Cactus Makes Perfect is a 1942 short subject directed by Del Lord starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard). It is the 61st entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.
| Cactus Makes Perfect | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Del Lord |
| Written by | Monte Collins Elwood Ullman |
| Produced by | Del Lord Hugh McCollum |
| Starring | Moe Howard Larry Fine Curly Howard Vernon Dent Eddie Laughton Monte Collins Ernie Adams |
| Cinematography | Benjamin H. Kline |
| Edited by | Jerome Thoms |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 17:18 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot
editThe day begins with the Stooges' matriarch endeavoring unsuccessfully to rouse her sons from their slumber through comedic means, employing a mechanism involving a tethered rope to instigate their awakening. This results in a physical upheaval as the bed, manipulated by the rope, spins horizontally, prompting the trio's dislodgement. Curly then receives a letter from the Inventors' Association, wherein his invention, the Gold Collar Button Retriever, is deemed "incomprehensible and utterly impractical." Curly, misconstruing this assessment as validation, interprets it as a harbinger of success, prompting the trio to depart from their maternal abode in pursuit of fortune.
Their journey is punctuated by an ill-fated transaction wherein they are ensnared into purchasing a map purporting to lead to a lost mine in the Old West. Subsequent to the fortuitous discovery of said mine, the Stooges become embroiled in a confrontation with two financially beleaguered prospectors, triggered by an inadvertent discharge of Curly's Gold Collar Button Retriever.
Seeking refuge, Moe and Larry seek sanctuary within a hotel situated in a ghost town, while Curly endeavors to safeguard the acquired gold within a secure repository. Their respite is brief, however, as the aforementioned prospectors resurface, prompting a frenetic retreat to the confines of the safe room. Confronted with the imminent threat posed by the prospectors' incursions, the Stooges engage in a comedic exchange, culminating in a misinterpreted detonation of dynamite, resulting in a chaotic explosion.
Cast
editCredited
edit- Moe Howard as Moe
- Larry Fine as Larry
- Curly Howard as Curly
Uncredited
edit- Monte Collins as Stooges' Mother
- Eddie Laughton as Gold Mine Salesman
- Vernon Dent as Heavyset Prospector
- Ernie Adams as Smaller Prospector
Production notes
editFilmed on August 7–11, 1941,[1] the title Cactus Makes Perfect parodies the proverb "practice makes perfect."[2]
Curly's remark, "I shoot an arrow into the air, where it lands I do not care: I get my arrows wholesale!"[3] parodies Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "The Arrow and the Song," which begins, "I shot an arrow into the air/It fell to earth, I knew not where..."[4]
References
edit- ^ Pauley, Jim (2012). The Three Stooges Hollywood Filming Locations. Solana Beach, California: Santa Monica Press, LLC. p. 66. ISBN 9781595800701.
- ^ Solomon, Jon. (2002) The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion, p. 207; Comedy III Productions, Inc., ISBN 0-9711868-0-4
- ^ "ThreeStooges.net : CACTUS MAKES PERFECT (1942)". www.threestooges.net. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
- ^ "The Famous Line from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 'The Rainy Day'". Archived from the original on December 11, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2012.