SNOW WHITE AND THE THREE STOOGES-20th Century-Fox-1961-This is the second of the new Three Stooges “comeback” films after HAVE ROCKET WILL TRAVEL (if you don’t count the mostly compilation STOP! LOOK! AND LAUGH with Paul Winchell).
Snow White (1960 Olympic Gold Medal skater Carol Heiss) is imprisoned by her evil stepmother (Patricia Medina, who later on becomes an ugly broom using witch) after the death of her husband The King (Edgar Barrier). A good 15 minutes passes (after the credits) before The Stooges show up. They are traveling entertainers who saved and adopted Prince Charming (Edson Stroll who was in THE THREE STOOGES IN ORBIT the next year, the “Twilight Zone” episode “The Eye Of The Beholder” and the “McHale’s Navy” TV show) when he was a boy.
They do some slapstick (though the eye poking is kept to a minimum) and get a magic sword that grants wishes. With all the ice skiing and singing, it seems like The Stooges were trying to emulate the early ‘40’s musical comedies of Abbott & Costello!
Guy Rolfe (who was in DR. SARDONICUS and KING OR KINGS the same year) is the queen’s consort. Buddy Baer (GIANT FROM THE UNKNOWN) is the queen’s reluctant executioner. Baer was also in A & C’s JACK AND THE BEANSTALK.
Also with Peter Coe (HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN), Marie Blake (AKA Blossom Rock; Grandmamma on “The Addams Family”), Herbie Faye and Burt Mustin. Scriptwriter Elwood Ullman, who wrote a few of The New Stooges later efforts, also scripted many Bowery Boys movies, perhaps Abbott & Costello’s worst film LOST IN ALASKA and DR. GOLDFOOT AND THE BIKINI MACHINE. Co-writer Noel Langley scripted THE WIZARD OF OZ!
This was the last film from director Walter Lang, who was no stranger to musicals having helmed THE KING AND I and THERE’S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS and other titles dating back to 1925! He died in 1972 three years before original Stooges Moe and Larry. Curly Joe said goodbye in 1993.
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