The Stooges are telephone repairmen mistaken for psychiatrists Ziller, Zeller, and Zoller. They are to treat Sherry (Lorna Gray), the wild and impetuous wife of a staid millionaire (Don Beddoe).

Watch the slapstick cream puff throwing climax carefully. Sherry (Lorna Gray) gets hits right in the mouth with a cream puff that actually lodges in her throat. She closes her eyes tightly, turns her head down and to the right, and appears to choke, which she did. Director Jules White immediately stopped the shot but the incident is still in the finished product. Moe Howard talks about it in his book about The Stooges and says that Lorna nearly died. Jules White was really frightened by it. But in an interview later in life, Lorna Gray said that she never felt like she was in any real danger and was upset about Jules White nearly spoiling the scene by cutting too soon. Still, watch the cream puff throwing closely and it's obvious that Lorna is definitely in actual distress before the scene cuts away.

I just watched this on MeTV on the regular Saturday afternoon-evening Stooge Fest.

Three Sappy People is a favorite of mine due to Lorna Gray's performance. She reminded me of a woman I knew a few years back who was a spitting image of her in this short.

The Three Stooges play three inept phone repairmen. During their attempt to fix the switchboard, they are then mistaken for the psychiatrists in the office they are doing work in. Due to Curly's friend/wife/dog Gertie "expecting any minute", they decide to portray the 3 psychiatrists named Ziller, Zeller and Zoller to make money to help Gertie. Fortunately for The Stooges, these three psychiatrists are known for their unorthodox methods.

The patient in question is Sherry Rumsford (Gray) who is the young, restless and vivacious wife of J. Rumsford Rumsford (Don Beddoe) who wants her wanderlust sated. The boys run amok at the party and at the dinner table hoping they can cure Sherry and collect.

The star of this episode aren't any of the Stooges but Gray. The then 22-year old actress is absolutely infectious whether she's talking, laughing or parking her car INSIDE the mansion. She has a devil-may-care attitude that is very appealing. Ann Doran, playing a countess who Curly annoys, is also a standout. I found her very attractive. Other Three Stooges' regulars such as Bud Jamison (playing a butler) and Richard Fiske (playing a guest) are also in the cast.

While not one of their elite shorts, Three Sappy People is still quite good. I never get tired of watching Lorna Gray and Ann Doran in this one.

Tested over time this classic is timeless! I have seen this one numerous times and laugh again and again! I think the vast majority of folks that watch the Three Stooges and especially their shorts like this one, appreciate laughing at the snobby, and pretentious wealthy. And nowadays during our global economic troubles the folks that have little like laughing at the folks that have way too much. One thing though:

Of all of the times I have watched this short, I could never identify the thing served on each plate that looked like a corn on the cob wrapped.

However it was endlessly wrapped and had some inky liquid at its center. What in heaven's name was it!!!! Of course the biscuits were obvious and funny when confused with a lady's makeup powder puff.

But maybe some one out there knows what that thing was that when squeezed squirted out black liquid??????