Space Ship Sappy

Space Ship Sappy
Directed by Jules White
Produced by Jules White
Written by Jack White
Starring Moe Howard
Larry Fine
Joe Besser
Benny Rubin
Doreen Woodbury
Emil Sitka
Lorraine Crawford
Harriette Tarler
Marilyn Hanold
Cinematography Henry Freulich
Edited by Saul A. Goodkind
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date
  • April 18, 1957 (1957-04-18) (U.S.)
Running time
16:15
Country United States
Language English

Space Ship Sappy is the 178th short film released by Columbia Pictures in 1957 starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Joe Besser). The comedians released 190 short films for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

Plot

The Stooges meet up with eccentric Professor A.K. Rimple (Benny Rubin) and his daughter (Doreen Woodbury) who ask the trio to help them with a space mission. The mission lands on the planet Sunev (Venus spelled backwards), where the Stooges are taken in by three attractive female aliens. At first, sparks fly (literally) when the girls kiss the boys. But then the ladies turn cannibalistic, and are about the suck the Stooges' blood. However, the boys are able to escape, as a huge lizard appears on the horizon, causing the women to run away. The three jump back in the rocket ship, knocking the Professor and his daughter out cold, and fly back to Earth. They are then shown relating the story of their adventure to an assembled group. When they finish, the "Liars Club" presents them with the award for being the biggest liars in the world.

Production notes

Space Ship Sappy was filmed on August 27-29, 1956.[1] 49-year-old Joe Besser suffered a mild heart attack shortly after filming was completed. Production of the Stooge shorts was put on hold for several weeks while Besser recovered.[2][3]

Space Ship Sappy features Moe and Larry's more "gentlemanly" haircuts, first suggested by Joe Besser. However, these had to be used sparingly, as most of the shorts with Besser were remakes of earlier films, and new footage had to be matched with old.[4]

References

  1. Space Ship Sappy at threestooges.net
  2. Solomon, Jon (2002). The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion. Glendale, California: Comedy III Productions, Inc. p. 491. ISBN 0-9711868-0-4.
  3. Besser, Joe; Jeff Lenburg; Greg Lenburg (1984). Not Just a Stooge. Orange, California: Excelsior Books. p. 264. ISBN 978-0918283009.
  4. Howard Maurer, Joan; Jeff Lenburg; Greg Lenburg (2012) [1982]. The Three Stooges Scrapbook. Glendale, California: Chicago Review Press. p. 264. ISBN 978-1613740743.
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