I know a lot of you already know about this link, but anyhow, a guy runs a website about non-stooge Columbia two reelers, and you can choose six shorts of your choice on video tape for $15.00 with free postage. A few of Shemp Howard's solo series are in here, plus a couple he did with Andy Clyde, a couple he did in the "Gun Slingers" series, and "Pick A Peck Of Plumbers." If you are interested, try this link:-
http://columbiacomedyshorts.tripod.com/halfwaytohollywoodthecolumbiashortsdepartment/id1.html
enjoy looking up the Shemp stuff you can buy, plus loads of other comedians' stuff.
Also, if you go on www.moviesunlimited.com, and search for actor 'Shemp Howard,' amongst other things it will come up with three Shemp videos, which are called "Shemp steps in,""Mondo Shemp," and "Shemp's Night Out." Included on these $14.99 videos are some interesting features and shorts, such as 'Dizzy And Daffy' 'In The Dough' 'Close Relations' 'Why Pay Rent?' and 'The Choke's On You,' a Joe Palooka short where Shemp plays Knobby. There are other things too on these videos.
Just thought I'd spread the word to Shemp fans who don't already know these sites. Enjoy!
There's also
this site, which I just came across:
http://www.happyvideo.biz/This vendor seems to have a lot of the same material, like the Columbia Keaton shorts. Unfortunately, you can't tell which vendor has the best quality prints until you actually buy them.
I had a bad experience with moviesunlimited.com a couple of times, and I don't buy from them any more. First, I bought a VHS tape of Laurel & Hardy's "Sons of the Desert" which was clearly defective, and when I returned it, they sent me another tape with the same problem (red and blue lines across the b&w picture). When I returned that one, they refunded my money, but along with a note that said, "no apparent defects in tapes."
In other words, they were returning my money, but basically calling me a liar, too.
Also, a word of warning about their "Shemp's Night Out" tape. These are
not Shemp shorts, they're late Vitaphone Fatty Arbuckle shorts in which Shemp plays only bit parts. That's mislabeling, if you ask me... I kept the tape because it's of historical interest, but the shorts arent very funny (which is excusable, considering what had happened to Fatty's career).
In any case, a woid to the wise guys: I wouldn't recommend doing business with moviesunlimited.com, at least not when it comes to vintage films.