| Hokus Pokus | |
|---|---|
 | |
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Release Date |
May 5, 1949 |
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Directed by |
Jules White |
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Written by |
Felix Adler |
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Produced by |
Jules White |
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Preceded by |
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Followed by |
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Hokus Pokus is the 115th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.
Cast[]
- Moe Howard
- Larry Fine
- Shemp Howard
- Mary Ainslee
- Vernon Dent
- Jimmie Lloyd
- David Bond
- Ned Glass
- Johnny Kascier
Plot[]
The Stooges are three paperhangers who also look after invalid Mary, who always uses a wheelchair. The seemingly helpless blonde, however, is trying to swindle her insurance company out of $25,000, as she is not handicapped in the least. While the Stooges are at work hanging posters, they are taken by one poster that advertises a great hypnotist, Svengarlic ("He'll steal your breath away!" the poster announces). The Stooges want the hypnotist to work his magic on Mary so that she can walk again, but Svengarlic is more interested in winning an audience by hypnotizing the Stooges. Under his spell, they walk out onto a flagpole high on a building and dance. But a distracted bicyclist knocks Svengarlic over and the Stooges are abruptly awakened. They immediately panic when they see where they are, then the flagpole breaks, sending them flying through an open window. The boys land directly in the insurance office where Mary is about to be handed her check. Startled, she jumps out of her wheelchair, exposing her scheme.
Notes[]
- This short would later be remade in 1956 as Flagpole Jitters, using old footage from Hokus Pokus.
- Shemp Howard makes a reference to "Sing Sing" Correctional Facility, believing he has hypnotized Moe into thinking he is locked up in the infamous prison.
- The character name "Svengarlic" is a parody of "Svengali", the name of a fictional character in George du Maurier's 1894 novel Trilby.
Quotes[]
- [Shemp tries to convince Moe that hypnotism is a real thing]
- Shemp: For instance, look me in the eye. Hocus pocus, pocus hocus, abracadabra. [Moe pretends to have been hypnotized] You are now in Los Angeles!
- Moe: I am now in Los Angeles.
- Shemp: You are now in New York!
- Moe: I am now in New York!
- Shemp: You are now in Sing Sing!
- Moe: [grabs a chair] I am now in Sing Sing.
- Shemp: You are now in Boston!
- Moe: I am now in Sing Sing.
- Shemp: No! You are now in Boston!
- Moe: I am now in Sing Sing.
- Larry: You can't get this guy out of Sing Sing.
- Shemp: Good, that's just where he belongs! [Shemp laughs before Moe smashes him on the head with a chair]
Video[]
The Three Stooges 115 Hokus Pokus 1949 Shemp, Larry, Moe
