Matri-Phony is the 63rd short subject

Short subject

A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all...

 starring American slapstick

Slapstick

Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which may exceed the boundaries of common sense.- Origins :The phrase comes from the batacchio or bataccio — called the 'slap stick' in English — a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte...

 comedy team the Three Stooges

Three Stooges

The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy act of the early to mid–20th century best known for their numerous short subject films. Their hallmark was physical farce and extreme slapstick. In films, the Stooges were commonly known by their first names: "Moe, Larry, and Curly" and "Moe,...

. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures

Columbia Pictures

Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...

 between 1934 and 1959.

Plot

The Stooges live in "Ancient Erysipelas," where they run Ye Olde Pottery shop. The powerful Emperor Octopus Grabus (Vernon Dent

Vernon Dent

Vernon Bruce Dent was a comic actor who appeared in over 400 films in his career. He co-starred in many short films for Columbia Pictures, frequently as the foil to the Three Stooges.-Early career:...

) is in search for a new wife again, with his sights set on redheads. Lovely Diana (Marjorie Deanne

Marjorie Deanne

Marjorie Deanne was an American film actress. She appeared in over 25 films between 1938 and 1943.Born Clara Pauline Boughton, modern viewers will recognize Deanne for her appearances in several Three Stooges films such as Violent Is the Word for Curly, Dutiful But Dumb and Matri-Phony.Deanne died...

), who has kindled Grabus' interest, hides out in the Stooges' shop. A palace guard catches onto the scheme and all are brought to Grabus. The boys help Diana escape, while Moe and Larry convince Curly to dress up as Octopus's prospective bride. These two then destroy the glasses of the nearly-blind Grabus, who cannot see past his nose. The Stooges make a rapid escape by jumping out a palace windows, but end getting caught, upside-down, on the spear

Spear

A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or...

s of three guards.

Quotes

• Curly: "Oh, food!" (beholds the spread before him) "Vitamans A B C D E F GEE, I like food!"