating a moment of existential reckoning.
Harnessing their collective acumen and dexterity, the Stooges orchestrate a tactful apprehension of the felons, thereby facilitating their delivery into the hands of legal authorities. The successful culmination of their intervention begets not only a commendable act of civic duty but also engenders material remuneration in the form of a substantial reward.
Empowered by their newfound financial solvency, the Stooges transcend the constraints of fiscal impediment, thereby paving the pathway towards the consummation of their romantic aspirations. Emboldened by the fruits of their valorous exploits, the trio embarks upon the sacred covenant of marriage with their respective paramours, thereby symbolizing the harmonization of personal gratification with professional accomplishment.
Cast edit
Credited edit
- Moe Howard as Moe
- Larry Fine as Larry
- Shemp Howard as Shemp
- Benny Rubin as Charles
- Frank Sully as Algernon
- Phil Arnold as Shiv
Uncredited edit
- Fred Kelsey as Father
- Barbara Bartay as Gun moll
- Diana Darrin as Bettie
- Angela Stevens as Hettie
- Ruth Godfrey as Nettie
- Blackie Whiteford as first Policeman
- Leonard Kening as second Policeman
- Jules White as Radio announcer
Production notes edit
Pardon My Backfire was the second and last short made by Columbia with the Stooges in 3D, the previous being Spooks! (released June 15). Pardon My Backfire premiered on August 15, 1953 with the 3D Columbia western The Stranger Wore a Gun[1] starring Randolph Scott and featuring Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine.
Similar to its antecedent, Spooks!, the production of Pardon My Backfire extended over a period of five complete days to accommodate the intricate demands of capturing shots and angles requisite for optimal 3D viewing. This temporal extension diverged from the prevailing norm of the era, where contemporary Stooge films typically underwent completion within a time frame of no more than three days, with instances of remakes often being expeditiously executed within the span of a singular day.[2]
This is the third and final Stooge short with the words "pardon my" in the title. This was also the last Stooge short featuring longtime supporting actor Fred Kelsey.[1]
References edit
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