Bedlam In Paradise

Bedlam In Paradise
Directed by	Jules White
Written by	Zion Myers Felix Adler
Produced by	Jules White
Starring	as above with Philip Van Zandt Sylvia Lewis
Cinematography	Ray Cory Allen Siegler
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release dates	April 14, 1955
Running time	16 min.
Language	English

Bedlam in Paradise (1955) is the 162nd of Columbia Pictures' 190 short subjects starring the comedy team of the Three Stooges. It is a remake of Heavenly Daze with an abundance of stock footage yet it is far superior in entertainment and story values, a rarity for a remake. As Carousel (musical) was a hit in Broadway at the time of the making of Heavenly Daze, in 1955 the film of Carousel was in production.

Plot

Bedlam in Paradise begins with new footage of Shemp dying in bed. Moe listens to Shemp's heartbeat that sounds like a horse trotting and remarks that Shemp has "galloping hoofbeats on the heart...hoof and heart disease!". Larry says that means he's nearing the finishing line and pretends to have binoculars and gives horse race descriptions; Moe hits him for disrespect. Moe thinks they should take Shemp's temperature, Larry rips a room thermometer off the wall and sticks it in Shemp's mouth. Moe tells Larry to heat a hot water bottle that Larry does by holding it over a gas stove to warm it. Moe hits Larry and knocks him onto Shemp who swallows the thermometer. Moe asks Larry to rub Shemp's stomach to reguritate it but Larry says his stomach is full of glass. Shemp announces he is going to kick the bucket and to behave themselves or he'll come back and haunt them. As he dies a double exposure has Shemp in shroud rising through the air. Moe and Larry fall on Shemp's bed breaking it.

We join the heavenly scenes of Heavenly Daze but when Shemp asks for his "red union suit" the Devil (Philip Van Zandt) appears in a burst of flame announcing to Shemp that he will provide everything he needs. Uncle Mortimer stops the Devil saying he will give Shemp one more chance; reform Moe and Larry and we will enter Heaven for good. The Devil laughs and says he has Moe and Larry in his power. Another flash of flame appears to reveal "Helen...Helen Blazes" a female devil (the impressive Sylvia Lewis) who invites Shemp down for some "really hot dances". The two have a dance sequence and kiss but Shemp realises he is being tempted and hits the Devil; then runs for the Heavenly Express leaving on Cloud 49.

We resume with more of Heavenly Daze with the same sequences of catching the "Heavenly Express" and the lawyer's office but without the cowboy painting coming to life.

The action resumes in Moe and Larry's luxury apartment but the Devil, calling himself "Mr Heller" is in evening dress and top hat and has been providing Moe and Larry with "devillishy good ideas" such as cheating people with their fountain pen that writes under whipped cream. Moe and Larry ask their benefactor what he wants in return, he laughs and says he will tell them later. Moe turns to Larry and remarks that "he must be in too high an income tax bracket" as the Devil raises his hat to reveal his horns but hides them quickly. These sequences replace the Sam McDaniel frightened black butler ones.

The rest of the short is the same except during the whipped cream hitting the characters in the face, the Devil in evening dress walks in to get hit by a faceful of cream. He blusters "That beats the Devil!" and storms out. Shemp is dreaming as before in his burning bed, but the last line when he writes his letter is "Dear Uncle Mortimer".

Further reading

• Moe Howard and the Three Stooges; by Moe Howard [1], (Citadel Press, 1977).
• The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion; by Jon Solomon [2], (Comedy III Productions, Inc., 2002).
• The Three Stooges Scrapbook; by Jeff Lenburg, Joan Howard Maurer, Greg Lenburg [3](Citadel Press, 1994).
• The Three Stooges: An Illustrated History, From Amalgamated Morons to American Icons; by Michael Fleming [4](Broadway Publishing, 2002).
• One Fine Stooge: A Frizzy Life in Pictures; by Steve Cox and Jim Terry [5], (Cumberland House Publishing, 2006).