Punchy Cowpunchers

      Punchy Cowpunchers
      Punchycowpunchers 1sht.gif
      Directed by Edward Bernds
      Produced by Hugh McCollum
      Written by Edward Bernds
      Starring Moe Howard
      Larry Fine
      Shemp Howard
      Christine McIntyre
      Jock Mahoney
      Kenneth MacDonald
      Vernon Dent
      Emil Sitka
      Dick Wessel
      John Cason
      Heinie Conklin
      George Chesebro
      Ted Mapes
      Stanley Price
      Joe Palma
      Cinematography Vincent J. Farrar
      Editing by Henry DeMond
      Distributed by Columbia Pictures
      Release date(s)
      • January 5, 1950 (1950-01-05)
      Running time 17' 19"
      Country United States
      Language English

      Punchy Cowpunchers is the 120th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.

      Plot

      It is the old west and the Dillon clan are making life miserable for a small Western town. Sweetheart Nell (Christine McIntyre) and her dashing but dimwitted boyfriend Elmer (Jock Mahoney) rushes off to find help. Meanwhile, cavalrymen the Stooges are making life miserable for superior, Sergeant Mullins (Dick Wessel). Mullins tries to whip the boys into shape, but his plan backfire and has a run-in with his superior, Captain Daley (Emil Sitka). Daley informs Mullins about the Dillion clan's evildoings, and needs some men to run them out of town. Mullins does not miss a beat, and volunteers the unsuspecting Stooges.

      The Stooges help Elmer (Jock Mahoney) and Nell (Christine McIntyre).

      The trio are made up to look like tough desperadoes, and happen upon the town saloon. They take jobs as waiters and do their best to spy on Dillion (Kenneth MacDonald) and his hombres without being discovered (complete with fake mustaches) However, Moe's mustache flies off his face, right onto Dillion's nose. The gang tie up Moe and Larry, and manage to corner Shemp into a safe.

      As this is going on, Elmer is stumbling his way to the door of United States Cavalry, who are temporarily unavailable, it being pay day and all ("Boys will be boys," shrugs Cavalry colonel Vernon Dent). Disillusioned, Elmer returns to rescue his Nell, who is busy knocking every cowboy who enters her room out cold. Eventually, the Stooges emerge victorious, and Nell and Elmer settle down after Elmer, convinced that he's better off riding alone, gets a glass jug to the head.

      ↑Jump back a section

      Notes

      • This episode is one of the few Three Stooges shorts that prominently features a musical soundtrack. Arguably, the most famous excerpt is a very fast insert of the main theme of Franz Von Suppe's "Light Cavalry Overture,", heard whenever Elmer is shown riding towards the town.
      • One of the shorts where Moe doesn't slap the other stooges a lot. He slaps Shemp once in one scene and slaps Larry on his head when Larry is trying to let Moe know about his fake mustache peeling off.
      • Another short with another small slap count was 1937's Goofs and Saddles which had a smack and a slap.
      ↑Jump back a section

      Read in another language

      This page is available in 1 language

      Last modified on 19 June 2013, at 06:56