Category: Humor

RIP: Tom Smothers

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Tom Smothers, born Thomas Bolyn Smothers III, died yesterday from cancer.  Mr. Smothers was 86.

In high school Tom Smothers was a state champion gymnast in the parallel bars.  While attending San José State University, Mr. Smothers competed in gymnastics and the pole vault with the track and field team.

Tom and his younger brother, Dick, wanted to be folk musicians.  Tom thought that while he wasn’t good enough to be a professional musician, he was funny enough to be a comedian.  So the two began adding comedy bits to their performances.  Their act caught on.  CBS gave them their first television show, The Smothers Brothers Show.  It lasted one season.

Tom Smothers negotiated creative control for their next CBS series, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.  By this point Tom had become politically active.  He and Dick began to push the limits with references to recreational drugs, sex, religion and the Viet Nam war.  The show’s war with the CBS censors generated a lot of publicity and the show ended up being cancelled.

Tom Smothers continued to appear with his brother for live performances.  Tom Smothers also continued to be a political activist.  He attended the famous Monterey Pop Festival where he introduced several of the acts.  He became friends with John Lennon and actually played acoustic guitar on Lennon’s “Give Peace a Chance” record.

For the rest of his career Tom Smothers performed live, on television, feature films and commercials.

Some of Tom Smothers’ television appearances include: The Danny Thomas Show; Burke’s Law; My Brother the Angel (32 episodes); The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (73 episodes); Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In (3 episodes); Love American Style; Fitz & Bones (4 episodes); Fantasy Island; The Love Boat (2 episodes); The Smothers Brothers Show (13 episodes); Hotel; Tales of the Unexpected (2 episodes); Dream On; Suddenly Susan (3 episodes); Norm (2 episodes) and The Simpsons.

Some of Tom Smothers’ feature film appearances include: Get to Know Your Rabbit; Silver Bears and Serial.

I was a kid when The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was getting all of the heat over trouble with the censors.  It just made me want to watch it more.  I always enjoyed seeing Tom and Dick Smothers perform.  They never failed to give me  smile.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Tom Smothers’ family, friends and fans.

“Oil’s Well That Ends Well” (1958) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Oil’s Well That Ends Well (1958)

Director:  Jules White

Screenplay: Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe Besser.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

The boys receive a letter from their dad saying that he needs surgery.  Dad suggests that our guys go to land that he owns and search for uranium.  So our boys do just that.  They find oil!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

While Oil’s Well That Ends Well reuses some footage from Oily to Bed Oily to Rise, the 1939 Stooges short, it is in service to a new story.  The footage used shows Curly atop the spout when the boys strike oil. Oil’s Well That Ends Well is also the only Stooges short that has no supporting actors.  It’s just Larry, Moe and Joe from start to finish.

Oil’s Well That Ends Well (1958) earns 3 of 5 stars.

“Frasier” – Season 1 (2023) starring Kelsey Grammer / Z-View

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Frasier – Season 1 (2023)

Based on: Frasier by David Angell & Peter Casey & David Lee; Frasier Crane by Glen Charles & Les Charles; developed by Chris Harris, Joe Cristalli

Director:  James Burrows (Eps.1 – 2); Kelly Park (Ep. 3; 6); Kelsey Grammer (Eps. 4; 7 – 8; 10); Phill Lewis (Ep. 5);

Teleplay by: Joe Cristalli & Chris Harris (Ep. 1); Stephen Lloyd (Ep. 2); Lauren Houseman (Ep. 3); Bob Daily (Ep. 4); Farhan Arshad (Ep. 5); Joe Cristalli (Ep. 6); Sasha Stroman (Ep. 7); Miles Woods (Ep. 8); Robb Chavis (Ep. 9); Janene Lin & Jenna Martin & Naima Pearce (Ep. 10)

Starring:  Kelsey Grammer, Jack Cutmore-Scott, Toks Olagundoye, Jess Salgueiro, Anders Keith, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Jimmy Dunn, Bebe Neuwirth and Peri Gilpin.

Tagline: None.

The Plot: 

Frasier Crane, a Harvard educated, wealthy and famous television psychologist moves back to Boston after the death of his father.  Frasier hopes to rebuild a relationship with his grown son, Freddy.  Freddy is now a firefighter, having dropped out of Harvard.  Frasier buys the apartment building where Freddy lives, moves in and returns to Harvard as a Professor.

Let the good times roll

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)

The season starts off a bit shaky but really hits stride with episode 6 which reaches the high bar set by the original series.

Many scenes take place in a bar called Mahoney’s.  This is a tribute to the late John Mahoney who played Frasier’s father in the original series.  It’s interesting to note that Kelsey Grammer is older than John Mahoney was when he played Frasier’s dad.

Frasier – Season 1 (2023)

“Flying Saucer Daffy” (1958) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Flying Saucer Daffy (1958)

Director:  Jules White

Screenplay: Jack White

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe Besser, Emil Sitka, Gail Bonney and Diana Darrin.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Joe lives with his Aunt and cousins, Larry and Moe.  They treat Joe terribly.  When Joe accidentally gets a photo of a flying saucer and wins $10,000 things change… for the worse.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Flying Saucer Daffy was Joe Besser’s favorite Stooge short.  It is also the last Stooges short to be filmed.  Since the studio didn’t release them in order, it wasn’t the last to be shown in theaters. Sappy Bull Fighters is the answer to that trivia question.

Moe was actually older than the actress who played his mother.

A snippet of footage from Earth vs the Flying Saucers is used in this one.

Flying Saucer Daffy (1958) earns 3 of 5 stars.

Pies and Guys (1958) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Pies and Guys (1958)

Director:  Jules White

Screenplay: Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe Besser, Emil Sitka and Milton Frome.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

The boys’ sister, Birdie, has died and been reincarnated as a horse.  Birdie lives with the boys. At breakfast one morning, our guys learn that Birdie’s mate, Schnapps is a famous circus horse.  They also discover that Schnapps was injured and is scheduled to be put down.

It is up to our guys (and Birdie) to save Schnapps.  What could go wrong.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Pies and Guys is a remake of the Stooges’ 1947 short, Half-Wits Holiday which was a remake of their 1935 short Hoi Polloi. Pies and Guys used stock footage, so some of those pies had been around for a while.  ; )

Pies and Guys (1958) earns 3 of 5 stars.

“Horsing Around” (1957) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Horsing Around (1957)

Director:  Jules White

Screenplay: Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe Besser  and Emil Sitka.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

The boys’ sister, Birdie, has died and been reincarnated as a horse.  Birdie lives with the boys. At breakfast one morning, our guys learn that Birdie’s mate, Schnapps is a famous circus horse.  They also discover that Schnapps was injured and is scheduled to be put down.

It is up to our guys (and Birdie) to save Schnapps.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Horsing Around is a sequel to Hoofs and Goofs released earlier in the year.  The weird part (well, if there is a weird part when it comes to The Three Stooges) is that Hoofs and Goofs was supposed to be a dream.

Horsing Around (1957) earns 2 of 5 stars.

“Fifi Blows Her Top” (1958) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Fifi Blows Her Top (1958)

Director:  Jules White

Screenplay: Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe Besser, Philip Van Zandt. Christine McIntyre. Heinie Conklin, Al Thompson  and Joe Palma.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Larry’s former girlfriend, Fifi moves in the apartment across the hall.  Only now she’s married to a jealous husband.  So when Fifi’s dress gets ruined in the boys’ apartment, you know the husband is going to show up.  Let the hijinks begin.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Fifi Blows Her Top is a reboot of the Stooges’ Love at First Bite and incorporates footage from it.

Fifi Blows Her Top (1958) earns 2 of 5 stars.

Outer Space Jitters (1957) starring The Three Stooges and Dan Blocker! / Z-View

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Outer Space Jitters (1957)

Director:  Jules White

Screenplay: Jack White

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe Besser, Emil Sitka, Philip Van Zandt. Dan Blocker. Diana Darrin and Joe Palma.

Tagline:  The planet of Sunev – Somewhere in outer space – “Sunev is Venus spelled backwards”

The Plot…

Moe, Larry and Joe travel to the planet Sunev.  The rulers there seem nice, but in reality they are planning to take over the planet Earth!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Dan Blocker, who would become famous playing Hoss Cartwright on Bonanza appears as a monster.  Sadly, he’s billed as Don Blocker in the opening credits.

Outer Space Jitters features a weak script with a weaker ending.  The boys deserved better.

Outer Space Jitters (1957) earns 2 of 5 stars.

“Guns a Poppin!” (1957) starring The Three Stooges

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Guns a Poppin! (1957)

Director:  Jules White

Screenplay: Jack White, Elwood Ullman

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe Besser,  Frank Sully, Vernon Dent and Joe Palma.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Moe is on trial for assaulting Larry and Joe.  As Moe explains to the judge what happened we see the story told through flashback.  Moe’s nerves were on edge.  He was deep in debt and had lost his business.  The boys decide a relaxing weekend at a cabin in the woods is just what is needed.  Add in a bear, some outlaws, and our guys’ usual hijinks and you can see why Moe was ready to commit murder!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Guns a Poppin! is a reboot of Idiot’s Deluxe with Joe replacing Curly.  More new scenes were shot for this than you might expect. Reused footage included only Moe in court, as well as the bear and Moe eating breakfast.

Guns a Poppin! (1957) earns 3 of 5 stars.

“A Merry Mix-up” (1957) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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A Merry Mix-up (1957)

Director:  Jules White

Screenplay: Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe Besser and Diana Darrin.

Tagline: Hilarious?  Better Than Ever!

The Plot…

Three sets of triplets (played by Larry, Moe and Joe) lose track of each other after the war.  Moe, Larry and Joe are single.  Morris, Luke and Jeff are engaged and soon to be married.  Max, Louie and Jack are all happily married.  None of the brothers have told their girls about the brothers that they haven’t seen in years.

As luck would have it, all the brothers and their girls show up at the same nightclub at different times.  Unfortunately when the girls arrive they mistake the wrong set of brothers as their guys.  All of the girls think their guys are cheating and the guys have no clue what is going on.

Let the hijinks begin.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The one-sheet poster for A Merry Mix-up lists the Stooges as Shemp, Larry and Joe!

Most of the shots when there is more than one set of twins was accomplished with doubles for each Stooge.  The final shot with a 9 brothers in the same scene was accomplished with a matte shot using a triple exposure.

A Merry Mix-up (1957) earns 4 of 5 stars.

“Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.” starring Eddie Murphy – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Deal me in.

Detective Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) is back on the beat in Beverly Hills. After his daughter’s life is threatened, she (Taylour Paige) and Foley team up with a new partner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and old pals Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton) to turn up the heat and uncover a conspiracy.

From Producers Jerry Bruckheimer, Eddie Murphy, Chad Oman, and Director Mark Molloy.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. Only on Netflix, Summer 2024.

“Muscle Up A Little Closer” (1957) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Muscle Up A Little Closer (1957)

Director:  Jules White

Screenplay: Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe Besser and Maxine Gates.

Tagline: Hilarious?  Better Than Ever!

The Plot…

Joe, Larry and Moe plan to propose marriage to their girls.  Joe discovers that the ring he bought for his sweetheart is missing.  The boys believe that a bully from work stole it.  Our guys decide to confront the lug in the company gym.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

In Muscle Up A Little Closer Larry and Moe wear more conservative haircuts for the first time in the series. The new haircuts would appear from time to time in the Stooges’ shorts with Joe Besser (he suggested the new style do’s).  The problem was that most of the new shorts contained footage from previous Stooges’ outings and the hairstyles wouldn’t match.

Muscle Up A Little Closer (1957) earns 3 of 5 stars.

“Hoofs and Goofs” (1957) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Hoofs and Goofs (1957)

Director:  Jules White

Screenplay: Jack White

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe Besser and Joe Palma.

Tagline: The Biggest Wave of Wackiness Yet!

The Plot…

Joe cannot get over the passing of his sister, Birdie.  He believes that she will come back reincarnated.  Larry and Moe think it best to not argue.  In an effort to get Joe out and clear his mind, they convince Joe that they will come across Birdie as they walk through the city.  To their surprise, they discover Birdie has been reincarnated as a horse!  Joe demands they take the horse home.  Let the hijinks begin.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Hoofs and Goofs is Joe Besser’s first outing as a Stooge.  Sadly, this short isn’t one of their finest.  Joe and the boys do the best they can with the material given.  When I was a kid, I didn’t much care for Joe’s act.  As an adult, I’ve grown to like it.

Hoofs and Goofs (1957) earns 2 of 5 stars.

“Commotion on the Ocean” (1956) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Commotion on the Ocean (1956)

Director:  Jules White

Screenplay: Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard and Emil Sitka.

Tagline: The Biggest Wave of Wackiness Yet!

The Plot…

Our guys are janitors who dream of being hotshot reporters.  When the boys get home their neighbor tells them that he has to return to his country.  He asks our boys to carry three watermelons to the ship.  Little do Larry, Moe and Shemp know, the melons contain microfilm.  The neighbor is a foreign spy!  He then traps the boys on board the ship.  When our guys finally discover the agent’s evil plan, it is up to them to get the microfilm back.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Commotion on the Ocean is the last Stooges’ short featuring Shemp.  The short is mainly composed of footage from Crime on Their Hands (1948) and Dunked in Deep (1949).  The new footage consists of Larry and Moe trying to steal a fish off of a woman’s plate.  Joe Palma doubles for Shemp in a few scenes for continuity.

Commotion on the Ocean (1956) earns 3 of 5 stars.

Rare “Son of Frankenstein” Make-Up Test Video with Boris Karloff & Jack Pierce!

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During a 1939 Son of Frankenstein color test, Boris Karloff clowns in full monster gear, strangling legendary makeup artist Jack Pierce.

According to the documentary Universal Horror (1998), Son of Frankenstein was intended to be shot in color and some Technicolor test footage was filmed, but for artistic or budgetary reasons the plan was abandoned.

No color test footage is known to survive, but this rare clip from a Kodachrome color home movie filmed at the studio shows Boris Karloff in the green monster makeup, clowning around with makeup artist Jack Pierce (Janus Piccoula).