The Three Stooges save the day when the gold must go through in this amusing Western that will tickle the funny bone of any Three Stooges fan. Clem Bevans is hilarious as an old man with a few problems of his own. The film would have gained more had the Stooges been given a larger role. Director Ed Bernds was given a tiny budget and about one week to knock this picture out. Nevertheless, worth the price of admission for the Stooge in you.
15 Reviews
Good Help
bkoganbing5 August 2009
Gold Raiders finds B western star George O'Brien, a former US Marshal now in a new line of work. He's in the insurance game both in sales and protection. He's signing up mine owners for insurance, but in that corner of the west, the mine shipments have been regular prey to bandits. To make his insurance work or pay out big time, O'Brien's got to find the robbers.
He could sure use some good help, but that's hard to find so instead he gets the Three Stooges. Moe, Larry, and Shemp are a trio of itinerant peddlers/con artists and none to good. So why O'Brien thinks they'll be of help to him is a mystery. Still they do their slapstick best.
This was George O'Brien's final starring role, he did a comeback appearance in John Ford's Cheyenne Autumn in a much more serious film and part. He doesn't look like he minds too much playing second fiddle to Three Stooges.
Not too much mystery here, we know right away who the bandits are. Some similarity in plot to Abbott&Costello's The Wistful Widow Of Wagon Gap. For Stooge fans everywhere.
He could sure use some good help, but that's hard to find so instead he gets the Three Stooges. Moe, Larry, and Shemp are a trio of itinerant peddlers/con artists and none to good. So why O'Brien thinks they'll be of help to him is a mystery. Still they do their slapstick best.
This was George O'Brien's final starring role, he did a comeback appearance in John Ford's Cheyenne Autumn in a much more serious film and part. He doesn't look like he minds too much playing second fiddle to Three Stooges.
Not too much mystery here, we know right away who the bandits are. Some similarity in plot to Abbott&Costello's The Wistful Widow Of Wagon Gap. For Stooge fans everywhere.
Gold Raiders was a pretty enjoyable western with some good Stooges comedy
tavm29 December 2015
While by the time this movie was made, Shemp Howard had appeared with his brother Moe and Larry Fine in several shorts as The Three Stooges, this is only the second-and final, it turned out-time he appeared with them in a feature. The first time was in Soup to Nuts back in 1930 when they were teamed with Ted Healy before Shemp first split from them and was replaced by his brother Curly who he eventually replaced in 1946 when Curly had his stroke. Anyway, this was sorta a straight western starring George O'Brien with the Stooges providing comic relief. They're certainly funny enough whenever they appear on screen. By the way, if the leading lady Sheila Ryan seems familiar to you, you may have seen her with another familiar comedy team-namely Laurel & Hardy-in Great Guns and A-Haunting We Will Go. Anyway, Gold Raiders is a pretty enjoyable western/comedy if you don't take it too seriously. P.S. I had previously tried to watch this on the DVD that also had Meet the Baron but the first two shipments from Netflix had either no pic or it froze in several places. I had some of those same problems here from the third shipment but since I kept changing machines, it seemed to work fine...until it pixilated quite a bit near the end though I could still figure out what was going on almost to the very end. Update-8/4/16: Just watched the end on YouTube from a clear print. Rating stays.
Underrated farewell to O'Brien
NPG2 October 2000
Great film suffers from not being seen often since it is very rare to find a video of it. I saw it at a film festival. Shemp and George do excellent jobs in this film which is both hilarious and very serious at the same time. An unusual work for the stooges definitely. See it if you have the chance!!!
O'Brien meets up with three stooges
ksf-224 September 2019
The three stooges had gotten their start in the 1930s, so they were in the biz for twenty years already, by the time this "short, but full length film" came out from United Artists. The stooges rescue George O'Brien, who is playing .... George O'Brien in this one, trying to set up an insurance office. Sheila Ryan co-stars as Laura. Lyle Talbot and Monte Blue are in here as well. .. they were hired for most of the westerns made in hollywood! This one is SO three stooges! lots of slapping, tripping, falling, mauling, and saloon fighting. a good mix of stooges and typical western. has a good storyline, and good quality sound and picture. Directed by Ed Bernds, who had directed many of the Three Stooges, Blondie films, and a whole bunch of the Bowery Boys films. interesting story about an oscar mistake.. Bernds was nominated, but he politely declined, since the oscar was meant for another film. check it out on Wikipedia dot org. As usual for westerns, this was filmed in the rocky hills above Los Angeles.
Fistfights and Gunfights galore!
zardoz-1324 November 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Veteran western star George O'Brien teamed up with The Three Stooges in director Edward Bernds' "Gold Raiders" as an insurance agent determined to thwart a gang of trigger-happy bandits from hijacking gold shipments. The Stooges play second string to George as he tries to flush out the polecats preying on mine operators shipping their ore to Red Mesa. Not only did this 55-minute, black & white, comedy oater constitute O'Brien's last starring role, but it was the first and only time that Shemp Howard showed up for a Stooges' feature film. Primarily, Moe, Larry, and Shemp are con artists masquerading as itinerant peddlers who wind up working alongside O'Brien. Along the way, George and the Stooges get their spurs tangled up with elderly Doc Mason and his granddaughter Laura. Poor old Doc is an alcoholic sawbones who accidentally collaborates with the chief villain Taggart (Lyle Talbot) when he loses a piece of paper with O'Brien's strategy to dupe the outlaws. "Gold Raiders" amounts to a standard-issue, B-movie, horse opera, with the virtuous O'Brien battling it out with the wicked Taggart while the Stooges supply the kind of comic relief sidekicks ordinarily would in their service to the star. Fuzzy Knight makes a brief appearance as a pusillanimous town sheriff. The incomparable Clem Bevans is both believable and sympathetic as the whiskey besotted oldster. As Doc Mason, he creates chaos without realizing what he is doing until half-way through the action. If you enjoy formulaic B-movie sagebrushers with knock-down drag out fights, galloping horse chases, and shoot'em ups, this western should entertain you. The shenanigans of the Stooges and the complex Elwood Ullman and William Lively screenplay make this one tolerable enough to take.
Gold Raiders (1951) *1/2
JoeKarlosi13 February 2007
GOLD RAIDERS (1951)
A dull western/comedy feature with the Three Stooges (including Shemp Howard at this point, who I've always enjoyed as the "third Stooge") doing their usual schtick, and directed by the normally dependable Edward Bernds, who also did some of their funniest classic shorts -- so one has to wonder, just what went wrong this time? The most probable answer is that what worked pretty good as a 15-minute two-reeler comes up as too much for a 55-minute feature film. Unlike so many of their classic short subjects, GOLD RAIDERS is not worth revisiting.
*1/2 out of ****
A dull western/comedy feature with the Three Stooges (including Shemp Howard at this point, who I've always enjoyed as the "third Stooge") doing their usual schtick, and directed by the normally dependable Edward Bernds, who also did some of their funniest classic shorts -- so one has to wonder, just what went wrong this time? The most probable answer is that what worked pretty good as a 15-minute two-reeler comes up as too much for a 55-minute feature film. Unlike so many of their classic short subjects, GOLD RAIDERS is not worth revisiting.
*1/2 out of ****
For Stooge fans only
pmtelefon16 January 2023
If it weren't for The Three Stooges being in "Gold Raiders" it would be totally forgettable. It's not that the non-Stooge part of the movie is that bad it's just that it is completely standard stuff. Also, star George O'Brien isn't much of a western hero. He looks out of place in the old west. Moe, Larry and Shemp, on the other hand, are in fine form in this movie. Those guys do look at home in the west and they do have some funny moments in this movie. Is "Gold Raiders" classic stuff for this Stooge fan? No, it's not. But it is, however, better that their full length features that came out a few years later. Thanks to its very friendly running time (56 minutes), "Gold Raiders" is a pretty easy watch.
A strange combination of a typical B-Western and the Three Stooges.
planktonrules21 June 2009
Considering that this film does not have Curly, it automatically loses a couple points. However, much as I dislike Shemp films compared to the Curly ones, they are still miles and miles ahead of the later (ugghh) films with the annoying Joe Besser or the insipid Joe DeRita.
The movie is unusual due to its format. Instead of the usual 20 minute running time, this one comes in at a little under one hour--B-movie length. Now in later years, longer films would be the norm. But her in 1951, it was definitely an anomaly. In this film, the same bad pattern develops that plagued the full-length the Stooges made late in their careers. Instead of being THE show, they are there more as supporting characters. Here, aging cowboy star George O'Brien (playing, of all people a guy named "George O'Brien"!) is an insurance agent out West to protect shipments of ore from bandits. Insanely, he hires the Stooges to help him protect the shipments.
As for the Stooges, to a degree they pretty much do as you'd expect--lots of slapping and eye-gouging and the like. Unfortunately, though, it's like they are guests in another person's film. There is no crazy plot or the usual level of zaniness to the film--making GOLD RAIDERS an amazingly muted film. In fact, it's less like a Three Stooges film and more like a typical B-Western--something O'Brien might have done without the Stooges. Sadly, the craziness I'd hoped would be there wasn't.
You know, I'd sure love to know why this film was made. After years and years of two-reel comedies, this film just seems to come from out of no where. Also, I'd love to know how in the final shootout in the bad that so many shots were fired but so few people got hurt!!
The movie is unusual due to its format. Instead of the usual 20 minute running time, this one comes in at a little under one hour--B-movie length. Now in later years, longer films would be the norm. But her in 1951, it was definitely an anomaly. In this film, the same bad pattern develops that plagued the full-length the Stooges made late in their careers. Instead of being THE show, they are there more as supporting characters. Here, aging cowboy star George O'Brien (playing, of all people a guy named "George O'Brien"!) is an insurance agent out West to protect shipments of ore from bandits. Insanely, he hires the Stooges to help him protect the shipments.
As for the Stooges, to a degree they pretty much do as you'd expect--lots of slapping and eye-gouging and the like. Unfortunately, though, it's like they are guests in another person's film. There is no crazy plot or the usual level of zaniness to the film--making GOLD RAIDERS an amazingly muted film. In fact, it's less like a Three Stooges film and more like a typical B-Western--something O'Brien might have done without the Stooges. Sadly, the craziness I'd hoped would be there wasn't.
You know, I'd sure love to know why this film was made. After years and years of two-reel comedies, this film just seems to come from out of no where. Also, I'd love to know how in the final shootout in the bad that so many shots were fired but so few people got hurt!!
Shemp Stooges
SnoopyStyle21 September 2019
George O'Brien is a former Marshall turned insurance agent. He is ambushed by three bandits and rescued by the Three Stooges. Moe, Larry, and Shemp are three traveling hucksters. They arrive in town to find an ineffective sheriff and an ongoing war against the bandits. O'Brien signs up a mine owner to protect his gold shipment.
Shemp returns to Three Stooges after Curly's terminal illness. It's not necessarily top level Stooges. Curly remains the best third of all times in the trio. This is still some fun physical humor. They're mostly the comedic relieve in a B-level western. They have a lot of scenes by themselves and take up about half the movie. Quite frankly, I rather just have the Stooges.
Shemp returns to Three Stooges after Curly's terminal illness. It's not necessarily top level Stooges. Curly remains the best third of all times in the trio. This is still some fun physical humor. They're mostly the comedic relieve in a B-level western. They have a lot of scenes by themselves and take up about half the movie. Quite frankly, I rather just have the Stooges.
A Stooges Gem
hackraytex9 July 2017
This is a rare gem if you get to see it. The Three Stooges were locked into a contract at Columbia for about 23 years that severely restricted their activities outside of their well known shorts. This was a rare opportunity for them to show what they could do when given the chance. They were comic relief but their part was important in this feature western. It was made by the director who directed them at Columbia and I think they enjoyed getting to stretch their wings and do a feature film. A lot of people have said they did not have the talent to carry feature films like Laurel and Hardy and the Marx Brothers but this showed that if they had gotten the right material, they could have pulled it off. If you can find Gold Raiders, it is worth watching.
Entertaining Low Budget Feature!
bsmith555214 June 2018
Warning: Spoilers
You have to wonder what a western starring The Three Stooges nad George O'Brien would be. Well it's not a bad hour of entertainment. O'Brien plays it straight and the Stooges...well are the Stooges.
George O'Brien paying himself, is riding to town to sell insurance protection to miners to protect their shipments, when he is attacked by a gang. He is wounded but The Three Stooges in their peddler's wagon arrive on the scene and scare the bandits off.
Bad guy Clete (John Merton) reports to boss Taggart (Lyle Talbot) that he has killed O'Brien just as O'Brien and the Stooges ride into town. O'Brien meets mine owner John Sawyer (Monte Blue) and sells him on the insurance idea.
Later, Sawyer is planning a large shipment. O'Brien has a plan. He will carry a fake shipment down a back road while the Stooges will carry the real gold in their wagon down the regular road. He draws the plan on the back of a wanted poster. Laura Mason (Sheila Ryan) is concerned over her grandfather's (Clem Bevans) drinking and convinces him to reform and gives him money to buy new clothes.
Doc has other ideas and hits the bottle and O'Brien's map falls into Taggart's hands. Knowing the plan Taggart plans a false attack on O'Brien while sending his main force after the Stooges and.....................
This was George O'Brien's return to the "B" western after eleven years. Always in great shape, he looked like no time had passed since the end of his series in 1940. Unfortunately, this would be his last "B" western. The Three Stooges perform many of their slap stick routines but are mainly supporting players here. They did have their own director, Edward Bernds though. Fuzzy Knight a seasoned western veteran is totally wasted as the sheriff. He hardly has anything of substance to do.
This movie is better than advertised. It's a good little "B" western worth watching.
George O'Brien paying himself, is riding to town to sell insurance protection to miners to protect their shipments, when he is attacked by a gang. He is wounded but The Three Stooges in their peddler's wagon arrive on the scene and scare the bandits off.
Bad guy Clete (John Merton) reports to boss Taggart (Lyle Talbot) that he has killed O'Brien just as O'Brien and the Stooges ride into town. O'Brien meets mine owner John Sawyer (Monte Blue) and sells him on the insurance idea.
Later, Sawyer is planning a large shipment. O'Brien has a plan. He will carry a fake shipment down a back road while the Stooges will carry the real gold in their wagon down the regular road. He draws the plan on the back of a wanted poster. Laura Mason (Sheila Ryan) is concerned over her grandfather's (Clem Bevans) drinking and convinces him to reform and gives him money to buy new clothes.
Doc has other ideas and hits the bottle and O'Brien's map falls into Taggart's hands. Knowing the plan Taggart plans a false attack on O'Brien while sending his main force after the Stooges and.....................
This was George O'Brien's return to the "B" western after eleven years. Always in great shape, he looked like no time had passed since the end of his series in 1940. Unfortunately, this would be his last "B" western. The Three Stooges perform many of their slap stick routines but are mainly supporting players here. They did have their own director, Edward Bernds though. Fuzzy Knight a seasoned western veteran is totally wasted as the sheriff. He hardly has anything of substance to do.
This movie is better than advertised. It's a good little "B" western worth watching.
About what you'd expect.
vandino127 March 2006
Mediocre little comic western has George O'Brien playing a character named... George O'Brien. That's a sign of the imagination of this oater. But the Stooges are younger and more agile, seeing as this is a 1951 film, than their later outings in the sixties when they were re-discovered. This is also the only feature film with Shemp Howard in the team. All the later films featured the lamentable Joe DeRita. This is also O'Brien's final feature role.
The story is about former marshal O'Brien investigating trouble in a western town involving a gold mine. The Stooges are hustlers selling useless gadgets. O'Brien uses the Stooges wagon to carry the gold out under the noses of the villains. Who would suspect those three idiots carting gold around, right? Pretty simple stuff and it only runs 56 minutes so it doesn't wear out its welcome. Yet it isn't particularly funny either. But if you like slapping, this is the slappingest movie ever. The Stooges slap each other, other men slap each other, and even women slap each other... and with all those Stooge sound effects included. Enjoy!
The story is about former marshal O'Brien investigating trouble in a western town involving a gold mine. The Stooges are hustlers selling useless gadgets. O'Brien uses the Stooges wagon to carry the gold out under the noses of the villains. Who would suspect those three idiots carting gold around, right? Pretty simple stuff and it only runs 56 minutes so it doesn't wear out its welcome. Yet it isn't particularly funny either. But if you like slapping, this is the slappingest movie ever. The Stooges slap each other, other men slap each other, and even women slap each other... and with all those Stooge sound effects included. Enjoy!
A reasonably solid western mashed up with a so-so Stooges comedy
I_Ailurophile1 February 2024
Screen legends that The Three Stooges are, their name carries a level of recognition that their works don't always deserve. Some films are delightful, yet many are kind of middling; as their brand of comedy tends to wear thin in a full-length feature alongside whatever the defining shtick is, it's fair to wonder if it wouldn't have been better had the troupe stuck to one- or two-reel shorts. To be sure, they want only to entertain, and with a fairly steady stream of situational humor, gags, animated characters and performances, and witty dialogue on top of the foremost slapstick, one is guaranteed a good time in some measure with most anything the Stooges do. The question is to what extent, and how well any given premise will come off. In reading of 1951's 'Gold raiders' one quickly surmises that it was marked by a somewhat harried production; to begin watching, it seems apparent enough that the screenplay is more or less a mashup of the comedians with a straight western. And, well, for better or worse, the flick fits right in with most of what the Stooges released, at least in terms of major motion pictures: it's decent enough, but mostly on a rather passive level.
It's well made in most regards. One can't fault the cast for committed performances, and the acting tends to be rather lively; the actors arguably do most of the work of providing energy to the proceedings, and they might actually be a chief strength. Those stunts and effects that are employed are well done, quite in line with the average contemporary genre piece, and much the same goes for the sets, costume design, hair, and makeup. While nothing remarkable, I even appreciate aspects like the cinematography, editing, and music, and for that matter eve the root story. On the other hand, both as written and realized most any scene of intended humor loses its luster pretty fast, regardless of how clever it might be in and of itself. This might be chalked up to the cartoonish sound effects wearing thin, a bit that's allowed to linger too long or that doesn't land well in the first place, a deficit in the necessary vitality, or other factors. One way or another, even as they share at least equal time on screen with the other stars, the Stooges meaningfully contribute to the reverie less than George O'Brien, Clem Bevans, Sheila Ryan, and the other folks that are playing it straight. To put it another way, the fun that the movie has to offer has more to do with the western adventure than with the intended comedy.
'Gold raiders' is enjoyable, certainly; please don't let me give the impression that it's bad, or that I altogether dislike it. Everyone involved did a good job, and some odds and ends are sharper than others. Even if it doesn't leave a huge mark, the western saga is sufficiently well done that I think it helps the whole to stand a tad above "average." That's just the thing, though - it really kind of seems like the title could have been made as a pure western, without the Stooges' involvement at all, and it would have been much the same piece if not stronger. Be that as it may, I'm glad for those who get more out of it than I do. I think this is suitable enough to earn a soft recommendation; so long as you're not specifically anticipating a riotous comedic farce, there's a lot to like here. Don't go out of your way for it, and save it for a lazy day, but as a 50s western 'Gold raiders' is worth checking out if you have the chance.
It's well made in most regards. One can't fault the cast for committed performances, and the acting tends to be rather lively; the actors arguably do most of the work of providing energy to the proceedings, and they might actually be a chief strength. Those stunts and effects that are employed are well done, quite in line with the average contemporary genre piece, and much the same goes for the sets, costume design, hair, and makeup. While nothing remarkable, I even appreciate aspects like the cinematography, editing, and music, and for that matter eve the root story. On the other hand, both as written and realized most any scene of intended humor loses its luster pretty fast, regardless of how clever it might be in and of itself. This might be chalked up to the cartoonish sound effects wearing thin, a bit that's allowed to linger too long or that doesn't land well in the first place, a deficit in the necessary vitality, or other factors. One way or another, even as they share at least equal time on screen with the other stars, the Stooges meaningfully contribute to the reverie less than George O'Brien, Clem Bevans, Sheila Ryan, and the other folks that are playing it straight. To put it another way, the fun that the movie has to offer has more to do with the western adventure than with the intended comedy.
'Gold raiders' is enjoyable, certainly; please don't let me give the impression that it's bad, or that I altogether dislike it. Everyone involved did a good job, and some odds and ends are sharper than others. Even if it doesn't leave a huge mark, the western saga is sufficiently well done that I think it helps the whole to stand a tad above "average." That's just the thing, though - it really kind of seems like the title could have been made as a pure western, without the Stooges' involvement at all, and it would have been much the same piece if not stronger. Be that as it may, I'm glad for those who get more out of it than I do. I think this is suitable enough to earn a soft recommendation; so long as you're not specifically anticipating a riotous comedic farce, there's a lot to like here. Don't go out of your way for it, and save it for a lazy day, but as a 50s western 'Gold raiders' is worth checking out if you have the chance.
The Stooges Go West for Laughs!
J.Toner8 June 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I got this on DVD just last month, I've been waiting years to see this and I wasn't disappointed! This is a pretty good movie, it's not a straight comedy western but The Stooges provide the big laughs of course. I really enjoyed the fact they got a lot of screen time. The "magical eyeglasses" scene was hilarious and I also loved their attempt at a doctor exam on a prospective client. The acting from O'Brien and everyone else is pretty good and the plot is simple but with some neat little twists, esp concerning Doc Mason and his daughter.
The only negative thing I could find was that the Stooges are absent for the last good 15 minutes of the movie before the big climactic fight with the bad guys. It dragged in a few parts when the Stooges were absent for a long time.
But other than that I really enjoyed the movie. I wish they had gotten to make more full length movies with Shemp also. It's well worth it to get the DVD with this and "Meet The Baron". Its much better than most of the Curly Joe movies.
If your a Three Stooges fan it's well worth your time to check it out!
The only negative thing I could find was that the Stooges are absent for the last good 15 minutes of the movie before the big climactic fight with the bad guys. It dragged in a few parts when the Stooges were absent for a long time.
But other than that I really enjoyed the movie. I wish they had gotten to make more full length movies with Shemp also. It's well worth it to get the DVD with this and "Meet The Baron". Its much better than most of the Curly Joe movies.
If your a Three Stooges fan it's well worth your time to check it out!
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