All Three Stooges fans are encouraged to come to Syracuse, NY for the annual Cinefest film festival, the week-end of March 14 thru 18.
Scheduled among other cool rarities is the 1937 Three Stooges theatrical trailer/commercial short SURPRISE SURPRISE (written about in Three Stooges Journal no. 140).
This short was produced to promote the "Pillsbury Three Stooges Moving Picture Machine" (a sort of cardboard movie projector toy) available when one purchased two boxes of Pillsbury Farina Cereal.
It had been doubtful that any copies of this promotional film still existed anywhere, but a 35mm print has been found and is scheduled to be shown on the big screen on Saturday, March 17 at The Palace Theatre. (All other films are presented in 16mm in the Cinefest screening room except for Saturday when everyone
hops on buses into town to the vintage 1922 Palace for the 35mm show).
Further info on Cinefest:
http://www.picking.com/cinefest.htmlI have written the Program Notes for this film for the Cinefest Program Book and will report on it in further detail in an upcoming Three Stooges Journal (after I've seen it!)
This Stooges film is as rare as it gets (as they say!) and as of now is available for viewing nowhere else!
-- Richard Finegan