The Three Stooges Meet Hercules

1962 film by Edward Bernds

The Three Stooges Meet Hercules is a 1962 American comedy fantasy film directed by Edward Bernds. It is the third feature film to star the Three Stooges after their 1959 resurgence in popularity. By this time, the trio consisted of Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Joe DeRita (dubbed "Curly Joe"). Released by Columbia Pictures, The Three Stooges Meet Hercules was directed by long time Stooges director Edward Bernds. It was the most financially successful of the Stooges' feature films.

The Stooges find themselves embroiled in an unexpected journey through time when they assist their neighbor, Schuyler Davis, in constructing a time machine. Transported to Ithaca in ancient Greece during the reign of King Odius, the Stooges and their companions become entangled in a series of misadventures. Initially mistaken for gods due to their arrival coinciding with the imprisonment of Ulysses, they must navigate the amorous advances of the lecherous king while attempting to rectify the historical disruption they have caused. Following a daring escape and a perilous shipwreck, the group, armed with Curly Joe's soporific concoction, successfully vanquishes a Siamese Cyclops. Their exploits then take an unexpected turn as they showcase Schuyler's newly acquired strength, forged through laborious rowing in a galley, at a local gladiatorial arena. This remarkable feat propels Schuyler into the role of Hercules, culminating in encounters with the genuine Hercules and subsequent collaboration to rescue Diane Quigley, Schuyler's disaffected girlfriend, from Odius's clutches. Their exploits culminate in a chariot chase and a strategic maneuver to restore the proper course of history by depositing King Odius in the Wild West. Upon their return to the present day, they find their employer, Dimsal, inexplicably trapped in a pillory.

The Three Stooges Meet Hercules was filmed over 13 days on June 6–22, 1961. The film marked the return of director Edward Bernds, who had worked with Stooges during the Shemp Howard era through 1952 and was recruited to help revive several proven routines from the past. Bernds later commented, "The team wasn't the same. They were older and I had to remind myself to be careful with them. I didn't want them to have a heart attack in the middle of a scene. If they had to run up a flight of stairs, I'd cut to something and jump to them at the top of the stairs."

Moe Howard expressed his fondness for the film in 1973, stating "Of course Hercules I liked very much. Especially when we were in the slave ship. We had a great special effects team on that."