Topic: Mutts to You (1938)

[metaldams]

http://www.threestooges.net/filmography/episode/35
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030478/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

I'm not one to totally knock the Charley Chase era.  Up until this point I've enjoyed every short, but MUTTS TO YOU is the point where things fall off for me.  I don't necessarily have a problem with the boys being nice guys as long as they throw in some slapstick and funny situations that advance the story.  CASH AND CARRY and NUTTY BUT NICE are two examples of this.  MUTTS TO YOU has a very unsatisfying plot about a wife leaving on a whim (this comes out of nowhere) and the boys stupidly kidnapping the child, good intentions or not.  When you're dealing with a two reeler, the plot should be simple and built up within a minute, but this plot just takes too long.  Besides, the guy who's playing the father has some of the most wooden acting in a Stooge short.  I have to wonder if Chase was taking these last few shorts seriously, because the earlier efforts seem to have been done with much greater care.

As for the washing machine, the dog looks absolutely uncomfortable.  You can even see him jump up when Larry fires the gun.  Definitely one of the weaker Stooge shorts that involves original footage and a Fine with two healthy Howards.

4/10

[Shemp_Diesel]

Well, I really hate to drop the hammer on Curly, but this has to rank as one of the worst Three Stooges shorts, period. Cute & whimsical are two words that I never want to see associated with the stooges & that's exactly what Charley Chase seems to be shooting for with this film.

The whole dog-washing machine scenes do absolutely nothing for me, and once the stooges leave their place of business, things rarely register a laugh, although I did get a kick out of the way Larry says "must be something I ate" & Moe saying to Curly "if you were over here I'd give you this" then slaps Larry.

But those few highlights aside, this short is a contender with some of Joe Besser's worst or the Shemp recycles like Flagpole Jitters.

3 out of 10 (And I think I'm being generous with the 3)...
 

[Lefty]

This is not exactly a Top Ten short, but there are a few good moments.  First off, it would be great if all dogs were as well-behaved as the dalmatian in this show. 

The best part is Moe and Larry pretending to be Chinese laundry men -- "and I don't mean efsher."  And at the end, it's very funny watching Doug Manning laughing as the baby is getting spanked by the hands.  And who hasn't been tempted to want to hit a fly with an iron?

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

Not a classic, but all the directors had ups and downs, there's nothing intrinsically wrong with Charlie Chase's direction that makes this a lesser short.  I like the little touches in the Chase shorts that occur nowhere else in the stooge canon, and I am thinking especially of two in this one: the industrial music that goes on at the dog wash, and the moment when Bud the cop has the epiphany and does it right at the camera.  There's no one else around, so he just breaks the fourth wall and talks right to us.
     Charlie also gives Moe what is perhaps his most human moment ever when Moe muses to himself " I dunno, it was my idea, but I don't think much of it..."  For me, this adds a lot.  There are a couple more of these human moments coming up with Chase directing, and I like them.

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

Charley, of course

[metaldams]

Not a classic, but all the directors had ups and downs, there's nothing intrinsically wrong with Charlie Chase's direction that makes this a lesser short.  I like the little touches in the Chase shorts that occur nowhere else in the stooge canon, and I am thinking especially of two in this one: the industrial music that goes on at the dog wash, and the moment when Bud the cop has the epiphany and does it right at the camera.  There's no one else around, so he just breaks the fourth wall and talks right to us.
     Charlie also gives Moe what is perhaps his most human moment ever when Moe muses to himself " I dunno, it was my idea, but I don't think much of it..."  For me, this adds a lot.  There are a couple more of these human moments coming up with Chase directing, and I like them.

You make some good observations about Jamison breaking the fourth wall (very common in Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy films), and Moe's special Moe-ment, but at the very least, Chase's direction has to be partially blamed on the wooden acting of the leading man.  People who worked with Chase say he tended to rush through some of these Columbias, and this and the next couple I tend to believe it.

Oh, one bizzare bit I forgot to mention, and it gave me the biggest laugh in the short.  It's after Moe gets finished with the dog, he has some nail polish like thing in his hands, I don't know what exactly it is.  Moe sniffs it, Larry looks at him with what can only be described as bedroom eyes, and Moe awkwardly slaps him.  Perhaps there's something I'm missing in the joke, so does anybody have some thoughts on this?

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

Yeah, I do, and thanks for asking, because I regretted not adding it to my first post.  That's a human moment for Larry, a tiny little gag that can only work if we know for a fact that Moe and Larry were best friends on AND off -screen.  And if we didn't know that before, we knew it as of then.  To use a non-stooge word, it's intimate.  And Chase doesn't push it a bit, follows it up with a big-time slap. I'm not even mentioning the subtlety of Larry's acting.  Maybe what I'm saying is that Chase wasn't steering them in a new direction as much as just adding an extra dimension.  Even the guys who don't like this short mention that they like this gag, so I would suggest that even in the midst of this mediocre Chase short, they're seeing a bit of great Chase-Stooge teamwork. 

[Shemp_Diesel]

Oh yes, the scene with Larry batting his eyes at Moe. Another highlight from this short I omitted in my first post. I always thought it was a case of Larry getting too "familiar" with Moe, which is why Moe slaps the tar out of him. It reminds me of another film where I think Larry kisses Moe & Moe admonishes him saying "don't get too familiar", but for the life of me I can't remember which short that was?

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

I don't own it, so I can't check, but might it be the remake of Fright Night, called ( I think ) Fling in the Ring?  The only reason I remember is because the sound effect of the slap is missing and it sounds just like the pat on the cheek it really was.

[Bum]

Oh, one bizzare bit I forgot to mention, and it gave me the biggest laugh in the short.  It's after Moe gets finished with the dog, he has some nail polish like thing in his hands, I don't know what exactly it is.  Moe sniffs it, Larry looks at him with what can only be described as bedroom eyes, and Moe awkwardly slaps him.  Perhaps there's something I'm missing in the joke, so does anybody have some thoughts on this?

I've seen [and laughed at] that particular gag hundreds of times, and just watched it again to make sure I remembered it correctly. Here's how I interpret it: Moe is applying perfume to the dog as a finishing touch, and after Curly removes the dog, Moe takes a whiff of the perfume and realizes he likes it himself [look at Moe's slight smile as he sniffs it]. Larry sees Moe's pleasure with the scent, and gives Moe the "Oo La La" look, which back then was the only way you could get away with implying that someone might be gay [similar to the "Put your hand on your hip. Tilt your head back. WOOO!" gag from the same era].

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

You've got it exactly right, they're both gay jokes. The Slippery Silks gag is broad and funny as hell and dates back to the Healy era, but was still apparently mild enough for the censor's crackdown.  Larry's reaction to the perfume, or whatever it is ( and I've said this before, but it's really a great Larry moment ) is so subtle that it''s a laugh in itself.

[Larrys#1]

I actually like this episode better than SOCK-A-BYE BABY. The beginning scene with the dog was okay. Not many funny moments, but it wasn't bad. I did feel sorry for the dog because like metaldams said, he looks uncomfortable. The whole scene with the stooges hiding the baby from the landlord was a good one. Larry was hilarious when hiding the balloon under his shirt. The part where Curly dresses up as the baby's mother was good too. I must say tho.... I didn't care for the ending as the whole spanking the baby thing disturbed me.

7/10

[Bum]

As for the washing machine, the dog looks absolutely uncomfortable.  You can even see him jump up when Larry fires the gun. 

For sure, but if you go and watch some of the Jules White-directed MGM Dogville Comedies, you won't feel so bad for the dalmatian afterwards!

[JazzBill]

This short is not on my list of favorites but it has some good bits in it. I thought the dog was pretty cool to put up with all the crap he went through. I did notice how he jumped when the gun was fired. I also thought the perfume gag between Moe and Larry was funny. I didn't care for the guy playing Doug Manning (Lane Chandler) all that much. I have to give this short a  71/2.

[metaldams]

For sure, but if you go and watch some of the Jules White-directed MGM Dogville Comedies, you won't feel so bad for the dalmatian afterwards!

Good point.

[metaldams]

Looking back at the Moe and Larry special moment, I guess that was a perfume Moe was smelling, which means the joke makes much more sense now.  Thank for the responses, guys.  Yeah, in past "gay" gags, like in DIZZY DOCTORS, it's like the Stooges were in on the joke.  In this one, Moe is sniffing perfume, Larry is falling in love, and Moe has to slap him, and in turn himself, out of it.  A funny, and unusual moment, easily the highlight of the short.

[Liz]

The dog washing scene is hilarious to me.

[Kopfy2013]

I like this short.  Many of the highlights have been mentioned.  I love the the cleaning contraption and how Moe is really serious operating it. Also, everyone has their job to do.

They do one dog and it is lunch time.... as was mentioned 'If you were over here I would do this to you'  SLAP!

The Chinese Laundrymen skit.... the hiding of balloon and ice cream ...  Curly was weak in this but that is because of the writing... they did not give him as much to do as in other shorts. Still he did great in bicycle riding - answering the phone;  being the mother.

Again, not a lot of slapstick but a good story to keep me interested for 20 minutes.  I give it an 8....  I have never broke down the shorts by director or writer etc. but I am liking Charley Chase's imagination - out there, but not way out there.

[Kopfy2013]

A couple of other things:

Not sure anyone mentioned the tick being killed - saying 'They got me' .. using the big anvil, then opening garbage can and sweeping him in ...

Since Moe just put the eye dropper on the dog, I assume it is perfume and when Larry catches Moe liking it - to me - the eyes of Larry are saying that Moe is a woman in the fact he likes perfume ... That is my take.

[Squirrelbait]

I've always really enjoyed this one. Some of the plot was re-hashed some years later in 'Sock-A-Bye Baby', but without any canines.

Highlights:

The Stooges' dog-washing machine
Larry having to make a special trip to get his 'Inspector' hat, and killing the tick.
Curly pushing the car down the street ('Three miles an hour, we oughta be going faster than that'!)
The Stooges first finding the baby and Curly's "I like babies - I was one myself once!"
No dogs or babies allowed in their apartment. Curly's crying always makes me laugh, and Larry with the balloon in his shirt.
Curly dressing up like the baby's Mother (and also the extended shot of his legs - yuck)
Moe and Larry as the Chinese Launderers (OK Larry - Give!)

If I'm not mistaken, somebody once told me that the ending with the baby's spanking was edited out of TV prints at one time. Can anybody confirm this?

Also, I've always wondered about the 'special moment' between Larry and Moe as well. Not quite sure what to think!

Anyway, I love this one.

Rating: 9.5/10

 

[Paul Pain]

I'm not one to totally knock the Charley Chase era.  Up until this point I've enjoyed every short, but MUTTS TO YOU is the point where things fall off for me.  I don't necessarily have a problem with the boys being nice guys as long as they throw in some slapstick and funny situations that advance the story.  CASH AND CARRY and NUTTY BUT NICE are two examples of this.  MUTTS TO YOU has a very unsatisfying plot about a wife leaving on a whim (this comes out of nowhere) and the boys stupidly kidnapping the child, good intentions or not.  When you're dealing with a two reeler, the plot should be simple and built up within a minute, but this plot just takes too long.  Besides, the guy who's playing the father has some of the most wooden acting in a Stooge short.  I have to wonder if Chase was taking these last few shorts seriously, because the earlier efforts seem to have been done with much greater care.

As for the washing machine, the dog looks absolutely uncomfortable.  You can even see him jump up when Larry fires the gun.  Definitely one of the weaker Stooge shorts that involves original footage and a Fine with two healthy Howards.

Amen!  My favorite part is when Larry is the Yiddish-Chinese laundryman.  But this plot is just so STUPID.

[Tony Bensley]

In my opinion, MUTTS TO YOU is an OK short.  This is the last of the consecutively released Stooges short subjects to open (And close!) with the "Listen to the Mockingbird"* theme.  After this two reeler, "Three Blind Mice" would make its Three Stooges Film debut, and soon after became their signature theme, though it would take on different variations over the next 2 decades.

On the boys' sign, we see an early reference to Simonize.  The Stooges would much later, do a Television commercial for "Instant Simoniz" Car Polish with Curly Joe De Rita.

I too, appreciated Moe's rare human moment of not thinking his idea very good.

The closing shots of the baby getting spanked by all of those "Hands" was in my opinion, bizarre and somewhat disturbing to me, also!

7/10

* While the next released short, FLAT FOOT STOOGES (1938) was, indeed the first to feature the "Three Blind Mice" theme, "Listen to the Mockingbird" could be heard for one last time in the subsequently released Three Stooges short, THREE LITTLE SEW AND SEWS (1939).  Was THREE LITTLE SEW AND SEWS filmed before FLAT FOOT STOOGES, perhaps?

CHEERS!

[Signor Spumoni]

I know I am in the minority, but I like Charley Chase, both is his own films, and as a director.  I like everything everyone mentioned here - - especially the flea-killing clothes iron on the anvil, the perfume that earns Larry a slap, and the Chinese Yiddish - - but I agree with Tony that the spanking is bizarre and somewhat disturbing.  Someone asked if that part of the short was cut when these were on television.  I can't say for sure, but where I saw this short decades ago, that part was definitely in.  I thought it was a strange ending then, too.

Just by the way, I always thought Bess Flowers was a little mature for this role`.  At age forty, she could have had a child that age, but it isn't as likely as it would have been for a much younger woman. 

Also, I feel nauseated watching Vernon mix that bicarb for Larry.  It looks like he uses about a half-cup of the baking soda when only a teaspoon is appropriate.  I just feel sick when I see Larry down that stuff even while I know it isn't real.

I know this is a minute point, but I include it in case anyone else is interested in minute points.  The perfume Moe puts on the dog uses a glass rod attached to the stopper.  It does look like an eyedropper, but I've seen these perfume bottles at antique/junk shops (when accompanying a friend who was antique/junk crazy and just had to stop at every such place in existence).

Also, I can't help noticing the resemblance of the dog washing set-up to sets and props used in Our Gang comedies.  I speculate that such things became popular thanks to Rube Goldberg's inventions.  RB's inventions were interesting, but - - in my opinion - - his books of Foolish Questions were far more entertaining.  You can see how Foolish Questions inspired "Mad" magazine's "Snappy Answers To Stupid Questions" series, too.

Sorry to digress!

[Signor Spumoni]

In my opinion, MUTTS TO YOU is an OK short.  This is the last of the Stooges short subjects to open (And close!) with the "Listen to the Mockingbird" theme.  After this two reeler, "Three Blind Mice" would be The Three Stooges theme from then on, and would take on different variations over the next 2 decades.

On the boys' sign, we see an early reference to Simonize.  The Stooges would much later, do a Television commercial for "Instant Simoniz" Car Polish with Curly Joe De Rita.

I too, appreciated Moe's rare human moment of not thinking his idea very good.

The closing shots of the baby getting spanked by all of those "Hands" was in my opinion, bizarre and somewhat disturbing to me, also!

7/10

CHEERS!

Thanks for the reminder, Tony.  I'd forgotten about that commercial. 

[metaldams]

I know I am in the minority, but I like Charley Chase, both is his own films, and as a director.  I like everything everyone mentioned here - - especially the flea-killing clothes iron on the anvil, the perfume that earns Larry a slap, and the Chinese Yiddish - - but I agree with Tony that the spanking is bizarre and somewhat disturbing.  Someone asked if that part of the short was cut when these were on television.  I can't say for sure, but where I saw this short decades ago, that part was definitely in.  I thought it was a strange ending then, too.

Just by the way, I always thought Bess Flowers was a little mature for this role`.  At age forty, she could have had a child that age, but it isn't as likely as it would have been for a much younger woman. 

Also, I feel nauseated watching Vernon mix that bicarb for Larry.  It looks like he uses about a half-cup of the baking soda when only a teaspoon is appropriate.  I just feel sick when I see Larry down that stuff even while I know it isn't real.

I know this is a minute point, but I include it in case anyone else is interested in minute points.  The perfume Moe puts on the dog uses a glass rod attached to the stopper.  It does look like an eyedropper, but I've seen these perfume bottles at antique/junk shops (when accompanying a friend who was antique/junk crazy and just had to stop at every such place in existence).

Also, I can't help noticing the resemblance of the dog washing set-up to sets and props used in Our Gang comedies.  I speculate that such things became popular thanks to Rube Goldberg's inventions.  RB's inventions were interesting, but - - in my opinion - - his books of Foolish Questions were far more entertaining.  You can see how Foolish Questions inspired "Mad" magazine's "Snappy Answers To Stupid Questions" series, too.

Sorry to digress!

I also enjoy Charley Chase's comic work, in front and behind the camera as a whole.  I just think his shorts with The Three Stooges are either hit or miss, this one being a miss.  I wish more of his post 1927 Roach stuff was readily available, but what I've seen looks promising.

PS:  My God, even my shorter reviews today are longer than some of my earlier stuff.  I'd never write a review this short today, even if I tried.