Re: OUTER SPACE JITTERS
Posted 2011-01-24 14:07:55 by cpp
In medical terms, this short suffered from PSDS - Post-Shemp Departure Syndrome. If I was to offer a scientific excuse for this near-dreck performance, perhaps it was caused by major interference from Sputnik, launched about two months before this was released. As soon as I saw the stupid helmets with the hats on top, I settled in for the predictable snooze-fest.
It was a good job Arline Hunter, Diana Darrin, & Harriet Tarler were in the mix to add some measure of pizzaz. But even their presence couldn't resurrect a short that was DOA from the opening credits. But, just when you thought a little beauty would help, the camera zooms in on Harriet Tarler's headgear, revealing two Champion spark plugs from a 1954 Buick Highway - & poorly-gapped plugs at that. That's good news for the people of plant Earth, especially UFO doom-&-gloom types, & NORAD. We have no fear of interplanetary invasion with that level of technology.
The wisest actor in this short was lovable Dan Blocker, who wore a silly mask to hide his face. If he hadn't, he might've had a hard time getting his follow-up TV roles in 'Cimarron City' & 'Bonanza'. Unfortunately, the disguise couldn't mask his stiff-legged, & unconvincing, efforts to appear scary.
And, as bad as the short started, the end was even worse, when director Jules White threw in his cutting-edge action sequence of foisting Joe Besser, sans trousers, on unsuspecting viewers. But even Besser in clown underwear, high-jumping over Blocker didn't put Blocker off signing on for a Besser solo effort a few years later.
Re: OUTER SPACE JITTERS
Posted 2009-04-23 22:00:44 by Carrie The Canary
Well, it does not get much worse than this.Hard to believe that the brilliantly funny crew who gave us "Punch Drunks", etc, have been reduced to this awful piece of crap. Poor Moe and Larry must have know that this was pretty much the end of the line, but valiantly gave it their all. Joe Besser is along for the ride and, as with most of his Stooge shorts, does not jell with the act very well and is distracting and annoying. Funny guy, but not with the Stooges.This is really, really terrible.Aye Aye Aye Be Bop, indeed!
Re: OUTER SPACE JITTERS
Posted 2007-07-06 14:30:58 by FourthThird
Edited 2007-07-06 14:31:38 by FourthThird
After seeing this I thought it had to be the worst Besser short (then I saw HORSING AROUND...). When Joe runs around going "Let's get out of here!", it's one of the few moments where I actually find him annoying.
Re: OUTER SPACE JITTERS
Posted 2005-07-24 12:02:36 by [Deleted Member]
Edited 2006-03-23 20:31:43 by shemps#1
Maybe it's just me, but I love Joe. He is very funny and much better than "Curly" Joe DeRita. I like seeing the Stooges this late in their careers. Larry looks different, but is still as funny as ever. I like the scene where the scientist is tied up and the Stooges find him and hear him mumble with his mouth gagged. I like this episode, corny but some funny stuff!
Re: OUTER SPACE JITTERS
Posted 2003-02-21 05:24:00 by Bruckman
Edited 2006-03-23 20:29:46 by shemps#1
Starts off pretty well with some verbal humor (Gen. Tsimmis, Larry's plug for "Pal Joey") and some pleasing sight gags (the hats landing precisely atop 3 statues) but bogs down and never really goes anyplace. The dinner sequence is full of missed opportunities (how the Stooges could fail at such a routine, given their track record of hilariously disrupting such occasions, provides real evidence of the poor scripting of this short) and the final confrontation with the Goon is only standard. Despite the supposedly high-tech civilization of the Zunevians, their Earth-destroying ray machine seems made out of cardboard and a couple 40-watt bulbs and gets one of the few, albeit unintentional, laughs from me. Besser in shorts is a little tough to take (another unintentional laugh is that these "space travelers" are given helmets, yet Besser's parading around in safari shorts--so much for the harmfulness of cosmic rays, or are those shorts equipped with an infrared shield?) Besser's greediness is an unusual touch but again, little is made of it, though he does take one well-deserved pratfall. The ending is superior to what we normally get in the Besser era, even though it hearkens back to THE GHOST TALKS.
Reviewer's Rating:
(4)
Re: OUTER SPACE JITTERS
Posted 2002-02-04 21:32:00 by BeatleMoe
Edited 2006-03-23 20:25:30 by shemps#1
This outer space flick is just slow paced at times, and my least favorite of the Bessers shown on AMC. I call it a half Stooge/ half Besser film in which Moe keeps his traditional Stooges look, and Larry combs his back. The ending was a tad cheap. Memorable Scene: The Stooges running from the alien (or fast walking) Rating: 2 stars BeatleMoe
Re: OUTER SPACE JITTERS
Posted 2001-11-04 23:17:00 by DrCurly woo woo woo
Edited 2006-03-23 20:14:18 by shemps#1
I saw this once before and I agree it was pretty lame. But what is with the hatred towards Joe? I'm not a Joe Besser fan by any means but he's not that bad. It's just that he had a diffrent comic style that just didn't click with the Stooges or that Stooge fans are used to. I think by this time Columbia just didn't care anymore and just threw together scripts and scenes. Joe just happened to be in at the wrong time. I enjoy these shorts and don't really judge the quality and scripts of any Stooge shorts because they were made just for entertainment. That's just my opinion please don't blast me for this :)
Re: OUTER SPACE JITTERS
Posted 2001-07-06 14:19:00 by 4thStooge
Edited 2006-03-23 20:06:37 by shemps#1
If it were possible...I would give this lame excuse for a Stooge short a negative 2 pokes. No self respecting Stooge fan could ever admit that they actually find ANY redeeming qualities in this film.
Re: OUTER SPACE JITTERS
Posted 2005-10-04 04:39:49 by [Deleted Member]
I just finished screening this film a moment ago on 16mm. It is great to see the boys in a Sci Fi setting. Highlights for me, the interplay between the ultra amorous Moe and the Space babes with his impromtu Curly impersonation with his arms waveing and woo woo woo is a howl! Dan Blocker must have enjoyed being able to bring this film up on his resume where he could proudly write that "Yes, I did at one time play a Goon"! It is a joy to see so many great character actors in one short. Overall a great way to fill 16 min. And remember to pack a gallon of water if you ever want to leave Zunev alive.
Re: OUTER SPACE JITTERS
Posted 2002-09-21 20:44:00 by Uncle Buzz
Dan Blocker as the Goo-Goon! is the best thing going for this one. Joe's aversion to being slapped is more apparent in this episode than ever. Moe running the sander across Larry's head is a rather startling bit of violence at this stage of their career. Too bad it wasn't Besser's noggin'.
Re: OUTER SPACE JITTERS
Posted 2002-04-12 09:31:00 by black banana
Edited 2002-04-12 09:37:00 by black banana
OK short (2 1/4 POKES) that is helped much by having a good cast (Emil Sitka, Gene Roth and Phil Van Zandt). The Hoss CartwrightZombie business is corny, though. One of three in the Joe Besser Space Trilogy along with FLYING SAUCER DAFFY (3 pokes) and SPACE SHIPSAPPY (2 pokes). I would guess Stoogeheads who don't care for 50's science fiction silliness would dislike all three of these. To me though,they are funnier than the reincarnated horse shorts HOOFS AND GOOFSand especially HORSING AROUND.
Re: OUTER SPACE JITTERS
Posted 2001-02-07 18:10:00 by sickdrjoe
As the Comic Book Guy might say, "Worst...short...ever." No pokes.Makes you nostalgic for the team of Howard, Fine, and the back of Joe Palma's head. There are probably one or two Bessers even worse than this that I haven't seen and I plan to keep it that way.
Re: OUTER SPACE JITTERS
Posted 2001-01-06 15:24:00 by Mike Holme
A regular Besser short with the normal rating of 2 pokes. At least Besser doesn't act as annoying as he is in some of his other episodes.
