The Three Stooges Meet Hercules

Plot synopsis:
The Stooges work at Dimsal's Drug Store in Ithaca, New York, where they befriend Schuyler Davis (Quinn Redeker), the owner of the shop next door, who is attempting to build a time machine. With the boys' "help", the machine transports the boys, Schuyler and disaffected girlfriend Diane Quigley (Vicki Trickett) back in time to Ithaca in ancient Greece during the reign of the lecherous King Odius (George N. Neise). The King, after defeating and imprisoning Ulysses because the Stooges are believed to be gods, has a yearning for Diane. Realizing they have disrupted the proper course of history, Schuyler and the boys free Ulysses, after which Odius banishes them to the galleys, where Schuyler builds impressive muscles while constantly rowing.
After an escape and shipwreck, they kill a monster with the help of Joe's sleeping pills and start billing Schuyler as Hercules at a local gladiatorial arena. The real Hercules (Samson Burke) gets wind of their game and confronts them, but after single combat the Stooges convince Hercules to help them rescue Diane in a chariot chase. The time travelers remove Odius and, navigating by observing the progress of military technology, manage to set history straight by dumping him off into the Wild West where a tribe of Native American warriors chase him off into the distance. After that, the travelers return to Dimsal's Drug Store. Dimsal touches the time machine and disappears, but eventually returns with a pillory. The Stooges manage to remove the pillory with an electric tool.

Tags: comic

Review:
I came to this film NOT a big fan of the stooges.
"The stooges meet hercules" is a great movie.
Its a real funny movie, the stooges go back in time and meet Hercules, who eles...
What seems like years, goes by and the stooges' friend gains more power than 50 men put together.
(What a great work out!) In the end  they go back to fright Hercules and win the girl.
The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962) ***.
This is one of the best of all the later '60s feature films to star the enduring comedy trio.
It succeeds admirably because Moe, Larry and Curly Joe are kept up front of the proceedings and it doesn't hurt at all (except perhaps for them when they get smacked around) that the comedy is consistent and faithful to what we expect from seeing all those old Stooge shorts.
The Stooges are pharmacy workers who get a hold of a time traveling device (it doesn't matter how or why) and find themselves in ancient times where they face a lot more than just Hercules.
All the Stooges films set in past historical eras intentionally spoof historical genres with anachronisms (ancient Egyptians comment on baseball, a Civil War general makes a reference to a radio show, Medieval knights worry whether Lady Godiva might offend the censors, etc.).
But anachronisms are tossed about so gleefully here, you begin to realize that this is what the film is really all about - how movies set in the past pull the wool over the eyes of their innocently romantic audiences with a few spangles, a bit of flash, the inevitable tear-jerk scene, and a good dose of beefcake/cheesecake.
In fact, the recipe for this film could make for pretty heavy satire if the Stooges weren't so clearly making a light-hearted (and light-headed) romp of it all.Those who complain that the boys are looking pretty old in the film pretty much miss the point.
An aging clown looks bad when he tries to play it young; but by working one's whiskers into the act, the clown regenerates himself as a new personality.
These are not the old Stooges who bounced their way through the madcap shorts of the '30s; but they are a heck of a lot more fun than the Stooges of the '50s, trying to pretend that age had never happened.
Whether one enjoys the comedy of the Stooges, like the Marx Brothers, WC Fields, Martin & Lewis, A&C, etc., is up to the individual.
Golden perhaps, given Moe and Larry's age during this time and the fact that after 24 years toiling in Harry Cohn's salt mines, they were finally getting PAID, real money, not the peanuts tossed down to them before.
As for the film, nothing golden about it(would you settle for the bronze, Moe and Larry certainly did with Curly-Joe).
But much like the Besser years, decent is the best you can hope for.There's something else about these films too, I think it's the stooges themselves and how their on screen personas seem to match their actual age.
Even in the worst Besser films, the stooges still seem to be beyond the constraints of old age, still runnin' wild, vandalizing, and smooching with chicks half their age.
But all that seems left behind at the closed down shorts department & the boys seem content with being portrayed as the kindly old grandfather figures always in the position to guide some strapping young lad which leads to another drawback of these 60's features, the prerequisite "love story".
i'm 13 years old and i love the stooges.
the three stooges get sent back in time where they meet hercules.
When the Three Stooges are accidentally sent to ancient Greece in a time machine they accidentally change history.
(3) Since Hercules is mentioned, we know the story occurs in ancient Greece.
For the first time since 1945 (Rockin' in the Rockies), The Three Stooges came back to features in 1959.
The story involves three pharmacy workers who are accidentally transported back in time to the early period of ancient Greece, nearly three millennia ago.
Nevertheless, it is great to see the old comedy act extend into the 1960s, with two of the three original Stooges still around to pick up some royalty checks.
While Curly Joe looked like the old Curly, some folks complained that he was not as funny.
This movie is a must for Stooges' fans, and is an improvement over their post-Shemp short films of the latter half of the 1950s.
People wanted to laugh at the Stooges during their revival, and they were indeed kept happy by some good gags (for one, see Hercules disrupt the king's speech by cracking nuts with his biceps).
The geriatric stooges (Moe, Larry and Curley Joe) at the movies..
The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962) was another theatrical film that the aging "Three Stooges" did for their new generation of fans.
To find out the answers to these earth shaking questions then you'll have to watch THE THREE STOOGES MEET HERCULES!!!Recommended for die-hard geriatric Three Stooges fans..
I was a big fan of the three stooges back then and this was the first feature movie I saw, and it was at a drive in.
The most memorable part of the movie was when the three stooge were in a jail cell and cut through a bar to escape.
In their attempt to escape the jail cell the three stooges push the bar up and hence push the plate of grapes into Hercules face which infuriates him.
My favorite Three Stooges movie!.
This is My favorite Three Stooges feature film.The intro is very good and the Stooges are as funny as ever.The settings are very good and the music is very good.I think all Three Stooges fans with like this movie!.
I've never been a fan of the Stooges, so I guess maybe it was inevitable that I didn't think much of this movie or the Stooges' kind of humor.
Decent Film with Some Great Laughs Scattered Around.
The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962) ** (out of 4)Moe, Larry and Curly Joe are drug store workers who find themselves in a mess when they mess around with their friends scientific machine.
Pretty soon they're all taken back to 900 B.C. where they end up in a Roman battle going up against Hercules (Samson Burke).THE THREE STOOGES MEET HERCULES is obviously far from a classic film or even a good film for that matter.
With that said, as was the case with a lot of the features from this era, they were made for kids and I think most young fans will enjoy it.
It's obvious that one shouldn't be expecting the early Stooges because, well, these guys here are much older and the material isn't nearly as good either.With that said, I did think there were some excellent moments scattered throughout the picture.
There's some truly hilarious moments between Curly Joe and Hercules as well as an escape plan that also gets some huge laughs.
The slave ship sequence was also pretty good but after these moments is when the film really fell apart and there just weren't enough laughs to make it worth sitting through.Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Joe DeRita were all in good form here and Vicki Trickett made for a great looking lead.
I thought Burke was pretty good in the role of Hercules as well and I really liked some of his comic timing when he was getting beaten or having accidents happen around him..
The Three Stooges Meet HerculesWhen time traveling back to ancient Greece, remember to bring back plenty of autographs.The morons in this comedy, however, rewrote history instead.Moe (Moe Howard) Larry (Larry Fine) and Curly Joe (Joe DeRita) become chummy with their neighbour, Schuyler (Quinn Redeker), who just built a time machine.Schuyler, the Stooges and Schuyler's girlfriend Diane (Vicki Trickett) take the machine back to ancient Ithaca.Accidentally altering history along the way, Schuyler and the Stooges are exiled to the galleys by the new King Odius (George N.
Neise), who wishes to take Diane for his wife.But the boys and their benefactor plot to depose of the wrongful ruler with help from Hercules (Samson Burke).The Stooges' third feature film, this Herculean outing may lack the original lineup but it's not short on their asinine antics.Furthermore, if the Three Stooges rewrote history, universal heath care would have to be mandatory.
Through the miracle of time travel where the 3 Stooges start monkeying around with their friend Quinn Redeker's, the boys, Redeker, and girl friend Vickie Triplett go back in time to ancient Greece and start doing some real monkeying with Greek mythology.
Why then is this film entitled The Three Stooges Meet Hercules.As it's come down in history Hercules and Ulysses were friends and allies, but not here where Hercules is part of a revolution against Ulysses in the city of Ithaca.
Their mission as Stooges is to make sure history and mythology tell the right myths.The feature film years with Curly Joe were much tamer than the frantic Stooges shorts of earlier times.
But Curly Joe brings along an economy size bottle of tranquilizers that save the situation when they and Redeker are facing both man and beast.Not the Stooges of old though their fans will be pleased..
***SPOLIERS***   ***SPOILER In this movie (incidentally, I find it pretty amusing that while the original and definitive team of Moe, Larry and Curly begged that tight-ass Harry Cohen to do features for years, it took 30 years and three third Stooges later for them to get features), Larry, Moe and Curly-Joe are friends with a young scientist named Schuyler Davis (Quinn Redeker), who is having trouble with his girlfriend Diane (Vicki Trickett) because he's too wrapped up in a time machine he's inventing and because he's too passive to stand up to the Stooges' lecherous boss Mr. Dimsel (George Neise), who has his eye on Diane.
I think the important thing is to judge these latter feature films very differently than the old Curly/Shemp shorts.
The old 'classic' Stooges were about all-out zaniness, at an energy level that simply isn't sustainable at feature length.
It's no accident that those old shorts were never extended; they couldn't be, even in theory.The beauty of the Stooges' feature films, like Meet Hercules, In Orbit and The Outlaws is Coming, is precisely in the fact that they don't try to be 90-minute 'shorts.' Instead, they're much more about story.
And Meet Hercules has a great story.
I see echoes of this film in Terry Gilliam's work, especially the fight with the 'bi-cyclops.' ("Even though ya got two heads, ya only got a half a brain!") This is even a pretty good spoof of sword-and-sandal epics, that were incredibly popular at the time.Of course, the true genius of the Stooges remains their total commitment to their own weird reality.
"The Three Stooges Meet Hercules" is considered by many Stooge fans to be the best feature film the boys ever made, and while it is not my personal favorite Stooge feature, I do concur that this film is quite excellent.
Wonderfully directed by Edward Bernds, with a very good music score by Paul Dunlap, this film is a time-travel adventure story, with Moe, Curly-Joe, and Larry cast as pharmacists who help their friend Schuyler Davis (Quinn Redeker) with his bizarre space-time conveyor.
Schuyler, his girlfriend Diane (Vicki Trickett), and the Stooges all take a trip from New York back to Ancient Greece, approximately 900 B.C.My favorite scenes from "The Three Stooges Meet Hercules" include the following (DON'T read any further if you haven't yet seen this picture).
At the pharmacy, Larry and Curly-Joe try to concoct their own elixirs, and they make a huge mess instead; particularly funny is Larry's act of accidentally hitting Moe in the back of the head with a flying bottle.
When the boys try to repair Schuyler's time machine, they accidentally set off some fireworks.
On the galley ship, the Stooges overpower their captors, and Larry & Curly-Joe dance around the ship while Moe bangs the slave master's drum."The Three Stooges Meet Hercules" is a very enjoyable feature-length comedy.
In addition to Quinn Redeker, Vicki Trickett, and Emil Sitka, there are Samson Burke as the mighty Hercules, Gene Roth (who appeared in various earlier Stooge shorts with both Shemp and Joe as the third Stooges) as a harbor captain, and George N.
Neise as two lecherous heels: Ralph Dimsal (head of the pharmacy where the Stooges & Diane work) and Odius (the undeserving king of all Ithaca)..
It is not your typical Stooges fare, in that the slapstick humor isn't prevalent through much of the film, but that's okay.
The Stooges do their best for their age, even Joe DeRita, whom I never thought was all that funny, puts in a fine performance.
I actually liked the hero, (played by Quinn Redeker, screenwriter for "The Deer Hunter") and was glad to see him prevail in the end(not that the hero could fail, in a family film.) This is suitable for the family, but not as childish as that "Snow White and the Three Stooges" dreck.
Stooge completists like me need this film in their collection for sure!.
The Three Stooges -- hot-tempered Moe Howard, bumbling Larry Fine, and doltish Curly Joe De Rita -- are sent back in time to ancient Greece along with meek nerdy inventor Schuyler Davis (a likable performance by Quinn Redeker) and the sweet Diane Quigley (winningly played with spunky aplomb by the lovely Vicki Trickett).
Neise) takes Diane as his wife and makes Schuyler and the Stooges his slaves.
The Stooges manage to escape and travel the country passing Schuyler off as Hercules.
Naturally, they all return to Rome to save Diane from King Odius and confront the real Hercules (brawny behemoth Samson Burke).
Another funny bit has Hercules cracking nuts with his biceps.
Moreover, this film even delivers a few thrills like a lively fight between Schuyler and Hercules and an exciting climactic chariot chase.
***SPOILERS***   ***SPOILERS*** In this movie (incidentally, I find it pretty amusing that while the original and definitive team of Moe, Larry and Curly begged that tight-ass Harry Cohen to do features for years, it took 30 years and three third Stooges later for them to get features), Larry, Moe and Curly-Joe are friends with a young scientist named Schuyler Davis (Quinn Redeker), who is having trouble with his girlfriend Diane (Vicki Trickett) because he's too wrapped up in a time machine he's inventing and because he's too passive to stand up to the Stooges' lecherous boss Mr. Dimsel (George Neise), who has his eye on Diane.
Of course they screw it up, so when Schuyler and Diane show up, somehow the machine manages to transport them to Ancient Greece.
Of course they screw it up, so when Schuyler and Diane show up, somehow the machine manages to transport them to Ancient Greece.
Once there, Dimsel's ancestor, King Odius, who robbed the great Ulysses of his throne, takes a liking to Diane and condemns the Stooges and Schuyler to the galleys for freeing Ulysses from his cell once they realize they helped Odius when they should have been helping Ulysses.
Once there, Dimsel's ancestor, King Odius, who robbed the great Ulysses of his throne, takes a liking to Diane and condemns the Stooges and Schuyler to the galleys for freeing Ulysses from his cell once they realize they helped Odius when they should have been helping Ulysses.
On the galleys, Schuyler grows stronger to the point where the Stooges escape and promote him as Hercules so they can money to get back and rescue Diane.
On the galleys, Schuyler grows stronger to the point where the Stooges escape and promote him as Hercules so they can money to get back and rescue Diane.
Along the way Schuyler's self-confidence grows along with his muscles and he convinces Hercules to help Ulysses get his throne back in exchange for Schuyler sparring his life and he, Diane and the Stooges head back to present day.
Along the way Schuyler's self-confidence grows along with his muscles and he convinces Hercules to help Ulysses get his throne back in exchange for Schuyler sparring his life and he, Diane and the Stooges head back to present day.
And presumably, Schuyler and Diane live happily ever after.My views of the third Stooges go as follows: Curly was the funniest, and there were none funnier.
And presumably, Schuyler and Diane live happily ever after.My views of the third Stooges go as follows: Curly was the funniest, and there were none funnier.
Joe Besser just plain stunk because he was unwilling to take a pie in the face or get slapped around and didn't he know that was the whole point to being the third Stooge?
Joe Besser just plain stunk because he was unwilling to take a pie in the face or get slapped around and didn't he know that was the whole point to being the third Stooge?
However, this movie, a spoof of the popular Hercules movies at the time, is actually pretty funny.
However, this movie, a spoof of the popular Hercules movies at the time, is actually pretty funny.
But what I liked about it the most was that most Stooge films concentrate on Moe beating the hell out of the other two guys.
But what I liked about it the most was that most Stooge films concentrate on Moe beating the hell out of the other two guys.
This one focuses on that, but the main point to it is the Stooges' friendship with Schuyler and them helping him to build up his self-confidence, and I admire that in a Stooge film.
This one focuses on that, but the main point to it is the Stooges' friendship with Schuyler and them helping him to build up his self-confidence, and I admire that in a Stooge film.