Selected Short Subject: Mutts To You (1938)

Directed by Charley Chase: Cast: The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard), Bess Flowers, Lane Chandler, Vernon Dent, Bud Jamison. Released October 14, 1938. Running time: 18 minutes.

Growing up watching the Three Stooges comedies, signaling one out to give a bit more attention and assessment is something of a daunting task. I randomly chose "Mutts To You" mostly because it was directed by Charley Chase, on whom I wrote a book. Chase's approach to the Stooges' comedy was to humanize them, give them slightly more depth, while not venturing away from the slapstick knockabout formula that made them so eternally popular.

"Mutts to You" has the creative premise of the Stooges running a dog wash that is set up pretty much like a car wash. There are a lot of inventive little items that the dog patiently goes through as it is soaped, rinsed, dried off, and groomed. Curly operates the equipment by pedaling a bicycle. Moe pulls levers operating the more intricate measures. Larry walks along the conveyer belt with the dog and makes sure all is operational. He does the hands-on stuff like applying soap. It's all very cleverly creative, it even has a mechanical hand, operated by Moe, that spanks Curly when he slows down at the pedals.

The plot occurs when the Stooges, on their way, home, see a baby on a doorstep. The mother just ran in the house quickly because she forgot something, and left the baby there in the meantime (1938 was apparently a much safer and more innocent time). The Stooges believe the baby has been abandoned and decide to take it to the police. In one of the most fascinating moments in any Stooges comedy, director Chase puts Moe in a close up as he looks off, and reflectively says to himself, "I don't know. It was my idea and I don't think much of it." This sort of introspection adds another layer to Moe's character and it is both jarring and effective. They decide to first bring the child home to feed it, an idea Moe is against until he gives some attention to the cuteness of the baby and changes his mind. The look on Moe's face, exhibiting the softening of his gruff expression, is brilliantly done.

There are no pets or babies allowed at the rooming house where the boys live, so their attempt to conceal it from landlord Vernon Dent offer some good typical comedy situations. Larry, concealing a balloon under his shirt, is offered bi-carbonate by the concerned landlord. When the baby's gurgling becomes audible and alerts the landlord, Curly starts talking baby talk. When they realize they have a baby that is believed to be kidnapped, they disguise Curly as a woman and evade a cop (Bud Jamison), but when he becomes suspicious they run away and disguise themselves as Chinese laundry men (Larry's "Chinese" is sprinkled with Yiddish).

It's both situational and slapstick, with Chase concentrating on characters with some depth (the baby's parents are at odds) and some visual gags that make use of the studio's backlot (the abandoned baby is in a neighborhood that looks upper-class, with nice large houses and finely nibbled lawns. Chase also steps back and let's the supporting cast work most effectively at what they know best. Vernon Dent, for instance, could do a double-take like nobody else, and his reactions to the Stooges as they try to conceal the baby and all that is connected with it, are among the film's highlights. Finally, Chase's tracking shot of a car following the family's pet dog, on the lookout for the baby, adds a visual enhancement to his narrative.

While "Mutts To You" is not "great cinema" in the classic sense, the very idea that The Three Stooges have remained popular with several generations has proven that their comedy is truly timeless. When one takes the time to break down a typical comedy like "Mutts To You," one can realize some specific reasons why their popularity continues. Their timing, delivery, understanding of their characters, and response to both the script and the director, reach a certain level that can be described as an art unto itself.