This week’s mystery movie was the 1934 MGM picture Fugitive Lovers, with Robert Montgomery, Madge Evans, Ted Healy, Nat Pendleton, C. Henry Gordon, Ruth Selwyn, Larry Fine, Moe Howard and Jerry Howard.
Screenplay by Albert Hackett, Frances Goodrich and George B. Seitz, from an original screen story by Ferdinand Reyher and Frank Wead.
Recording by Douglas Shearer.
Art direction by Arnold Gillespie.
Interior decoration by Edwin B. Willis.
Photographed by Ted Tetzlaff.
Edited by William S. Gray.
Directed by Richard Boleslavsky.
Associate producer Lucien Hubbard.
More on the history of the movie is available from the AFI Catalog.
Fugitive Lovers is available on the gray market. Clips of the Three Stooges (who have a minor role in the film) seem to be available on the DVD The Lost Stooges.
::
I picked Fugitive Lovers on the basis of reviews in the trades – I’ll watch Robert Montgomery in pretty much anything.
The plot has a bit of everything. It’s a Broadway show movie. It’s a runaway bride (girlfriend) movie. It’s a people on a bus movie. It’s an underworld movie. It’s a prison break movie. Does it hang together? Not really. It’s interesting to see the Three Stooges not being stooges. They are regular actors and not in character.
I’m going to guess The New York Times hated it…. Probably Mordaunt Hall?
Mordaunt Hall, all right (July 13, 1934) but he liked it!
Besides the novel idea of having most of its scenes on and around a transcontinental bus, Fugitive Lovers, the wild mixture of melodrama and comedy now at the Capitol, has in its personnel an escaped convict, a stalwart racketeer who is frightfully in love with the inevitable pretty lassie, and a genial and often noisy adherent of John Barleycorn’s. The activities of these and other characters generate a hardy brand of excitement, in which plausibility is not a strong point.
For Monday, we have a mystery fellow.
Update: This is Fred Toones.
Note: I accidentally trashed this post in trying to edit the website from my phone (NOT a good idea). In addition, WordPress rolled out a new administrator interface that has (would you believe it?) less information and is less helpful.
For Tuesday, we have a mystery woman selling newspapers.
This is Louise Emmons.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Monday’s mystery fellow), Robert Morrissey (Monday’s mystery fellow), Mike Hawks (Monday’s mystery fellow) and Sheila (Monday’s mystery fellow).
Note to Mrs. Benito: No, he doesn’t.
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have several mysterious persons.
Update: This is Charles R. Moore, Virginia Hammond and Ted Healy.
Brain Trust roll call: Sylvia E. (mystery movie and both mystery guests), Mary Mallory (mystery movie and both mystery guests), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mysterious newspaper vendor), Blackwing Jenny (mystery movie and both mystery guests), Chrisbo (Monday’s mystery fellow) and Sheila (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mysterious newspaper vendor).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have this mysterious fellow.
Update: This is C. Henry Gordon.
We also have this jaunty mystery fellow.
Update: This is Nat Pendleton.
And these three stylish mystery guests.
Update: This is Larry Fine, Moe Howard and Jerome (Curly) Howard.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mystery woman), Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), B.J. Merholz (no, but he’s in the movie), Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mystery guests), Patrick (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mystery woman and Wednesday’s mystery gents), Anne Papineau (mystery movie and all mystery guests) and Sylvia E. (Wednesday’s mystery woman and mystery fellow No. 2).
For Friday, we have our leading lady and leading man.
Update: This is Madge Evans with Larry Fine, Jerome Howard and Moe Howard as a masher!
No wait. Here’s our leading man and leading lady.
Update: This is Robert Montgomery and Madge Evans.
And finally, a group of mysterious folks.
Update: This is, from left, C. Henry Gordon, Robert Montgomery, future photographer Delmar Watson, and Madge Evans. For all the tough characters Gordon played, it’s interesting to see him gently coach Delmar through his lines.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mystery porter and Thursday’s mystery guests), Sylvia E. (Wednesday’s mystery fellow No. 1 and Thursday’s mystery guests), Floyd Thursby (mystery movie, Monday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests), L.C. (mystery movie and mystery cast), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guests), Incredible Inman (mystery movie, Wednesday’s mystery fellow No. 2 and Thursday’s mystery guests), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery gusets), Chrisbo (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guests) and Anne Papineau (Thursday’s mystery guests).
ladailymirror.com 
Fred “Snowflake” Toones
LikeLike
Something is awry – “Page Not Found” comes up… This is one of my FAVES – Snowflake – Fred Toones, in a RARE dramatic moment. He has over 200 credits on IMDb, so I will await further clues!! Bob
From Robert Morrissey
LikeLike
Yes, I was trying to edit the website on my phone rather than my desktop and bad things happened. Plus, behind the scenes, WordPress decided to roll out a new and unimproved interface that shows less information and is more “unhelpful.” Thanks for your patience!
LikeLike
He doesn’t look too thrilled about whatever goings-on are going on, either …
LikeLike
Fred “snowflake” Toones.
LikeLike
Fred Toones?
LikeLike
Looks like you’re back in business!
LikeLike
Ha! Thanks to Jenny I’ve come to recognize Mrs Emmons whenever she’s among your mysterious cast. She was my entry into the picture.
Fugitive Lovers 1934
Mon – Fred Toones
Tues – Louise Emmons
LikeLike
FUGITIVE LOVERS. Sam Toones MOnday and Mrs. Emmons today.
LikeLike
Mrs. Louise Emmons. WHOA! In FUGITIVE LOVERS.
LikeLike
For Monday it’s Fred Toones; Tuesday-LOUISE EMMONS! In “Fugitive Lovers”.
LikeLike
Fred “Snowflake” Toones Monday?
LikeLike
Louise Emmons, ‘Fugitive Lovers’?
LikeLike
That doesn’t look like Fred Toones or Sam McDaniel, Virginia Hammond, and Al Hill.
LikeLike
Tuesday: Louis Emmons in FUGITIVE LOVERS (1934)
Wednesday: Charles R. Moore, Virginia Hammond, Ted Healy
LikeLike
Must be Toones today because McDaniel was short and virtually bald.
LikeLike
Nat Pendelton Whistling in the Dark?
LikeLike
Charles Moore, Virginia Hammond and Ted Healy.
LikeLike
Charles R. Moore, Louise Emmons and Ted Healy in Fugitive Lovers from 1934.
LikeLike
Can it be “Fugitive Lovers” with, on Monday, Fred “Snowflake” Toones, Tuesday, Louise Emmons, and on Wednesday, Charles R. Moore, Virginia Hammond and Ted Healey?
LikeLike
You find such challenging angles for these images.
I think Weds group, from screen left to right, includes:
Clarence R. Muse, Virginia Hammond and Ted Healy.
Could be totally off.
LikeLike
Ach! I meant Charles R. Moore, not Mr Muse.
LikeLike
C. Henry Gordon, Nat Pendleton, and Larry Fine, Moe Howard, and Curly Howard today. Charles R. Moore and I think Walter Brennan yesterday, but the quality is so bad and I don’t watch the film to figure out who people are.
LikeLike
Thursday: C. Henry Gordon / Nat Pendleton / Larry fine, Moe Howard and Jerry “Curly” Howard
LikeLike
For Monday we have Fred Toones; for Thursday, Nat Pendleton and the Three Stooges. The movie is “Fugitive Lovers.”
LikeLike
Fugitive Lovers (1934) Robert Montgomery, Madge Evans, Nat Pendleton, 3 Stooges, Ted Healy, C. Henry Gordon, Louise Emmons, Fred Toones…
LikeLike
C. Henry Gordon; Nat Pendleton; Larry Fine, Moe & Curly Howard.
LikeLike
I spy with my little eye Ted Healy, Nat Pendleton, C. Henry Gordon and the Three Stooges, making this “Fugitive Lovers.”
LikeLike
I guess I whistled up a premature selection from my dark subconscious.
LikeLike
C. Henry Gordon, Nat Pendleton and THE THREE STOOGES Larry, Moe and Curly.
LikeLike
Aha! Nat Pendleton, Morris and Jerome Howard and Larry Fine, must mean Fugitive Lovers.
LikeLike
C. Henry Gordon, Nat Pendleton and Larry Fine, Moe Howard and Curly Howard
LikeLike
Madge Evans with the boys, Curly, Larry, and Moe, Robert Montgomery and Madge, and C. Henry Gordon, Montgomery, Delmar Watson, and Evans. Must be Ted Healy Wednesday.
LikeLike
This was fun. Looking forward to the Saturday breakdown.
Image 1 – Madge Evans with “the three Julians” of the plot line (such as it is), Larry, Moe and Curly Joe.
Image 2 – Robert Montgomery and Madge Evans
I think the last image shows a hospital scene with C. Henry again, a thawed out Robert Montgomery, Delmar Watson and Madge Evans.
LikeLike
Madge Evans, The Three Stooges; Madge Evans with Robert Montgomery; C. Henry Gordon, Montgomery, Delmar Watson, Madge Evans.
LikeLike
Madge Evans, 3 Stooges, Robert Montgomery, Delmar Watson, C. Henry Gordon.
LikeLike
Well, this search was confounded by IMDb, which doesn’t have this movie on The Three Stooges’ page, perhaps because they are each credited separately as “One of The Three Julians” in Fugitive Lovers. Good one!
LikeLike
You are the new Batman nemesis, the Trixter.
LikeLike