User Reviews

This is an interesting film, but a bit far-fetched in some ways. You see the title and think it's three gentlemen out on the town, but instead, the three pals are star Marilyn Mills, a dog and a horse. The only actor whose name I recognized was Josef Swickard, who plays her father. He played Rudolph Valentino's father in Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and looks pretty much as he did in that movie. It's set in Kentucky, so you'll see plenty of horses. In fact, the horse pal of hers does take up with the horse of her boyfriend. The dog and horses are just about the smartest animals I've seen in a movie. That's the far-fetched parts. There are some racial stereotypes, but not too many. One thing you'll notice is a very skinny guy who has trouble talking. Marilyn Mills was the producer of this and while she was nice-looking, I noticed that her career didn't last very long. There are some good parts. The print I saw was pristine (I only wish the one for the 1924 German film Waxworks could have been that good. Also, the soundtrack is 1920's music, which I enjoyed. Before it's over, you'll see a horse race and it's well-filmed, so if you do like horses, this film could be for you. I'd also recommend it if you like amazing smart animals. Also, the film does have a happy ending, which to me is a positive for any movie.

Other than this being a film where Gary Cooper has a small bit and if you blink you'll miss him, Three Pals will not have anyone who will come to mind immediately. Star Marilyn Mills produced this film set in Kentucky and she left the screen too early, before sound came in to make a mark.

Mills's father Joseph Swickard raises horses and daughter and likes nothing more than swapping lies and drinking mint juleps with his neighbor William Turner whose son Walter Emerson likes Mills. The guys look forward to families merging and maybe their stables as well.

The villain of the piece is the Snidely Whiplash villain, secretary to Turner who kills him and frames Swickard all in a grand scheme to get the whole kit and kaboodle including Mills.

Heroes of the piece are the Three Pals, two horses and a dog who find the clues and save the day.

This kind of Victorian morality play was what you saw back in the day and who doesn't like dogs and horses. Nothing special here other than spot the Hollywood legend.