Category: Z-View

The Three Stooges Shorts: My Thoughts & Trivia After Viewing Them All!

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When I was a little kid, I loved watching The Three Stooges shorts on television.  I was the perfect age for their slapstick antics.  At the time, I thought it would be cool to view every Three Stooges Short ever made.  Who knew that 6 decades later I’d finally complete the mission.

During the past year (and maybe a little longer), I watched all 190 Three Stooges’ shorts. Mission accomplished.  Every Stooges’ short is now Z-Viewed and posted.  My viewing resulted in some trivia…

Years with the most Stooges’ shorts released:

1943 – 10 starring Moe, Larry & Curly
1940 – 9 starring Moe, Larry & Curly
1946 – 9 starring Moe, Larry & Curly
1948 – 9 starring Moe, Larry & Shemp
1950 – 9 starring Moe, Larry & Shemp
1953 – 9 starring Moe, Larry & Shemp

Years with the fewest Stooges’ shorts released:

1959 – 2 starring Moe, Larry & Joe
1933 – 4 starring Moe, Larry & Curly
1945 – 5 starring Moe, Larry & Curly

Years that I rated the most 5 stars to Stooges’ shorts:

1938 – 5 starring Moe, Larry & Curly
1943 – 5 starring Moe, Larry & Curly
1940 – 4 starring Moe, Larry & Curly

Highest Average Rating for Stooges’ shorts released

1938 – 4.5 out of 5 starring Moe, Larry & Curly
1943 – 4.4 out of 5 starring Moe, Larry & Curly
1940 – 4.3 out of 5 starring Moe, Larry & Curly

Lowest Average Rating for Stooges’ shorts released

1958 – 2.67 starring Moe, Larry & Joe
1957 – 2,75 starring Moe, Larry & Joe
1959 – 3.0 starring Moe, Larry & Joe

From my ratings it becomes clear that my favorites were the shorts featuring Curly.  It could be because Moe, Larry and Curly were the trio of knuckleheads that I first discovered.  It could also be because Curly was my favorite Stooge for years.

Still is.

But I also enjoy Shemp’s antics.  He was a fine addition to the team when Curly had to leave because of health issues.  When I was younger, I didn’t like Joe at all.  I found him to be irritating and not funny.  As an adult, I appreciate Joe bringing his own brand of humor to the team.  And I do find him funny now.  There’s no argument that Joe’s years on the team were the worst.  But, it would be wrong to blame it on him.  At the point he came on board, Columbia was the only studio making shorts.  The slashed the budgets on the final Stooges’ two-reelers and used a lot of stock footage from earlier Stooges outings.  This was no fault of Joe’s.

It’s too bad that studios don’t make two-reelers any more.  They might help get folks back into theaters.  Heck, maybe just release some of  the best Stooges shorts.  It’s time for a new generation to discover them.

“Dizzy Detectives” (1943) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Dizzy Detectives (1943)

Director:  Jules White

Screenplay: Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard and Bud Jamison.

Tagline: Deliriously daffy with laughs!

The Plot…

Our boys are carpenters turned cops dealing with crooks & a gorilla. Of course they are.  Let the monkeyshines begin!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The opening scene is reused from the Stooges 1935 short, Pardon My Scotch.  It’s the scene where a table that Moe is standing on is cut in half by Curly.  Moe took the fall in real life and broke three ribs.

Dizzy Detectives (1943) earns 4 of 5 stars.

“Rusty Romeos” (1957) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Rusty Romeos (1957)

Director:  Jules White

Screenplay: Jack White, Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe Besser.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

The boys decide to clean up their house (with their usual brand of success) just hours before they are all to be married. Once their house is tidy, they will all head off to get hitched to their future brides. Surprisingly none of our guys have seen the others’ fiancés. What they don’t know, but will soon learn is they are all expecting to marry the same woman! What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Rusty Romeos is a remake of the Stooges’ 1952 short Corny Casanovas using several scenes from the original.  Joe replaced Shemp in the reboot, but in one scene Shemp’s portrait can be seen in the background.

Rusty Romeos (1957) earns 3 of 5 stars.

“Sappy Bull Fighters” (1959) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Sappy Bull Fighters (1959)

Director:  Jules White

Screenplay: Jack White

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

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

The boys are entertainers down in Mexico.  When their suitcases get mixed up with the woman of an insanely jealous husband, the hijinks begin!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Sappy Bull Fighters is a reboot of the Stooges 1942 short What’s the Matador?,  Eagle-eyed viewers will spot Curly in some of the reused footage.

Although Sappy Bull Fighters wasn’t the last Stooges’ short filmed. it was the last to be released to theaters.

It may be Mary Tyler Moore playing a ballet dancer in the background at around the 1:30 mark.  It sure looks like her.

Sappy Bull Fighters (1959) earns 3 of 5 stars.

“Triple Crossed” (1959) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Triple Crossed (1959)

Director:  Jules White

Screenplay: Warren Wilson

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

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Larry is having an affair with Moe’s wife and trying to move in on Joe’s girl.  When Moe catches on that his wife is cheating, Larry sets up Joe to be the fall guy.  It all comes to a head when Larry, Moe and Joe as well as the girls end up in the same room.

Let the hijinks begin.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Triple Crossed is a remake of the Stooges 1952 short, He Cooked His Goose.  Triple Crossed not only uses footage from that short, but sharp eyes and eyes will see/hear Shemp in the remake.  You can also notice the word “Joe” dubbed in when characters are saying “Shemp” in the reused footage.

Triple Crossed (1959) earns 3 of 5 stars.

“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)

“Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire” (2023) directed by Zack Snyder, starring Sofia Boutella / Z-View

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Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire (2023)

Director:  Zack Snyder

Screenplay:  Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad, Shay Hatten

Stars: Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounsou, Ed Skrein, Michiel Huisman, Bae Doona, Ray Fisher, Charlie Hunnam, Staz Nair, Stuart Martin, Alfonso Herrera, Cary Elwes, Rhian Rees, Jena Malone and Anthony Hopkins.

Tagline: War comes to every world.

The Plot…

A peaceful farming village is informed by Admiral Atticus Noble (Skrein) that he will return with his warship to collect all of their crops once the harvest is complete.  When the village leader complains that his people will starve without crops, Noble kills him in cold blood. Admiral Noble posts soldiers in the village and leaves in his warship.

Kora (Boutella) informs the villagers that once the crops have been collected, Noble will kill them all.  She believes that the villagers only chance is to recruit soldiers of fortune to teach them to fight.  Seeing no other alternative, they agree.  Kora sets out to find warriors willing to go to battle against the empire in a suicide mission.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

It’s a well known fact that Zack Snyder at one point pitched this as a Star Wars story.  Some folks are complaining Rebel Moon is too derivative.  Let’s take that head on.  George Lucas was influenced by westerns, movie serials, the Vietnam War, Flash Gordon and more to create Star Wars.  Zack Snyder has been very open that he wanted to create a movie influenced by Star Wars and The Seven Samurai.  I also felt nods to Riddick, Gladiator, the Third Reich, Tarzan, Conan, westerns, Vikings and more.  Whether you like or dislike these homages is up to you.

If you’re familiar with Snyder’s directing style, you know what to expect.  I’m a fan.

Rebel Moon: Part One – Child of Fire has an excellent cast.  Each character gets a brief spotlight as they are introduced or brought on to the team.  Standouts include Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounsou, Ed Skrein and Ray Fisher.

The pacing isn’t what you’d normally expect.  Time is taken to set up the village dilemma. Each character gets an action scene as they are brought onto the team.  This takes most of the film.  Then there is a twist. What would normally be an extended sequence, the recovery and ultimate battle gets wrapped up fairly quickly.  BUT, keep in mind this is just part one.  Also, there is a second plot twist (that I don’t think works as well).

I enjoyed Rebel Moon: Part One – Child of Fire.  It’s not my favorite Zack Snyder film, but I didn’t expect it to be. I’m looking forward to his director’s cut and then Rebel Moon: Part Two – The Scargiver.  (And of course, I’d be remiss not to say we need more Army of the Dead!)

Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire (2023) earns 4 of 5 stars.

“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.

“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” (2023) starring Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge & Mads Mikkelsen / Z-View

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Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

Director:  James Mangold

Screenplay: Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, David Koepp, James Mangold based on characters created by George Lucas, Philip Kaufman

Stars: Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, Karen Allen, John Rhys-Davies, Shaunette Renée  Wilson, Thomas Kretschmann, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Ethann Isidore, Mads Mikkelsen  and Olivier Richters.

Tagline: A legend will face his destiny.

The Plot…

The year is 1969.  Man has landed on the moon. The world is a very different place than the one Indiana Jones (Ford) knew as a young man.  Indy’s about to retire, but his golden years ain’t so golden.  His wife, Marion (Allen), has filed for separation.  She still grieves for their son who was killed in the Viet Nam war as does Indy.  Things change when Jones’ goddaughter, Helena (Waller-Bridge) shows up.

Helena wants information about the Archimedes’ Dial.  The Archimedes Dial is an ancient artifact that legend says can find “fissures” that allow time travel. Indy and Helena’s father stole the Dial from Nazis at the end of the war. Her father nearly went crazy trying to figure out how to use it.  He finally gave it to Indy to destroy.  Instead Indy had it placed in storage at the college where he taught.

Indy takes Helena to the room holding the artifact.  Just then Dr. Voller (Mikkelsen), a Nazi, arrives with gunmen who attack Helena and Indy.  Helena (with the Dial) and Indy escape, but are separated.  Voller and his gun thugs give chase.

Voller believes that with the Dial of Destiny he can go back in time and assassinate Hitler!  Voller will then lead Germany to victory and rule the world!  Indy, on the run and framed for two murders, must get to Helena before Voller can track her down.  Helena’s life and the future of the world count on it.

“Give ’em hell, Indiana Jones!”

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Director James Mangold was the perfect choice since Steven Spielberg decided not to return for Indy’s final outing.

The de-agging of Harrison Ford is effective.  Some have nitpicked that the voice sounded older and some of his de-agged movements seem like those of an older man.  Either I didn’t notice or this things didn’t bug me.  I was having too much fun on Indy’s last ride.

Harrison Ford is Indiana Jones.  It was great to see Karen Allen and John Rhys-Davies back. Mads Mikkelsen was an excellent choice to play the Nazi Voller.  I am a huge Boyd Holbrook fan and loved that he’s in the cast. Toby Jones makes a fun partner for younger Indy.  I’d love to see more of their adventures in animated tales.   If ANY movie needs a huge bad guy, Olivier Richters proves here that he’s up for it. (How about getting him to go against Reacher?)

I’d put the first 25 minutes of Dial of Destiny against ANY segment in the Indiana Jones franchise.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is a nice bookend to Raiders.  Kudos to all involved.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) earns 5 of 5 stars.

“Black Angel” (1946) starring Dan Duryea, June Vincent, Peter Lorre & Broderick Crawford / Z-View

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Black Angel (1946)

Director:  Roy William Neill

Screenplay: Roy Chanslor based on the novel THE BLACK ANGEL by Cornell Woolrich

Stars: Dan Duryea, June Vincent, Peter Lorre, Broderick Crawford, Wallace Ford, Robert B. Williams and George Ford.

Tagline: DURYEA! …that fascinating tough-guy of “Scarlet Street”!

The Plot…

Martin Blair (Duryea) wants to see his estranged wife, Mavis Marlowe.  It’s their anniversary and he’s sent Mavis a large ruby brooch in an effort to win her back.  Yet, she’s told the doorman to NOT allow Martin up.  Dejected and rejected, Martin goes to get drunk.  He then stumbles to his room, where a friend locks him in for the night.

Later, Kirk Bennet goes up to see Mavis.  He finds her on the floor.  She’s dead.  Kirk notices she’s wearing a huge ruby brooch.  When Kirk hears a noise in the apartment, he realizes he’s not alone.  As he carefully makes his way through the bedroom, he hears someone running out.  Kirk goes back to find the brooch missing and the front door open.  Kirk realizes he’s in a bad spot and runs to the stairwell.  He’s seen as he flees.

When the cops pick up Kirk, it becomes clear that he was having an affair with Mavis, despite being married.  Kirk’s wife, Catherine (Vincent) doesn’t believe her husband is a killer.  Kirk claims Mavis was blackmailing him. This just gives the cops more reason to think he killed Mavis.

Catherine is grasping at straws to find evidence to clear her husband when she meets Martin.  Catherine believes he could be the killer.  Martin says the police thought so too at first.  Except he couldn’t have killed Mavis since he was knock-down drunk and locked in his room when the murder occurred.  Martin takes pity on Catherine and offers to help her find the killer.

Kirk is on death row and the clock is ticking.  What chance does a housewife and functioning alcoholic have of finding the real murderer?  Tick tock tick toc…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Black Angel is loosely based on Cornell Woolrich’s novel of the same name.  Woolrich is said to dislike the film because of the changes made.  Since I haven’t read the book, I wasn’t hindered by expectations. I thought I knew how it would play out.  Boy, was I wrong.  I was surprised by twist ending.

This was the last film directed by Roy William Neill.  He died shortly after the release of Black Angel.  Neill is best known as the director of several Sherlock Holmes‘ films as well as the classic Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman.

Dan Duryea, on the other hand, had a career that was heating up.  He’s even the subject of Black Angel‘s tagline.  Broderick Crawford has a small but important role.  Four years later Crawford would win an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for All the King’s Men.

Black Angel (1946) earns 4 of 5 stars.