Topic: The Three Stooges Collection Vol. 8, June 1

[IFleecem]

I'd prefer the 16 shorts/16 shorts route.   1955-1956 Shemp   1957-1959 Joe.  I know the other volume had more shorts per disc but this would be a nice way to seperate the Shemps/Joes.   Although does that mean people would still buy the Joes alone? Maybe some extra nice bits to each volume would enhance the popularity and collectibility of each volume.  Stooge fans would buy each set of course, but what about the casual comedy buyer?

Three Discs of Three Stooges shorts (theres a great cover sticker blurb) would be nice as well, but it would be also good to have one final volume to look forward to this Christmas season (Even Joe Besser shorts)  Volume Eight-1955-1956- Starring Moe Howard, Larry Fine & Shemp Howard-----Volume Nine-1957-1959- Starring Moe Howard, Larry Fine & Joe Besser.  Just my two cents.

[metaldams]

Well, right now everything is just speculation, so I'm not going to get too wrapped up in details yet.

All I know is that I've been waiting for all of these shorts to be released for so long that they'd have to REALLY screw up before I complain.

[dimelives]

Classic Flix is listing it as 320 minutes, which does sound more accurate.

http://www.classicflix.com/three-stooges-p-9768.html

Has anyone ordered through them? When do they ship pre-ordered items?

[ProfessorStooge]

I also don't believe that 32 shorts could be put onto 2 discs. If that was possible, one disc would be singled-sided and the other would be double-sided. It would be best to have them onto 3 discs.

[Stooges#1]

Classic Flix is listing it as 320 minutes, which does sound more accurate.

http://www.classicflix.com/three-stooges-p-9768.html

Has anyone ordered through them? When do they ship pre-ordered items?

On the day of release.

The only place I have been lucky enough to have the release date broken was Amazon.ca (Canada), they shipped a couple Stooges volumes to me up to 3-4 days before the release date, but dont hope for it because not many places do it.

[stradivarius]

Well, it seems as if Sony as finally comitted to hopefully rapping up the Columbia shorts with the new Volume 8.

However, the questions still remain:

After seeing red for 1, blue for 2, green for 3, violet for 4, gold for 5, turquoise for 6, and orange for 7, what color will the side of the Volume 8 box be?
Will it be a color that can be found on a computer's WordPad?
Will the remaining 32 shorts be on the DVDs?
Is there a possibility that there will 3 DVDs instead of two?

In the next 7-10 days, we can only wait and see.

[Curly4444]

http://www.classicflix.com/three-stooges-p-9768.html


This site says its coming out in June.  Its supposed to contain the rest of the episodes. Hopefully no more wide-screen crap.  As for those worried about double sided disc, i dont see that. I think it will be dual or spiral layered on one side. So no flipping of a disc. I think they will still have that nice stooges artwork that matched the case. It better or  sony is getting this ----> 

[Stooges#1]

http://www.classicflix.com/three-stooges-p-9768.html


This site says its coming out in June.  Its supposed to contain the rest of the episodes. Hopefully no more wide-screen crap.  As for those worried about double sided disc, i dont see that. I think it will be dual or spiral layered on one side. So no flipping of a disc. I think they will still have that nice stooges artwork that matched the case. It better or  sony is getting this ----> 

I could be wrong but I think most of the shorts in the last few years were shot in widescreen so those shorts will be presented in widescreen on the DVD. Its how they were shot back then and thats what Sony will do for the DVD.

[Curly4444]

Thats a shame. Well hopefully they get better people to do the transfer to widescreen. What they could do is make it 4-discs and include both versions, but i know that will never happen. 

[archiezappa]

The original aspect ratio should be the way they should be presented on DVD.  Including full and wide screen versions would not be a good idea, in my opinion.

[Curly4444]

The original aspect ratio should be the way they should be presented on DVD.

Hell yeah it should be. If you have a widescreen tv youll see bars on the side, big deal. At least youll see all of the picture.

[dimelives]

But the remaining shorts were SHOT in widescreen format... So converting them to full would be to lose some of the picture. When archiezappa suggested it'd be a bad idea to include both full and wide versions, I think he was favoring wide only.

[Curly4444]

But the remaining shorts were SHOT in widescreen format... So converting them to full would be to lose some of the picture. When archiezappa suggested it'd be a bad idea to include both full and wide versions, I think he was favoring wide only.

What about those episode on disc 2 of vol. 7 were they originally shot in widescreen? If they were, why was the stooges heads cut off in that scene. If they were originally shot in widescreen that shouldn't of happen. Stuff like that usually occurs from transferring from full-screen to widescreen. Someone told me that those episode were originally in full-screen because they showed side by side comparisons. Or are just the episodes on vol.8 originally shot in widescreen? All i saw as a kid(dont ask how far back) was full-screen, and nothing looked chopped off.

[BeAStooge]

From the Vol. 7 discussion, six months ago...

One correction to the earlier discussion -  GOOF ON THE ROOF (1953) was not composed for widescreen (filmed in Nov. 1952), but it was released in a matted widescreen, as was all new product subsequent to Columbia's April 1953 widescreen (1.85) adoption.  Presenting it on Vol. 7 in 1.85 was historically correct, although there were some instances of aesthetic issues.

All the shorts on Vol. 8 will be in 1.85 widescreen, just as they were originally shown in theatres.

Beginning with GOOF ON THE ROOF (1953), filmed Nov. 1952, [As of April 1953] all the Stooges' films were shot for 1.85 widescreen. They were filmed open-matte (Academy 1.37), but visuals were composed and produced for 1.85, and released to theatres, intended for 1.85 matte projection.

Columbia went to 1.85 format in April 1953... features, shorts and animation. 1.85 matte, the method adopted by Columbia and Universal, was in theatres by mid 1953. All the studios were making widescreen conversion plans long before 1953. While Fox's THE ROBE, in late 1953, is often called the first Widescreen film, that is misleading… actually, it was the first release that used widescreen technology, i.e., CinemaScope (2.55) lenses, CinemaScope 35mm film stock, and 35mm CinemaScope projection.

We have been watching the post-1952 Stooge shorts on TV for five decades in the open-matte format. Volume 7 will present nine as Columbia (and Jules White) originally intended them to be screened… in 1.85 matte.

Bob Furmanek, a film historian, author, collector and preservationist is an expert on the subject of widescreen. At HomeTheaterForum.com over the past few years, he has made numerous, informative posts on the history of widescreen (along with the knowledgeable Jack Theakston), including Columbia's April 11, 1953 press release that proclaimed itself as a "1.85" studio.

Mr. Furmanek has been involved in booking film programs at some of the most prestigious theatres, e.g., the Jersey City Loews, and the Egyptian in Hollywood. He has seen and/or screened all of the Stooges' post-1952 Columbia films in 1.85, and says that originals like INCOME TAX SAPPY, SHOT IN THE FRONTIER, BLUNDER BOYS, GYPPED IN THE PENTHOUSE, etc., look great in 1.85. The aspect ratio eliminates the "excess" top & bottom space, that was never actually intended to be screened… over 50 years, we've become so accustomed to the open-matte visual, that we've not noticed that the pictures are not framed well.

What about the stock footage remakes?  Furmanek noted that the stock footage can look a little tightly framed at times, but overall, it translates fine.

Jules White was certainly aware of the difference between 1.37 and 1.85… and he produced the remake shorts with that in mind.  He was responsible for delivering a quality product to Columbia standards, and he had an Assistant Director and Film Editor whose responsibilities included making sure that happened. Stock shots were carefully insured for reasonable framing in the new aspect ratio.

Keep this in mind, we're looking at an aspect ratio of 1.85...  not 2.55 CinemaScope, or 3.85 Cinerama, or VistaVision, or Panavision, or any of the other extreme scopes and visions in-between.

9 of the films on Volume 7 will look different from what we're accustomed. Historically, since that is what Columbia intended back in 1953 and 1954, I look forward to it. I don't have a problem with the stock footage variance issue that concerns many; with one exception (BUBBLE TROUBLE), I consider the stock footage remakes inferior to the original… if I want to watch THE HOT SCOTS, I'll watch THE HOT SCOTS, not SCOTCHED IN SCOTLAND. All the stock footage is still available in 1.37… on the original version.

Volume 7 will not be the first time Stooge stock footage has been released on DVD in 1.85 format. STOP! LOOK! AND LAUGH! is in its theatrical 1.85 widescreen… the classic 1930s and 1940s footage of Moe, Larry and Curly translated fine from 1.37 to 1.85… yes, a little tight at times, but no gags were lost. And I suspect that until now, many of you did not consider this... and many never even noticed.

[Curly4444]

So, was this loss in picture(like the stooges heads cut off) seen when it was originally released in theaters? Or was this caused when the theatrical 1.85 versions were processed for these sets? Were the stooges post-1952 shorts always shown in widescreen? I just don't remember growing up in the 70's and 80's and seeing them this way. Maybe i just forgot?


PS:thanks for posting that article.

[dimelives]

I believe that just the first couple shorts (including "Goofs...") were just not shot (in full screen format) with enough good room on the top and bottom to be cropped for their theatrical screening (widescreen format), but after that, through the rest of the remaining shorts, they shot them (still in full screen) with the widescreen framing better in mind, and so left excess room on the top and bottom of the shots, because they knew it would be cropped for the theater.

I hope that makes sense. That is what I've gathered about how it went.

[46kicks]

This is from classicflix.com
The Three Stooges Collection, Vol. 8 (1955 - 1959) (1955)
NOW ACCEPTING ADVANCE ORDERS!
Starring:     Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Joe Besser
Director:     Jules White, Edward Bernds
Genre:     Comedy, Slapstick, Comedy Shorts
Year:     1955
Studio:     Sony Pictures
Length:     320 minutes
Release Date:     June 1, 2010
Rating:     NR
Format:     DVD
Misc:     NTSC, Black & White
Language:     English(Original Language)
Discs in this Set:
Expand      The Three Stooges 55 - 59 Disc 1 
Collapse      The Three Stooges 55 - 59 Disc 1

    * Currently 0.00/10

   The Three Stooges 55 - 59 Disc 1  1955
This DVD is disc 1 of 2 in "The Three Stooges, Vol. 8" No Reviews

Starring: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Joe Besser
Director: Jules White, Edward Bernds
Synopsis:      Read More
   
Studio: Sony Pictures
Release Date: 06/01/2010
Expand      The Three Stooges 55 - 59 Disc 2 
Collapse      The Three Stooges 55 - 59 Disc 2

    * Currently 0.00/10

   The Three Stooges 55 - 59 Disc 2  1955
This DVD is disc 2 of 2 in "The Three Stooges, Vol. 8" No Reviews

Starring: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Joe Besser
Director: Jules White, Edward Bernds
Synopsis:      Read More
   
Studio: Sony Pictures
Release Date: 06/01/2010
SYNOPSIS:

1955

    * Fling in the Ring
    * Of Cash and Hash
    * Gypped in the Penthouse
    * Bedlam in Paradise
    * Stone Age Romeos
    * Wham-Bam-Slam!
    * Hot Ice
    * Blunder Boys

1956

    * Husbands Beware
    * Creeps
    * Flagpole Jitters
    * For Crimin' Out Loud
    * Rumpus in the Harem
    * Hot Stuff
    * Scheming Schemers
    * Commotion on the Ocean

1957

    * Hoofs and Goofs
    * Muscle Up a Little Closer
    * A Merry Mix Up
    * Space Ship Sappy
    * Guns a Poppin!
    * Horsing Around
    * Rusty Romeos
    * Outer Space Jitters

1958

    * Quiz Whizz
    * Fifi Blows Her Top
    * Pies and Guys
    * Sweet and Hot
    * Flying Saucer Daffy
    * Oil's Well That Ends Well

1959

    * Triple Crossed
    * Sappy Bull Fighters
       
Price $ 19.99

[BeAStooge]

Amazon began taking pre-orders for The Three Stooges Collection Vol. 8 1955 - 1959 today (March 21). Their product listing contains the same disc & running time discrepancies/errors as VideoETA; accurate information should be available soon.

[BeAStooge]

Confirmed...

Sony now lists it on its website. It will be a 3-disc set. Ignore the "176" minutes notation... that is the running time of the 1st disc. Corrected tech information will be posted once Sony's press release is issued.

[Curly4444]

The amazon site says 2-disc and the sony site says 3-disc. Im thinking it will be a three disc set? With all the extra episodes in this set, i think they had to add an extra disc.

[Cartoonguy]

Amazon also lists Curly Howard as one of the stars of Vol. 8, and the films are in color, so we all know this info is incorrect. But come this June there will be a lot of major “Stoogefest!”

[xraffle]

You know, June 1st is just 2 months away. A little over two months, but March is coming to an end. So, June 1st will hit us before we know it. Hard to believe all 190 shorts are going to be all out on DVD soon.

So guys, what do you think? Should the cover art have Shemp or Joe in the picture? I remember we had a similar debate before when the last Curly/early Shemp shorts came out, which turned ugly. But debating about this is more fun. I vote for Joe because this is his only DVD release and he should get a chance to be on the front cover of one of these sets.

[falsealarms]

You know, June 1st is just 2 months away. A little over two months, but March is coming to an end. So, June 1st will hit us before we know it. Hard to believe all 190 shorts are going to be all out on DVD soon.

So guys, what do you think? Should the cover art have Shemp or Joe in the picture? I remember we had a similar debate before when the last Curly/early Shemp shorts came out, which turned ugly. But debating about this is more fun. I vote for Joe because this is his only DVD release and he should get a chance to be on the front cover of one of these sets.

Have Shemp on the front of the box with Besser in a circle off to the side, like Shemp was on the 46-48 set box. As far as color, lets see a black and white box.

Many will disagree but this will not be the worst set of the bunch... my vote sticks with 46-48. There you had the depressing sick Curly's and the early Shemp's, which generally weren't as good as his work from the early 1950s. Plus some of the Besser's really aren't THAT bad... like Quizz Whizz, Flying Saucer Daffy, Muscle Up A Little Closer, and Merry Mix-Up to name some ... and Blunder Boys and Gypped in the Penthouse are in the upper-echelon of Shemp shorts.

[Shemp_Diesel]

June 1st, the great wonderful day. And just a few years back I never thought Columbia/Sony would put out a proper dvd collection of the boys & now we're only a few months away. Hurry, hurry, I can hardly wait.


 

[GentWithoutCents]

Glad to hear the set will most likely be spread over three discs. The quality would surely have suffered if they'd all been crammed onto two.

As for the box art, while I wouldn't mind Joe getting the larger pic on the cover, I have a feeling Sony will opt for the third Stooge they know is more recognisable - that being Shemp, obviously.