SPACE SHIP SAPPY (1957)
Short
Article 2657 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 7-21-2008
Posting Date: 11-21-2008
Directed by Jules White
Featuring Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe Besser
Country: USA

The Three Stooges apply for jobs as sailors, unaware that the ship they’ll be sailing on is a space ship bound for Venus.

I’ve not heard good things about the shorts in which Joe Besser took over as the third Stooge. I’ve not seen any of the others as of yet, but this one is passable, though hardly the Stooges at their best. It does feature a space ship, female cannibal Venusians, and a slurpasaur. Joe Besser’s twittery persona is definitely an acquired taste, and it’s said that he wouldn’t allow Moe to slap him, so Larry had to take all of the blows himself. I thought I saw Besser take a blow or two in the course of this one, but I may be mistaken. Still, one thing’s for sure; Larry’s at the receiving end of the abuse a lot more often.