Goofs and Saddles

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Goofs and Saddles is a 1937 American Western short subject film directed by Del Lord and starring the slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard). It is the 24th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

Plot

Set in the American Old West, the Stooges are scouts tasked with apprehending a notorious gang of cattle rustlers under the command of the nefarious Longhorn Pete. Directed by General Muster, the trio embarks on their mission, employing stealth tactics by concealing themselves amidst the terrain, masquerading as bushes in a bid to surveil the rustlers' activities.

However, their efforts are swiftly thwarted when the cunning rustlers discern their ruse and unleash a volley of gunfire, compelling the Stooges to hastily retreat. They ultimately find themselves seeking refuge within Longhorn Pete's bustling saloon, where they resort to adopting disguises as gamblers while awaiting the arrival of the cavalry.

In a desperate bid to alert General Muster of their predicament, Moe endeavors to dispatch a message via carrier pigeon, only for their clandestine communication to be intercepted by Pete, thereby jeopardizing their cover. Forced to flee again, the Stooges seize upon a covered wagon as their means of escape, inadvertently embarking on a chaotic journey replete with household paraphernalia and an unexpected simian companion. As the pursuit intensifies, the Stooges ingeniously repurpose a meat grinder into an improvised weapon, transforming it into a makeshift Gatling gun by fortuitously incorporating ammunition and a gun belt. Their resourcefulness turns the tide of the confrontation, enabling them to overpower the bandits until the timely intervention of General Muster and his troops culminates in the apprehension of the outlaws.

However, amidst the celebratory accolades, an unforeseen mishap ensues when the mischievous monkey inadvertently activates the grinder, triggering a flurry of shots that prompts the Stooges to hastily retreat from the scene.

Cast

Credited

• Moe Howard as Wild Bill Hiccup
• Larry Fine as Just Plain Bill
• Curly Howard as Buffalo Billious^[1]

Uncredited

• Stanley Blystone as Longhorn Pete
• Ted Lorch as General Muster
• Ethan Laidlaw as Tex
• Hank Mann as Lem
• Sam Lufkin as Colonel
• Eddie Laughton as Bartender
• Lew Davis, William Irving as Poker players
• Cy Schindell, Hank Bell, Blackie Whiteford, Jerome "Blackjack" Ward as gang members
• Ethelreda Leopold, Eve Reynolds, Elaine Waters as saloon girls^[1]

Production notes

The title Goofs and Saddles is a spoof of the term "hooves and saddles".^[2] Filming was completed on April 14–19, 1937.^[3]

The Stooges' names in this short are Buffalo Billious (Curly), Wild Bill Hiccup (Moe), and Just Plain Bill (Larry). The cultural references are to, respectively, American Old West figures Buffalo Bill and Wild Bill Hickok, and Just Plain Bill, an iconic radio soap opera of the era.^[2]

General Muster is a spoof on famous American Civil War and American Indian War General, George Armstrong Custer.

The chase sequence on horseback would be recycled in 1954's Pals and Gals.^[2]

This short has the smallest slap count. Moe smacks Curly softly on his head and he slaps Larry when he thought Larry pulled them off the horses after hitting a tree branch.^[2]

References

External links

• Goofs and Saddles at IMDb
• Goofs and Saddles at AllMovie