The Stooges are stowaways aboard a boxcar bound for Hollywood, envisioning themselves as future movie stars without merit. Upon trespassing into a movie studio, they are mistaken for executives poised to assume control, granting them unwarranted authority over film production. Their tenure begins on a tumultuous note when Curly's misstep with a match disturbs a silent film star, prompting the departure of key personnel and leaving the trio to assume acting roles themselves.
Their charade unravels when genuine executives arrive, exposing the trio's ruse and instigating a pursuit by the studio and crew. Fleeing their pursuers, the Stooges find themselves in a precarious encounter with lions, leading to a chaotic escapade as they attempt to evade danger in a runaway car.
Movie Maniacs was released on February 20, 1936, only two weeks after the previous release, Ants in the Pantry. It was filmed, though, in October 1935, two months before Ants in the Pantry.[2][3]
The sign at the studio gate reads "Carnation Pictures: From Contented Actors" The gag refers to Carnation milk, which was long advertised as "from contented cows."
The railroad boxcar at the beginning of the short reads "C. M. & St. P. R.R." which alludes to the Milwaukee Road. The railroad was bankrupt when this short was released (its first bankruptcy was 1925.)
The scene with the Stooges demonstrating kissing techniques was deleted when originally released to television in 1958 by Columbia Studio's television distribution subsidiary Screen Gems, as it was deemed too risqué for children's programming. Home video versions present the completed film with the scene intact.[4]
The original ending involved the Stooges setting fire to the movie set and fleeing the site.[3]
The lions seen at the end of the short were named "Tanner" and "Jackie", both trained by Mel Koontz. The two lions were previously used as Metro-Goldwyn Mayer's mascot. The two would appear in other Stooges shorts (Tanner being the most frequent of the two).
^ abSolomon, Jon (2002). The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion. Glendale, California: Comedy III Productions, Inc. p. 80. ISBN0-9711868-0-4.
