Don't Throw That Knife

Don't Throw That Knife
Directed by	Jules White
Produced by	Jules White
Written by	Felix Adler
Starring	Moe Howard Larry Fine Shemp Howard Dick Curtis Jean Willes
Cinematography	Fayte M. Browne
Edited by	Edwin H. Bryant
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release dates	May 3, 1951 (U.S.)
Running time	15:50
Country	United States
Language	English

Don't Throw That Knife is the 131st short film released by Columbia Pictures in 1951 starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Shemp Howard). The comedians released 190 short films for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

Plot

The Stooges are census takers trolling through an apartment complex when they come upon a Mrs. Wyckoff (Jean Willes). The Stooges learn that Wyckoff is one-half of a husband-and-wife Magician Troupe who perform regularly. Unfortunately, Mr. Wyckoff (Dick Curtis) is also an evil man-hating jealous man and a precise knife thrower who kills any perverted men who talks to his wife. When Mr. Wyckoff comes home, the Stooges make a failed effort to take cover. After several frightening threats, the trio depart as fast as their feet will carry them.

Production notes

"Don't Throw That Knife" was filmed on June 20-22, 1950.^[1] The film title is officially listed with quotation marks around it (as in "Don't Throw That Knife").^[2]

Author Michael Fleming noted that "Don't Throw That Knife" was the first effort by director Jules White that was a truly poor entry in the series. White had been alternating with Edward Bernds to direct the Stooges' films, with Bernds' efforts having a noticeable polish that White was beginning to lack.^[3] By the following year, a power struggle at Columbia Pictures broke out, resulting in the departure of both Bernds and producer Hugh McCollum. This left White as the sole director of the Stooges films from late 1952 to 1957 when the trio's contract with the studio expired.^[4]

Filmed in November 1951, Don't Throw That Knife is a hybrid of plot devices borrowed from Stooge film What's the Matador?" featuring Curly Howard:

° The scenes of the wife tries hiding The Stooges from her evil, jealous, and hot-tempered, man-hating husband in their house. The wife pretends to be sick so her husband gets the medicine for her, Moe hides as a trick chair, Larry in the closet and Shemp under the bed sheets. The evil husband plants a kiss on Shemp's hand thinking it is his wife's hand, but he finds out it is Shemp's hand and pulls off a piece of hair from his arm and Shemp screams from under the bed sheets. The Evil man saw Shemp and got mad and ran after Shemp to his wife's bed and broke it, then Shemp ran. The jealous man knew his wife had a man in their room, then two men and three men and the jealous man is going to get The Stooges and kill them, but Moe, Larry and Shemp escape from the man.

References

1. "Don't Throw That Knife" at threestooges.net
2. Solomon, Jon. (2002) The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion, p. 385; Comedy III Productions, Inc., ISBN 0-9711868-0-4
3. Fleming, Michael (2002) [1999]. The Three Stooges: An Illustrated History, From Amalgamated Morons to American Icons. New York: Broadway Publishing. ISBN 0-7679-0556-3. p. 257
4. Forrester, Jeff (2002). Three Stooges: The Triumphs and Tragedies of the Most Popular Comedy Team of All Time, p. 102. Donaldson Books, ISBN 0-9715801-0-3

External links

• Don't Throw That Knife at the Internet Movie Database
• Don't Throw That Knife at AllMovie
• "Don't Throw That Knife" at threestooges.net