Year: 1938
Runtime: 18 mins
Language: English
Director: Charley Chase
The stooges run a gas station and accidentally blow up the car of three European professors. Wearing the scholars’ clothes they arrive at Mildew, a women’s college, and are mistaken for the faculty. When the professors appear, the boys pitch an athletics program to the benefactor, ending in chaos when they get a nitroglycerin basketball.
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At Mildew College, a school exclusively for female students, the administration pursues a way to fund an athletic program by appealing to Mrs. Catsby, the principal benefactor. She remains wary of promoting sports for girls and instead chooses to allocate funds toward the salaries of three incoming Teutonic professors. Meanwhile, the Stooges—[Moe Howard], [Larry Fine], and [Curly Howard]—are on the payroll as attendants at the Acme Service Station [Bud Jamison], where their famously inept service soon spirals into a cascade of mishaps. Their bungling culminates in the destruction of a chauffeur-driven Packard owned by three elderly German passengers, forcing the trio to flee with the passengers’ luggage in an ice cream truck, kicking off a chaotic, cross-country escapade.
After hours of wandering, Moe and Larry discover Curly frozen solid inside the truck, and their improvised thawing plan goes awry, leaving Curly singed in the process. As if that weren’t enough, Curly dives into a nearby lake to cool off and drags his companions along. While rummaging through the abandoned suitcases for dry clothes, the Stooges unwittingly slip into the garb of the three newly arrived professors destined for Mildew College, including Beatrice Blinn as the Brainy Astronomy Student.
Upon reaching the campus, the trio are mistaken for the new instructors and are quickly presented to the student body. The moment builds with Moe leading a performance of Swingin’ the Alphabet, joined by Larry and Curly, the routine starting with a confident air but soon evolving into a lively, jazzy rendition that showcases their comic timing and unexpected rhythm.
The real professors arrive during the lunch hour, exposing the disguise and prompting Mrs. Catsby to demand their departure. Desperate to salvage their position, the Stooges propose a showcase of athletic prowess to win her approval. Their plan is sabotaged by the scheming professors, who tamper with a basketball, triggering an explosive finale. In the end, the Stooges manage to secure Mrs. Catsby’s support for the athletic fund by outwitting and capturing the professors and turning the situation to their advantage.
Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 11:16
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Fast-paced comedies where absurd situations spiral into hilarious mayhem.If you enjoyed the hilarious anarchy of Violent Is the Word for Curly, you'll love these other comedies. This collection features movies with fast-paced slapstick humor, escalating chaos, and mistaken identities, perfect for fans of The Three Stooges and similar energetic, absurd comedy styles.
The narrative typically follows well-intentioned but clueless characters who, through a simple mistake or accident, are thrust into a role they are utterly unqualified for. As they try to maintain their facade, their incompetence leads to a snowballing series of physical mishaps and frantic improvisations, culminating in a large-scale, chaotic finale that resolves the situation in a humorously satisfying way.
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Violent Is the Word for Curly (1938) Scene-by-Scene Movie Timeline
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