Films of Emil Sitka: ONE EXCITING WEEK
by Saxon E. Sitka
Emil's second Hollywood film role came two months after his very first acting job in
HISS AND YELL, and it had him working on his thirty-first birthday, December 22, 1945. This time the call came for a small role in a Republic Pictures feature film called ONE EXCITING WEEK starring Al Pearce, Pinky Lee, Jerome Cowan, and Shemp Howard.
When he received this call, Emil had been suffering badly from the flu for several days, and the weather report called for heavy rain.
Here's Emil's diary entry for his first day working in ONE EXCITING WEEK, Friday, December 21, 1945, the day before his birthday:
I went this morning all the way out to Republic Studio because, rain or no rain, I was "called." And to my surprise, was told I'd work today. And again to my surprise I found I was to be an "extra."
This was mild to the surprise I suffered when I finally found Stage 4 and there in the midst of scurrying hundreds I was "lost." Really I was lost, for I didn't know anybody or what to do - & everyone else seemed to know everyone and absolutely what to do!
Mr. William Beaudine was swell but busy. He told me to put away my coat & hat & get my make-up on.
And after being an "extra" all day, I got to meet Al Pearce, Shemp Howard, Pinky Lee, Chester Clute and a host of other of the stars of this picture "One Exciting Week."
I really was all eyes & ears all day - & inwardly felt lucky to be being paid for what I gladly would've paid to learn today.
I came home tired, relieved of mental strain, but imagination-filled to the overflowing!
The next day, Emil's thirty-first birthday, he went to work for day two in
One Exciting Week, and he wrote this in his diary for Saturday, Dec. 22, 1945:
Truly I expected to be sent home immediately upon arriving at Republic Studio because of the tremendous downpour of rain. But no - by gosh, I was instructed to get on Stage 4 & into make-up. For very immediately I was being paged as one of the "councilmen" to be shot in a scene - & with a "line to deliver"! I was truly excited.
I then became a "bit" player - & was given a second line to read, & did them rather well. All day, after this, I stayed on to watch & follow every move of the director, William Beaudine, the camera, actors & all. Was I happy!
At the time, Shemp Howard was pursuing his own career and appeared in numerous comedy features. Shemp also had his own series of comedy shorts at Columbia Pictures where two of his brothers and Larry Fine were making their comedy classics. No one knew then that within a year, Shemp would replace his brother Curly Howard and join his other brother Moe Howard in The Three Stooges.
Emil met Shemp Howard while making ONE EXCITING WEEK and would work with him again soon in the Columbia short
BRIDE AND GLOOM. Emil hadn't worked with or even met the Three Stooges yet, and he had no idea that Shemp had brothers in the business named Moe and Curly Howard.
All that would change when, after first meeting The Three Stooges as Larry, Moe and Curly in May 1946 while making
HALF-WITS HOLIDAY, Emil shows up to make
HOLD THAT LION starring The Three Stooges in January 1947. He saw Shemp Howard on the set and wondered what he was doing there, only to be told of Curly's tragic stroke and sudden retirement.
And only then does Emil discover that Shemp is brother to both Moe and Curly and that he's replaced Curly in the trio's line-up. Over the next few years, Emil found Shemp the most amiable of the Stooges and the two frequently had lunch together when shooting in Hollywood.
