"Three Little Pirates" is a wonderful Three Stooges short containing the boys' classic "Maha? Aha!" routine. Curly may have been seriously ill at the time of filming, but he still turns in a fine performance posing as a half-blind wayfarer bringing rare gifts to a ruthless governor (Vernon Dent).
Obviously, the most celebrated highlight of "Three Little Pirates" is the "Maha? Aha!" sketch, which Moe, Larry, & Curly originated in the 1941 Columbia feature film "Time Out for Rhythm", when Curly's energy was at a much higher level. Other highlights from this short: When the pinball machine tilts, a huge mallet drops down to strike the head of the "tilter". The Stooges pick the wrong wall when they use mallets, chisels, and other tools to escape from their jail cell. Curly throws a knife haphazardly, causing a woman inside a picture frame to suddenly scream and crush a vase onto a pirate's head.
Director Edward Bernds remembered the great difficulty he had in directing an ill, tired, worn-out Curly in the midforties (e.g., "A Bird in the Head" [1946], "Monkey Businessmen" [1946]), but in "Three Little Pirates", Curly was most assuredly in top form. True, his health problems are noticeable, but he nevertheless performs very well in this particular short.
Obviously, the most celebrated highlight of "Three Little Pirates" is the "Maha? Aha!" sketch, which Moe, Larry, & Curly originated in the 1941 Columbia feature film "Time Out for Rhythm", when Curly's energy was at a much higher level. Other highlights from this short: When the pinball machine tilts, a huge mallet drops down to strike the head of the "tilter". The Stooges pick the wrong wall when they use mallets, chisels, and other tools to escape from their jail cell. Curly throws a knife haphazardly, causing a woman inside a picture frame to suddenly scream and crush a vase onto a pirate's head.
Director Edward Bernds remembered the great difficulty he had in directing an ill, tired, worn-out Curly in the midforties (e.g., "A Bird in the Head" [1946], "Monkey Businessmen" [1946]), but in "Three Little Pirates", Curly was most assuredly in top form. True, his health problems are noticeable, but he nevertheless performs very well in this particular short.