Calling All Curs is the 41st 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.
THE PLOT
The Stooges are skilled veterinarians at a pet hospital who are the proud surgeons of Garçon, a prized poodle of socialite Mrs. Bedford (Isabelle LaMal). They successfully remove a thorn from his paw. Dognappers posing as reporters (Lynton Brent, Cy Schindell) dognap Garçon.
Before the kidnapping crime is discovered, the trio attempts to enjoy a dinner of bones and dog biscuits at a long table with all the other dogs who are patients at the hospital. It's during the meal that a nurse discovers Garçon is missing. The boys frantically try to trick Mrs. Bedford by disguising a mutt as Garçon. However, when Mrs. Bedford's maid (Libby Taylor), who is frightened of dogs, accidentally vacuums a clump of glued-on fur off the mutt's shaggy coat, Mrs. Bedford threatens to throw the Stooges in jail. Desperate, the trio use the mutt as a bloodhound to track down the crooks. When they discover the enemies' hideout, a big fight ensues. Larry and Moe get knocked out, but then Curly defeats both crooks. The boys hear Garçon quietly barking from inside a closet, only to discover that the prized poodle has had a litter of pups.
TRIVIA
Filmed on December 27-30, 1938, the title Calling All Curs is a pun on the phrase "Calling all cars! A colorized version of this film was released in 2006 as part of the DVD collection entitled "Stooges on the Run."
This marks one of the few times the Stooges have respectable, professional careers as opposed to working as blue-collar laborers.
This was one of Curly Howard's favorite Stooge films as he was a well-known dog lover.
Curly Clips
Here are two short clips from this episode highlighting Curly's talent:
Curly Pull A Thorn Out: Episode 41 Calling All Curs Clip1
Curly Serves Dinner: Episode 41 Calling All Curs Clip2
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Curly Code: 882-090