Topic: YEAR OF THE STOOGE

[MR77100]

What do you consider the strongest year of Three Stooges shorts? This would be based on creativity, plots, gags, and of course, most laughs. My pick would be 1943, which featured the most WW2 propaganda shorts, the wild and crazy SPOOK LOUDER, Curly's bad tooth in I CAN HARDLY WAIT, Dudley Dickerson stealing the show in GEM OF A JAM, and Curly playing bloodhound in PHONY EXPRESS. 

[metaldams]

What do you consider the strongest year of Three Stooges shorts? This would be based on creativity, plots, gags, and of course, most laughs. My pick would be 1943, which featured the most WW2 propaganda shorts, the wild and crazy SPOOK LOUDER, Curly's bad tooth in I CAN HARDLY WAIT, Dudley Dickerson stealing the show in GEM OF A JAM, and Curly playing bloodhound in PHONY EXPRESS.

I was thinking about starting this thread since I've been watching the shorts in order (I've taken a break for a few weeks but plan to jump back in soon).

I think 1943 was a good year, but there were better.  My opinion is 1940.  Behind the camera, it was when the two production units really gelled with Hugh McCullom working with Del Lord and Jules White directing his own shorts.  Those teams were trading classic after classic.

YOU NATZY SPY came out that year, which was a politically brave short.  A PLUMBING WE WILL GO is their masterpiece, a better paced comedy short from not just The Three Stooges, but any other great comedian is rare to find.  NUTTY BUT NICE is funny and even has heart.  Just a great, great year, not a weak short in the bunch.  The boys as performers were also in their prime.  Check out Curly's reactions in his scenes with the maze of pipes, he was incredible.

That said, i feel like the last few shorts of 1939 and most of 1941 as an extension of 1940.  Just a great Stooge period overall.

[metaldams]

Another argument for 1940

[falsealarms]

If I had to pick just one year, I'd say 1940. But the last 3 shorts of 1939 (CURS, OILY, SAPPY) through the first 3 of 1942 (LOCO, CACTUS, MATADOR) probably represents the most consistently great period the Stooges ever had (regardless of team). With the exception of ROCKIN THRU THE ROCKIES (good but not great) every other short from that time frame is great.

[BenStooge9]

I absolutely love it when Larry breaks character at 1:58 and starts cracking up.

[MR77100]

I was thinking about starting this thread since I've been watching the shorts in order (I've taken a break for a few weeks but plan to jump back in soon).

I think 1943 was a good year, but there were better.  My opinion is 1940.  Behind the camera, it was when the two production units really gelled with Hugh McCullom working with Del Lord and Jules White directing his own shorts.  Those teams were trading classic after classic.

YOU NATZY SPY came out that year, which was a politically brave short.  A PLUMBING WE WILL GO is their masterpiece, a better paced comedy short from not just The Three Stooges, but any other great comedian is rare to find.  NUTTY BUT NICE is funny and even has heart.  Just a great, great year, not a weak short in the bunch.  The boys as performers were also in their prime.  Check out Curly's reactions in his scenes with the maze of pipes, he was incredible.

That said, i feel like the last few shorts of 1939 and most of 1941 as an extension of 1940.  Just a great Stooge period overall.

I agree with you on 1940 being the possible "Year of the Stooge." A PLUMBING WE WILL GO is an all-time classic, and NUTTY BUT NICE combines their comedy with good deeds. 1941 was a superb year as well, with the only dud being ALL THE WORLD'S A STOOGE. 1942 started out very strong but really hit the skids with EVEN AS IOU and SOCK-A-BYE BABY.

1943 just had plenty of variety, from WW2 to the spooky house to the western theme. I would like likely rank THREE LITTLE TWIRPS as the weakest short from that year, and oddball director Harry Edwards may have been the cause of it.

[falsealarms]

From what I've read, the Stooges hated working with Harry Edwards.

[metaldams]

From what I've read, the Stooges hated working with Harry Edwards.

The Stooges, along with Vera Vague, actually refused to work with Edwards after a couple of films, which is why he only directed two Stooge shorts.

In his prime in the silent era, Edwards did his best work with Harry Langdon - Langdon being the big reason why he was at Columbia in the first place.  My understanding is Edwards had problems with the bottle in his later years, and when Harry Langdon died in 1944, so did Edwards career in the shorts department.

[metaldams]

1942 started out very strong but really hit the skids with EVEN AS IOU and SOCK-A-BYE BABY.

Agree 100%!

[falsealarms]

If I'm restricted to the Shemp years, I might put 1952 as my best Shemp year... LISTEN JUDGE, GENTS IN A JAM, and THREE DARK HORSES are among my favorite Shemp shorts. I'd list the peak Shemp years from 50-53.

[Shemp_Diesel]

1936 was an excellent year for stooge shorts, not a weak one in the bunch & as False stated 1952 was another excellent year for stooge films.

[falsealarms]

1936 was indeed great... FALSE ALARMS for one, of course... but also PAIN IN THE PULLMAN. Curly shorts don't get much better than that and I like those shorts better than several from the late 39 - early 42 period. I've always had a soft spot for train comedy, be it PULLMAN, Keaton's PARDON MY BERTH MARKS, L&H's BERTH MARKS, or the Our Gang short CHOO CHOO. Something about a train lends itself well to comedy in those days.

I'm probably not as big as some on shorts like SLIPPERY SILKS and ANTS IN THE PANTRY.

[Stoogephilia]

For me, 1940 and 1948 are the two best years in the Stooges' history.

In 1940, Curly really shined in his own persona and at the peak of his health and energy before began slowly down during 1942-1945 while in 1948, the Stooges (with Shemp) began to risen again when Edward Bernds given them a lot of fresh materials which never used by the boys previously in their past shorts

[MR77100]

If I had to pick just one year, I'd say 1940. But the last 3 shorts of 1939 (CURS, OILY, SAPPY) through the first 3 of 1942 (LOCO, CACTUS, MATADOR) probably represents the most consistently great period the Stooges ever had (regardless of team). With the exception of ROCKIN THRU THE ROCKIES (good but not great) every other short from that time frame is great.

You forgot MATRI-PHONY and THREE SMART SAPS.

[falsealarms]

You forgot MATRI-PHONY and THREE SMART SAPS.

Maybe in your opinion I did, but not mine. Those shorts aren't bad at all, but just not up to most of the ones in the previous couple years.

[Justin T]

I also have to say 1940 as the best Curly year, for the reasons others have already stated.
You Natzy Spy! was a pretty gutsy short to make for the time period when many Americans
didn't want us to get dragged into WWII (I've always found it fascinating that it came out a
few months before Charlie Chaplin's classic The Great Dictator. Which I recently purchased from
the Criterion Collection.)

The best Shemp year? Hmm, that's a bit more tough. I'll have to think about that one.

[QuinceHead]

If I'm restricted to the Shemp years, I might put 1952 as my best Shemp year... LISTEN JUDGE, GENTS IN A JAM, and THREE DARK HORSES are among my favorite Shemp shorts. I'd list the peak Shemp years from 50-53.

Considering how much of those peak years' footage got recycled from that point onwards, wouldn't that make the "peak Shemp years" continue throughout his tenure?? 

For duty and humanity, JohnH aka QuinceHead

[falsealarms]

I'm not sure I get what you mean. The Shemp remakes from 53-56 were remakes of shorts released from 47-49, not 50-53

[QuinceHead]

I'm not sure I get what you mean. The Shemp remakes from 53-56 were remakes of shorts released from 47-49, not 50-53

I had forgotten that the remakes were from several years previously, so as not to arouse too many suspicions in the minds of movie-goers, who would hopefully not notice the duplication of footage, plot, etc. . . .

Some Stoogephile I am!   

For duty and humanity,
JohnH aka QuinceHead