Three Hams on Rye (1950) starring the Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard), Emil Sitka, Christine McIntyre
In Three Hams on Rye, Moe, Larry and Shemp are stagehands who aspire to be stars on stage … But after failing at keeping a nasty critic out of the theater, they get their chance anyway!
Review
Moe, Larry, and Shemp are stage hands who also have a bit part in a stage play titled “The Bride Wore Spurs”. It’s produced by B. K. Doakes (Emil Sitka). He wants to keep a nasty critic from sneaking into the theater and savaging it’s opening night in a review. So, he makes the mistake of having the Three Stooges try to keep him out of the theater … With the promise of a chance at larger parts as a reward.
Predictably, they keep everyone except the critic out! Having no options, Doakes has them go on stage for their minor part in the play. All they have to do is sit with a pair of Southern Belles (Nanette Bordeaux, Christine McIntyre) and eat some cake. Which would have been easy, had Shemp not accidentally put a pot holder into the cake!
They repeat the routine of coughing up feathers from Uncivil Warriors, and the play’s audience finds it hilarious. As does the critic, who congratulates Doakes on his hilarious “satire” and all ends well.
Funny movie quotes from Three Hams on Rye
Shemp: Come with me to the casbah-dor!
Moe: Listen to me spout Shakespeare! A rose by any other name would smell…
Larry: And so do you!
B.K. Doaks (Emil Sitka): [to the Stooges] If I had someone to replace you in that Southern act, I’d fire you!
Moe: Remind me to kill you later.
Shemp: I’ll make a note of it!
Shemp: That must be Nick Barker! He’s disguised as a black banana!
Shemp: Moe, I’ve got bad news for you — you forgot to buy the cake.
Larry: And the salad!
Moe: You imbeciles! Why did you let me forget?
Moe: Pal, I don’t know what I would’ve done without ya … but I know what I’m gonna do with ya! [assaults Shemp]
Moe: Miss Jaime-belle, what do you call this delicious cake?
Christine (Christine McIntyre): I call it old point comforter. [walks off]
Larry: Tastes more like an old comforter!
Moe: I get the point!
Moe: You know, this cake is as light as a feather! [starts coughing out feathers]
Shemp: [pulling a fried egg out of his mouth] Boy, is that cake fowl!
Shemp: To be, or not to be, that is the question!
Moe: Here is the answer! [hits Shemp in the face with a cake]
Trivia for Three Hams on Rye
- The plot device of the coughing up feathers due to a misplaced potholder was borrowed from 1935’s Uncivil Warriors.
- This is the fourteenth of sixteen Stooge shorts with the word “three” in the title.
Cast of characters
- Shemp Howard … Shemp
- Larry Fine … Larry
- Moe Howard … Moe
- Nanette Bordeaux (Hugs and Mugs) … Lulabelle
- Christine McIntyre Christine McIntyre … Janiebelle
- Emil Sitka (Shot in the Frontier) … B.K. Doaks
Additional cast
- Ned Glass (Three Little Sew and Sews) … Nick Barker (uncredited)
- Danny Lewis (The Jerry Lewis Show) … Short Actor (uncredited)
- Judy Malcolm (Squareheads of the Round Table) … Brunette Showgirl (uncredited)
- Brian O’Hara (Three Pests in a Mess) … Tall Actor (uncredited)
- Mildred Olsen … Blonde Showgirl (uncredited)
- Blackie Whiteford (Shivering Sherlocks) … Stagehand (uncredited)