Restless Knights

Restless Knights is a 1935 short subject directed by Charles Lamont starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard). It is the sixth entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

Restless Knights
Directed by	Charles Lamont
Written by	Felix Adler
Produced by	Jules White
Starring	Moe Howard Larry Fine Curly Howard Geneva Mitchell James Howard Bud O'Neill Walter Brennan Stanley Blystone
Cinematography	Benjamin H. Kline
Edited by	William Lyon
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date	February 20, 1935 (1935-02-20) (U.S.)
Running time	16:11
Country	United States
Language	English

In the film, three related members of the British nobility (a Duke, a Count, and a Baron) are tasked with safeguarding Queen Anne. When she vanishes during a wrestling match, they are accused of regicide. Evading execution because the executioners are preoccupied by voyeurism, the trio searches for the missing queen.

Plot

Set in the Middle Ages, the patriarch of the Stooges imparts to them, on his deathbed, their noble lineage. Ascending to titles of nobility — Duke of Durham (Larry), Count of Fife (Moe), and Baron of Gray Matter (Curly) — they pledge to safeguard Queen Anne of their ancestral realm, Anesthesia. Rumors circulate of an impending coup orchestrated by Prince Boris, the current prime minister, prompting the Stooges to fulfill their father's charge.

As royal guards under their misremembered pseudonyms — Duke of Mixture, Fife of Drum, and Baron of Brains — the Stooges find themselves embroiled in intrigue when Queen Anne vanishes during a wrestling match. Disheartened by the contest's outcome, Moe and Curly impulsively substitute for the combatants, with Larry officiating. Following a tumultuous bout, the queen's disappearance casts suspicion on the Stooges, leading to their arrest and sentencing to execution by crossbows.

Fortuitously, the executioners' distraction by a woman undressing affords the Stooges an opportunity to evade their fate. A chance encounter with a dropped jug reveals a crucial clue — the queen's whereabouts concealed in the wine cellar. Employing a plan to incapacitate their adversaries, the Stooges encounter setbacks and comedic mishaps, inadvertently incapacitating each other and, regrettably, the queen.

Despite their best intentions, their rescue efforts backfire, resulting in their mutual incapacitation. The queen's call for aid amidst the chaos further complicates matters, as additional guards converge on the scene. In a series of missteps, the Stooges unwittingly impede their own rescue mission, resulting in their collective incapacitation.

Production notes

Restless Knights was filmed on December 19–22, 1934.^[1] The film title Restless Knights is a pun on "restless nights," or chronic insomnia.^[2] Opening theme music was titled "Entry of the Giants," composed by Louis Silvers.^[3]

The title Duke of Durham references Duke University, which has been in Durham, North Carolina since 1892.

The title Baron of Gray Matter is a pun on "barren of gray matter.^[2]