Listen, Judge (1952)
7/10
Judge "Listen, Judge" for yourself
27 February 2005
"Listen, Judge" is a sort-of remake of the Stooges' 1941 film "An Ache in Every Stake." This film features tried and true Stooge gags, along with a few surprises.

The Stooges are in court before a judge (Vernon Dent) and are released from vagrancy and chicken stealing charges. The Stooges get into their usual trouble after getting off the hook, and the judge is not pleased with getting a chicken in his face after releasing them! Fixer-uppers, they make a mess of Kitty McHugh's home -- and then find the judge is a guest at dinner! Will he recognize them?

"Listen, Judge" presents stalwart gags, including stuffing a turkey stooge-style. One twist: after Shemp puts the obligatory "can of tomatoes" inside the turkey, Moe removes the can's label and then puts the can back inside (Moe says, "paper in stuffing! Ick!")

One surprising gag occurs in this Edward Bernds'- directed film. When Shemp tests the doorbell the Stooges have "fixed," he is charged with electricity. Moe twists a bulb into his Shemp's ear, and the bulb lights up. Larry shorts out Shemp by twisting a screwdriver into his other ear (you can see the screwdriver twist into Shemp's ear by several inches). This is a surprise gag for Bernds, who normally shied away from extreme visual gags such as this(director Jules White tended to go for the cruder gags).

Another surprise is the appearance of John Hamilton, best known as Perry White in the "Adventures of Superman" TV series, which began production around this time. It is his only appearance in a Stooges film.

Good laughs, and a few surprises, gives this film a lift. 7 out of 10.
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