Back to the Woods (1937) User Reviews

'Corned Beef And Savages'

[ccthemovieman-1 · 7/10 · 28 February 2008]

We are back in "Merrie Old England" and the boys say they are related to the Three Musketeers but the court says they are criminals who tried to attack His Majesty's guards. They are sentenced to New Cape Prison for 55 years. The prosecutor, played by Stooges regular and favorite Bud Jamieson, however, recommends the court save money and send these "knaves to the new colonies in America to fight the redskin savages." That sounds good to Curly. "I just love corned beef and savages," he says.

Soon we see three beautiful pilgrims who open the door to let in the Stooges. The boys are impressed. Who wouldn't be with these gorgeous governor's daughters: "Faith," "Hope," and "Charity?" Poor Charity is third pick of the lot. Larry says he doesn't charity because he's already on the WPA (Willing Pilgrims Association.). Yup, comedy was really corny back in the 1930s.

It gets cornier as it goes on, with a prolonged dance scene, a horse racing skit, a funny speech by a Chief who is labeled "an Indian giver," and then some more corny antics by the Stooges as they go out "a-hunting-we-will go" to get food for their new sweethearts.

The second half features the hunting scenes and The Boys various encounters with the Indians. Yes, it's pretty crude stuff, but it generally funny material.

good Stooges

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 26 November 2019]

It's Merrie Olde England. Larry, Curly, and Moe are sentenced to long prison stints. Instead of spending money on feeding them, they are sent to the colonies to fight the savages. They meet three fetching daughters of the governor. The Indians turn out to be tough negotiators and they forbid the colonists from hunting until they paid off their debt. The boys go hunting anyways. This has plenty of The Stooges running around doing their physical slapstick comedy. The one joke that really got me is making the Indian chief a hardnosed money man. That's satire which I've never seen before and it hit me in a weird way. This is generally a solid Stooges short and it has its fun moments.

An amusing entry

[JohnHowardReid · 7/10 · 2 March 2018]

Curly Howard, Larry Fine, Moe Howard (themselves), Vernon Dent (governor), Bud Jamison (prosecutor), Harley Wood (Faith), Ethelreda Leopold (Hope), Theodore Lorch (Chief Rain in the Puss), Bert Young, Blackie Whiteford, Cy Schindell, Charles Dorety (Indians).

Director: JACK WHITE (alias "Preston Black"). Screenplay: Andrew Bennison. Story: Searle Kramer. Photography: George Meehan. Film editor: Charles Nelson. Producer: Jules White.

Copyright 26 April 1937 by Columbia Pictures of California, Ltd. U.S. release: 14 May 1937. 2 reels. 19 minutes.

COMMENT: Set in Colonial times, this very welcome period offering from the boys has a great start. Amusingly satirizing a similar scene in Captain Blood (1935), it presents the Stooges as three felons (love their musical chains!) who are sentenced to transportation. Arriving in America, the boys perform a diverting jig with three pioneer girls named Faith, Hope and Charity. Unfortunately, the routine slapstick of the small-scale Indian ambush climax doesn't live up to expectations. But nonetheless...

Weaker Stooges

[Michael_Elliott · 25 January 2009]

Back to the Woods (1937)

** (out of 4)

The Three Stooges in England are sentenced to fifty-five years in prison but the prosecutor thinks the country could save money by just shipping them to America to fight Indians. The judge agrees so the boys are off to fight "redskin savages", which shows you what was going over for comedy back in the 1930's. Here was another new Stooges short to me but I didn't find myself laughing very much. It seems opinions on this one are rather mixed at best so I'm going to have to side with those who don't find this very funny. There are certainly a few nice chuckles but there wasn't anything here that had me busting a gut through laughter. The biggest problem is that there are long sequences where nothing funny happens and the big jokes turns out to be a dub. The best example of this is when the boys arrive and meet three women. Soon a long dance follows but I found this to be rather tiresome. Another joke that doesn't work is when the Stooges are hitting the Indians in the stomach and then putting some hot wood in their pants.

Good one!

[Movie Nuttball · 10/10 · 10 August 2005]

The Three Stooges has always been some of the many actors that I have loved. I love just about every one of the shorts that they have made. I love all six of the Stooges (Curly, Shemp, Moe, Larry, Joe, and Curly Joe)! All of the shorts are hilarious and also star many other great actors and actresses which a lot of them was in many of the shorts! In My opinion The Three Stooges is some of the greatest actors ever and is the all time funniest comedy team!

This is one of My favorite Three Stooges shorts with Curly! All Appearing in this short are Vernon Dent, Charles Dorety, Bud Jamison, Ethelreda Leopold, Theodore Lorch, Cy Schindell, Blackie Whiteford, Harley Wood, and Bert Young! This one is so hilarious! Curly has a great performance here and in My opinion its one of his best. I strongly recommend this Three Stooges short!

First "Alexa" Audio Device Seen in Film

[springfieldrental · 8/10 · 14 October 2023]

In The Three Stooges' May 1937 "Back to the Woods," the three travel in time even further back then the Old West when they're convicted for crimes in England that sends them to the Massachusetts Colony in Plymouth. The native Indians in the area have prohibited the settlers from hunting for game at any time. The Stooges' tussle with the tribesmen result in some hilarious hijinx that result in a wild goose chase. This 23rd episode of the Stooges was the last film directed by Jack White, a.k.a. Preston Black, who was with the trio after two years. He went on to become a full-time producer and writer. "Back to the Woods" is also the second longest Stooges' film at 19 minutes and 27 seconds, just 20 seconds short of their longest, 1936's "A Pain in the Pullman."

"Back in the Woods" is known for showing the first example of an 'Alexa' audio device. When the Stooges first arrive at Plymouth, they meet the three daughters of the colony's governor (Vernon Dent). Moe turns on his music box the size and shape of a large ice hockey puck to dance with the women. The irate governor enters the cabin and yells at the music box to stop, which it does. The film is also the first time stock footage is used in a Stooges' short film, as seen in the introduction showing a street scene in Old Towne London, England. "Back in the Woods" is also the first instance where they re-use footage from their earlier film. Towards the end of the movie, they dash onto a canoe while the Indians are in pursuit. With one paddle movement the boat jettisons across the lake. The scene was previously used in 1936's "Whoops, I'm an Indian." History records that when the Stooges caused all the mayhem against the Indians, Plymouth settlers were even worse off with its inability to hunt for food since the natives were agitated beyond belief by the three and were angrily looking for revenge.

giveth them the works

[simeon_flake · 5/10 · 15 December 2004]

Working under the pseudonym of 'Preston Black' as the story goes, to keep his ex-wife out of the loop on his extra income, Jack White (brother of Jules) directs his last stooge short. Unfortunately, it's a rather long-winded effort, harboring on the below average scale. A pity, considering I find all of "Preston's" previous outings to all be stooge classics (i.e. Disorder in the Court/A Pain in the Pullman).

The biggest laughs to be had come from the dancing sequence the boys have with three sweeties named Hope, Faith, and Charity.

5.5/10

>:]

Only funny early on

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 23 October 2017]

"Back to the Woods" is an American 19-minute short film from 1937, so this one has its 80th anniversary this year. It is a black-and-white sound film and one of the more known works starring the Three Stooges, here with Curly still part of the group. He also has the best moment when he turns the court room early on in an auction house. But this is just one of definitely not enough entertaining moments from these slightly under 20 minutes. Maybe I am a bit biased because I have never been a great Stooges fan, so if you like some of their other stuff, feel free to check out this one too and you probably won't be disappointed. The film may be set in an interesting historic era and context centuries back, but I wouldn't really call it a political film, certainly not on a propaganda film like some of their anti-Nazi works during the years of WWII. Anyway, all in all, this one did not impress me too much as it did not manage to keep the good level from early on afterward with the scenes in the shack and outside in the forest. I give it a thumbs-down. Not recommended.

Dated, but still a blast!

[wileyjp · 19 November 2000]

One of the better Stooge films. The portrayal of Native Americans is less than PC, but if you bear in mind the period in which the film was made, you'll enjoy it.

The premise is that the Stooges are petty thieves, exiled by the British government to colonial America, where they must hunt for food against the edicts of Chief Rain In The Puss. Eventually the hunters are the hunted, as the Chief's warriors attack our heroes. Can the three knuckleheads escape certain death? See for yourself.

Highlights include Curly's commentary of an imaginary horserace, the boys' rendition of "A-Hunting We Must Goeth" with a soulful piece of scat by Larry, an extremely violent dance, and Curly's surprisingly athletic display of the martial arts.

The social commentary is a bit dated, but otherwise a fine film!

The Boys at their Best: Hilarious, 10 out of 10

[dozanddoz · 11 January 2003]

My personal favorite Stooge short of all time. Back to the Woods has the boys sent to America as outlaw colonists where they stir up a nest of wild Indians and take care of them with a tree branch bow and arrow. Logs, fish, and bee hives are air borne and well you can go from there. Great goofs, sound effects, and Curley is at his best. An excellent early entry into the Stooge series.

Bottom Line: One of the Top 10 Stooges.

"A-hunting we will go!" "Yeah, man! Yeah, man!"

[slymusic · 10 June 2008]

"Back to the Woods" is an excellent Three Stooges short with plenty of outdoor action! Moe, Larry, and Curly are 17th Century Englanders who are sent to the American colonies to battle the Native American savages. Fighting these Indians proves to be a greater challenge than the Stooges originally thought.

Highlights: The Stooges and the governor's three daughters engage in a lively dance to a music box version of a Beethoven minuet, but, of course, the Stooges cannot seem to show proper decorum for very long, and neither does the music. In the courtroom, the Stooges get the best of the prosecutor (Bud Jamison) by dropping their shackle balls on his feet and then, as usual, dancing. Curly drops the butt of his rifle on Larry's foot, causing the rifle to fire; Larry is hilarious as he hops on his good foot and gets beaned in the head by the turkey that Curly shot. The Stooges utilize a swinging tree branch as a means of retaliation against the Indians. Later they take care of the Indians, one by one, by hitting them in the stomach with a club, then shoving burning coals down their rear ends!

"Back to the Woods" is not the most popular Three Stooges short, but it does rank high on the list of very funny films. The boys' popularity was increasing steadily by the late 1930s, when this film was made, and as time progressed, Three Stooges shorts would eventually become one of the hottest phenomenons of film comedy.