‘Crash Goes The Hash’ (1944) was the 77th short comedy made by The Three Stooges for Columbia Pictures Corporation. It was photographed from Monday, October 11th through Wednesday, October 13th, 1943 and was released on Friday, February 4th, 1944 (the 35th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar). This is one of the best of the 1943/44 series which marks the beginning of Curly Howard’s cognitive decline–it’s said that he suffered a small stroke while filming this short and that his timing in the opening exterior sequence is noticeably different than in the remaining interiors. The bulk of the footage is set at a party that’s filled with guests who pretend to have conversations wherein they move their mouths but never emit actual sounds. (This normally would have been fixed in post with voices being added…but somebody–probably Jules White–must have said ‘oh the hell with it’). There is a marvelous breaking of the fourth wall by Bud Jamison, who insults the Stooges by telling them they remind him of The Three Stooges. (When this offends them, he meekly recants). Jamison, Symona Boniface and Vernon Dent all have excellent turns and there are several ‘Curly’ shuffles thrown in, as well as a gag where Boniface somehow lifts Curly into the air while kissing him. I’ve looked and looked and don’t see any wires. Somehow they could pull that one off but not fix the party guests who move their mouths but aren’t allowed to speak…