Topic: A Pain in the Pullman (1936)

[Kopfy2013]

Also looking forward to it.

[Shemp_Diesel]

Got my Journal in the mail today. Have not finished the whole thing yet, but just wanted to say I enjoyed your article Rich, learned a lot I didn't know before. Thanks for your time & efforts researching Ms. Crane.

 

[Rich Finegan]

Got my Journal in the mail today. Have not finished the whole thing yet, but just wanted to say I enjoyed your article Rich, learned a lot I didn't know before. Thanks for your time & efforts researching Ms. Crane.

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the article. It really was the result of about 35 years of research!
I had even more to say about Phyllis, but unfortunately some had to be edited for space. But Gary did an excellent job, laying it out and placing the photos where he did, etc.

[Kopfy2013]

Hope I get my Journal ... have not received yet....

"HMmmmmmmmmm  Low Man Again !"   

[stoogerascalfan62]

If it had been remade in the Shemp era, can you imagine, say, Vernon Dent, playing the character originally played by Bud Jamison.

[Paul Pain]

I can't believe I never commented on my pompous namesake.  I find this one to be a good short.  Average maybe, but still good.  8/10 for having the stupid monkey.  I hate monkeys, and anything with monkeys gets downgraded in my book (Yes, that means I would skewer Curious George for pleasure!).

[GreenCanaries]

George Gray is the man on the ladder when the Stooges run from Mrs. Eggerley.

Johnny Kascier is seen getting on the train with the others, and appears in the berth with everyone else when the boys are getting escorted off the train by Laughton, Jamison and Morton.

Also in the berth: Bert Young and Charles Dorety. When everyone falls over in the berth, Bert is pretty much in the middle of the screen, while Charles appears WAAAY in the back when the boys are escorted. Both are also seen peeking their heads out (Bert out of the left, next to another; Charles to the right, putting hand to mouth and yawning) in the long shot of Pain calling for Johnson, right before the monkey crawls into his bed.

When Jamison/Johnson pulls the monkey (and the cord) towards the end, there is a woman's head in plain view who I think may be Elaine Waters?

[GreenCanaries]

George Gray is the man on the ladder when the Stooges run from Mrs. Eggerley.

Johnny Kascier is seen getting on the train with the others, and appears in the berth with everyone else when the boys are getting escorted off the train by Laughton, Jamison and Morton.

Also in the berth: Bert Young and Charles Dorety. When everyone falls over in the berth, Bert is pretty much in the middle of the screen, while Charles appears WAAAY in the back when the boys are escorted. Both are also seen peeking their heads out (Bert out of the left, next to another; Charles to the right, putting hand to mouth and yawning) in the long shot of Pain calling for Johnson, right before the monkey crawls into his bed.

When Jamison/Johnson pulls the monkey (and the cord) towards the end, there is a woman's head in plain view who I think may be Elaine Waters?

Revisiting this: definitely Waters, who I guess is one of the showgirls. Noticed Gray has a dual role; he's a train passenger as well.

[Shemp_Diesel]

Nothing new to add really, except to say I watched this one again recently & had to bump up my original rating a little bit. James C. Morton may go down as "best reaction ever" after get poked in the eyes by Moe...

 

[Dr. Mabuse]

My favorite Jack White two-reeler — and favorite 1936 short — next to "Disorder in the Court," which makes it a shame he stopped directing the Stooges after 1937. With the exception of "Half Shot Shooters," Jack had a wonderfully anarchic style and his overall work was more consistent than Charley Chase's 1938-39 output. "A Pain in the Pullman" is great fun and one of the few times the boys added a pet monkey to the slapstick milieu. Another example of why Bud Jamison and James C. Morton were essential members of the Stooge stock company. 

9/10

[metaldams]

My favorite Jack White two-reeler — and favorite 1936 short — next to "Disorder in the Court," which makes it a shame he stopped directing the Stooges after 1937. With the exception of "Half Shot Shooters," Jack had a wonderfully anarchic style and his overall work was certainly more consistent than Charley Chase's 1938-39 output. "A Pain in the Pullman" is great fun and one of the few times the boys added a pet monkey to the slapstick milieu. Another example of why Bud Jamison and James C. Morton were essential members of the Stooge stock company. 

9/10

Have you ever seen the Zasu Pitts/Thelma Todd short SHOW BUSINESS?  Almost the same script as this short and the only time Jules White worked at Hal Roach.  I think I’ll be reviewing it this summer.

...and yes, a shame Jack White didn’t direct longer, agreed.

[Dr. Mabuse]

Despite some nice pre-Code moments from Thelma, I found "Show Business" rather disappointing. It's slower paced than "A Pain in the Pullman" and nowhere near as funny.

[metaldams]

I found "Show Business" rather disappointing. It's slower paced than "A Pain in the Pullman" and nowhere near as funny.

I remember enjoying it, but I’m also partial to anything with Anita Garvin in it.  Will give it a more critical eye come review time.  I want to get deeper into the Roach catalog in general review wise now all these DVD sets are out.

[Woe-ee-Woe-Woe80]

Funny stooge short that I've always liked a lot, the train scenes were hilarious along with Johnson constantly hitting his head after being woken up by Paul Pain complaining about the Stooges' antics, this is also one of the rare pre-stroke Curly era stooge shorts where I thought Larry was funnier than Curly, also do you find it strange that when Moe hits Larry and Curly in the head with a suitcase he actually hits Larry harder than Curly?

I give this short a 9/10 and it's my second favorite Preston Black short after Disorder In The Court.

[I. Cheatam]

PAIN is a reworking/remake of Thelma Todd & Zasu Pitts' SHOW BUSINESS (1932 Hal Roach), directed by Jules White.

And Jules White would remake it again (though, very economically) in 1947 as Training For Trouble with Gus Schilling and Richard Lane. Sid Fields (best-known as Melonhead on The Abbott & Costello Show) played Paul Pain and Monte Collins (in his last acting role) was Johnson.

[Dr. Mabuse]

Motion Picture Herald: "What the Picture Did for Me" (December 19, 1936)

[Daddy Dewdrop]

I think most fans over-rate this one a bit.  It's good, just not an all-time classic as there are many more Curlys I rank higher.  As it stands, I rank it at #80 on my list.

[I. Cheatam]

AREN'T YOU GUYS ASLEEP YET?!?!
Certainly! We dreamed we saw a swimming pool, so we dove in!
WELL, DIVE BACK IN THAT BERTH OR I'LL MAKE YOU DIVE OFF THIS TRAIN!