Category: Humor

“Saved by the Belle” (1939) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Saved by the Belle (1939)

Director:  Charley Chase

Writer:  Searle Kramer, Elwood Ullman

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Vernon Dent and Al Thompson.

Tagline:  Rings the bell for a laughing knockout!

The Plot…

Larry, Curly and Moe are traveling salesmen in a South American country undergoing a civil war and prone to earthquakes.  How could it get any worse?  They’re trying to sell fur coats!  Our boys are jailed for trying to skip out of their hotel bill.  While in lockup, they are befriended by a revolutionary.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

When the boys are lined up to be shot, Curly thinks it is for a photograph.  He says, “I’m gonna send one home to Elaine”.  Elaine was Curly Howard’s wife at the time.

Saved by the Belle (1939) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Slippery Silks” (1936) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Slippery Silks (1936)

Director:  Jack White

Writer:  Ewart Adamson

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Loretta Andrews, Symona Boniface, Vernon Dent and William Irving.

Tagline:   None.

The Plot…

Larry, Curly and Moe are carpenters who accidently destroy a priceless antique cabinet.  The owner of the antique vows revenge.  Once away from the danger, our guys learn that they’ve inherited a designer dress boutique.  Our guys as fashion designers?  Why not?

They are hired to put on a fashion show by a rich woman.  During the event they realize that the woman’s husband is the man who owned the priceless antique that they destroyed!  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Slipper Silks features the Stooges’ first pie/pastry fight.  Actually one pie is thrown and the rest are cream puffs.

When the owner of the priceless cabinet asks, “Are you sure this work will be in competent hands?” Curly responds, “Soitenly, we’re all incompetent.”

Slippery Silks (1936) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“A Pain in the Pullman” (1936) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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A Pain in the Pullman (1936)

Director:  Jack White

Writer:  Jack White

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Phyllis Crane, Bud Jamison, Ethelreda Leopold and James C. Morton.

Tagline:   None.

The Plot…

Larry, Curly and Moe are small time performers who get a job that requires them to travel by train with their pet monkey.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

A Pain in the Pullman is the longest Stooges’ short.  It clocks in at 19 minutes, 46 seconds.

Moe gets to say his classic: “Wake up and go to sleep!”

Moe was allergic and disliked shellfish.  He’s not acting and his aversion becomes evident in the scene where the boys are eating crab.  And how about Curly pulling the meat out and then eating the shell!

A Pain in the Pullman (1936) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Pardon My Scotch” (1935) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Pardon My Scotch (1935)

Director:  Del Lord

Writer:  Andrew Bennison

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, James C. Morton, Symona Boniface, Alec Craig and Billy Gilbert.

Tagline:   They’ll KILTIE you with laughter!

The Plot…

Larry, Curly and Moe are carpenters working on a drugstore project.  When the owner (who sells bootleg hooch) has to leave, he puts our boys in charge.  That’s when a customer asks for a “prescription” drink.  Our guys go in the back and mix up a cocktail that knocks the man for a loop… and he loves it!  The man hires the boys to provide their “Breath of Heather” for a big party at his boss’ house.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

There’s a scene where a table Moe is standing on is cut in half. Moe crashes to the ground and actually broke his ribs. To Moe’s credit he finished the scene and then collapsed in pain.  He was rushed to the hospital.  The scene we see is what actually happened.

Pardon My Scotch features a Stooge classic. Moe facing Curly says, “Point to your right”.  Moe and Curly point in opposite directions.  Curly also briefly recreates the “dancing bread” bit made famous by Charlie Chaplin.

Pardon My Scotch (1935) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Easy Street” (1917) starring Charlie Chaplin / Z-View

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Easy Street (1917)

Director:  Charles Chaplin

Writer:  Charles Chaplin, Vincent Bryan, Maverick Terrell

Stars: Charles Chaplin, Edna Purviance, Eric Campbell, Albert Austin, Lloyd Bacon and Henry Bergman 

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

When a tramp (Chaplin) meets a mission worker, he is inspired to get a job and win her over.  The only job that he can find is as a policeman on Easy Street.  The folks living on Easy Street are terrorized by a huge bully.  He beats and robs at will.  The police that have been sent in before have had no luck in bringing him in.  What chance does the little tramp have against a giant?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The scene with Chaplin using a street lamp to fight the bully is inspired.

Easy Street (1917) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“FUBAR” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Not a big fan of the FUBAR poster, but I do like the trailer below better than the previous teaser.

Heroes don’t retire. They reload. Arnold Schwarzenegger is starring in his first series ever!

When a father and daughter learn that they’ve each secretly been working as CIA Operatives for years, they realize their entire relationship has been a lie and they truly don’t know one another at all. Forced to team up as partners, FUBAR tackles universal family dynamics set against a global backdrop of spies, fantastic action and humor.

Also starring Monica Barbaro, Milan Carter, Fortune Feimster, Travis Van Winkle, Jay Baruchel, Andy Buckley, Aparna Brielle, Barbara Eve Harris, Fabiana Udenio and Gabriel Luna.

“The Yoke’s on Me” (1944) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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The Yoke’s on Me (1944)

Director:  Jules White

Writer:  Clyde Buckman

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard and Al Thompson.

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

When our boys are determined to be unfit for military service, they decide to aide the war effort by becoming farmers.  They buy a run-down farm and hope to make a go of it.  One day the sheriff warns our guys to be on guard. A group of Japanese-Americans have escaped from a “relocation center”.  Later the escapees show up on the farm.  Let the hijinks begin.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Three Stooges shorts, like many films of the era, sometimes featured things that modern audiences find distasteful.  And rightly so.  The Yoke’s on Me (1944) is often considered to be the worst offender.  For many years The Yoke’s on Me was never shown on television rebroadcasts.  The antagonists aren’t Japanese soldiers, spies or criminals.  They are American citizens who were rounded up and put in prison camps.

With that said, there are still some funny bits in The Yoke’s on Me.  It’s unfortunate that they are over-shadowed by the choice of “bad guys”.

The Yoke’s on Me (1944) (1944) rates 3 of 5 stars.

Phony Express (1943) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Phony Express (1943)

Director:  Del Lord

Writer:  Elwood Ullman, Monte Collins

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Shirley Patterson, Bud Jamison, Chester Conklin and ‘Snub’ Pollard.

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

Our boys skip town, wanted for vagrancy.  They end up in Peaceful Gulch, which is anything but.  With no money, the see a help wanted sign at a saloon.  Our guys head in and say they’re there to clean up the place.  Red Morgan and his gang overhear this and think that Larry, Curly and Moe are lawmen who’ve come to take them to jail.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

This plot was popular enough to be used, along with some of the footage in The Stooges’ 1951 short Merry Mavericks.

Curly makes the most of a scene with Larry as he mixes up a snake oil potion that will cure anything!

Phony Express (1943) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“In the Sweet Pie and Pie” (1941) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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In the Sweet Pie and Pie (1941)

Director:  Jules White

Writer:  Clyde Bruckman from a story by Ewart Adamson

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Symona Boniface, Richard Fiske, Lynton Brent and Vernon Dent.

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

Three women need to be married and fast.  If they’re wed, they’ll inherit a fortune.  If not, not.  They don’t want to wed, but they want the wealth.  Their lawyer comes up a genius idea.  Three idiots on death row are about to be executed.  If the girls marry these bozos, they will be widows a few days after.  Wealthy widows.  As fate would have it, it’s our guys who are about to be put to death!

Moe, Larry and Curly agree to the wedding.  Later, as our boys are about to be hanged, the real murderers confess.  Our boys are given a pardon and released.  Larry, Curly and Moe show up at their new wives’ mansion ready to live the good life.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Richard Fisk appeared in 19 Stooges shorts.  In the Sweet Pie and Pie was his last appearance.  He had achieved the rank of 1st Lieutenant (9th Infantry, 2nd Division) when he was killed in action during World War II.

The footage of the Stooges being taught to dance by a woman who has a bee fly down her dress first appeared in Hoi Polloi.  It’s just as funny the second time around.

In the Sweet Pie and Pie (1941) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Let’s Go Collegiate” (1941) starring Frankie Darro & Mantan Moreland / Z-View

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Let’s Go Collegiate (1941)

Director:  Jean Yarbrough

Writer:  Edmond Kelso

Stars: Frankie Darro, Marcia Mae Jones, Jackie Moran, Keye Luke, Mantan Moreland, Frank Sully, Gale Storm, Barton Yarborough, Frank Faylen and Tristram Coffin 

Tagline: Hollywood’s young stars put a new kind of zig in the old kind of zag…in the freshest college story ever filmed…A riot!

The Plot…

Frankie (Darro) and Tad (Moran) are on the rowing team for Rawley University.  When the boys learn that top rowing recruit, Bob Terry has been drafted, they don’t have the heart to tell their girls who have planned a big welcoming party.  Then the boys meet Hercules ‘Herk’ Bevans (Sully).  Frankie and Tad decide to pass Herk off as Bob Terry.

Soon Herk is on the rowing team and trying to steal Frankie and Tad’s girls.  And what neither Frankie or Tad know is that Herk is a wanted criminal!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I wanted to see Let’s Go Collegiate because of Mantan Moreland.  Sadly, he’s given little to do.  But of course it’s Mantan, so he makes the most of it.

Let’s Go Collegiate is a low-budget feature that gives little thought to logic.  Frankie and Tad know the top rowing recruit has been drafted into the army, but no one else does?  Herk is brought on the team and entered into the college and there are no issues with proper identification?  Later in the film, a cop is knocked out so that Herk can row in a race.  The cop wakes up and isn’t upset since Herk’s team won.  These are just a few things that viewers have to “go with”.

If it wasn’t for Mantan, I’d have passed on this one.

Let’s Go Collegiate (1941) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Income Tax Sappy (1954)” starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Income Tax Sappy (1954)

Director:  Jules White

Writer: Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Vernon Dent and Benny Rubin.

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

Our boys fake some deductions on their taxes and get away with it.  Thinking this is an easy way to make money, they bill themselves as “tax experts” and begin cheating on other people’s taxes.  It makes them rich!  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Income Tax Sappy is notable for a couple of reasons:

1) It is one of two Stooges shorts in 1954 that features all new footage. Although it did recycle the gag where something in the soup fights with the person about to it it.

2) Shemp’s hair isn’t greasy and slicked back.  This is because Shemp had started dying his hair and the grease wouldn’t work well with the hair dye!

Income Tax Sappy (1954) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Hokus Pokus” (1949) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Hokus Pokus (1949)

Director:  Jules White

Writer: Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Vernon Dent, David Bond and Ned Glass.

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

Our guys have been taking care of Mary.  She lives upstairs and has been left unable to walk by an accident.  She’s waiting on an insurance settlement so she can leave the area since she’s scamming the insurance company and our boys.  While at work our guys get hooked up with a hypnotist named Svengarlic (His act will take your breath away!) who plans to use Larry, Moe and Shemp in a publicity.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The funniest scene is when Shemp gets physical with the insurance adjuster!

Hokus Pokus (1949) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Booty and the Beast” (1953) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Booty and the Beast (1953)

Director:  Jules White

Writer: Jack White,  Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Kenneth MacDonald, Heinie Conklin, Vernon Dent, Dudley Dickerson, Sam Lufkin, Blackie Whiteford and Curly Howard.

Tagline:  Bellows! Boffos! And Belly-Laffs!

The Plot…

Our guys are suckered in to helping a crook break into a house and steal money from a safe.  When the crook makes a getaway, our boys follow him on to a train.  They plan to get the money back.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The first half of this short is new with the second part on the train using footage from 1947’s Stooges short, Hold That Lion.  While the recycled footage isn’t great news, the fact that Curly’s cameo is in it is.

Booty and the Beast (1953) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Studio Stoops” (1950) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Studio Stoops (1950)

Director:  Edward Bernds

Writer:  Elwood Ullman

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Kenneth MacDonald, Christine McIntyre and Vernon Dent

Tagline: None

The Plot…

Our guys are pest exterminators given a chance to create publicity for a new female star.  The boys come up with the idea to fake her kidnapping.  But when she is really held for ransom, it is up to Larry, Shemp and Moe to get her back.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I love this exchange between Larry and Moe.  Larry is about to leave the room and he wants Moe to lock the door behind him.

Larry: “Say, when I come back, I’ll give you the password.”

Moe: “Brilliant! What’ll it be?”

Larry whispers: “Open the door.”

Studio Stoops (1950) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Crime on Their Hands” (1948) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Crime on Their Hands (1948)

Director:  Edward Bernds

Writer:  Elwood Ullman

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Kenneth MacDonald, Christine McIntyre, Heinie Conklin, Ray Corrigan, Cy Schindell and Blackie Whiteford

Tagline: The Stooges’ funniest monkey business!

The Plot…

Our guys are janitors at a newspaper.  They dream of being hotshot reporters.  When they get a tip the whereabouts of the stolen and priceless Punjab diamond, they decide to follow-up.  The lead takes them to a hotspot for tough-guy criminals and a pet gorilla.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Stooges trying to play it like they are tough guys is funny!

Any time you put a gorilla in a Stooges short, you have a winner.

When a woman says, “Any halfwit can see I’m telling the truth.”  Shemp responds, “Yeah, I can see you’re tellin’ the truth.”

Crime on Their Hands (1948) rates 4 of 5 stars.