Yep. Those were horrible. Even worse than the Joe shorts (there were a few good ones). But can you imagine how Moe felt??? I mean his brother just died, and they are doing crappy remakes? Why? Did there contract stipulate this? And if so, Cohn, should have been ashamed of himself (I doubt if he was though). Some things are truly wrong.
Yes, the Stooges' contract with Columbia still had four shorts to be delivered after Shemp's sudden and untimely death -- and this must've been the most expedient way of doing that. (As Cartman from
South Park would say, "I'm tryin' to make the best of a bad situation!!!") I don't know if the decision was Jules White's, or somebody else's -- does anyone know??
But yeah, it does seem like Moe ages visibly from
Rumpus in the Harem to
Commotion in the Ocean -- and who could blame him?? As you say, Shemp had just died -- the second of two Howard brothers -- and while the show must go on, it couldn't have been easy by any stretch.
For duty and humanity,
JohnH aka QuinceHead
