Punch Drunks

Punch Drunks is a 1934 short subject directed by Lou Breslow starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Jerry Howard). It is the second entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 short subjects for the studio between 1934 and 1959. In 2002, Punch Drunks became the first and only Stooge film to be selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". Plot Moe, a struggling boxing manager, is having lunch with three of his fighters, who are threatening to quit in anger for not being paid. Upon hearing the song "Pop Goes the Weasel" being played by Larry on his violin, the timid waiter attending to the group, Curly, goes into a violent fugue state and knocks out all three fighters and the restaurant's mean owner. Moe recruits Curly as a boxer and hires Larry to play the tune ringside so Curly can easily defeat his opponents and win them prize money. As Curly trains on a rural road under Moe's supervision, they notice a young lady whose car is stuck in a ditch. Moe tries to help her, urging Curly not to get involved, stating that boxing and women don't mix, but eventually asks Larry to play the tune to give Curly the strength to move the car, after which Curly rides away with the lady. Fighting under the name "K.O. Stradivarius", Curly quickly becomes the top contender for the heavyweight championship; on the night of the title bout, Moe finds him with the lady in a dressing room and chastises Curly, telling him to avoid women and go to the arena.