MERRY MAVERICKS (1951) -- ThreeStooges.net

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Released September 06, 1951
Featuring Moe, Larry and Shemp

Columbia
15.75 min. (Short Subject)

To keep Red Morgan and his gang from stealing the mine payroll, the bank president and local newspaper editor fake a story that three famous lawmen are coming to clean up the town, using a "wanted for vagrancy" leaflet featuring Moe, Larry and Shemp. The three arrive in town looking for a job cleaning the saloon, and bumbling circumstances turn against Red and his henchmen, who are soon subdued by the "three famous lawmen." A crooked Sheriff frees the Morgan gang from jail, and they follow the newly deputized Stooges to the old Horton place, supposedly haunted by a headless Indian, and now the new hiding place for the payroll. Posing as ghosts, the crooks begin stalking our heroes.

A reworking of PHONY EXPRESS (1943).

Avg. Rating:

[7.25/10]

Cast List

Larry Fine
Larry

Shemp Howard
Shemp

Moe Howard
Moe

Victor Travers
Newspaper editor

Ernie Adams
Mr. Higgins

Don C. Harvey
Red Morgan

Marion Martin
Gladys

John Merton
Shotgun

George Chesebro
Pete

Paul Campbell
Clarence Cassidy

Al Thompson
Bartender

Emil Sitka
Deputy Mort

Blackie Whiteford
Al

Unidentified MERRY MAVERICKS
Barflys

Production Crew

Hugh McCollum
Producer

Edward Bernds
Director

Edward Bernds
Story and Screenplay

Allen G. Siegler
Director of Photography

Edwin Bryant
Film Editor

Charles Clague
Art Director

Mischa K. Bakaleinikoff
Music

Stooge Businesses (0)

Stooge Goofs (2)

Stooge Mayhem (Avg. 1.25)

Re: MERRY MAVERICKS
Posted 2001-12-27 17:59:00 by Shemp_Diesel
Edited 2015-01-08 19:27:04 by Shemp_Diesel

The only bad short Ed Bernds directed during the Shemp years. The opening scenes of this short when Moe takes down the wanted poster is good stuff--I especially liked his little speech about going out west where you can lounge in the lazy sun & he slaps the other two for falling asleep. After that the laugh meter is going at empty for the most part. Shemp's line "hey bud, you got a calender" when he gets locked in the jail cell is great.

4 pokes

Reviewer's Rating:

(4)

Re: MERRY MAVERICKS
Posted 2000-08-26 19:37:00 by Stooge
Edited 2008-06-15 23:54:20 by Stooge

Edward Bernds' only truly bad film (his weaker Curly films are excusable due to Curly's bad health), and boy is it a bad one! The first half is nothing but a rip-off of PHONY EXPRESS, and the redone scenes and gags are done very slow and weak here, and Moe and Shemp have to steal some of Curly's gags (I especially hated seeing Moe do the "Curly Shuffle"). It doesn't get any better with the new plot twist in the second half; Bernds had done the "scare routine" much better before. The main supporting actors in this are terrible and come off as cheap replacements for the better-known Stooge supporting actors who would usually play these types of roles (Don Harvey for Kenneth MacDonald, Marian Martin for Christine McIntyre, and Paul Campbell for Jock Mahoney). Marian Martin, in particular, was lifeless in this and didn't look like she was even trying. Barely any genuine laughs here overall. I guess Bernds was having an off-day when he made this.

Reviewer's Rating:

(4)

Re: MERRY MAVERICKS
Posted 2001-10-13 21:33:00 by jaronson

An average short, but not Bernds's best. The first half was very slow and Christine McIntyre should have been used instead of Marian Martin as the dame. The whole scene in the Old Horton Place ups the grade a lot, especially the chase scene.Grade: B-

Reviewer's Rating:

(6)

Re: MERRY MAVERICKS
Posted 2001-08-22 04:37:00 by [Deleted Member]

Will you knucleheads quit knocking this short? It's great. I enjoyed Emil Sitka's brief appearance as the jailer (and you said there were no regular supporting players!) but I didn't like the girl in this short. She wasn't attractive and she was just okay as an actress. I also wish they would've had Jock Mahoney instead of that dopey Jock-wannabe. I did like his "Eww, blood!" line at the end.This is probably the only time in the history of film that the western theme and the haunted house theme came together. I thought it worked very well. I enjoy all kinds of spooky stories and legends, which contributed to my enjoyment of this short.ISLIPP, you catch me. ©2001Edited by - ISLIPP on 8/25/01 12:17:47 AM

Re: MERRY MAVERICKS
Posted 2001-05-30 00:25:00 by Mike Holme

This was just okay, it isn't nearly as good as "Phony Express" but I did like the haunted house part somewhat. I'd give this short a C. Mike Holme

Re: MERRY MAVERICKS
Posted 2001-05-28 23:36:00 by metaldams

I'm going to take the middle route on this one. I find this watchable on its own merit, but the supporting actors are second rate as oppsosed to the regulars, and this short is not anywhere near as good as Out West, Punchy Cowpunchers, or Phony Express. I do like the what's this routine. You know, where Moe asks Larry the questions and gives Shemp the abuse.C

Re: MERRY MAVERICKS
Posted 2001-05-28 23:00:00 by B. Bopper

I thought this was one of Edward Bernds best shorts. I thought all of the supporting players were great as well. I love the "scare routine" in this short as well.A- B. Bopper - President of The Amalgamed Association of Morons, local 6 & 7/8

Re: MERRY MAVERICKS
Posted 2000-12-23 12:07:00 by Uncle Mortimer

This is pretty bad...sickly almost. It depresses me when I see a bad one. I think to myself, how could such great comedy minds not notice how bad this is? And then I always realize, they just had to keep goin. I relate it to a great rock band who puts out a bad album once in a while. Or a baseball team that has 162 games to play and goes through a bad stretch. This short would be comparable to The Rolling Stones "Dirty Work" lp or the '99 Yankees losing 16-1 to the Forida Marlins....But hey, give it up for the "Headless Indian!"

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Prod. No.:	4161
Shooting Days:	4 days From: 1950-06-13 To: 1950-06-16

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