The Three Stooges films rarely made fun of those in the military service. Yet, in January 1939's "Three Little Sew and Sews," they portray the message that simply wearing an officer's uniform commands utmost obedience, no matter what level the intelligence of the person inside the clothes possesses.
The Stooges' first released 1939 film premiered just as Europe was on the cusp of World War Two, making this short especially topical. Curly, a navy tailor, is the superior Stooge to the normally assertive Moe when he dons an Admirable's uniform just for the fun of it when he's tasked to clean and press the officer's uniform at an United States Navy base. All sorts of mayhem unfolds, including Curly ordering the "insubordinate" Moe and Larry to the brig for slapping him around. A pair of spies attempts to hijack a navel sub with the three in it, only to have all aboard meet their fate in heaven by a bomb explosion. Since Larry was the lightest in weight of the three, director Del Lord elected to have him positioned above Curly and Moe as flying angels while they were all suspended by piano wires. Afraid of heights and also worried his wire would snap sending him on top of the other two, he demanded to be placed below the others. Lord agreed, only to have the film crew hoist him above them. Screaming like a little child, Larry's frightful yells were met by Lord commanding, "You are up there and you are going to stay up there until we finish the gd shoot."
'Three Little Sew and Sews," whose title was a variation of the phrase "so and so," a comment on an undistinguished person, was the last time the tune 'Listened to the Mockingbird" was used in the Stooges'introductory credits. "Three Blind Mice" replaced the familiar tune to become their new signature song. In the film, Curly's tussle with a loose sofa spring attached to his backside, one of the few but memorable sequences such a prop was used, caused the film crew, heard in the background, as well as actor Vernon Dent to laugh hysterically. Compounding to the chaos is Curly, when the coil is at its most taunt, snaps him back to the sofa. He grabs a nearby small cocktail table which accidentally smacks him in the head, causing him to momentary lose his balance.