Category: Trivia

The Twilight Zone’s Scariest Monsters!

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The MeTV staff came up with their list of The 7 Scariest Monsters That Spooked Us On ‘The Twilight Zone”.  I decided to play along.  I’ve commented on each of their choices and provided my list of the seven best Twilight Zone monsters.

MeTV

Zablo

1. “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” (Excellent choice. Also made my list. – CZ)

2. “The Eye of the Beholder” (Great design, but were they really monsters? Misguided, yes. But monsters? – CZ)

3. “The Fear” (Scary at first, maybe. Then you find out what the “alien” really is. – CZ)

4. “The Invaders” (Almost made my list. – CZ)

5. “The Living Doll” (This episode didn’t resonate with me. The doll was just irritating. – CZ)

6. “Hocus-Pocus and Frisby” (Loved the alien design but the episode was a comedy so not scary. – CZ)

7. “The Masks” (The faces were well designed. The people getting the new faces weren’t nice, but were more victims than monsters. – CZ)

1. “The Howling Man” (Great design. What monster is scarier than the devil? – CZ)

2. “It’s a Good Life” (Little Billy Mumy is one of the scariest monsters ever in this episode. – CZ)

3. “To Serve Man” (Nine foot tall aliens that eat humans? Yeah, that’s scary. – CZ)

4. “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” (Features The Twilight Zone‘s best jump scare! – CZ)

5. “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street” (One of the scariest Twilight Zone episodes because we are the monsters. – CZ)

6. “Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?” (Although this episode features humor, it’s scary to think that an invading alien force is already living among us. – CZ)

7. “Nick of Time” (A fortune telling maching that may provide you a glimpse of the future. Do you dare look? – CZ)

The All-Time Best Action Movies!

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Variety posted The 50 Best Action Movies of All Time.  Like all lists of this sort it included some films that most might not consider (as action films) and left off others.  Still, lists can be fun. I decided to see how I’d rank the same films.  *** means I haven’t seen the movie.  (And I cannot believe I still haven’t seen Hard Boiled.)

Variety

01. The Road Warrior (1981)
02. Die Hard (1988)
03. North by Northwest (1959)
04. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
05. Enter the Dragon (1973)
06. The French Connection (1971)
07. The Matrix (1999)
08. Aliens (1986)
09. Seven Samurai (1954)
10. Bullitt (1968)
11. Speed (1994)
12. Goldfinger (1964)
13. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
14. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
15. Hard Boiled (1992)
16. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
17. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
18. Ben-Hur (1959)
19. The Wild Bunch (1969)
20. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
21. Heat (1995)
22. The Wages of Fear (1953)
23. Gladiator (2000)
24. Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
25. United 93 (2006)
26. Point Break (1991)
27. Police Story (1985)
28. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
29. Foxy Brown (1974)
30. Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol (2011)
31. The Dirty Dozen (1967)
32. Commando (1985)
33. Run Lola Run (1998)
34. Fast Five (2011)
35. The Black Pirate (1926)
36. Casino Royale (2006)
37. Once Upon a Time in China Part II (1992)
38. Inception (2010)
39. Duel (1971)
40. The Raid (2011)
41. The Warriors (1979)
42. Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965)
43. The Bourne Identity (2002)
44. The Day of the Jackal (1973)
45. Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)
46. Hero (2002)
47. Vanishing Point (1971)
48. The Fugitive (1993)
49. Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
50. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Zablo

01. Enter the Dragon (1973)
02. Die Hard (1988)
03. Aliens (1986)
04. Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)
05. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
06. The Matrix (1999)
07. The Road Warrior (1981)
08. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
09. The Warriors (1979)
10. Commando (1985)
11. Casino Royale (2006)
12. Gladiator (2000)
13. Heat (1995)
14. Point Break (1991)
15. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
16. Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol (2011)
17. Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
18. Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
19. The Bourne Identity (2002)
20. Speed (1994)
21. Fast Five (2011)
22. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
23. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
24. Goldfinger (1964)
25. The Dirty Dozen (1967)
26. North by Northwest (1959)
27. The Fugitive (1993)
28. Duel (1971)
29. The Wild Bunch (1969)
30. The Wages of Fear (1953)
31. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
32. Ben-Hur (1959)
33. Inception (2010)
34. Run Lola Run (1998)
35. Bullitt (1968)
36. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
37. Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965)
38. Foxy Brown (1974)
39. Seven Samurai (1954)
40. The French Connection (1971)
41. Vanishing Point (1971)
42. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
*** Hard Boiled (1992)
*** United 93 (2006)
*** Police Story (1985)
*** The Black Pirate (1926)
*** Once Upon a Time in China Part II (1992)
*** The Raid (2011)
*** The Day of the Jackal (1973)
*** Hero (2002)

Sly Stallone’s All-Time Best Movies

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Thomas Leatham and Calum Russell at Far Out came up with their list of The 10 best Sylvester Stallone movies.  Before you click over to see their thoughts on each film, here is how our rankings compared.  I also included some Stallone films that would have made my list, but didn’t make theirs.

Leatham & Russell

Zablo

10. Cobra (George P. Cosmatos, 1986)

09. The Suicide Squad (James Gunn, 2021)

08. Demolition Man (Marco Brambilla, 1993)

07. Rocky IV (Sylvester Stallone, 1985)

06. Cliffhanger (Renny Harlin, 1993)

05. Nighthawks (Bruce Malmuth, 1981)

04. First Blood (Ted Kotcheff, 1982)

03. Cop Land (James Mangold, 1997)

02. Creed (Ryan Coogler, 2016)

01. Rocky (John G. Avildsen, 1976)

10. The Suicide Squad (James Gunn, 2021)

09. Demolition Man (Marco Brambilla, 1993)

08. Cobra (George P. Cosmatos, 1986)

06. Cliffhanger (Renny Harlin, 1993)

06. Rocky IV (Sylvester Stallone, 1985)

05. First Blood (Ted Kotcheff, 1982)

04. Creed (Ryan Coogler, 2016)

03. Nighthawks (Bruce Malmuth, 1981)

02. Cop Land (James Mangold, 1997)

01. Rocky (John G. Avildsen, 1976)
  • Get Carter (Stephen Kay, 2000)
  • Rambo (Sylvester Stallone, 2008)
  • Paradise Alley (Sylvester Stallone, 1978)
  • FIST (Norman Jewison, 1978)
  • Rocky III (Sylvester Stallone, 1982)

The All-Time Best Black & White Monster Movies!

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Jordan Payeur at CBR.com came up with a list of the 10 Best Black and White Monster Movies.  Before you click over to see Payeur’s comments on each, here’s my rankings using just Payeur’s list.  I’ve then included several black and white monster movies that would have made my rankings.  What did I miss?

Payeur

Zablo

10. Village of the Damned (1960)

09. The Man Who Laughs (1928)

08. Haxan (1922)

07. Cat People (1942)

06. The Wolf Man (1941)

05. The Mummy (1932)

04. Dracula (1931)

03. Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

02. Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

01. Nosferatu (1922)

10. The Man Who Laughs (1928)

09. Village of the Damned (1960)

08. Haxan (1922)

07. Cat People (1942)

06. Nosferatu (1922)

05. The Mummy (1932)

04. The Wolf Man (1941)

03. Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

02. Dracula (1931)

01. Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

  • The Phantom Carriage (1921)
  • Frankenstein (1931)
  • The Invisible Man (1933)
  • Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman (1943)
  • Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
  • The Thing from Another World (1951)
  • Them! (1954)
  • Night of the Living Dead (1968)

The 10 Best Sly Stallone Films Ranked by Reddit and Craig Zablo

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Vidhi Narula at Collider posted The 10 Best Sylvester Stallone Movies, According to Reddit.  How the list doesn’t contain a single Rocky or Rambo film is beyond me.  Before you click over to get Narula’s thoughts on each film, here is how I’d rank the Reddit choices.

Reddit

10. Cop Land (1997)
09. Tango and Cash (1989)
08. Bullet to the Head (2012)
07. Cliffhanger (1993)
06. Demolition Man (1993)
05. Daylight (1996)
04. Oscar (1991)
03. Nighthawks (1981)
02. Cobra (1986)
01. Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003)

Zablo

10. Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003)
09. Oscar (1991)
08. Demolition Man (1993)
07. Daylight (1996)
06. Tango and Cash (1989)
05. Cobra (1986)
04. Cliffhanger (1993)
03. Bullet to the Head (2012)
02. Nighthawks (1981)
01. Cop Land (1997)

Sly Stallone’s Best Movies Ranked by Rotten Tomatoes and Craig Zablo

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Blaine Turner at Movieweb posted Sylvester Stallone’s 18 Best Movies, Ranked by Rotten Tomatoes.  You know me and lists.  So using just the films ranked by Rotten Tomatoes, here’s how I compare.

Rotton Tomatoes

18. Demolition Man (1993) – 62%

17. The Lords of Flatbush (1974) – 64%

16. Rocky III (1982) – 65%

15. Escape to Victory (1981) – 67%

14. Shade (2003) – 67%

13. The Expendables 2 (2012) – 67%

12. Cliffhanger (1993) – 68%

11. Rocky II (1979) – 70%

10. Nighthawks (1981) – 71%

09. F.I.S.T. (1978) – 73%

08. Cop Land (1997) – 75%

07. Rocky Balboa (2006) – 77%

06. Death Race 2000 (1975) – 82%

05. Creed II (2018) – 83%

04. First Blood (1982) – 86%

03. Antz (1998) – 92%

02. Rocky (1976) – 92%

01. Creed (2015) – 95%

Zablo

18. The Lords of Flatbush (1974) – 64%

17. Death Race 2000 (1975) – 82%

16. Antz (1998) – 92%

15. Escape to Victory (1981) – 67%

14. Demolition Man (1993) – 62%

13. Creed II (2018) – 83%

12. Shade (2003) – 67%

11. Rocky II (1979) – 70%

10. Cliffhanger (1993) – 68%

09. F.I.S.T. (1978) – 73%

08. The Expendables 2 (2012) – 67%

07. First Blood (1982) – 86%

06. Creed (2015) – 95%

05. Rocky Balboa (2006) – 77%

04. Cop Land (1997) – 75%

03. Nighthawks (1981) – 71%

02. Rocky III (1982) – 65%

01. Rocky (1976) – 92%

10 All-Time Best Action Movies!

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Josh Keslinger at CBR.com came up with his list of the 10 Best Action Movies Of All Time, Ranked.  Before you click over to see his rationale and the trailers for each, here’s how our rankings compare.  I’m a fan of all of these films, but this is how I’d rank them today.

Keslinger

Zablo
10. Heat (1995) 10. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
09. John Wick (2014) 09. Police Story (1985)
08. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) 08. Léon: The Professional (1994)
07. Indiana Jones & The Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981) 17. Heat (1995)
06. The Matrix (1999) 06. Indiana Jones & The Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)
05. Léon: The Professional (1994) 05. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
04. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) 04. The Matrix (1999)
03. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) 03. John Wick (2014)
02. Police Story (1985) 02. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
01. Die Hard (1988) 01. Die Hard (1988)

One more thing before you click over, I would have found a place for Enter the Dragon… and that would be the #1 spot.

“Husbands Beware” (1956) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Husbands Beware (1956)

Director: Jules White

Writer: Felix Adler, Clyde Bruckman

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Maxine Gates, Christine McIntyre and Emil Sitka.

Tagline: Wildest and wackiest battle of the sexes yet!

The Plot…

After Larry and Moe marry Shemp’s sisters, they learn what a terrible mistake they’ve made.  Then Shemp learns that if he marries before the day ends, he’ll inheirit a fortune!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

If the second half of Husbands Beware sounds familiar, it should.  The entire second half except for a few seconds at the end is lifted from the Stooges’ 1947 short, Brideless Groom.

This was the first Stooges’ short released after the death of Shemp.

Husbands Beware (1956) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Hot Ice” (1955) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Hot Ice (1955)

Director: Jules White

Writer: Elwood Ullman, Jack White

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Kenneth MacDonald, Christine McIntyre, Ray Corrigan and Blackie Whiteford.

Tagline:  All tangled up with a girl-crook and a lady-gorilla

The Plot…

After barely graduating from a detective school, Larry, Shemp and Moe apply for jobs at Scotland Yard. They’re hired as janitors. While cleaning the grounds they get a lead on the stolen and priceless Punjab diamond. Our boys 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)…

Hot Ice (1955) is a mash-up of two Stooges’ 1948 shorts, Crime on Their Hands and The Hot Scots.  It makes use of footage from both.  Director Jules White loved recycling old Stooges’ shorts and inserting a few new scenes to create “new” stories.  Despite the fact that Hot Ice used a lot of footage from two shorts directed by Edward Bernds, only Jules White was created as the director.  C’mon, man!

Hot Ice (1955) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Pardon My Backfire” (1953) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Pardon My Backfire (1953)

Director: Jules White

Writer: Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Frank Sully, Phil Arnold, Diana Darrin, Jules White (voice) and Blackie Whiteford.

Tagline:  3-Delirious in 3-Dimensions!!

The Plot…

Larry, Moe and Shemp are auto mechanics who need money in order to marry their sweethearts.  When escaped convicts pull into their gas station to get their car fixed, our boys release that the reward money would be just what they need to get hitched.  Let the fun times roll…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Pardon My Backfire was filmed and released in 3D.  It was their second (and last short) done this way.  The first was Spooks! released earlier that year. Because it was filmed in 3D, it took 5 days to complete.  Most Stooges’ shorts were done in 3 and the later remakes were sometimes done in a single day!

Pardon My Backfire (1953) rates 4 of 5 stars.

Lee Marvin’s All-Time Best Movies!

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Ben Sherlock at ScreenRant came up with his list (and rationale) for the 12 Best Lee Marvin Movies Ranked.  Sherlock’s list is a good one, but leaves out some of Marvin’s films that I’d have included.  So before you click over, here’s how Sherlock and I compare and the movies that would have made my list that didn’t make his.

Sherlock

Zablo

12. Paint Your Wagon (1969)

*** Monte Walsh (1970) (Haven’t seen yet.)

11. Monte Walsh (1970)

*** The Iceman Cometh (1973) (Haven’t seen yet)

10. The Killers (1964)

10. Paint Your Wagon (1969)

09. The Comancheros (1961)

09. The Big Red One (1980)

08. The Iceman Cometh (1973)

08. Cat Ballou (1965

07. The Professionals (1966)

07. The Professionals (1966)

06. The Big Red One (1980)

06. The Comancheros (1961)

05. Bad Day At Black Rock (1955)

05. Bad Day At Black Rock (1955)

04. Cat Ballou (1965)

04. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

03. The Dirty Dozen (1967)

03. Point Blank (1967)

02. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

02. The Killers (1964)

01. Point Blank (1967)

01. The Dirty Dozen (1967)

I would have included The Big Heat (one of my all-time favorite films), The Emperor of the North (Marvin and Borgnine in one of the most violet fights ever filmed) and Death Hunt. (Marvin vs Charles Bronson and Carl Weathers with Angie Dickinson for good measure). 

RIP: Harry Belafonte

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Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.), the singer, actor and activist died today from congestive heart failure.  Mr. Belafonte was 96.

After graduation from high school Mr. Belafonte served in the Navy.  Following his time in the service he got work as a janitor’s assistant. It was during this period that Harry Belafonte attended the American Negro Theater and decided he wanted to be a performer.  It was also when he developed a friendship with Sidney Poitier.

Harry Belafonte began singing in nightclubs to help pay for his acting classes.  Along the way he performed with Charlie Parker and Miles Davis before getting a record contract.

Harry Belafonte began taking acting classes at The Dramatic Workshop of the New School.  There he studied along with future stars such as Marlon Brando, Sidney Poitier, Tony Curtis and Walter Mathhau.

In 1954, Harry Belafonte received a Tony Award for his part in the Broadway revue John Murray Anderson’s Almanac.  In 1956, Mr. Belafonte’s album Calypso became the first to sell one million copies in a year.  Harry Belafonte would go on to released 49 albums.

In 1953, Harry Belafonte appeared in the feature film Bright Road.  The following year he appeared in his breakout role in Carmen Jones.  For the rest of his career, Mr. Belafonte would perform on stage, recording or performing live and acting in feature films or on television.

Some of Harry Belafonte’s feature film performances include: Bright Road; Carmen Jones; Island in the Sun; The World, The Flesh and the Devil; Odds Against Tomorrow; Buck and the Preacher and Uptown Saturday Night.

Some of Harry Belafonte’s television appearances include:  Front Row Center; The Ed Sullivan Show (10 episodes); The Steve Allen Show; Tonight With Belafonte; The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour; The Tonight Show; The Flip Wilson Show; The Muppet Show; Grambling’s White Tiger and An Evening with Harry Belafonte and Friends.

Throughout his life, Harry Belafonte was an humanitarian activist.  He supported Civil Rights causes. Harry Belafonte became a friend and confidant to Martin Luther King, Jr.  Harry Belafonte helped to bring together artists to perform on We Are The World, the Grammy Award-winning song used to raise funds for Africa. He served as an UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for over 35 years, the American Civil Liberties Union celebrity ambassador for juvenile justice issues, the cultural advisor to the Peace Corps

Harry Belafonte won three Grammy Awards, an Emmy Award (1960 for Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Musical Program or Series for “Tonight with Belafonte”), a Tony Award (1954 for Best Featured Actor in a Musical), a Kennedy Centers Honors Award (1989 for lifetime contributions to the performing arts); a National Medal of Arts Award (1994, highest honor given to artists and patrons of the arts by the United States government),  the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award (2014, by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) for an individual’s “outstanding contributions to humanitarian causes”),  and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2022 as an Early Influencer).

Harry Belafonte’s talent was unsurpassed and may only be matched by his dedication to humanitarian efforts.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Harry Belafonte’s family, friends and fans.

The All-Time Best Horror Franchises!

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/Film recently posted Bee Delores’ list of The 15 Best Horror Franchises, Ranked.  So I thought I’d play along.  Before you click over to see Delores’ rationale, here are how our rankings stacked up.  Also, I would have found spots on my list for Dracula, Frankenstein and The Creature From the Black Lagoon.

Delores

Zablo
15. Hannibal Lecter 15. Child’s Play
14. Saw 14. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
13. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 13. A Nightmare on Elm Street
12. A Nightmare on Elm Street 12. Paranormal Activity
11. Halloween 11. Friday the 13th
10. Paranormal Activity 10. The Evil Dead
9. Alien 9. Final Destination
8. Friday the 13th 8. Scream
7. Psycho 7. Saw
6. The Conjuring 6. The Conjuring
5. Final Destination 5. Psycho
4. The Living Dead 4. Hannibal Lecter
3. Child’s Play 3. Halloween
2. The Evil Dead 2. Alien
1. Scream 1. The Living Dead

Sylvester Stallone’s Best Films Ranked

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Jack Hawkins at /Film came up with a list of the 14 Best Sylvester Stallone Films, Ranked.  Before you click over, here’s how I’d rank Hawkins’ picks.  Also, some Sly Stallone movies that didn’t make Hawkins’ top picks, but would have made mine include: Get Carter; Paradise Alley; FIST and Rocky III.

HawkinsZablo
14. Over the Top14. Over the Top
13. Tango & Cash13. Escape Plan
12. Escape Plan12. Tango & Cash
11. Creed11. Demolition Man
10. Cliffhanger10. Creed
09. Expendables 209. Expendables 2
08. Rocky IV08. Cliffhanger
07. Rocky Balboa07. Rocky IV
06. Rambo06. Rocky Balboa
05. Demolition Man05. First Blood
04. Nighthawks04. Nighthawks
03. Cop Land03. Cop Land
02. Rocky02. Rambo
01. First Blood01. Rocky

“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.