"How's this for getting a crowd downtown and in a theatre?
"The line up pictured above shows part of the 2,500 persons who came to the Circle Theater in Indianapolis to see 'Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze.' No they didn't pay admission to the Saturday morning affair. It would have been perfect if they had, but the big party did result in many cash customers at the Circle boxoffice.
"It was a Three Stooges Movie Party sponsored by WFBM television station, arranged by B. J. Blankenship, Circle manager, assisted by E.J. Clumb, Greater Indianapolis Amusement Co. general manager an Don Mott, publicist, who worked with Hal Fryer, who conducts a Saturday morning Three Stooges telecast.
"WFBM started the buildup for its Three Stooges Movie Party four weeks ahead of the opening when the station made spot innovations to Three Stooges fans to write in for their complimentary tickets to a special showing of 'The Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze' at the circle theater.
"The response was overwhelming according to WFBM officials. They placed a limit of four tickets to a family but the supply was exhausted by the second Saturday. But the hoopla for the big Three Stooges Movie Party was continued with plug promos used throughout the day. The free time thus devoted to the film figured at over $2,000.
"WFBM-TV cameras were on hand to take pictures of activities at the Three Stooges Movie Party. This film was shown on weekend newscasts and later on The Three Stooges program.
"The WFBM Sound of the City radio mikes were also on scene to record exciting moments of The Three Stooges Movie Party.
"Before the showing, there was a stage presentation of by WFBM personalities Harlow Hickenlooper, the Three Stooges Program host; Captain Star and Curley. And showman Matt got into the act when he wound up the stage affair by throwing a pie in the face of Happy Harlow. This is the way the Saturday morning telecast always ends. Mott comments his stage life was short but Happy."
The Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze is one of the team's best feature length outings and maybe the best of their post-Shemp films. This film not only serves as a Stooges movie, but it is also a sequel to the classic story of Around the World in Eighty Days. Interestingly it successeds just as well being this as it does as a Stooge movie. In this film a con man (Peter Foster) makes a bet with Phillis Fog III (Jay Sheffield) that he can't repeat the famous trip his great grandfather made without the aid of money. Fog takes him up on this bet, and goes on the trip along with his three servants (guess who). This is actually a quite good story and is very well told.
This film does feature some skits repeated from previous Three Stooges films. However these are perfectly woven into the plot and still work like a charm here. These borrowed skits include the "Ma-Ha" "Ah-Ha" sketch originally from the feature film, Time Out For Rhythm (1941), a running gag involving Curly Joe, becoming literally fighting mad whenever he hears the song Pop Goes the Weasel like Curly did in Punch Drunks (1934), and a lights on and lights off fight scene like in Out West (1947). There are also some great new bits here, including the boy's making Fog's breakfast aboard a moving train and the boys sneaking around in baggage containers. While the wrestling match closely resembles Punch Drunks it does have a new and very funny ending. There is also a great inside joke during the scene in China. Some Chinese men try to brainwash the Stooges, however they end up becoming like the Stooges. These Chinese Stooges give their superiors the typical Three Stooges business. When one of the Chinese Stooges pokes his superiors in the eyes, Moe stops him saying "we don't do that anymore." At this time due to the Stooges becoming a regular part of various kiddie shows, the trio decided to take eye-pokes out of their repertoire so that kids would not imamate such.
This film was directed and produced by Norman Maurer, who was Moe's son in law as well as the writer of many Three Stooges comic books. Maurer would also after the Moe and Larry passed away create an animated TV show for Hanna-Barbera called The Robotic Stooges (1978). The film was cowritten by Maurer and Elwood Ullman (who wrote many of the classic Stooge short subjects for Columbia). This movie had many working titles including The Three Stooges Go Around the World on Eighty Cents, The Three Stooges Go 'Round the Globe on Eighty Cents, The Three Stooges Circle the World on Eighty Cents, Around the World on Eighty Cents, Around the World on Eighty Cents, The Three Stooges Go Around the World on Ninety-Nine Cents, The Three Stooges Go Around the World on $1.98, The Three Stooges Meet Phileas Fog and Merry Go Round the World. The reason for these working titles was that Untied Artists which had released the 1956 movie version of the classic tale were not happy with the original titles for this film.
A review in the Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin stated "A somewhat more complex plot than usual doesn't inhibit the trio's zany knock-down, drag-out antics." The following is an exhibitors review from Boxoffice Magazine (dated Nov. 11, 1963), "A very laugh provoking show. The kids loved every minute of it. Would have been better in color. Played Thursday, Friday, Saturday -C.D. Simmons, Grace Theater, Grace, Ida."
-Michael J. Ruhland
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