The Big Idea (1934)

Ted Healy is the proprietor of the "Big Idea Scenario Company" (Ideas While You Wait). Unfortunately, various visitors to his one-room office constantly interrupt his train of thought. ... See full summary »

Stars:

Ted Healy, Moe Howard, Larry Fine

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ted Healy	...	Ted Healy, Scenario Company President
Moe Howard	...	Healy's Stooge (as Howard)
Larry Fine	...	Healy's Stooge (as Fine)
Curly Howard	...	Healy's Stooge (as Howard)
Bonnie Bonnell	...	Cleaning Lady
Muriel Evans	...	Honey, Ted's Fiancee
Three Radio Rogues	...	Themselves
Tut Mace	...	Dancer
M-G-M Dancing Girls	...	Themselves
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
The Three Stooges	...	Themselves

Storyline

Ted Healy is the proprietor of the "Big Idea Scenario Company" (Ideas While You Wait). Unfortunately, various visitors to his one-room office constantly interrupt his train of thought. These include a man with a machine gun, a woman who empties waste baskets on the floor, and a trio of musicians who play "Marching Through Georgia" on various instruments.

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Plot Keywords:

machine gun | the three stooges | author | slapstick | dancer | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Short

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 May 1934 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

19 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was the final MGM short subject starring Ted Healy & His Stooges.

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Connections

Edited from The March of Time (1930)

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Soundtracks

"Marching Through Georgia"
(1865)
Written by Henry Clay Work
Performed by the studio orchestra on trumpets
Reprised by the studio orchestra on french horns
Reprised again by the studio orchestra on saxophones

User Reviews

LOTS of big ideas

An interesting film. Ted Healy does a good job playing a writer (an idea man). The radio show scene is a definite highlight- with great impressions of Bing Crosby, Amos and Andy and probably other famous people. It sounds like they probably did other cast members of the Amos and Andy show, but I don't know for sure because I never saw it.

The Three Stooges were the main reason I watched this film in the first place. For most of their appearances, they would march into Ted's office playing a different brass instrument each time. They would stop in front of Ted's desk, put their instruments at their sides and lift their hats. The hat lifting somehow caused water to spray out of the instruments at Ted. They would then play the same tune again as they left the office. The last time they come in with instruments, it leads to different circumstances to give the boys a chance to ham it up.

Overall, this is a film that's good for it's uniqueness. The comedy is good, but it seems to rely on the uniqueness. Don't just watch it for the Stooges, watch it for everyone and everything else too, (except the dance scene) so you can see that this is a truly good film.