Muscle Up a Little Closer

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Muscle Up a Little Closer
Muscleclosertitle.jpg
Written by Felix Adler
Directed by Jules White
Starring Moe Howard
Larry Fine
Joe Besser
Maxine Gates
Ruth Godfrey
Harriette Tarler
Matt Murphy
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
Production
Producer(s) Jules White
Cinematography Irving Lippman
Running time 16:46
Distributor Columbia Pictures

Muscle Up a Little Closer is the 176th short film released by Columbia Pictures in 1957 starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Joe Besser). The comedians released 190 short films for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

Plot[edit | edit source]

Moe, Larry and Joe are about propose marriage to their sweethearts. But later, the boys discover that Joe's fiancee's ring has been stolen. The Stooges suspect it is Elmo, a muscular bully who works at their plant. The Stooges come face to face with him in the company gym, but when they try to make him give the ring back by physical force, the plan backfires and Moe and Larry are knocked senseless. But Joe's girl (Maxine Gates) is tougher and knocks out Elmo. She retrieves the ring and she can now marry Joe.

Production notes[edit | edit source]

Filmed on June 27–29, 1956,[1] Muscle Up a Little Closer was the first film to feature Moe and Larry's more "gentlemanly" haircuts, first suggested by Joe Besser. However, these had to be used sparingly, as most of the shorts with Besser were remakes of earlier films, and new footage had to be matched with old.[2]

The title of the film parodies the Otto Harbach/Karl Hoschna 1908 song "Cuddle up a Little Closer".[3]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. Muscle Up a Little Closer at threestooges.net
  2. Lenburg, Jeff; Howard Maurer, Joan; Lenburg, Greg; (1982). The Three Stooges Scrapbook, p. 264, Citadel Press. ISBN 0-8065-0946-5
  3. Solomon, Jon. (2002) The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion, p. 487; Comedy III Productions, Inc., ISBN 0-9711868-0-4

External links[edit | edit source]


Category:1957 films Category:1950s comedy films Category:The Three Stooges films Category:American films Category:American short films Category:English-language films Category:American black-and-white films Category:Films directed by Jules White Category:Columbia Pictures short films


Category:Comedy short films