premiered the final version of "Three Blind Mice" as the Stooges' theme music, an updated, faster version arranged by Spud Murphy in the key of F major (the Curly period featured versions in G major, making it easy to differentiate between the two eras). With minor variations (all in F), this version was used through the end of Stooges' short subject releases in 1959. Although Hold That Lion! was the third film released featuring Shemp after his return to the Stooges, it was filmed after Squareheads of the Round Table and The Hot Scots, both which still utilized the "sliding strings" version of "Three Blind Mice" featured in the previous Shemp entries Fright Night and Out West, and in the final 12 entries starring Curly. The film title is a parody of the football term, "Hold that line!" Icabod Slipp's name appears on the door as "I. Slipp." This is a semantic parody on the Long Island town of Islip, New York. This was the final Three Stooges film (excluding Booty and the Beast) to feature Tanner the Lion, who had previously appeared in You Nazty Spy!, Three Missing Links, Wee Wee Monsieur, and Movie Maniacs, as well as his last film appearance in general, before the lion's death in 1952. Whenever Tanner was required to growl or act angry, he was filmed by himself, while when he was onscreen with other people, he was filmed in a tame state. The FAO Schwarz lion plush served as a stand-in for Tanner for when the Stooges see him sitting at the foot of their bed. The film also recycled gags from Tanner's previous appearances (breathing from behind and licking the Stooges' feet). Shemp Howard (a man of many phobias) was reportedly so frightened of lions that he insisted a glass plate be placed in between him and Tanner while filming the scene in the crate, and the Stooges' reflection in the glass can be seen as they are hastily exiting the crate. Apparently, though, Columbia Pictures hired Tanner who was currently in his elder years. Emil Sitka later commented that the feline was "so sickly, he would fall asleep in the middle of a take." There is an audio goof in the film during a scene that featured Dudley Dickerson reacting to the lion. The laughing of a crew member can be heard in the background. When the Stooges enter the