<P> The Three Stooges performed the sketch (as part of the show they put on within the movie, as they play performers) in Gents Without Cents, a 1944 short . In their version, the final punchline is that the third character to arrive (played by Larry) is, in fact, the object of the hate of the storyteller (played by Moe). However, even though Curly (who has just been repeatedly beaten up by Moe) eggs him on, Moe refuses to attack Larry and instead they make peace . Curly then says "Niagara Falls" and both Moe and Larry chase him off the stage . </P> <P> The routine also appears in episode 19, "The Ballet" of season 1 of I Love Lucy, with Lucy playing the stranger with a kind face and a clown playing the storyteller, with the trigger word "Martha". Lucille Ball later performed the "Martha" version on CBS Opening Night in 1963, now playing the vagabond storyteller herself, with Phil Silvers as the stranger with the kind face . </P> <P> Danny Thomas and Joey Faye reprised the routine in Season 8, episode 20 ("Good Old Burlesque") of the Danny Thomas Show . Hawkeye Pierce (played by Alan Alda) references this routine in the second - season M * A * S * H episode "Dr. Pierce and Mr. Hyde", in which the sleep - deprived surgeon insists on responding to an ambulance arrival . Steve Martin's character Rigby Reardon had a similar trigger, the words "cleaning woman", in his film noir homage Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid . </P> <P> Milton Berle's performance of this routine was played on the Dr. Demento radio show several times using the trigger word "Buffalo". </P>

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