Topic: What do YOU think?

[falsealarms]

I think some of the reason I like the earlier Curly's is because he still had that boyish image and voice. As he got older, he kind of lost it and the fact he got sick really exacerbated things. You look at Moe, whose eye bags made him more cartoonish later in life and Shemp became so ugly in the 40s/50s that he was voted as the ugliest man in Hollywood.

I'm not sure if Curly would have retained most of his on-screen humor later in life. Most of what made him funny was his energy, boyish image, and boyish voice, which wasn't the case for Moe and Larry. I can't see Curly dropping on the floor and spinning like a top in his 50s and 60s, especially considering his belly.

[BeAStooge]

...Shemp... he was voted as the ugliest man in Hollywood.

Not really. That was a promotional item that Shemp's publicist created, after Shemp's contract was dropped by Universal in 1943, and Shemp took out an ad in the trade papers advertising his availability for work.

[JazzBill]

All though "The Sitter Downers" does have a good rating, no one seems to talk about it much. It's one of my all time favorites.

[stooged and confused]

Most overrated : "Men In Black." I do like it..there are great bits (Dr. Howard etc; the carriage bit; breaking the office door; the goofy transportation devises; Billy Gilbert's rat ranting), but I liked it better when I was younger. Perhaps, I've just seen it a few times too many. The hiccup nurse was a weak spot.

Underrated: "Fuelin' Around"....it's a classic! SHEMP:Ow! My neeeeeck! Fast paced, tight script, just lots of fun!

[falsealarms]

Men in Black is very good, but still an odd that it was nominated for an Oscar.

Here Moe discuss that issue in this 1974 interview, linked here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1718684

Moe speaks about 2:35 in.

[locoboymakesgood]

Men in Black is very good, but still an odd that it was nominated for an Oscar.

Here Moe discuss that issue in this 1974 interview, linked here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1718684

Moe speaks about 2:35 in.

That was fascinating. I knew they had separate categories for short animation and then live action comedy, but I didn't know it wasn't implemented until AFTER MIB was up for an Award.

If we're talking for best short of that year, Punch Drunks should have gotten nominated and won hands down. First it was an original story, and to this day it stands as one of their best shorts. A shame that didn't get any recognition.

I still find it hard to believe after all those years they never garnished another nod. Same goes for Laurel and Hardy though. They won only one Oscar in all their years at Hal Roach, and they were only nominated twice.

I guess it was more competitive back then.

[Hammond Eggar]

This may sound funny to some of you, but one short that I thoroughly enjoy, which seems to be underrated among fans, is the Shemp-era film, Hokus Pokus.  I especially enjoy all the Stooge antics involving them shaving, cooking Mary's breakfast and then serving it to her.  Plus, there's Shemp's attempt to set up the table, as well his exchange with Vernon Dent.  It's all so priceless!!!

Speaking of priceless, one of my all-time favorite Stooges films, and one that appears to be totally underrated, is the 1942 short, Three Smart Saps.  What sells this short for me is the Rhumba dance sequence.  Hands-down, that is one of the funniest moments I have ever seen in my life.  It never fails to make me laugh.  Curly is simply brilliant in Saps.