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Moe's Slaps
3Stooges:
Were the slaps really THAT hard? Wasn't it all smoke and mirrors? If you look closely, Moe opens up his hand before he connected, Plus you had the sound effects that made it seem like Moe was hitting the fellow Stooges hard. Also, when Moe would hit someone on the forehead with his palm, Moe would barely skim the top of the Stooges head. The recipient would then throw their head back to make it look like he got hit hard. Again, using sound effects.
By the way, I think Joe Besser took a serious beating in Flying Saucer Daffy and Oil's Well that Ends Well and got his eyes poked.
leandar:
--- Quote ---I have the feeling LIFESTYLE killed curly,not slapping.
--- End quote ---
Well, I'm sure that played a big part. But I'm saying the slaps had to contribute because
1) Look what happened to Larry, and he didn't live as wildly as Curly did, but they died from the same thing. I still believe it would have also happened to Shemp if the heart attack hadn't happened.
2) If the ABC TV movie was right, then Curly apparently told Moe to hit him harder, at least in those live shows. and so apparently he was already starting to suffer some early effects because of when they started the shorts he said something like "now I won't have to have all those headaches from you slapping me so hard."
I'm not saying it was the only thing, but that it certainly contributed.
--- Quote ---Were the slaps really THAT hard? Wasn't it all smoke and mirrors? If you look closely, Moe opens up his hand before he connected, Plus you had the sound effects that made it seem like Moe was hitting the fellow Stooges hard. Also, when Moe would hit someone on the forehead with his palm, Moe would barely skim the top of the Stooges head. The recipient would then throw their head back to make it look like he got hit hard. Again, using sound effects.
--- End quote ---
Well, sure in the shorts. But from what I understand through reading and what the TV movie seemed to imply was that they had to really smack each other during the live shows. Maybe if there's someone here who saw them live sees this, maybe they can help.
Also, I remember Nate Budnick saying that Larry's face was all calloused and raw from Moe slapping him. I doubt it would have gotten that rock hard without getting real slaps in those performances too. I wouldn't be surprised if Curly and Shemp had calloused faces too.
--- Quote ---By the way, I think Joe Besser took a serious beating in Flying Saucer Daffy and Oil's Well that Ends Well and got his eyes poked.
--- End quote ---
You may be right. It's been years since I really got to watch the Joe Besser shorts.
Baggie:
:) yo guys, from what i've read it was said that although moe did his best to make the slaps as painless as possible, he did hit the other guys, and when you're taking hits the head constantly for years, i can't see that being good. and yes, curly did ask moe to hit him harder in the stage shows so the audience could hear it.
i saw larry fine's last film interview, and he said something like "we didn't pull any punches. i say we, i mean MOE didn't pull any punches. when he hit, he hit, what you see is what WE got!"
so i suppose joe besser was looking out for his health after he saw what happened to curly and shemp. but the hits are part of what the stooges are about. take them away and you lose a part of the stooges. if joe didn't want to be hit, he should have been firmer with columbia and told them he didn't want to be a stooge.
peace out dudes, sarah
LEARN HOW TO TYPE! S#1
leandar:
Well, I have to say I understand what you're saying, but it seems to me, at least from what I've read and the TV movie, that Besser was basically "assigned" to the Stooges by Columbia. Joe may have felt he didn't have any choice. I don't know. Maybe there's someone still who knew him who might know the story.
3Stooges:
Does anyone know if they used a sound effects man on the side of the stage live to enhance the slaps and punches?
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