Topic: Three Stooges In Orbit One Of The 50 Worst Movies

[xraffle]

My favorite three stooges film is "Gold Raiders" and thanks to Warner Brothers, that's available on DVD. If anyone here hasn't watched it, I'd recommend you watch that over 3S in Orbit, or any of the DeRita flicks, for that matter..

With that said, yes, the DeRita movies are bad, but I would never rank any of them as the 50 worst movies as I've seen a lot worse. But I do agree with Jim. When they hired Joe, he was a good comedian that was funny in his solo films, so I see why they picked him. He had is own style of comedy which, unfortunately, didn't fit in well with the stooges, which is why he isn't so great as a stooge. But with Curly-Joe, I really don't understand why he was picked. He doesn't really have any style of comedy whatsoever. He really didn't do much. I guess since he was fat and he shaved his head, they thought people would like him because he'll look like Curly. I don't know, but I personally think they should've hired someone with more of a comedic personality. And the old Moe and Larry certainly didn't help either. But shoot me if I'm wrong because I haven't seen any of DeRita's solo films. So maybe he was an excellent solo comedian. I don't know. If he was, then I guess it's understandable that they've picked him to be the third stooge.

[shemps#1]

I agree on Gold Raiders, while it not a great film itself it is by far the most enjoyable Three Stooges feature. I think Snow White and The Three Stooges deserves mention (or at least consideration) on a "worst" list. There is nothing at all redeeming about that piece of shit. I honestly wish that Columbia had paid them fairly or at least given Moe and Larry a chunk of syndication so they could have hung it up after the shorts were done. I saw Slappily Married, a Derita solo which I think had Christine McIntyre in it and it was nothing to write home about. Derita was as much as a nothing in that short as he was in the Stooges films.

You're either young or have no discernible taste Thunder because those cartoons are awful. The animation is dime store at best and they aren't the least bit funny.

[ThunderStooge]

Allow me to elaborate.  Your right I am young (nearly 23), and the cartoon is indeed terrible, even by 1960's standards.  The only thing that made them remotely enjoyable when I was watching them on YouTube was the automated captions.  Watching the show itself without was rather difficult.


Mild language

[shemps#1]

You're right, that is funny. No wonder the GF doesn't bother to watch YouTube videos with the automated captions.

[metaldams]

I too watched THE THREE STOOGES IN ORBIT today, and I mostly agree with what Jim said.  I too thought the supporting cast was bad minus Emil Sitka, especially the air force general, who was too over the top.  Vernon Dent would've been ideal in that role had his health been good at the time.  Yes, the romance angle was completely contrived and unecessary.

The boys were for the most part recycling old gags such as the tank being half-empty or half-full and the stake being pointed in the wrong direction means it goes to the other wall.  There was old recycled footage of a Keystone Cop style chase, and I thought that was the best comedy in the whole film.

As a horror and sci-fi fan, the aliens looked totally unconvincing, and those laughable costumes and effects are a reason why a film like this would make a worst list.  ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN, which came out 14 years earlier, is proof one can have good comedy with convincing looking monsters.

As for Derita himself?  Completely inoffensive, and a body capable of doing the job.  Nothing more, nothing less.  He's the guy who shows up on time and earns his paycheck.

So what do I like about THE THREE STOOGES IN ORBIT?  Jim says The Three Stooges ogling at a much younger woman is creepy.  He's right, but it's also fascinating, because I feel it's a look at where the boys would've been headed in the 70's.  They were supposed to make an r rated film in the Phillipines before Moe died, remember.  There's also a line that involves Emil Sitka uttering the word "hell," which is innocent today, but risque for the Three Stooges filmography.  Interesting to see the boys in a latter era because of things like this.


What else do I like?  Well, like I stated, I've seen the shorts 3 zillion times over several decades, so these Columbia Derita features have a bit of a freshness factor for a long time fan like me.  I concede they are second rate, but they are not so awful as being utterly unwatchable.  Stuff like this is perfect for long time fans who need something new, the same way a middle of the road Beatles solo album would be to those of us who have heard Sgt. pepper for 20 years.  We know it's not the best, but it's new and we'll take what we can get.  I'll also say THE THREE STOOGES MEET HERCULES actually rises above average, but that's for another review.

[xraffle]

I haven't watched Three Stooges In Orbit in a while. Maybe I'll pop in the DVD tomorrow and watch it to remind myself of how bad it is. Seriously, I don't watch these DeRita flicks that often and I end up forgetting just how bad they really are.

But I do agree with Metaldams in a way. Sometimes, I do watch a DeRita movie because it's something a little different. I, too, have watched the shorts a zillion times. I've watched them nonstop as a kid and I still watch them a lot now. I've watched them so much that I know them by heart. But I've only watched the DeRita movies a few times. So, the DeRita movies are good to watch once in a blue moon when I want to watch something a little different.

[shemps#1]

That's a pretty good, well written second opinion Doug. Could I possibly put it up on my blog and attach it to my review?

[metaldams]

That's a pretty good, well written second opinion Doug. Could I possibly put it up on my blog and attach it to my review?

Thanks man.  Yeah, go for it.  I'll have to check out this blog for myself.

[metaldams]

Jim, you have a link for this blog?  I can't seem to find it in a search.

[shemps#1]

I've been thinking about starting a seperate blog or something just for Flipping Off The Movies, which is in its infancy. I had actually started doing it a few years ago on a yahoo blog but those were gone when they shut down the blogs and I just recently started it up again when I found myself watching bad movies. Here's the link to the In Orbit blog and if you only want to read about the movies follow the "movie review" tag.

I'd really like to not only start a seperate blog but get an image of middle fingers that's like the poke image here (but I have no clue and not artistically inclined enough to do that).

http://misterscowl.multiply.com/journal/item/28/Flipping_Off_The_Movies_The_Three_Stooges_In_Orbit

[shemps#1]

I have finished watching The Crippled Masters and put up my review. Good, but not quite a B classic.

[RICO987]

As a horror and sci-fi fan, the aliens looked totally unconvincing, and those laughable costumes and effects are a reason why a film like this would make a worst list.  ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN, which came out 14 years earlier, is proof one can have good comedy with convincing looking monsters.

Wow! After almost 4 years as a member on this site, this is the most panning of DeRita I have seen.  I do not know what Moe was thinking when he insisted on De Rita for the third spot.   His usual good taste in comedy was MIA with that choice.   Besser has taken the most shots from my viewpoint on this site, but I believe he was miles ahead of De Rita.

I have to agree with most everyone else – Snow White is easily their worst movie.  The Snow White movie rubs salt in its self inflicted wounding of the 3 Stooges reputation.  That is, it really irked me in the Snow White Movie where Moe goes out of character and looks at the camera and says something to the effect that they cannot be violent anymore.  Unfortunately, that was also saying we cannot be funny anymore. 

I agree with Metaldams.  I believe Orbit made the 50 Worst List because of the low budget costumes and effects.

[metaldams]

Wow! After almost 4 years as a member on this site, this is the most panning of DeRita I have seen.  I do not know what Moe was thinking when he insisted on De Rita for the third spot.   His usual good taste in comedy was MIA with that choice.   Besser has taken the most shots from my viewpoint on this site, but I believe he was miles ahead of De Rita.

I have to agree with most everyone else – Snow White is easily their worst movie.  The Snow White movie rubs salt in its self inflicted wounding of the 3 Stooges reputation.  That is, it really irked me in the Snow White Movie where Moe goes out of character and looks at the camera and says something to the effect that they cannot be violent anymore.  Unfortunately, that was also saying we cannot be funny anymore. 

I agree with Metaldams.  I believe Orbit made the 50 Worst List because of the low budget costumes and effects.

For non-artistic reasons, Derita was the perfect choice.  He stuck around for 17 years at a time when Moe and Larry were making money off past accomplishments (and good for Moe and Larry).  Yeah, they were making new movies, but I think they realized these new movies would not have been made without the new found popularity of the old shorts with Curly.  They simply needed a third body, and Derita did the job.

What creeped me out about SNOW WHITE AND THE THREE STOOGES the most was when she was lying there dead and the boys had her body on display.  They said they could not get rid of her body because she looked too beautiful.  Look, I know this is a kid's tale and I'm sure there were innocent intentions behind the line, but I'm not a kid, and that's well, kind of gross.  I at least hope they were good embalmers.

[Curly4444]

What creeped me out about SNOW WHITE AND THE THREE STOOGES the most was when she was lying there dead and the boys had her body on display.  They said they could not get rid of her body because she looked too beautiful.  Look, I know this is a kid's tale and I'm sure there were innocent intentions behind the line, but I'm not a kid, and that's well, kind of gross.  I at least hope they were good embalmers.

Necrophilia? I wouldn't have gotten that form that line.

[metaldams]

Necrophilia? I wouldn't have gotten that form that line.

I was more thinking along the lines of the body decaying, hence the comment about embalming, but hey, if necrophilia enters your mind, whatever floats your boat.   

[shemps#1]

Wasn't that part of the original Snow White lore? Not the Disney shit but the original story.

[ThunderStooge]

In their defense, that was part original fairy tale.  And the dwarfs couldn't bring themselves to bury her, so they displayed her in the glass coffin.  Doesn't make the fridge logic any less disturbing.

[ILMM]

Wasn't that part of the original Snow White lore? Not the Disney shit but the original story.

Actually, something like that was in the Disney movie,too.

[ThunderStooge]

Actually, something like that was in the Disney movie,too.

I watched that version not too long ago.  The glass coffin is there too.  And I think the dwarfs' excuse was similar to the Stooges.

[xraffle]

I watched The Three Stooges In Orbit yesterday and it really wasn’t as bad. Sure, I’d much rather watch a Curly or Shemp short, but this movie did have a couple of funny moments. Curly-Joe did have a couple of semi-funny lines, so I give him a little bit of credit for that. I still stand by what I said in another thread where I said that Curly-Joe had a good potential of being funny if only he tried harder and had more to work with. What really makes these DeRita movies disappointing was not only Curly-Joe’s lack of energy/enthusiasm, but it’s also due to the boring plots of the movies, the reduction of slapstick & violence, and Moe & Larry getting old. But it surprises me that we all hate DeRita, yet he lasted with the group for over 10 years until the stooges officially had to retire for health reasons. This leads me to believe that even though DeRita wasn’t all that great, the stooges still remained popular.

[Desmond Of The Outer Sanctorum]

Curly-Joe had a good potential of being funny if only he tried harder

Bingo. Besser, at least, tried. DeRita didn't. He didn't respect what he was stepping into and considered it beneath him.

Besser and DeRita both made their attitudes clear in later interviews, and the contrast is like day & night.

[xraffle]

And that is why Curly will always be way better that Curly-Joe even though they have a similar name and same hairstyle. I mean, wow, you can tell Curly was into the role. His energy, his facial expressions, and his enthusiasm are what made him a very funny stooge. You can tell he was passionate about being a stooge.

[kinderscenen]

Hey, I call foul! A list without Manos: the Hands of Fate is not a worst of list at all!

While I've been a Stooge fan for 36 of my 36 years (in utero counts too!), I wonder why ANY Stooge movie was chosen. (Yeah, I know, one person's opinion...) I mean, come on! There are thirty kazillion Elvis movies to choose from...we'll dismiss his earliest and last movie, as those were infinitely better than, say, Double Trouble.  As for the Stooges, hell, I think the problem was that they didn't (at least to my eyes/ears) get material that's age appropriate.  You can be old and funny--I just watched Don Rickles on some late-night talk show or other, and he can still bring the funny. (Then again, I'm comparing two completely different styles...)

The Stooges could be funny when they weren't all kid-friendly (think about their Steve Allen and Ed Sullivan appearances--Moe slapping Curly-Joe and his wig falling off, and Moe and Larry's reaction is pretty damn funny, and won't upset the kids), so I'm thinking that had they not had to have been so...ugh...politically correct (for the 60s!), they might've been better off.  I mean, damn, they all had burlesque backgrounds! Use them for SOMETHING!  

That said, I do wonder what would've happened if they'd been able to hold out (health-wise).  Their last movie was in 1965, but they (Moe and Larry) lived a good 10 years after that. The amount of change in those ten years socially is mind-boggling.  To go from Outlaws to Blazing Stewardesses is pretty damn interesting.  Too bad we'll never know what they would've done with the material (although, I'm thinking I probably would've done an Elvis on the screen).

As for energy and enthusiasm, Moe and Larry knew what they were getting when they signed DeRita, and Larry obviously felt the guy had something as he was willing to make him a full partner. Whether or not this was to get him to stay, who knows? But for some reason, I can't throw blame to DeRita--I've got to blame Moe and Larry. Larry for (I think) seeing him first, and then for Moe for agreeing with him.  Then again, who else was there? Buddy Hackett?  Mousie Garner? (who keeps showing up like a bad burrito breakfast) Unknown comedian that's significantly younger than Moe and Larry?  I just can't think of who would've been around in 1958 for them to choose from.

As for the list, I'm ashamed to say I've seen 30 of those 50, and I know that I've seen worse--Disco Godfather, anyone? There's a reason why MST3K existed, and it's lists like these....

[metaldams]

Hey, I call foul! A list without Manos: the Hands of Fate is not a worst of list at all!

I sat through about 10 minutes of that one, must try again!

Crazy facts about MANOS is that a couple of cast members sadly committed suicide shortly after, and the literal English translation is HANDS: HANDS OF FATE.  Going to have to give this one a full whirl.

[shemps#1]

That's definitely a movie I should watch after I finish Greetings, and I found it on the Internet Archive:

http://www.archive.org/details/manos_the_hands_of_fate