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6.8/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.8/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Whoops, I'm an Indian! remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like watching grown men hit each other with heavy objects, yes. It is classic Stooges, though the setup is a bit slower than their usual stuff.
People who hate 1930s stereotypes will probably want to skip this one entirely. It is not exactly what you would call 'culturally sensitive' by today’s standards.
But if you just want to see Curly Howard make weird bird noises and wear a wig, you are in the right place.
The movie starts with them cheating people at a shell game. Moe is the boss, as usual, and Larry is just kind of... there, looking confused in the background.
They get caught almost immediately. I dont think these guys are actually very good at being criminals.
The chase scene into the woods feels like it was filmed in a very small backyard with a few extra trees. You can almost see the edge of the set sometimes.
They decide the best way to hide from a lynch mob is to put on feathers and blankets. It is a terrible plan, but in Stooge-world, it works perfectly for about ten minutes.
Moe and Larry look ridiculous, but Curly as the 'squaw' is the real star here. He has this way of walking in a dress that is just inherently funny, even if the joke is eighty years old.
There is a moment where they are trying to act 'Indian' and they just start making up total gibberish. It is clearly improvised and honestly better than the scripted lines.
Bud Jamison plays the villain, Pierre. He is huge and has a very loud voice that seems to rattle the microphone.
He falls in love with Curly. It is the kind of plot point you see coming a mile away, but Bud plays it so straight that it actually works.
The scene where they have to 'eat' together is pretty gross. They are eating a fish that looks like it was made of gray rubber and old socks.
I noticed a small detail: when they are in the canoe, the water behind them is clearly a projection that doesn't match the lighting on their faces at all. It is charming in a cheap way.
The physical stuff is fast. Moe hits Larry with a frying pan and the sound effect is so loud it made my dog bark.
There is a bit with a moose head on the wall that goes on a little too long. You can tell they were trying to fill time because the script was probably only four pages long.
Curly does this thing where he spins in a circle when he’s scared. I think I counted him doing it four times in one scene.
It is not their best short. If you want something with more of a story, maybe look for The Poor Little Rich Girl or something from that era with a real budget.
But for a quick blast of noise and hitting, it does the job. The ending is very abrupt, like they ran out of film and just decided to stop shooting.
The guys get caught, there is a big fight, and then it just... ends. It’s a bit of a mess, really.
Still, it’s better than a lot of the 'serious' westerns from the 30s like The Man Above the Law because at least this knows it is stupid.
Watch it if you’re bored on a Saturday afternoon. Don't expect it to change your life.
IMDb 6.6
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