| Jerks of All Trades | |
|---|---|
VHS Cover for Jerks of All Trade. Photo of the Stooges is actually from their 1953 film Rip, Sew and Stitch |
|
| Genre | Sitcom, Television pilot |
| Directed by | George Cahan |
| Starring | Moe Howard Larry Fine Shemp Howard Emil Sitka Symona Boniface Joseph Kearns |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | 1 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Phil Berle |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 20 minutes |
| Distributor | public domain |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ABC |
| Picture format | Black-and-white |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original airing | October 12, 1949 |
Jerks of All Trades is the title of an American television pilot released on October 12, 1949. It was the Three Stooges' first and only pilot made with Shemp Howard in the role of the third stooge. Filmed before a live studio audience, it was a pilot for a planned TV series on ABC, which was never picked up. The pilot film is currently in the public domain and is available on home video.
The Stooges are three bumbling interior decorators. In their office, they meet a new client, Mr. Pennyfeather (Emil Sitka). Just a few moments after Pennyfeather arrives, Shemp accidentally spills ink down the front of Pennyfeather's suit, who becomes enraged. The Stooges then challenge Pennyfeather to mischief with them, featuring the famous "Texas" routine. After the some slapstick mayhem, they are successful in tossing Mr. Pennyfeather out of the office. Suddenly, the next client calls him on the phone for them to come in to manage her house. In her house, The Stooges not only hang wallpaper, but also manage to trash their client's home. Unfortunately, that woman is Mrs. Pennyfeather (Symona Boniface) and that house is Mr. Pennyfeather's house. After Mr. Pennyfeather comes home, the Stooges cover Mr. Pennyfeather with wallpaper and both Mr. Pennyfeather and the Stooges recognize each other (after Pennyfeather imitates the "Texas" routine done for him earlier by the Stooges). In a rage, both Pennyfeathers attack the boys with their own paint and utensils.
In the end, Moe, Larry, and Shemp, defeated, hang up their brushes.
The pilot took a single day to film, and was never aired. B.B. Kahane, Columbia Pictures' Vice-President of Business Affairs, stopped the show from being broadcast. Kahane warned the Stooges that a contract stipulation restricted them from performing in a TV series that might compete with their two-reel comedies. Columbia further threatened to cancel the boys' contract and take them to court if they tried to sell the series. To avert a legal hassle, the pilot was shelved and the project abandoned.
The Stooges would try another television series Kook's Tour in late 1969 and early 1970.