Snow White and the Three Stooges
Encyclopedia
Snow White and the Three Stooges is the second feature film to star the Three Stooges
after their 1959 resurgence in popularity. By this time, the trio consisted of Moe Howard
, Larry Fine
, and Joe DeRita (dubbed "Curly Joe"). Released by 20th Century Fox
, this was the trio's take on the classic fairy tale Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
. The film was retitled Snow White and the Three Clowns in Great Britain.
Olympic gold medalist figure skater Carol Heiss
starred as Snow White, who must flee her home after her stepmother wishes her to be dead. Seeking refuge in the cottage of the seven dwarfs, she accidentally meets the Stooges, who are house sitting
for them while they are away.
On her 17th birthday, Snow White's father dies and the wicked queen immediately imprisons her. Eventually, the queen's jealousy of her stepdaughter becomes so great that she orders her killed. Snow White escapes her hired assassin and finds refuge in the empty cottage of the seven dwarfs, soon to be joined by the Three Stooges, who are traveling to the castle with their ward Quatro. But the boy they have raised since childhood (also narrowly escaping as assassination attempt by the queen) is in reality Prince Charming, who though he has lost his memory, is betrothed to Snow White.
Snow White and the Prince fall in love, but the queen has him kidnapped when she suspects his true identity. The Stooges, disguised as cooks, attempt to rescue him, but he falls from a staircase in the palace and is presumed dead. Meanwhile, the queen learns from her magic mirror that Snow White is still alive. With the help of her magician, Count Oga, she transforms herself into a witch and succeeds in getting Snow White to take a bite from a poisoned apple.
As she rides back to the palace, she encounters the Stooges, and thanks to an inadvertent wish they make on a magic sword (stolen from Count Oga), she crashes her broom into a mountainside and falls to her death. The Stooges then find the poisoned Snow White, but they do not bury her. Instead, they place her on a bed, and pray to her each day.
Meanwhile, the Prince (Quatro) has not died from his fall. Instead, he is saved by a group of men who want to revolt against the Evil Queen's rule over Fortunia. As the prince recovers, he realizes that his memory has returned, and so he knows that he is indeed a Prince, and that Snow White is the princess he was destined to marry.
After leading a successful revolt which places him on the throne of Fortunia, the prince sends out searchers to find Snow White and the Stooges, unaware that, thanks to yet another inadvertent wish on Count Oga's sword, they are no longer in the country of Fortunia. All searches are fruitless, and Prince Charming is close to giving up hope when he learns of the Evil Queen's magic mirror. The mirror responds truthfully to the desperate Prince's pleas, and the Prince sets off on his journey. He arrives at the Stooges' cabin just in time to dispel the effects of the poisoned apple. Snow White and Prince Charming are married and live happily ever after.
. It also became the least popular. Critics did not take kindly to the film, citing a lack of on-screen time for the trio. Even Moe Howard later commented that Snow White and The Three Stooges was the team's "technicolor mistake." The film was also a box-office flop. Nonetheless, it was nominated for the Writers Guild of America
award for Best Musical Screenplay for 1961. The film was produced and co-written by future U.S. Information Agency head Charles Z. Wick
.
Frank Tashlin
was originally set to direct the film. Edson Stroll was dubbed by Bill Lee
.
Patrica Medina recalled that Carol Heiss repeatedly tried to get her fired from the film.
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,...
after their 1959 resurgence in popularity. By this time, the trio consisted of Moe Howard
Moe Howard
Moses Harry Horwitz , known professionally as Moe Howard, was an American actor and comedian best known as the leader of The Three Stooges, the farce comedy team who starred in motion pictures and television for four decades...
, Larry Fine
Larry Fine
Louis Feinberg , known professionally as Larry Fine, was an American comedian and actor, who is best known as a member of the comedy act The Three Stooges.-Early life:...
, and Joe DeRita (dubbed "Curly Joe"). Released by 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
, this was the trio's take on the classic fairy tale Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Snow White
"Snow White" is a fairy tale known from many countries in Europe, the best known version being the German one collected by the Brothers Grimm...
. The film was retitled Snow White and the Three Clowns in Great Britain.
Olympic gold medalist figure skater Carol Heiss
Carol Heiss
Carol Elizabeth Heiss Jenkins is an American figure skater. She is the 1960 Olympic Champion in Ladies Singles, 1956 Olympic silver medalist and five-time World Champion .-Biography:...
starred as Snow White, who must flee her home after her stepmother wishes her to be dead. Seeking refuge in the cottage of the seven dwarfs, she accidentally meets the Stooges, who are house sitting
House sitting
House sitting is the practice whereby a landlord , leaving their house for a period of time, entrusts it to one or more "house sitters", who by a mutual agreement are entitled to live there rent-free in exchange for assuming responsibilities such as taking care of the homeowner's pets, performing...
for them while they are away.
Plot
Once upon a time, in the kingdom of Fortunia, a noble king and his lovely young queen lack but one blessing to make their joy complete. The queen gives birth to a daughter named Snow White, but dies soon after. The king mourns her, but in time, he remarries because of the pleading of his people. His new Queen is a beautiful, but evil woman who soon becomes jealous of Snow White's beauty.On her 17th birthday, Snow White's father dies and the wicked queen immediately imprisons her. Eventually, the queen's jealousy of her stepdaughter becomes so great that she orders her killed. Snow White escapes her hired assassin and finds refuge in the empty cottage of the seven dwarfs, soon to be joined by the Three Stooges, who are traveling to the castle with their ward Quatro. But the boy they have raised since childhood (also narrowly escaping as assassination attempt by the queen) is in reality Prince Charming, who though he has lost his memory, is betrothed to Snow White.
Snow White and the Prince fall in love, but the queen has him kidnapped when she suspects his true identity. The Stooges, disguised as cooks, attempt to rescue him, but he falls from a staircase in the palace and is presumed dead. Meanwhile, the queen learns from her magic mirror that Snow White is still alive. With the help of her magician, Count Oga, she transforms herself into a witch and succeeds in getting Snow White to take a bite from a poisoned apple.
Meanwhile, the Prince (Quatro) has not died from his fall. Instead, he is saved by a group of men who want to revolt against the Evil Queen's rule over Fortunia. As the prince recovers, he realizes that his memory has returned, and so he knows that he is indeed a Prince, and that Snow White is the princess he was destined to marry.
After leading a successful revolt which places him on the throne of Fortunia, the prince sends out searchers to find Snow White and the Stooges, unaware that, thanks to yet another inadvertent wish on Count Oga's sword, they are no longer in the country of Fortunia. All searches are fruitless, and Prince Charming is close to giving up hope when he learns of the Evil Queen's magic mirror. The mirror responds truthfully to the desperate Prince's pleas, and the Prince sets off on his journey. He arrives at the Stooges' cabin just in time to dispel the effects of the poisoned apple. Snow White and Prince Charming are married and live happily ever after.
Primary Cast
- Moe HowardMoe HowardMoses Harry Horwitz , known professionally as Moe Howard, was an American actor and comedian best known as the leader of The Three Stooges, the farce comedy team who starred in motion pictures and television for four decades...
: Himself - Larry FineLarry FineLouis Feinberg , known professionally as Larry Fine, was an American comedian and actor, who is best known as a member of the comedy act The Three Stooges.-Early life:...
: Himself - Joe DeRita: Himself
- Carol HeissCarol HeissCarol Elizabeth Heiss Jenkins is an American figure skater. She is the 1960 Olympic Champion in Ladies Singles, 1956 Olympic silver medalist and five-time World Champion .-Biography:...
: Snow White - Edson StrollEdson StrollEdson Stroll was an American actor. He made over 20 film and television appearances since 1958.-Career:Stroll began his career as a bodybuilder in the 1950s. He then moved to acting in 1958 with bit parts on television shows such as How to Marry a Millionaire, Sea Hunt and The Twilight Zone...
: Quatro/Prince Charming - Patricia MedinaPatricia MedinaPatricia Paz Maria Medina is an English actress from Liverpool, England. Her father was a Spaniard and her mother was English. Medina began acting as a teenager in the late 1930s...
: Queen/Witch - Guy RolfeGuy RolfeGuy Rolfe was an English actor born in London.He made his screen debut in 1937 with an uncredited appearance in Knight Without Armour. Notable roles include: Prince John in Ivanhoe , Ned Seymour in Young Bess , Caiaphas in King of Kings , and Prince Grigory in Taras Bulba...
: Count Oga - Michael David: Rolf
- Buddy BaerBuddy BaerJacob Henry "Buddy" Baer was an American boxer. In 2003, Baer was chosen for the Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time...
: Hordred - Edgar BarrierEdgar BarrierEdgar Barrier was an American actor who appeared on radio, stage, and screen. In the 1930s he was a member of Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre and played Simon Templar on The Saint radio show....
: King Augustus - Peter Coe: Captain
- Mark Bailey: Captain of the Guard
- Mel BlancMel BlancMelvin Jerome "Mel" Blanc was an American voice actor and comedian. Although he began his nearly six-decade-long career performing in radio commercials, Blanc is best remembered for his work with Warner Bros...
: voice of Quinto - Herbie FayeHerbie FayeHerbie Faye was an American actor who appeared in both of Phil Silvers's CBS television series, The Phil Silvers Show and The New Phil Silvers Show ....
: Head Cook - Blossom RockBlossom RockEdith Marie Blossom MacDonald , also known or credited as Blossom Rock, Blossom MacDonald or Marie Blake, was an American actress of stage and television...
: Servant - Paul FreesPaul FreesPaul Frees was an American voice actor and character actor.-Biography:He was born Solomon Hersh Frees in Chicago...
: Narrator/The Magic Talking Mirror (voice)
Production
Snow White and The Three Stooges was the only 1960s Stooges feature filmed in color, as well as the only one not made by Columbia PicturesColumbia 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...
. It also became the least popular. Critics did not take kindly to the film, citing a lack of on-screen time for the trio. Even Moe Howard later commented that Snow White and The Three Stooges was the team's "technicolor mistake." The film was also a box-office flop. Nonetheless, it was nominated for the Writers Guild of America
Writers Guild of America
The Writers Guild of America is a generic term referring to the joint efforts of two different US labor unions:* The Writers Guild of America, East , representing TV and film writers East of the Mississippi....
award for Best Musical Screenplay for 1961. The film was produced and co-written by future U.S. Information Agency head Charles Z. Wick
Charles Z. Wick
Charles Z. Wick was director of the United States Information Agency under President Ronald Reagan...
.
Frank Tashlin
Frank Tashlin
Frank Tashlin, born Francis Fredrick von Taschlein, also known as Tish Tash or Frank Tash was an American animator, screenwriter, and film director.-Animator:...
was originally set to direct the film. Edson Stroll was dubbed by Bill Lee
Bill Lee (singer)
Bill Lee was an American playback singer who provided a voice or singing voice in many films, for actors in musicals and for many Disney characters. He was born in Johnson, Nebraska and died in 1980 in Los Angeles, California, of a brain tumor.Lee was part of a popular singing quartet known as The...
.
Patrica Medina recalled that Carol Heiss repeatedly tried to get her fired from the film.