Malice in the Palace

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Malice in the Palace is a 1949 short-subject comedy film starring the Three Stooges (Moe, Larry, and Shemp). It was directed by Jules White and written by Felix Adler. The film was remade in 1956 as Rumpus in the Harem, using a great deal of footage from Malice.

The Stooges portray waiters at a restaurant in the Middle East who obtain a map leading them to the prized 'Rootin Tootin Diamond.' (The map features several comical location names, such as 'Great Mitten,' the 'Bay of Rum,' 'I-ran,' He-ran,' and 'She-ran.') In the land of 'Schmow,' the trio succeeds in obtaining the jewel via their chicanery and hijinks, aided in part by using Santa Claus costumes.

Also appearing in the film are frequent Stooge co-stars Vernon Dent as 'Hassan Ben Sobar' and Frank Lackteen as 'Afa Dollah.' According to The Three Stooges Journal, a part was written for Curly—a lobby card photo shot for this film features an emaciated and mustachioed Curly as a chef—but he does not appear in the short. (Larry, instead, plays the chef.)

Malice is one of four Stooge shorts that exist in the public domain (the others being Disorder in the Court, Brideless Groom, and Sing a Song of Six Pants). As such, these four shorts frequently appear on cheaply produced DVD compilations.