False Alarms: Curly and the Fire Pole are a Match Made in Heaven

If you have twenty minutes and just want to see some grown men ruin a fire station, False Alarms is exactly what you need today. It is definitely for people who like Curly’s high-pitched panic sounds and probably not for anyone looking for a 'serious' cinematic history lesson.

The whole thing is basically just an excuse for the boys to be incompetent. They play firemen who are one mistake away from being fired, which honestly seems like a miracle considering they can barely stand up straight.

Moe is in top form here, looking extra grumpy. He spends a lot of time hitting the others with whatever heavy object is nearby, and the sound effects are delightfully loud.

There is a scene at the start where Curly is sleepwalking and thinks the fire bell is ringing. Watching him try to get dressed while half-asleep is just pure physical comedy gold.

I noticed the firehouse set looks a bit flimsy. If they leaned too hard on the walls, the whole thing would probably have tipped over.

The plot—if you can even call it that—involves them sneaking out to see their girlfriends. It feels a bit like the chaotic energy you'd find in The Monkey Farm, just with more sirens.

The Car Situation

Eventually, they end up in a car that belongs to the Chief’s new girlfriend. You just know that car is going to get absolutely annihilated by the end of the reel.

The way the car gets pinned between two trucks is actually kind of impressive for the time. It’s not exactly the high-speed action of The Apache Kid's Escape, but it’s way more painful to watch.

I felt bad for the car, honestly. It was a nice-looking vehicle before the Stooges got their hands on it.

Larry doesn't get as much to do in this one, but his facial expressions in the background are still great. He always looks like he’s just realized he left the oven on at home.

The Chief, played by Stanley Blystone, has this incredible ability to make his face turn a shade of dark grey when he's mad. You can tell he’s about to explode long before he actually starts yelling.

It’s much faster paced than something like Dance Band. There isn't any filler, just straight into the hitting and the screaming.

Wait, Why the Girls?

One thing that always bugs me in these shorts is how the Stooges always have these very pretty, very patient girlfriends. It makes no sense, but I guess we just accept it.

The girls in this one seem way too chill about their car being turned into a pancake. I would have been much angrier than they were.

There’s a weird moment with a fire hose that goes on a bit too long. It starts to feel like they were just trying to fill the runtime for a second there.

Still, the energy is high. It’s way more fun than sitting through a slow drama like No One Man if you're in the mood for nonsense.

The ending is very abrupt. They just kind of stop once everything is destroyed, which is the standard Stooge exit strategy.

Overall, it’s a solid 18 minutes of pure disaster. Classic stuff.