Spook Louder is the 69th short subject starring the American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.
THE PLOT
Spook Louder is told in flashback by Professor J.O. Dunkfeather (Lew Kelly) in an interview with a newspaper reporter (Stanley Brown). The Professor relates to the reporter the story of Graves, the master spy (Ted Lorch). As the tale begins, we see the Three Stooges as traveling salesmen, trying their best to sell their "Miracle Reducing Machine", which essentially shakes and rattles off the pounds (as Curly demonstrates). Upon failing to sell any of their machines, they trudge onward, needing money to pay their rent. As luck would have it, the boys stumble upon the home of Graves, who assumes the Stooges are the new caretakers. Graves is on his way to Washington, D.C. to test his new death ray machine, and leaves his eerie, spooky mansion in the hands of the trio. Naturally, spies disguised in Halloween costumes show up once Graves departs. The Stooges are on edge the entire time, particularly because mysterious cream pies continuously come flying out of thin air. After being cornered by the spies, the Stooges detonate a bomb given to them by Graves before he departed; they end up subduing the thieves, thus assuring that Graves' secrets remain in good hands.
Back in the office, the reporter is desperate to know who was throwing the cream pies. Dunkfeather confesses that he was throwing the pies; however, this claim is compromised when, out of nowhere, a pie flies into his face.
TRIVIA
The title Spook Louder is a pun combining the request "speak louder" with the "spooks" of a mansion. It is a remake of the 1931 Mack Sennettt film The Great Pie Mystery
Co-stars Charles Middleton and Ted Lorch also appeared together in the 1936 serial Flash Gordon.
Filmed on July 17-21, 1942, Spook Louder was one of several World War II-era Stooges shorts that engaged in propaganda against the then-enemy Japanese, with others including No Dough Boys, Booby Dupes, and notably, The Yoke's On Me.
The Stooge films released between 1942-1944 were considered to be a step down in quality from previous entries made between 1935-1941. Spook Louder, in particular, was singled out by author Ted Okuda as "their worst picture in some time. The story of a phantom pie-thrower is a repetitious one-joke affair devoid of laughs."
Several scenes from Spook Louder appear in the 1992 film Radio Flyer.
PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS
When I was a kid, this particular short was one of the "scary" Stooge shorts. I agree that the seemingly random and gratuitous pies in the face are a bit much.
THE CACHE IS NOT AT THE POSTED COORDINATES.
Watch the following short Curly clips
Curly Sells Reducing Machines: Episode 69 Spook Louder Clip1
MULTIPLY the number of pounds the machine guarantees you to lose in one day by the number of pounds the machine guarantees you will gain in one hour. ADD that result to the cost in pennies of the No Peddlers sign. ADD this total amount to the last three digits of the posted North coordinate.
Curly And The Boxing Match: Episode 69 Spook Louder Clip2
MUTLIPLY the number of published volumes of “How to Make Friends And Keep ‘em” by the number of times Curly gets hit in the head. SUBTRACT this amount from the last three digits of the posted West coordinate.
Have fun! Get the family involved.
Curly Code: XXX-XXX (The Curly Code is no longer valid for this one)