Gypped in the Penthouse

Gypped in the Penthouse is a 1955 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Shemp Howard). It is the 161st entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

Plot
At the Woman Haters Club, Larry and Shemp recount their respective encounters with a gold-digging woman, realizing belatedly that they have been duped by the same individual. Jane, the woman in question, manipulates Larry into an engagement before abandoning him upon encountering Moe, who presents her with a more substantial diamond ring. Meanwhile, Shemp finds himself unwittingly ensnared in Jane's web of deception after performing a charitable act, leading to a precarious situation with her husband, Moe.

Following the exchange of their tales, the trio seeks solace in alcohol at the club. Their commiseration is interrupted by fellow member Charlie, who introduces Moe as the club's newest recruit. Both Larry and Shemp flee the club in dismay, only to coincidentally encounter Jane once more. In an act of revenge, they retaliate by sabotaging Jane's belongings and disrupting her peace, expressing their frustration at her deceitful actions.

Cast

 * Shemp Howard as Shemp
 * Larry Fine as Larry
 * Moe Howard as Moe
 * Jean Willes as Jane
 * Emil Sitka as Charlie
 * Al Thompson as Club Guest (uncredited)

Production notes
Gypped in the Penthouse was filmed on July 19–21, 1954. Moe and Larry joined a club of the same name two decades previous in 1934's Woman Haters, the Stooges' first film for Columbia.

Over the course of their 24 years at Columbia Pictures, the Stooges would occasionally be cast as separate characters. This course of action always worked against the team; author Jon Solomon concluded "when the writing divides them, they lose their comic dynamic." In addition to this split occurring in Gypped in the Penthouse, the trio also played separate characters in Rockin' in the Rockies, Cuckoo on a Choo Choo, Flying Saucer Daffy, Sweet and Hot, He Cooked His Goose, and its remake Triple Crossed.

The film makes reference to Liberace, without mentioning his name, when Shemp entertains the woman at the piano with a candelabra. He sings a variation of "home on the range" and excentuates the "George" in the locality of Georgia which also refers to Liberace's brother George. The song features a pre-recorded piano playing, before he accidentally drops the ring inside the piano, causing him to go inside the keyboard, wrecking it. The woman finds the ring, and as a punishment, uses the ring to pay for the damages to her piano, therefore, severing Shemp's relationship.