Loosely, Special Interest Groups (SIG) operate as smaller communities within larger movements. When you hear someone refer to them thusly, it is often in anger or at least in disagreement to their agenda. Transversely, when people who are in agreement with whichever statement a SIG stands by, they do not use that term and instead cite it as a "Duh moment." In other and less wordy words, A SIG seems to then be what you disagree with, whereas a 'group' seems to be something you endorse. Never mind, they are the same damned thing in an objective view.
Propaganda plays the same way. One man's propaganda is another man's should-be mandatory information. What does this have to do with The Three Stooges? We commence.
The Hays Code of that time's Hollywood machine prohibited most political/satirical messages. It required that all peoples world-wide be depicted fairly - this sounds lovely - but it was in actuality used mainly to nurture the isolationist sentiment that was the bent of the public. A bent which well suited the establishment. Short films, like this however, were subject to far less attention than feature films.
Moe Howard, as "Moe Hailstone", thus becomes the first American actor to satirize or even portray Adolf Hitler in a film - Moe Horwitz, a Jew - this can make me smile all the live long. Not to mention, but I will, that it is a splendid portrayal. The opening disclaimer of "Any resemblance between the characters of this picture and any persons, living or dead, is a miracle," has the same feel then of Andy Kaufman's terrible impersonations building up to an ingenious channeling of Elvis.
The Jewishness of the Stooges, notably overtly on display in this short maybe more than any other, adds a lot to this for me, not simply for those obvious reasons I'll steer clear of for the purpose of time and to avoid rampant reiterations - but even moreso because Yiddish is hilarious, and Moe, Larry, and Curly use it more in this short than in any other. The much used "beblach!" means "beans," by the by.
"We will now pause for station identification. This is NUTS."
It gives the sense of more than just rallying public opinion in favor of their vested interest - they too are speaking to our own kind, in our own language, and sharing in a very Jewish sense of humor. A rampant fear that like all other fear, is quelled by laughter. Precisely, this is should-be mandatory information, not at all propaganda. Furthermore, it is doled out via "Duh moments," not a special interest lobbier among them.
"The boy's from Syracuse," is a splendid little side gag. "And you shot me in the excitement, you fool," is very good, too. "Your minorities are creeping into our majorities, until you're making our majorities minorities." Is as truly laughably stupid then, as it is now.
Moe: We'll start a Blintzkrieg.
Curly: I just love blintzes especially with sour krieg.
(A reference to blintzes with sour cream.)
As to dialogue, there is the brilliant wordplay --
Larry: If I take Mickey Finlen, I better be rushin'.
Curly: Then quit stallin'.
(A reference to Finland, the Soviet Union, and Joseph Stalin.)
Both Moe Howard and Larry Fine cited You Nazty Spy! as their favorite Three Stooges short. While it isn't my personal favorite, I recognize its genius, and wouldn't argue with the two Stooge mainstays even if I didn't. Because, too, of the simple fact "There ain't no bones in ice cream."
In the end, the fuhrer get his, and I ain't lyin' when I say this short is a must, must see.
