Make 'Em Laugh (The Funny Business of America)
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Featuring Moe, Larry and Curly
19.5 min. (Short Subject)
The Stooges are three Union spies who infiltrate the Confederate headquarters of General Butts. Their mission is to determine the enemy's positions and armaments, but manage to find the time to flirt with the General's daughter and her two lovely friends. Before long, the boys find themselves suspected by Major "Bloodhound" Filbert, who has a special skill in uncovering spies.
Dialogue makes reference to "Where is Operator 13?" OPERATOR 13 was an MGM Civil War drama released in 1934, costarring Ted Healy. The Stooges were still under contract at MGM, and Curly Howard had a small cameo as a Confederate soldier in that film. Costume and makeup test production stills of Curly in OPERATOR 13 exist, and one can be found in the 2006 Larry Fine biography One Fine Stooge by Steve Cox and Jim Terry.
Opening title music is an arrangement of "Dixie" and "John Brown's Body," by Louis Silvers; see The Three Stooges Journal # 88 (Winter 1998).
UNCIVIL WARRIORS was adapted for the first issue of The Three Stooges comic book series published by Jubilee Publications. Moe's son in-law Norman Maurer served as the comic's editor, writer and illustrater, with his partner Joe Kubert. The issue was released in February 1949. The comic book version is slightly different from its film counterpart, with the Stooges portraying Union spies named Lieutenant Al Mond, Captain Ches Nutt and Major Phil Bert. Moe, Larry and Curly are assigned to infiltrate General Cornligger's headquarters at Confederate Army Camp and liberate Operator 13, who turns out to be an attractive blonde named Miss Draindrop Ansby.
Larry Fine
Operator 12 / Lt. Duck
Moe Howard
Operator 14 / Capt. Dodge
Jerry Howard
Operator 15 / Maj. Hyde
James C. Morton
Union General
Marvin Loback
Colonel
Ford West
Lt. Colonel
Si Jenks
Major
Billy Engle
Captain
Charles Dorety
Bugler
Lew Davis
Orderly
Heinie Conklin
1st Confederate sentry
John Rand
2nd Confederate sentry
Lou Archer
Charlie
Bud Jamison
General Buttz
Ted Lorch
Major Filbert
Phyllis Crane
Judith Buttz
Celeste Edwards
Clementine Buttz
Jenifer Gray
Judith's friend
Charlie Phillips
Buttz's aide
George Gray
Pursuing soldier
Harry Keatan
Confederate cannoneer
Hubert Diltz
Confederate cannoneer
Charles Cross
Soldier
Wes Warner
stunts
Del Lord
Director
Jules White
Producer
Felix Adler
Story and Screenplay
John Stumar
Photography
Charles Hochberg
Film Editor
R. H. Bassett
Music
Louis Silvers
Music
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