My Episode Review on The Three Stooges: You Nazty Spy!

Greetings and salutations, my friends.

This is your top-of-the-line film, TV show, and episode reporter here with another review.

Today, for my 80th episode analysis, I’m gonna give you guys my take on the Three Stooges’ “You Nazty Spy!”.

Here's the rundown of it:

In Moronica, which is a country in the land of Starvania, three munitions manufacturers named Amscray, Ohnay, and Ixnay have grown discontent with the reduced profits due to King Herman the 6⅞'s pacifist policies. After concluding that the only way to make more money again is to oust the king and replace him with a dictator, they also decide that the new leader needs to be someone who's stupid enough to do what they tell him.

Lucky for them, the perfect person to make into Moronica's new dictator is right at their fingertips: Moe Hailstone. On top of that, they also promote Moe's two friends, Curly Gallstone and Larry Pebble, to equally powerful positions. Curly is promoted to Field Marshal of Moronica's army, while Larry is promoted to Moronica's Minister of Propaganda.

The only question is...was it really a good idea to make the Three Stooges Moronica's new leaders?!

I really can't lie to you guys about this, I've been wanting to analyze another Three Stooges short for quite a while. The last time I reviewed a Three Stooges episode was over a year ago, and I found myself in dire need of reuniting with my all-time favorite comedy trio.

When I was setting up my chronological list of episodes to review, I decided to make the Three Stooges' "You Nazty Spy!" my 80th to give a critique for. It just seemed like a fitting choice, especially since this was the first Three Stooges short to be given a sequel of sorts later on.

As with many of the things I previously reviewed this year, I decided to rewatch "You Nazty Spy!" three times in order to make the analysis. I wanted to be in-the-game for creating my critique, and I intend on always doing just that.

So, what do I think of "You Nazty Spy!" in words?

Ladies and gentleman, after giving this short a 3-time rewatch this year, I'm proud to say with absolute certainty that "You Nazty Spy!" is one of the Three Stooges' best episodes. And with good reason!

For instance, the direction by Jules White, and the story & screenplay by Clyde Bruckman & Felix Adler, were fantastic!

One of the biggest things about this short that stood out to me was the unique concept it had. In this case, whereas most Three Stooges shorts feature the trio simply trying to accomplish a job, this one depicts them starting out as wallpaperers before transitioning into antagonistic roles mirroring certain villainous figures from World War II, albeit with a greater sense of wackiness. Obviously, the main intention behind "You Nazty Spy!" was to make fun of Adolf Hitler while bringing to light that he & his allies were a threat to the world in general, but from a writing standpoint...this also represents the idea that the Three Stooges are creatively-flexible characters. It shows that the possibilites over what kind of stories to create revolving around the Three Stooges are positively infinite, and that they're a gold mine for all kinds of comedy! It's one of the very reasons for why I consider the Three Stooges to be some of my favorite characters, because whenever I'd often brainstorm what concepts to create with the trio myself, I'd be buzzing with ideas.

Outside of this, the comedy in "You Nazty Spy!" was hysterical! Every joke that the short featured was a real gut-buster, whether they were either visual or dialogue-based. It was clear from the get-go that Jules White, Bruckman, and Adler were wanting to maintain the Three Stooges style of slapstick & situational humor while mixing it all in with political satire, and the results were surprisingly remarkable.

Lastly, the acting and characters were outstanding!

With how much I've been addressing my admiration for the Three Stooges, I'd be a moron not to talk about what I thought of them in this short first. Literally speaking, of course.

Every step of the way, I could tell that the Stooge trio themselves were aiming to give their all in portraying their onscreen personas for this short. They maintained their characters' usual wackiness, of course, but...it was amazing to see the three performers translate what their characters would be like as corrupt authority figures. Larry and Curly frequently stole the show every chance they had, and Moe did an excellent job at making his character a comedic parody of Hitler while bringing something of his own to it. Heck, as the short progressed, Moe notably became much more aggressive than he'd usually be, which perfectly captured what happens when a person is given more power than needed.

The supporting cast and characters were enjoyable as well. No matter how much screentime they had, each of the performers gave a remarkably memorable presence, and they turned their characters into people with personality. There were some characters whom I wished had been around longer, mainly the three munitions manufacturers, but I was content with all the filmmakers could do with them since the prime focus was on the Three Stooges anyway.

In conclusion, "You Nazty Spy!" is truly a winner of a Three Stooges short. The creative talents involved showcased themselves at their finest, and when you think about it more...everything about the story & Three Stooges' role in it is a hilarious reflection of every corrupt leadership the various countries endured over the years.

So, I rate "You Nazty Spy!" a solid five out of five stars.

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Stay tuned for my review of the standalone sequel to "You Nazty Spy!", "I'll Never Heil Again", coming soon as my 90th episode analysis.