Restless Knights (1935) User Reviews

RESTLESS KNIGHTS (Charles Lamont, 1935) **1/2

[Bunuel1976 · 6/10 · 25 January 2008]

The Three Stooges offer themselves as musketeers at the service of the Queen of France, whose Captain of the Guards is, unsurprisingly, planning to usurp the throne. After a bright start featuring Walter Brennan as The Stooges' dying father, this soon degenerates into a lengthy but unfunny wrestling bout among the boys; luckily, it picks up again when the Queen is abducted eventually, and much of the action in the second half involves the stars contriving to get rid of her captors.

Even though little is actually done with the medieval setting, it is nevertheless interesting as a spoof of many a costume piece/swashbuckler of its day – especially "The Three Musketeers"; for the record, director Lamont would helm many an Abbott & Costello vehicle during the coming decade.

Curly moves

[SnoopyStyle · 8/10 · 28 July 2020]

In Medieval times, Larry, Curly, and Moe are the sons of a count. On his death bed, he tells them that they are of royal blood. The boys go seeking to reclaim their kingdom and become the Queen's guards.

Curly is just physically funny. While fighting with Moe, his fawning over the Queen is simply joyful idiocy. I love him when he does the most basic comedic moves. The Musketeers story is meaningless. This is a Stooges short after all. I really like the smaller Curly moments more than any big scenes.

Walter Brennan's Role as Three Stooges' Dad Unforgettable

[springfieldrental · 7/10 · 29 April 2023]

In February 1935's "Restless Knights," The Three Stooges are transported back to the Middle Ages. They discover they possess royal blood and have been assigned by their dying father to protect the queen of the small kingdom of Anesthesia, where her rule is in danger of a coup by the prime minister.

Charles Lamont accepted the assignment from Columbia Pictures to direct the trio in the first of only two movies he handled for the Stooges. He left Columbia Pictures after his second Stooges film because, as he said, "I had an intense hatred for Columbia president Harry Cohn." Lamont's known for his work with Abbott and Costello and Ma and Pa comedies.

When the dying dad (Walter Brennan) slaps his three sons, Moe, Larry and Curly, collectively in the face, it's the first time the three had been slapped at the same time from someone other than Moe, who usually dashed out the punishment. Brennan, a very busy character actor at the time, had a year earlier all his teeth knocked out filming a fight scene. He called that misfortune "the luckiest break in the world." Brennan was fitted with false teeth to replace his damaged ones, saying "when necessary I could take 'em out - and suddenly look about 40 years older." Hence, his perfect casting of an old man on his death bed.

Another first for the Stooges is the gag where one of them entice a group of baddies, one at a time, to chase him while the other two, hidden on each side of a passage with bats or sticks, slug them over the head as they run by. As expected, the Stooges get mixed up in their ambush by knocking out one of their own. Another first heard in "Restless Knights" is the famous Stooges' quote, "All for one! One for all! Every man for himself!"

Duke of Mixture, Fife of Drum, and Baron of Brains

[slymusic · 5 February 2008]

"Restless Knights" is an early Three Stooges short directed by a man who made the boys follow the script: Charles Lamont. In the kingdom of Anesthesia, Prime Minister Boris (George Baxter) is plotting to kidnap Queen Anne (Geneva Mitchell) and take over the entire kingdom. Who else to the queen's rescue but Larry, Curly, and Moe?

Highlights: Some wonderfully majestic music is heard not only during the film's credits but also briefly during the queen's initial entrance and during the wrestling match between Moe & Curly. The Stooges' father (Walter Brennan) blesses them by giving them a triple slap. In the wine cellar, after successfully clubbing two villains, Moe & Larry accidentally club themselves, Curly, and the queen.

The Stooges' comic personalities were still developing while they made "Restless Knights," and with their next short - "Pop Goes the Easel" (1935) - Moe, Larry, and Curly would team up with a director who really helped shape them into, respectively, their boss/middleman/patsy Stooge personae. His name was Del Lord.

Walter Brennan Is The Stooges' Dad !

[ccthemovieman-1 · 7/10 · 12 December 2009]

As a DVD/VHS collector, the most notable aspect of this Stooges film is seeing famous movie actor Walter Brennan in an uncredited role as the Stooges father! He opens up the story with a deathbed story. Frankly, I wouldn't have known that was him if I hadn't seen his name listed in the credits here on IMDb. Looking at the movie for a second time, sure enough: it's a younger Brennan with a fake beard but the same somewhat-squeaky voice!

Anyway, this particular Three Stooges short, as someone else here pointed out, is set back in medieval times, but in all practical purposes could have been set in any time. Most of the film is comprised of several extended physical gags.

For example, there is a wrestling scene which is fairly long - just the boys showing the queen how the sport is (not) done. Most of the gags aren't all that great except for the ending when one of the Stooges is flung in the air onto the queen's throne.

The boys, by the way, call themselves "The Duke Of Mixture," "The Baron Of Brains" and "The Fife Of Drum." That sort of gives you an idea of the humor in this one: passable, but not laugh-out-loud humor..

While Restless Knights isn't non-stop hilarious, it's still pretty amusing thanks to The Three Stooges

[tavm · 6/10 · 5 January 2011]

This review is of the sixth consecutive Three Stooges short made by Columbia Pictures. As their previous short-Horses' Collars-was their first western spoof, this one is the first set in Medieval times. It seems their dying father (Walter Brennan in his second Stooges appearance) has revealed to his sons (Moe, Larry, and Curley as his name was spelled at the time) that they're of royal blood and assigns them to protect their queen. I'll stop there and just say that while there are plenty of highly amusing scenes here, very few of them are non-stop hilarious and the end is a bit abrupt. In fact, maybe they could have added 15 minutes to bring more of a logical story to term. Still, Restless Knights is enjoyable enough and for that, I recommend it. P.S. This isn't the first time he boys got a triple slap on film since their previous leader, Ted Healy, has done that several times before to them.

Great Three Stooges short!

[Movie Nuttball · 10/10 · 15 March 2005]

The Three Stooges has always been some of the many actors that I have loved. I love just about every one of the shorts that they have made. I love all six of the Stooges (Curly, Shemp, Moe, Larry, Joe, and Curly Joe)! All of the shorts are hilarious and also star many other great actors and actresses which a lot of them was in many of the shorts! In My opinion The Three Stooges is some of the greatest actors ever and is the all time funniest comedy team!

One of the most different Three Stooges shorts is Restless Knights. In this short are Geneva Mitchell, Stanley Blystone, Lynton Brent, Eadie Adams, George Baxter, and Walter Brennan. The acting by these actors are good especially by Mitchell and Blystone . the costumes and everything looks fantastic! There are many funny scenes here that I think most Three Stooges fans will love! I recommend this one to all!

Great guards!

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 16 January 2015]

Although the setting for this Three Stooges short is unusual and the costumes and sets much better than usual, it's otherwise a very typical sort of film for these folks. It begins with Moe, Curly and Larry being told by their sickly father that they are actually of noble birth and they are to go to the Queen and offer their services to her as guards--much like the Musketeers. However, when these three idiots are wrestling about as entertainment for the Queen, they don't notice that she's been kidnapped. They are arrested and only avoid execution when they are sent to find her. What follows are lots of folks being bonked on the head and people being stabbed in the butts with swords. If this is your kind of thing, you'll love this short. Otherwise, it has a lot of energy but lacks good belly laughs.

The "Lost" Original Episode

[verbusen · 6/10 · 12 April 2014]

I know this was never "lost" but it was never shown on TV when I was growing up watching the Stooges in the 1970's and 80's. I just watched this today for the first time and usually that would count as an automatic 10 rating since I love the Stooges so much and it would be new material. Alas, this one is on the dry side, very dry. The wrestling scene is funny though and put into modern context kind of embarrassing as it has serious overtones. That and the execution scene were the only scenes I found memorable, the rest was all filler. I'm giving it a 6 and that includes a boost for having just watched it for the first time so in replays it would be more like 5. I guess thats why it was never shown on TV when I was growing up? Weird, that not all the shorts were shown with the same frequency, it's got nothing in it that would seem risqué for kids that I can tell, just a typical Stooges short. Probably the least memorable of the earliest Stooge shorts pre 1937.

average stooge film

[mlcs_2099 · 5/10 · 2 April 2003]

This is one of those stooges films that starts off with a bang(the scenes with Walter Brennan playing the boys father, the wrestling match in the castle)then starts to run out of steam after about 8 minutes and doesn't pack as many ROFL moments to close out the short that it started with.

5/10

Restless audiences!

[JohnHowardReid · 5/10 · 6 March 2018]

Moe Howard (Count of Fife), Larry Fine (Duke of Durham), Curly Howard (Baron of Graymatter), Walter Brennan (bedridden father), Geneva Mitchell (Queen Anne of Anesthesia), Stanley Blystone (captain of the guard), Jack Duffy (toothless guard), Bobby Burns, Lynton Brent, William Irving (queen's allies), Billy Franey (attendant), James Howard, Bud O'Neill (wrestlers), George Baxter (Prince Boris), Al Thompson, Ernie Young (henchmen), Chris Franke (announcer), Marie Wells, Corinne Williams, Eadie Adams, Dorothy King, Patty Price, George Speer, Joseph Perry, Dutch Hendrian, Bert Young (bit parts).

Director: CHARLES LAMONT. Original story and screenplay: Felix Adler. Film editor: William A. Lyon. Photography: Benjamin H. Kline. Producer: Jules White.

Copyright 18 February 1935 by Columbia Pictures Corporation. U.S. release: 20 February 1935. 2 reels. 17 minutes.

SYNOPSIS: The Stooges discover they are noblemen and like The Three Musketeers, they set off to aid their queen.

COMMENT: At first, Felix Adler's story promises a spoof of such films as "When Knighthood Was In Flower", but unfortunately it doesn't work out that way. Although the cast line-up is especially strong, what we actually get are a few bright quips interspersed with a lot (and I mean a real, real lot!) of ho-hum knockabout.

Not one of my favorites

[Michael_Elliott · 25 February 2008]

Restless Knights (1935)

** (out of 4)

After hearing about a plot to assassinate the Queen, the Three Stooges becomes knights but trouble follows. I think this is one of the weakest shorts that feature the original group of Stooges. I think the writing is pretty lazy, which leads to extended scenes that just aren't very funny. The wrestling matches are deadly dull and pretty much kills everything that follows. Even the slapstick humor is pretty dull.

Now available in Columbia's 2-disc set, which features over 20 classic shorts.

Restless Knights (1935) **1/2

[JoeKarlosi · 26 January 2013]

A medieval setting is the time and place for this Three Stooges comedy, not one of their best but still worth seeing. Moe, Larry and Curley as musketeers must come to the rescue of a young Queen who is abducted. The Stooges engage each other in a bizarre wrestling sequence, which is probably the standout sequence of this short. A recent re-visitation of RESTLESS KNIGHTS left me appreciating it more than I previously have. When attempting to rate so many similar Stooge films such as these, it's often difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. As a side note, Walter Brennan appears early on as the Stooges' dying father. **1/2 out of ****