"SLOWLY I TURNED": A PIECE OF AMERICA'S POP CULTURE

Mood music here.

From the Niagra Falls Reporter:

The skit, which was well known on the vaudeville circuit, goes something like this: A bedraggled man buttonholes a stranger and tells him a tale of betrayal and vengeance. A rogue seduced his sweetheart. He trailed the miscreant from town to town, finally catching up with him in Niagara Falls, where he pummeled him mercilessly. The hearer of the story haplessly says the magic words, "Niagara Falls," causing the man to turn on him and mete out the same punishment.

And

That same year, the Three Stooges incorporated it into their short feature, Gents Without Cents. In this episode, the Stooges are out-of-work actors who meet three dancing girls in similar circumstances. They all get a job in a show, where they perform the routine. The Stooges marry the ladies and honeymoon in (where else?) Niagara Falls. This time, Curly is the Stooge who exclaims "Niagara Falls!" making himself the target of Moe and Larry's wrath.

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Without a doubt, this is my favorite Three Stooges sketch of all time. Granted, I'm not a huge fan of the comedy trio, but then, hey, who doesn't like the Three Stooges? "Slowly I Turned" wasn't an original--it's actually an old Vaudeville routine performed by the likes of Lucy and Abbot and Costello. In my opinion, however, the Stooges did it best: you can just see their comedic craft executed extraordinarily well, honed for years in seedy burlesques and nightclubs. Since I first saw it when I was a young child, maybe four or five, the phrase "Niagra Falls" has meant much more to me than simply a romantic vacation getaway. It means wacky revenge, which is, obviously, the best kind of revenge.

Now, thanks to my buddy Mike over at This is not a compliment, you can see on your computer the greatest Three Stooges sketch of all time. Click here to watch.



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