From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Rockin’ in the Rockies
Rockin’ in the Rockies
Rockin’ in the Rockies Rockin’ in the Rockies is a musical western film starring
the Three Stooges (not to be confused with their 1940
short subject Rockin’ Thru the Rockies).[1] It was one of the
Stooges’ few feature films made during the run of their
more well-known series of short subjects for Columbia
Pictures, although the group had appeared in supporting
roles in other features. It is the only Stooges feature with
the act’s most famous line-up (Moe Howard, Larry Fine,
and Curly Howard) in starring roles.
Plot
While his cousin Rusty Williams (Jay Kirby) is away at
Directed by Vernon Keays
Agricultural College, prospector Shorty (Moe) fills in at
Produced by Colbert Clark Rusty’s struggling Reno, Nevada spread as the ranch fore-
man. He spends his time looking for an angle at the
Written by Gail Davenport
Louise Rousseau Wagon Wheel Cafe Casino, and hooks up with two va-
J. Benton Cheney grants (Larry and Curly) after they accidentally win big
John Grey at roulette. Along with two stranded New York singers
Starring Moe Howard (Mary Beth Hughes, Gladys Blake) and their money, the
Larry Fine Stooges and the girls head for the ranch with prospecting
Curly Howard plans. Rusty returns home with hope that investor Sam
Mary Beth Hughes Clemens (Forrest Taylor) will save the ranch’s cattle and
Jay Kirby
mining operations, and finds Shorty and the gang’s plans
Gladys Blake
Jack Clifford interfering. Complicating matters further, inept ranch-
Vernon Dent hands (The Hoosier Hotshots) mistake Clemens for a cat-
Spade Cooley tle rustler, and Shorty, Curly and Larry cook up a scheme
Ken Trietsch to get the girls an audition with a vacationing Broadway
Paul Trietsch
producer (Vernon Dent).
Charles Ward
Gil Taylor
Forrest Taylor
Tim Ryan
Production and reception
Cappy Barra Boys Rockin’ in the Rockies featured musical numbers by
Lew Davis Western Swing orchestra of Spade Cooley and the
John Tyrrell
Hal Price
Hoosier Hot Shots.[2] The Hoosier Hotshots were comedic
Snub Pollard musicians, but, unlike Spike Jones’ orchestra, the Hoosier
Smokey Rogers Hot Shots’ country-swing music never hit mainstream
Deuce Spriggins playlists and they are relatively unknown today.
Strangely, Moe plays it mostly straight as a non-
Louis Manley
Stooge character, with Larry and Curly interacting
Cinematography Glen Gano throughout most of the film as a comedy duo. Curly is rel-
atively subdued in this film, as his mannerisms and reac-
Editing by Paul Borofsky
tions were starting to slow down by the time Rockin’ in the
Distributed by Columbia Pictures Rockies was filmed. Filmed during the same period as the
Release date(s) April 17, 1945 Stooges’ film Idiots Deluxe (Curly noticeably played trom-
bone in both films), Curly was only a few short weeks
Running time 67’ 25" away from suffering a minor stroke, one that would ham-
Country United States per his remaining time with the Stooges. In addition, his
falsetto voice sounds hoarse at times, and at age 41, he
Language English
seems more like 51[3] (see Three Pests in a Mess, Booby Du-
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Rockin’ in the Rockies
pes and Idiots Deluxe for similar performances by a pre- leaves Larry as the toughie—not his best per-
stroke Curly). sona. Larry even has to run the ’when-I-say-
As a result of Moe being cast separate from the team, go-we-all-point-to-the-right’ routine. When
Larry awkwardly assumes Moe’s role as leader of the duo. Curly and Larry finally mount the horse, when
As author Jon Solomon put it, though the Stooges do give Larry rides on top of Curly, and when Larry
the film "all the energy they can muster...when the writ- uses a sledgehammer on Curly’s head, there
ing divides them into a duo and a solo, they lose their is a real absence of either franticness or even
comic dynamic."[1] the basic Stoogeness that makes them else-
Solomon continues: where so successful.[1] Ultimately, the enter-
tainment in Rockin’ in the Rockies derives from
"Rockin’ in the Rockies ignored many of the in- its wacky and upbeat musical acts."[1]
gredients that were making contemporary Stooge
short-films so successful. Writers Johnny Grey and Rockin’ in the Rockies was not a success, and the Stooges
J. Benton Cheney, who had barely written for the continued their series of shorts, again with occasional
Stooges before, separated the Stooges and left Moe supporting roles in others’ feature films. The group even-
to act solo, including very few slapstick exchanges, tually achieved some feature film success with a series
and omitted an effective foil whom the Stooges of full-length pictures made during a television-fueled
could abuse or frustrate. At one point, Moe has resurgence after Columbia had ended their series of
words with and almost strangles Betty (Gladys shorts. Beginning with 1959’s Have Rocket, Will Travel,
Blake)[1]... these later films starred Moe, Larry, and Curly Joe DeRita,
• • Moe: "Jasper, [the mule] and I are who joined the group after the deaths of both Curly and
alike in a lot of things." Shemp Howard and the departure of comedian Joe Bess-
• Betty: "Only your ears are shorter." er.
• Moe: "I resemble that last remark!"
...which is exactly the sort of personnel com-
bination in which the Stooges do not succeed.
Cast
Normally the Stooges either rescue a damsel • Moe Howard - Shorty Williams
in distress or are beaten up by tough, ugly, or • Larry Fine - Himself
overweight women. Here, instead of a heroic • Curly Howard - Himself
rescue or a slapstick exchange, Moe has to pull • Mary Beth Hughes - June McGuire
back his hands. Betty has no verbal or physi- • Vernon Dent - Stanton
cal comeback, but later she gives Moe a kiss. • Spade Cooley - Himself
This film may headline the Stooges, but it is • Ken Trietsch - Hotshot Ken
not a Stooge film.[1] Either the writers/direc- • Paul Trietsch - Hotshot Hezzie
tor (Vernon Keays) did not understand what • Charles Ward - Hotshot Gabe
the Stooges were all about or they consciously • Gil Taylor - Hotshot Gil
tried to create a new kind of vehicle for them. • Jay Kirby - Rusty Williams
Characterizing Moe and Curly as wiseguy • Gladys Blake - Betty Vale
tricksters fails because the writers were un- • Jack Clifford - Sheriff Zeke
able to make them either tricky or clever liars. • Forrest Taylor - Sam Clemens
Often in their mid-career feature films the • Tim Ryan - Tom Trove
Stooges are called upon to ’do’ their old gags
and cram as many of them as possible into a
few minutes, but here they simply recycle old
References
gags without the kind of improvements Time [1] ^ Solomon, Jon (2002). The Complete Three Stooges:
Out for Rhythm achieved, and the dialogue is The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion.
so limited that although the stag, horse and Comedy III Productions, Inc.. p. 316.
mule all talk, they actually have very little to ISBN 0971186804. http://www.amazon.com/dp/
say. Larry and Curly speak in uncharacteris- 0971186804.
tically courteous dialogue as they mount the [2] Hoosier Hot Shots in Rockin’ in the Rockies
horse, and at one point the creativity is so [3] Internet Movie database observation
lacking Moe calls Curly merely, ’You silly so-
and-so.’[1] Even the sound effects are anemic External links
or inappropriate. For the physical gags Curly’s
ailing health is apparent, and Moe is rarely • Rockin’ in the Rockies at the Internet Movie Database
around to cover for or interact with him. This • Rockin’ in the Rockies at Allrovi
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Rockin’ in the Rockies
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockin%27_in_the_Rockies"
Categories: American films, English-language films, 1945 films, The Three Stooges films, Western (genre) comedy films,
Musical comedy films, Black-and-white films, Columbia Pictures films
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