The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962) User Reviews

Truly funny

[ShadowJack · 7/10 · 14 November 2005]

I came to this film NOT a big fan of the stooges. Having said that I laughed myself silly at it. Unlike a typical Stooges short, it has a plot, actual jokes, and some interesting casting. Though they are long in the tooth in this film, they perform admirably. Keeping their fine physical humor (which doesn't usually send me, but it is well used here) and adding some fun word play and situational humor.

The supporting cast is quite able and the production qualities are higher than I normally associate with the stooges work.

I ran across this while waiting at my doctor's office for some paperwork and stayed around to see how it all worked out. I laughed out loud in public several times. I will seek it out, as I own, nor have been interested in owning anything by the Stooges. This may be among their best work. This is one I'll buy.

Good stuff.

The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962) ***

[JoeKarlosi · 7/10 · 3 January 2007]

This is one of the best of all the later '60s feature films to star the enduring comedy trio. It succeeds admirably because Moe, Larry and Curly Joe are kept up front of the proceedings and it doesn't hurt at all (except perhaps for them when they get smacked around) that the comedy is consistent and faithful to what we expect from seeing all those old Stooge shorts. Despite their advancing ages, the "boys" hit all their marks perfectly and never do we get the impression that we're dealing with men well into their sixties. The Stooges are pharmacy workers who get a hold of a time traveling device (it doesn't matter how or why) and find themselves in ancient times where they face a lot more than just Hercules. For such a film, the production looked more expensive than it probably was, and I had to smile at the winks to BEN-HUR. *** out of ****

Send in the clowns!

[winner55 · 7/10 · 30 November 2008]

All the Stooges films set in past historical eras intentionally spoof historical genres with anachronisms (ancient Egyptians comment on baseball, a Civil War general makes a reference to a radio show, Medieval knights worry whether Lady Godiva might offend the censors, etc.). But anachronisms are tossed about so gleefully here, you begin to realize that this is what the film is really all about - how movies set in the past pull the wool over the eyes of their innocently romantic audiences with a few spangles, a bit of flash, the inevitable tear-jerk scene, and a good dose of beefcake/cheesecake. In fact, the recipe for this film could make for pretty heavy satire if the Stooges weren't so clearly making a light-hearted (and light-headed) romp of it all.

Those who complain that the boys are looking pretty old in the film pretty much miss the point. An aging clown looks bad when he tries to play it young; but by working one's whiskers into the act, the clown regenerates himself as a new personality. These are not the old Stooges who bounced their way through the madcap shorts of the '30s; but they are a heck of a lot more fun than the Stooges of the '50s, trying to pretend that age had never happened. True, in their later features, they were very dependent on their scripts, which frequently let them down. But here the script is really not bad at all, and the Stooges are having a grand time, and we should, too. Just set your critical mind at rest and enjoy the show.

great movie!!

[adb_brat · 31 December 2003]

"The stooges meet hercules" is a great movie. Its great for all ages. Young and old. I wish the stooges made more movies. Its a real funny movie, the stooges go back in time and meet Hercules, who eles... alls going well till the stooges along with their friend end up in jail, on a slave ship. What seems like years, goes by and the stooges' friend gains more power than 50 men put together. (What a great work out!) In the end they go back to fright Hercules and win the girl. I know what I just said seems like a bad movie, but it really is a great movie. And real funny too.

Stooges for the Ages

[romanorum1 · 6/10 · 2 April 2012]

1) Note the Title. (2) You know the cast. (3) Since Hercules is mentioned, we know the story occurs in ancient Greece. And since we are now in ancient times, the focus will be on galleys, slaves, kings, and wild beasts. There will even be a mythical creature, a two-headed, four-legged Cyclops!

For the first time since 1945 (Rockin' in the Rockies), The Three Stooges came back to features in 1959. About midway into their renaissance came this feature, which has both a plot and decent script. The sets are most acceptable, although some may complain that the budget was not high. The story involves three pharmacy workers who are accidentally transported back in time to the early period of ancient Greece, nearly three millennia ago. They will tangle with the evil usurper Odius and his henchman, Hercules (don't worry, the strongman will later see the right way). Of course there will be the slapstick and obligatory anachronisms, but pay no heed. We will see head-smacks and food in faces. The Greeks will speak and understand English (although Moe will utter something like "… I'll clobber anyone who says it's all Greek to me" when the Stooges encounter a Greek language sign.). As the guys are aging and somewhat subdued, one cannot expect them to sustain their old zaniness of the 1930s. Nevertheless, it is great to see the old comedy act extend into the 1960s, with two of the three original Stooges still around to pick up some royalty checks. Around 1965 there was a Tonight Show episode with Johnny Carson, who had the Three Stooges as guests. He asked about their LAST movie feature. Curly Joe quipped, "You mean our LATEST one." The audience, of course, was delighted. Joe DeRita as Curly Joe assumed the Curly/Shemp/Besser role. While Curly Joe looked like the old Curly, some folks complained that he was not as funny. The criticism is rather gratuitous, as no one else could have been Curly either. And Curly Joe certainly was an improvement over Joe Besser. In all, he fit in pretty well as the third Stooge.

It is a positive thing that the Stooges could finally make movies and receive the financially rewarding royalties, something denied them during their long tenure at Columbia (1934-1959). This movie is a must for Stooges' fans, and is an improvement over their post-Shemp short films of the latter half of the 1950s. People wanted to laugh at the Stooges during their revival, and they were indeed kept happy by some good gags (for one, see Hercules disrupt the king's speech by cracking nuts with his biceps). By the way, this movie made money. It deserved to do so.

This was the first movie I ever saw.

[DavidHuggett · 7/10 · 31 December 2013]

I was a big fan of the three stooges back then and this was the first feature movie I saw, and it was at a drive in. I think I was in my pyjamas when I at the drive in. The most memorable part of the movie was when the three stooge were in a jail cell and cut through a bar to escape. The bar was attached to a small table on the above floor where Hercules was eating grapes or something. In their attempt to escape the jail cell the three stooges push the bar up and hence push the plate of grapes into Hercules face which infuriates him. There begins a game push and tug with the table and the jail bar. I don't know why I remember this through all these years but I do. I was young at the time and impressionable. Now all these people I watched are now dead.

The misadventures of Stooges at old Greek with a scrap-time machine!!

[elo-equipamentos · 6/10 · 30 June 2023]

Whom it may concern in my youth time didn't have a single day without watch a Stooges shorts on those lazy afternoons with a crowded room at my grandfather's house, the feature film of my early heroes I had just saw in 1977 when Curly and Shemp already were gone, this new format somehow displeased in some way due it was to long instead the shorts that were a best conceived patten for a quickly story focusing in a specific point shortly, it may explains the lesser appreciated feature-length film aside the absence of the originals Stooges as Curly and Shemp.

On those feature films the producers put the Stooges in dire straits as traveling to Venus, Struggling with Martians aliens, facing a quick gunslinger, a long voyage around the world and now a dangerous Time Machine backing in time at Greek around 800 B. C. meeting Hercules, Ulysses and the ancestor of his Boss Ralph Dimsal (George N. Neise) in Ithaca, New York state nowadays, ours friends working in a pharmacy next door at small workshop where a young scientist Schuyler Davis (Quinn K. Redener) has been developed a time machine, at first moment it wasn't finished yet.

However with a little help of the "Brainy" Stooges the time machine works out sending all then to old Greek where they landing in exactly moment of a battle of Ithaca's King Ulysses against the invader King Odius (George N. Neise on dual role) and Hercules (Samson Burke) fighting for King Odius's army, the sudden appears of the travelers, somehow aids King Odius win the battle, anyway they ends up help the opposite good King Ulysses that was imprisoned on the dungeon, perceiving the awful mistake the Stooges set free Ulysses, under such betrayal King Odius sent the Stooges and the faltering Schuyler to serve the galleys as slaves, they must overcame this dreadful destiny to returns and try save the Diane (Vicki Trickett) from the hands of King Odius that intents wedding her under duress.

Silly comedy with a cluttered screenplay, doesn't get fire properly, the same weary jokes on physical Stooges's way, nothing fresh on already aged heroes, therefore has some laughs when Larry says on the arrival at Ithaca battle, "Explain to them that we're Americans" which Moe replayed "Idiot in this time America didn't exist yet" then Larry replicates "I'm not born yet neither" what a smart line!!

Thanks for reading.

Resume:

First watch: 1995 / How many: 4 / Source: TV-DVD-R / Rating: 6.25.

acting their age

[awobyob · 5/10 · 21 November 2004]

Hercules, my introduction to the "golden" Derita years. Golden perhaps, given Moe and Larry's age during this time and the fact that after 24 years toiling in Harry Cohn's salt mines, they were finally getting PAID, real money, not the peanuts tossed down to them before. As for the film, nothing golden about it(would you settle for the bronze, Moe and Larry certainly did with Curly-Joe). Maybe that's a bit strong. I hardly think this film is the worst, it's a decent outing. But much like the Besser years, decent is the best you can hope for.

There's something else about these films too, I think it's the stooges themselves and how their on screen personas seem to match their actual age. Even in the worst Besser films, the stooges still seem to be beyond the constraints of old age, still runnin' wild, vandalizing, and smooching with chicks half their age. But all that seems left behind at the closed down shorts department & the boys seem content with being portrayed as the kindly old grandfather figures always in the position to guide some strapping young lad which leads to another drawback of these 60's features, the prerequisite "love story". Just more useless filler to pad the length on these features, I suppose.

If only Cohn had let the boys have features during their prime, and they could've really brought all of their antics to the screen & not have to worry about angry parent groups or toning it down for the sake of the children.

5/10

A great 20th Century fable

[fung0 · 8/10 · 22 June 2007]

This was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid, and I find it still holds up today. I think the important thing is to judge these latter feature films very differently than the old Curly/Shemp shorts. The old 'classic' Stooges were about all-out zaniness, at an energy level that simply isn't sustainable at feature length. It's no accident that those old shorts were never extended; they couldn't be, even in theory.

The beauty of the Stooges' feature films, like Meet Hercules, In Orbit and The Outlaws is Coming, is precisely in the fact that they don't try to be 90-minute 'shorts.' Instead, they're much more about story. And Meet Hercules has a great story. The whole idea of making Hercules a 'real' person is intriguing... apart from anything else, this is a great time-travel yarn. It's also a great fantasy... I see echoes of this film in Terry Gilliam's work, especially the fight with the 'bi-cyclops.' ("Even though ya got two heads, ya only got a half a brain!") This is even a pretty good spoof of sword-and-sandal epics, that were incredibly popular at the time.

Of course, the true genius of the Stooges remains their total commitment to their own weird reality. While the Marx Brothers are lampooning the real world... and even lampooning themselves lampooning the real world... the Stooges never admit that any other world exists but their own, a world where a pie-fight or a poke in the eye are the correct responses to most problems. I think it's probably a glimpse of what vaudeville must have been at its finest... the ability of some performers to transport an audience by sheer will-power to a lighter, less-serious plane of existence. (Where a conk on the cranium with a mallet DOESN'T result in concussion and life-threatening skull fractures.)

The gags are more subdued, more verbal, more drawn-out in these feature films. But my faith in those three lunkheads is undiminished. These may be lesser works, but they are the works of true cinematic geniuses, who remained true to their vision... no matter how silly it might have been. I miss these guys a lot... we'll never see their like again.

The Vidiot Reviews...

[capone666 · 7/10 · 2 May 2014]

The Three Stooges Meet Hercules

When time traveling back to ancient Greece, remember to bring back plenty of autographs.

The morons in this comedy, however, rewrote history instead.

Moe (Moe Howard) Larry (Larry Fine) and Curly Joe (Joe DeRita) become chummy with their neighbour, Schuyler (Quinn Redeker), who just built a time machine.

Schuyler, the Stooges and Schuyler's girlfriend Diane (Vicki Trickett) take the machine back to ancient Ithaca.

Accidentally altering history along the way, Schuyler and the Stooges are exiled to the galleys by the new King Odius (George N. Neise), who wishes to take Diane for his wife.

But the boys and their benefactor plot to depose of the wrongful ruler with help from Hercules (Samson Burke).

The Stooges' third feature film, this Herculean outing may lack the original lineup but it's not short on their asinine antics.

Furthermore, if the Three Stooges rewrote history, universal heath care would have to be mandatory.

Green Light

vidiotreviews.blogspot.ca

I never knew they had custard pies in ancient Greece

[barry-28 · 5/10 · 21 January 1999]

When the Three Stooges are accidentally sent to ancient Greece in a time machine they accidentally change history. Changing it back includes encounters with Cyclops, Hercules (the real one and a ring in) and, of course, custard pies.

Why do I like this?

[jcaraway3 · 9/10 · 20 November 2010]

I'm really not sure why I like this film. It is not your typical Stooges fare, in that the slapstick humor isn't prevalent through much of the film, but that's okay. In my opinion, this actually works better as an action adventure film than a comedy, but still has its fair share of comedic moments. The Stooges do their best for their age, even Joe DeRita, whom I never thought was all that funny, puts in a fine performance. I actually liked the hero, (played by Quinn Redeker, screenwriter for "The Deer Hunter") and was glad to see him prevail in the end(not that the hero could fail, in a family film.) This is suitable for the family, but not as childish as that "Snow White and the Three Stooges" dreck. Stooge completists like me need this film in their collection for sure!

Clever and enjoyable, though it wears thin after a while

[I_Ailurophile · 6/10 · 19 December 2023]

Of any comedy troupe that has ever made films, I'm maybe least familiar with the works of The Three Stooges. Even as they brand of humor bears much in common with predecessors and contemporaries, they always seemed a bit more low-brow, with more of a mean streak coursing through. Still, all the hallmarks are here: situational comedy, plenty of gags, witty dialogue, and particularly in the case of the Stooges, slapstick galore. Throw in some abject silliness, a tinge of whimsy, and the stars at the latter end of their career, and you have 1962's 'The Three Stooges meet Hercules.' It's too far to say this rises to the same level as other comedic icons like Laurel and Hardy, the Marx Brothers, or Harold Lloyd, but with swell flavors of sci-fi and adventure added into the mix, this is reliably fun throughout its length, and worth checking out if you have the chance.

As one well expects from most any fare, and period pieces above all, the sets and costume design are gorgeous, not to mention the hair and makeup. Even being a tad older at this point, Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Joe DeRita bear terrific energy in this iteration of the Stooges, complemented with like vitality from co-stars including Samson Burke and Quinn Redeker. As has been true elsewhere, when editing is employed to speed up footage the result is a tad gauche, and some moments generally are perhaps allowed to linger too long - but by and large the stunts and effects are splendid, including even those added in post-production, and there's no shortage of cleverness amidst all the hijinks. From Edward Bernds' firm direction to Scotty Welbourne's able cinematography, this is well made in every regard (even if I don't always agree with a particular choice).

Producer Norman Maurer wrote a fantastic, ridiculous, somewhat ingenious story playing fast and loose with classical Greek history, culture, and mythology, and the notion is filled with potential that arguably isn't even fully met here. Elwood Ullman's subsequent screenplay is a joy, too, with abundant anachronisms in the dialogue and scene writing, and every last iota is built purely to entertain with zest and cheekiness to go around. I do think the writing is the chief issue troubling the feature: it's not that anything here is bad, but there comes a point where the conglomeration just starts to wear thin. It bears repeating that some scenes and sequences are allowed to linger too long, wearing out their welcome, and select other instances are just sheer raucousness for its own sake, which never comes off well. These are echoed in the overall tenor of the picture, for after a time I was sad to realize that there was a lot of movie that kept going, and the enjoyment had just rather stagnated. If the writing had been tightened, and as much as ten to fifteen minutes left on the cutting room floor, I think 'The Three Stooges meet Hercules' would have been stronger as a whole.

I enjoy this, certainly, and I'm glad I watched. I'm glad for those who get more out of it than I do. I appreciate so much about these ninety minutes, and everyone who worked on it did a fine job. Still, sometimes less is more, and if the vibrancy the title boasts at its best had been concentrated into a slightly smaller length where excess had been trimmed away, the end result would surely have come off even better. It's worth watching if you have the opportunity, and it's definitely suggested most for those who are otherwise fans of the trio. Otherwise 'The Three Stooges meet Hercules' isn't something that demands viewership, but it's a nice diversion all the same.

The geriatric stooges (Moe, Larry and Curley Joe) at the movies.

[Captain_Couth · 5/10 · 29 August 2005]

The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962) was another theatrical film that the aging "Three Stooges" did for their new generation of fans. Having to tone down the physicality of their slapstick humor, the Stooges had to use a lot more verbal exchanges than they have did in the past. The three lovable geezers work in a pharmacy. Theie boss is a swell guy but he's also a spineless creep. A freak accident causes all of them to travel back to Ancient Greece and create all kinds of havoc. Several questions are raised (aren't there always). How did they wind up traveling backwards in time? Who will greet them in Ancient Greece. Where do they wind up at? How can they communicate to the natives if they speak ancient Greek? To find out the answers to these earth shaking questions then you'll have to watch THE THREE STOOGES MEET HERCULES!!!

Recommended for die-hard geriatric Three Stooges fans.

It still makes me laugh

[estabansmythe · 11 November 2003]

Most comedy is subjective. Whether one enjoys the comedy of the Stooges, like the Marx Brothers, WC Fields, Martin & Lewis, A&C, etc., is up to the individual. BTW, the Ritz Brothers were seldom funny, and the Dead End Kids really wore thin.

This individual loves them. I did when I was a kid - and still do now that I'm pushing 50. I'm primarily referring to their 20-minute shorts (1932-1959).

Personally, I feel that this is far and away their best feature. Most of their features are rather long in the tooth and geared towards kids.

This one makes me laugh. I hope you enjoy it as much as I.

Imaginative romp

[gridoon2024 · 6/10 · 8 December 2019]

This occasionally amusing time-traveling romp offers a revisionist take on the myth of Hercules. The humor ranges from the cartoonish (there are actual bird sounds after people get knocked on the head) to the sophisticated (the deliberate anachronisms, particularly when the fake "Hercules" becomes a sports star of his era). Ironically, this comedy feautures what must be one of the mightiest-looking Hercules in screen history. **1/2 out of 4.

Herc meets 3 jerks

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 17 May 2014]

Through the miracle of time travel where the 3 Stooges start monkeying around with their friend Quinn Redeker's, the boys, Redeker, and girl friend Vickie Triplett go back in time to ancient Greece and start doing some real monkeying with Greek mythology. Why then is this film entitled The Three Stooges Meet Hercules.

As it's come down in history Hercules and Ulysses were friends and allies, but not here where Hercules is part of a revolution against Ulysses in the city of Ithaca. Their mission as Stooges is to make sure history and mythology tell the right myths.

The feature film years with Curly Joe were much tamer than the frantic Stooges shorts of earlier times. But Curly Joe brings along an economy size bottle of tranquilizers that save the situation when they and Redeker are facing both man and beast.

Not the Stooges of old though their fans will be pleased.

A very funny Three Stooges flick

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 19 March 2010]

The Three Stooges -- hot-tempered Moe Howard, bumbling Larry Fine, and doltish Curly Joe De Rita -- are sent back in time to ancient Greece along with meek nerdy inventor Schuyler Davis (a likable performance by Quinn Redeker) and the sweet Diane Quigley (winningly played with spunky aplomb by the lovely Vicki Trickett). The evil King Odius (a perfectly slimy portrayal by George N. Neise) takes Diane as his wife and makes Schuyler and the Stooges his slaves. The Stooges manage to escape and travel the country passing Schuyler off as Hercules. Naturally, they all return to Rome to save Diane from King Odius and confront the real Hercules (brawny behemoth Samson Burke). Director Edward Bernds, working from a blithely silly script by Elwood Ullman, relates the enjoyably inane story at a constant brisk pace and does a good job of maintaining a properly good-natured and lighthearted tone throughout. The Stooges are all in fine wacky and spirited form, with the definite comic highlight occurring when our nutty trio dress up in drag and pass themselves off as slave girls. Another funny bit has Hercules cracking nuts with his biceps. Hal Smith is simply delightful as the jolly King of Rhodes. Moreover, this film even delivers a few thrills like a lively fight between Schuyler and Hercules and an exciting climactic chariot chase. The surprisingly lavish sets and costumes give this picture an impressive sense of scope. Paul Dunlap's robust and rousing score hits the madcap spot. Scotty Welbourne's sumptuous black and white cinematography likewise does the trick. A total hoot.

My favorite Three Stooges movie!

[Movie Nuttball · 10/10 · 12 December 2002]

This is My favorite Three Stooges feature film.The intro is very good and the Stooges are as funny as ever.The settings are very good and the music is very good.I think all Three Stooges fans with like this movie!

It's Funny

[jeremy-44 · 27 May 1999]

i'm 13 years old and i love the stooges. this movie is good. the three stooges get sent back in time where they meet hercules. it is very funny movie for kids or adults! i own the movie!!! Stooge Fan Jeremy

GREAT ADDITION TO THE HERCULES LINE-UP

[larryanderson · 8/10 · 6 November 2021]

I bout this movie while on vacation in Florida. Very funny movie and a great addition the the HERCULES craze. They play on all the usual pranks and adventures that a REAL Hercules movie might include. I interviewed SAMSON BURKE and he spoke fondly of his time making this movie.

Pretty funny for a non-Curly entity

[Clams · 12 January 2002]

***SPOLIERS*** ***SPOILER In this movie (incidentally, I find it pretty amusing that while the original and definitive team of Moe, Larry and Curly begged that tight-ass Harry Cohen to do features for years, it took 30 years and three third Stooges later for them to get features), Larry, Moe and Curly-Joe are friends with a young scientist named Schuyler Davis (Quinn Redeker), who is having trouble with his girlfriend Diane (Vicki Trickett) because he's too wrapped up in a time machine he's inventing and because he's too passive to stand up to the Stooges' lecherous boss Mr. Dimsel (George Neise), who has his eye on Diane. Out of concern for Schuyler, the Stooges decide to help him finish it so he doesn't lose Diane. Of course they screw it up, so when Schuyler and Diane show up, somehow the machine manages to transport them to Ancient Greece. Once there, Dimsel's ancestor, King Odius, who robbed the great Ulysses of his throne, takes a liking to Diane and condemns the Stooges and Schuyler to the galleys for freeing Ulysses from his cell once they realize they helped Odius when they should have been helping Ulysses. On the galleys, Schuyler grows stronger to the point where the Stooges escape and promote him as Hercules so they can money to get back and rescue Diane. Along the way Schuyler's self-confidence grows along with his muscles and he convinces Hercules to help Ulysses get his throne back in exchange for Schuyler sparring his life and he, Diane and the Stooges head back to present day. And presumably, Schuyler and Diane live happily ever after.

My views of the third Stooges go as follows: Curly was the funniest, and there were none funnier. Shemp was kind of bland, but he did have his moments. Joe Besser just plain stunk because he was unwilling to take a pie in the face or get slapped around and didn't he know that was the whole point to being the third Stooge? And Curly-Joe was, well... He was okay, but he wasn't much more. However, this movie, a spoof of the popular Hercules movies at the time, is actually pretty funny. But what I liked about it the most was that most Stooge films concentrate on Moe beating the hell out of the other two guys. This one focuses on that, but the main point to it is the Stooges' friendship with Schuyler and them helping him to build up his self-confidence, and I admire that in a Stooge film. It's certainly something they never tried before.

"Filmed in Glorious Black and White"

[slymusic · 5 February 2008]

"The Three Stooges Meet Hercules" is considered by many Stooge fans to be the best feature film the boys ever made, and while it is not my personal favorite Stooge feature, I do concur that this film is quite excellent. Wonderfully directed by Edward Bernds, with a very good music score by Paul Dunlap, this film is a time-travel adventure story, with Moe, Curly-Joe, and Larry cast as pharmacists who help their friend Schuyler Davis (Quinn Redeker) with his bizarre space-time conveyor. Schuyler, his girlfriend Diane (Vicki Trickett), and the Stooges all take a trip from New York back to Ancient Greece, approximately 900 B.C.

My favorite scenes from "The Three Stooges Meet Hercules" include the following (DON'T read any further if you haven't yet seen this picture). At the pharmacy, Larry and Curly-Joe try to concoct their own elixirs, and they make a huge mess instead; particularly funny is Larry's act of accidentally hitting Moe in the back of the head with a flying bottle. Familiar Stooges character actor Emil Sitka has a small but humorous part as a shepherd who gives confusing directions. The Stooges clumsily attempt to break Ulysses (John Cliff) out of jail (reminiscent of the Stooges' earlier 1947 short "Out West"). When the boys try to repair Schuyler's time machine, they accidentally set off some fireworks. The Stooges disguise themselves as women when they find themselves in a women's bathing area, but their disguises don't last very long. On the galley ship, the Stooges overpower their captors, and Larry & Curly-Joe dance around the ship while Moe bangs the slave master's drum.

"The Three Stooges Meet Hercules" is a very enjoyable feature-length comedy. The supporting cast consists mostly of unknowns, but they do first-rate work. In addition to Quinn Redeker, Vicki Trickett, and Emil Sitka, there are Samson Burke as the mighty Hercules, Gene Roth (who appeared in various earlier Stooge shorts with both Shemp and Joe as the third Stooges) as a harbor captain, and George N. Neise as two lecherous heels: Ralph Dimsal (head of the pharmacy where the Stooges & Diane work) and Odius (the undeserving king of all Ithaca).

Mainly for kids and/or Stooge fans

[Wizard-8 · 2 February 1999]

I've never been a fan of the Stooges, so I guess maybe it was inevitable that I didn't think much of this movie or the Stooges' kind of humor. Still, I'll admit it was fairly tolerable to watch, and there were indeed a few moments I found amusing.

Pretty funny for a non-Curly entity

[Clams · 12 January 2002]

***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** In this movie (incidentally, I find it pretty amusing that while the original and definitive team of Moe, Larry and Curly begged that tight-ass Harry Cohen to do features for years, it took 30 years and three third Stooges later for them to get features), Larry, Moe and Curly-Joe are friends with a young scientist named Schuyler Davis (Quinn Redeker), who is having trouble with his girlfriend Diane (Vicki Trickett) because he's too wrapped up in a time machine he's inventing and because he's too passive to stand up to the Stooges' lecherous boss Mr. Dimsel (George Neise), who has his eye on Diane. Out of concern for Schuyler, the Stooges decide to help him finish it so he doesn't lose Diane. Of course they screw it up, so when Schuyler and Diane show up, somehow the machine manages to transport them to Ancient Greece. Once there, Dimsel's ancestor, King Odius, who robbed the great Ulysses of his throne, takes a liking to Diane and condemns the Stooges and Schuyler to the galleys for freeing Ulysses from his cell once they realize they helped Odius when they should have been helping Ulysses. On the galleys, Schuyler grows stronger to the point where the Stooges escape and promote him as Hercules so they can money to get back and rescue Diane. Along the way Schuyler's self-confidence grows along with his muscles and he convinces Hercules to help Ulysses get his throne back in exchange for Schuyler sparring his life and he, Diane and the Stooges head back to present day. And presumably, Schuyler and Diane live happily ever after.

My views of the third Stooges go as follows: Curly was the funniest, and there were none funnier. Shemp was kind of bland, but he did have his moments. Joe Besser just plain stunk because he was unwilling to take a pie in the face or get slapped around and didn't he know that was the whole point to being the third Stooge? And Curly-Joe was, well... He was okay, but he wasn't much more. However, this movie, a spoof of the popular Hercules movies at the time, is actually pretty funny. But what I liked about it the most was that most Stooge films concentrate on Moe beating the hell out of the other two guys. This one focuses on that, but the main point to it is the Stooges' friendship with Schuyler and them helping him to build up his self-confidence, and I admire that in a Stooge film. It's certainly something they never tried before.