Hook a Crook

Hook a Crook is a 1955 short subject directed by Jules White starring American comedian Joe Besser and radio disc jockey Jim Hawthorne (billed as "Hawthorne"). It is the ninth entry in the Joe Besser series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedian, who appeared in ten comedies at the studio between 1949 and 1956.

Hook a Crook
Directed by	Jules White Abner Singer
Written by	Felix Adler Jules White
Produced by	Jules White
Starring	Joe Besser Hawthorne Lela Bliss Barbara Bartay Tom Kennedy Dudley Dickerson Dan Blocker Steve Calvert Ray Corrigan Joe Palma Eddie Baker
Cinematography	Ray Cory Henry Freulich
Edited by	Harold White Edwin Bryant
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date	November 24, 1955 (1955-11-24) (U.S.)
Running time	16:03
Country	United States
Language	English

Plot

A gorilla escapes from the local zoo and prowls the city rooftops, enters Mrs. Van Sickle's (Lela Bliss) apartment, and steals her diamond necklace. Wide Awake Detective Agency investigators Besser and Hawthorne answer the call for help, and trail the suspect to an antique dealer's offices in the same building. Thinking it may be a disguised thief, the duo confront the giant primate just as two antique thieves (Joe Palma, Eddie Baker) enter the scene.

Production notes

Hook a Crook is a remake of the 1951 film 'Fraidy Cat, itself a scene-for-scene remake of the 1943 Three Stooges film Dizzy Detectives. Both films utilized a considerable amount of stock footage.^[1][2] Jules White directed all three films.^[2]