If there is no other reason for watching "The Hot Scots" (1948, short number 108 in the Columbia series), there is Christine McIntyre dancing a Highland fling with a kilted Moe. Would-be Scotland Yard detectives, the boys consider themselves assigned to a case in the Scottish castle through which they spend most of the film being chased by costumed villains. Other than the dance and some atrocious puns about "Scotch broth" and other obvious allusions, there is little new here beyond the true and tried double takes and physical punishment. "Fuelin' Around" (1949, number 116) starts with Larry's resemblance to Albert Einstein--or at least a scientist (Emil Sitka)--which leads to him, Moe, and Shemp being kidnapped to a European castle, where they must produce rocket fuel or be shot. When the real scientist and his lovely daughter (Christine McIntyre) are brought in, an escape is planned, and some clever use is made of the "rubber dummy" as Shemp is being pulled up through an escape hole in the floor by the baddies and down by Moe and Larry from below. There is also some villainy from regulars Vernon Dent and Philip Van Zandt and good bumbling from Jacques O'Mahoney. A cut above average, "Hula-La-La" (1951, number 135) has a movie mogul (Emil Sitka) send pianist Larry, choreographer Shemp, and boss Moe to a South Sea island to teach the natives to dance. There is much talk about adding the boys' heads to the collection of the evil witch doctor (Kenneth MacDonald) in a way that recalls the sadistic comedy of The Mikado; and there is clever use of a moving, four-handed idol. Moe's referring to Shemp as "Red Shoes" nicely dates the film, while Larry using Moe's head as a tom-tom in the closing shot is well done. --Frank Behrens