The year is 1642, and the Stooges are garbage scow sailors stranded on Dead Man's Island. At first, the governor finds it hard to believe the three are sailors until they wolf whistle at the first beauty they sew,the governor was planning to make the stooges his galleon slaves but changes his mind once Curly starts flirting with his fiancée, Rita. The governor throws the Stooges in jail, and sentences them to execution by burning. Lucky for the Stooges, Rita has no interest in marrying the ruthless colonial governor and helps the boys escape by exposing some hidden tools. She then directs them to drill their way through the west wall specifically in order to escape safely. Unfortunately, the Stooges argue incessantly, Curly have choose the wrong wall, and land back in their cell. Rita suggests the boys disguise themselves as "wayfarers from a strange land" bringing priceless gifts. Curly is the great, nearsighted Maharaja of Canarsie who has domains on the isles of Coney and Long. Moe is the Gin of Rummy, and Larry is an accomplice. Moe and Curly exchange in conversations consisting ofdoublespeak and gibberish and offer the governor a raspberry lollipop, which he mistakes as a ruby as large as a turkey's egg. Moe dubs it the "Ruby de Lollipopskia." Next is a fountain pen that the governor mistakes as a tusk from a black walrus. The governor is delighted with these gifts, and requests that the Maharaja bring him some fair damsels. The Stooges escape quickly, not wasting a moment. However, the governor's secretary reveals the Stooges' true identities, and the governor is livid. Once he learns they are headed to the cutthroat pirate Black Louie's, however, he enlists his dear pal's help to kill the escaped sailor Stooges. The Stooges meet Black Louie at a saloon, and engage in a game of target practice. They enlist a reluctant Larry as the live target, and begin the knife-throwing. In the interim, Rita quietly makes her presence known to the boys, and alerts them of the governor's plan. They realize they must flee, but Curly's awkward knife throwing puts Black Louie on the defense. The fight breaks out in the saloon, with the Stooges winning out. Moe attempts to declare himself the new ruler of the island but is bopped insensate by a mallet attached to a pinball game, allowing the others to haul him away without protest.
Three Little Pirates was filmed on April 15–18, 1946, after Curly Howard had suffered a series of minor strokes. As a result of his illness, Curly's performances had been marred by slurred speech and slower timing. Much of the action in previous films had been shifted away from the ailing Stooge and placed in the hands of co-stars Moe and Larry. Curly, however, was on his game during the filming of Three Little Pirates. Though still not 100 percent himself, the comedian performed the memorable "Maharaja" routine with Moe flawlessly. He continued to display his formidable gift for physical comedy; for example, in one shot, he briefly assumes a reclining position while seated on a chair. Director Edward Bernds recalled the progression of Curly's decline through each film in the order they were made : It has been said that the Stooge releases of 1946 were their weakest entries since joining Columbia Pictures in 1934. Much of this was attributed to gravely ill Curly's languid performances. In retrospect, Three Little Pirates turned out to be the only standout of the year.
Quotes
Governor: "You may choose the manner in which you will die!"
