Directed by Jules White, "Pest Man Wins" is one of my two favorite Three Stooges shorts with Shemp, the other being the classic Western "Punchy Cowpunchers" (1950), directed by Edward Bernds. One author noted that the pie fight in "Pest Man Wins" is arguably the wildest pie fight the Stooges ever tackled, what with the background noises of people screaming, the thirty-some pies that made successful hits, and the stock footage from "In the Sweet Pie and Pie" (1941) and "Half-Wits Holiday" (1947), both directed by Jules White.
The pie fight is by far the best part of this short, but there are other highlights as well. When Moe and Shemp escape from upstairs after filling the bedroom and bathroom with their pests (naturally, they "bug" the house so that they can be hired to exterminate them), Shemp accidentally bashes Moe's head with the Stooges' trunk three times. And later on, when a mouse jumps down the back of one of the party guests (played by long-time Stooges foil Vernon Dent), he arises from the sofa and gyrates into a wild and crazy dance; as they have done in other shorts, the Stooges then decide to join him!
Some fans might be put off by the reused pie fight stock footage in this short and in "Scheming Schemers" (1956) and "Pies and Guys" (1958), and that is understandable. Be that as it may, "Pest Man Wins" still contains a remarkable pie fight, so just enjoy it and gain a few laughs from it.
The pie fight is by far the best part of this short, but there are other highlights as well. When Moe and Shemp escape from upstairs after filling the bedroom and bathroom with their pests (naturally, they "bug" the house so that they can be hired to exterminate them), Shemp accidentally bashes Moe's head with the Stooges' trunk three times. And later on, when a mouse jumps down the back of one of the party guests (played by long-time Stooges foil Vernon Dent), he arises from the sofa and gyrates into a wild and crazy dance; as they have done in other shorts, the Stooges then decide to join him!
Some fans might be put off by the reused pie fight stock footage in this short and in "Scheming Schemers" (1956) and "Pies and Guys" (1958), and that is understandable. Be that as it may, "Pest Man Wins" still contains a remarkable pie fight, so just enjoy it and gain a few laughs from it.