Crime on Their Hands

Crime on Their Hands

Directed by	Edward Bernds
Produced by	Hugh McCollum
Written by	Elwood Ullman
Starring	Moe Howard Larry Fine Shemp Howard Kenneth MacDonald Christine McIntyre
Cinematography	Henry Freulich
Editing by	Henry DeMond
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date(s)	December 9, 1948
Running time	17' 33"
Country	United States
Language	English

Crime on Their Hands is the 112th 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.

1 Plot
2 Notes
3 References
4 External links

Plot

The Stooges are janitors at a newspaper who stumble on a hot story about the priceless Punjab diamond being stolen by a crook named Dapper (Kenneth MacDonald). With dreams of becoming genuine reporters, the trio head for Squid McGuffy's cafe asking for the whereabouts of Dapper. They manage to convince everyone at the restaurant that they are actually police.

While searching several rooms above the cafe, the Stooges stumble on Dapper's moll (Christine McIntyre), who hastily hides the Punjab diamond in a candy dish. The boys refuse to leave, suspecting Dapper will eventually show his face. While killing time, Shemp starts to flirt with the moll, and manages to swallow the ice along with some mints from the candy dish. The gal nearly has a nervous breakdown but quickly discovers the Stooges are nothing more than reporters. She calls in Dapper and his henchman Muscles (Cy Schindell) and frantically try to pry the diamond out of frazzled Shemp.

After all else fails, Dapper decides to cut him open. Moe and Larry are locked in a closet by Muscles while Shemp is tied down on a close by desk-turned-operating table. As luck would have it, there happen to be a bag of tools in the closet, which Moe and Larry use to saw their way out of the closet, and right into a gorilla's cage on the other side of the wall. The gorilla knocks Moe, Larry, Dapper, and Muscles cold. The beast, however, befriends Shemp, and helps him cough up the diamond.

Notes

The press room scene was recycled in 1956's Commotion on the Ocean, while the remaining portion of Crime on Their Hands was utilized in 1955's Hot Ice.
In the scene where Moe is trying to extract the diamond from Shemp's stomach with a set of ice tongs, the size of the tongs changes dramatically from shot to shot; when Moe first grabs them and after he pulls them out of Shemp's mouth they are rather small, but as he is pushing it down Shemp's throat, it is noticeably twice as long.
The title Crime on Their Hands is a parody of the expression "time on their hands."^[1]
Crime on Their Hands marked the final appearance of longtime Stooge supporting actor Cy Schindell. Drafted into the Marines during World War II, Schindell developed a severe case of jungle rot while on Guadalcanal, which eventually developed into terminal cancer. Knowing he was dying, Schindell worked constantly during his illness to assure his family would be financially secure after his death. Excessive makeup was used during the filming of Crime on Their Hands to mask Schindell's cancer-ridden face.^[2]

References

^ Solomon, Jon (2002). The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion. Comedy III Productions, Inc. pp. 246. ISBN 0971186804.
^ Okuda, Ted; Watz, Edward (1986). The Columbia Comedy Shorts. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. pp. 232. ISBN 0899501818.

External links

Crime on Their Hands at the Internet Movie Database
Crime on Their Hands at AllRovi

The Three Stooges

Ted Healy Moe Howard Larry Fine Curly Howard Shemp Howard Joe Besser Joe DeRita Emil Sitka

Supporting actors	Eadie Adams Mary Ainslee Murray Alper Dorothy Appleby Phil Arnold Buddy Baer Mark Bailey Edgar Barrier Phyllis Barry Rayford Barnes Don Beddoe Bonnie Bonnell Gladys Blake Mel Blanc Joe Bolton Lynton Brent Stanley Blystone Bobby Burns Symona Boniface Nanette Bordeaux Harold Brauer Lloyd Bridges Peter Brocco Samson Burke Walter Burke Bill Camfield Connie Cezan George Chesebro Carol Christensen Jack Clifford Peter Coe Robert Colbert Monte Collins Chester Conklin Heinie Conklin Spade Cooley Gino Corrado Phyllis Crane Dick Curtis Maurice Dallimore Diana Darrin Michael David Lew Davis Peter Dawson Marjorie Deanne Vernon Dent Richard Devon Dudley Dickerson Ann Doran Anthony Eustrel Herbert Evans Herbie Faye Richard Fiske Kelly Flint Bess Flowers Peter Forster Joan Freeman Paul Frees Milton Frome Hal Fryar Paul "Mousie" Garner Maxine Gates Slim Gaut Henry Gibson Julie Gibson Billy Gilbert Johnny Ginger June Gittelson Ned Glass Ruth Godfrey Lorna Gray Dee Green Jane Hamilton Marcia Healy Myron Healey Carol Heiss Althea Henley Al Hill Rex Holman Victoria Horne Doris Houck Mary Beth Hughes William Irving Bud Jamison Suzanne Kaaren Johnny Kascier Iau Kea Fred Kelsey Tom Kennedy Robert Kino Fred Kohler Nancy Kovack Frank Lackteen Don Lamond Muriel Landers Eddie Laughton Norman Leavitt Lu Leonard Ethelreda Leopold George J. Lewis Sylvia Lewis Jack "Tiny" Lipson Anna-Lisa Margie Liszt Babe London Ted Lorch Kenneth MacDonald Betty Mack Wayne Mack Jock Mahoney Laurie Main Judy Malcolm Ed T. McDonnell Christine McIntyre Marlin McKeever Mike McKeever Dal McKennon Eva McKenzie Patricia Medina Cheerio Meredith Frank Mills Mort Mills Frank Mitchell Geneva Mitchell James C. Morton George N. Neise Nestor Paiva Joe Palma Blanche Payson Snub Pollard Stanley Price Norma Randall Rebel Randall Quinn Redeker Suzanne Ridgeway Blossom Rock Guy Rolfe Gene Roth Benny Rubin Tim Ryan Fred Sanborn Jay Sheffield Cy Schindell Bruce Sedley Harry Semels Paul Shannon Barbara Slater Sally Starr Robert Stevens Robert Stevenson Edson Stroll Frank Sully Harriette Tarler Forrest Taylor Greta Thyssen Al Thompson Victor Travers John Tyrrell Philip Van Zandt Dick Wessel Adam West Blackie Whiteford Jean Willes Patricia Wright Evelyn Young Duke York

Directors	Edward Bernds Preston Black Lou Breslow Clyde Bruckman Charley Chase Harry Edwards Archie Gottler Walter Lang Charles Lamont Del Lord Norman Maurer Ray McCarey Hugh McCollum David Lowell Rich Jules White

Screenwriters	Ewart Adamson Felix Adler Andrew Bennison Herman Boxer Clyde Bruckman Jack Cluett Lloyd French Irv Frisch Will Harr Al Giebler Thea Goodman Jerome S. Gottler John Grey Griffin Jay Searle Kramer Charles Nelson Albert Ray Elwood Ullman Jack White/Preston Black

Works	The Three Stooges filmography The Three Stooges Collection Jerks of All Trades The New Three Stooges episodes Kook's Tour Moe Howard and the Three Stooges

Related articles	The Three Stooges in popular culture The Robonic Stooges Stoogemania Fake Shemp "Swinging the Alphabet" "The Curly Shuffle" 1984 arcade game 1987 video game Rube Goldberg Slapstick Vaudeville Harry Cohn Foley artist Rich Koz American burlesque 2012 feature film

Crime on Their Hands

Contents

Plot

Notes

References

External links