Topic: Three Sappy People (1939)

[metaldams]

http://www.threestooges.net/filmography/episode/43
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032029/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Well, as you can see, my name is METALdams, and yes folks, as most of you know, I like metal music.  Well, there's this live album from a band called Exodus where the late, great, and wildly entertaining Paul Baloff screams into the mic, "I love heavy!"  Well, watching this run of this of shorts, I feel as wild as Baloff, and just want to randomly proclaim, "I love funny!"  There, I said it.  Now let's destroy something, this ain't the Arsenio Hall show!

Anyway, the short that brings us to the altar of Stoogedom this week is THREE SAPPY PEOPLE.  Like Paul Baloff, this short is wildly entertaining.  It has the perfect Stooge formula.  The Stooges are blue collar workers who smash things with tools and somehow get tangled up in a climatic pastry fight at a high society party.  I can really just end the review right here because that in itself is all you need to know that this short rules.  However, I feel like typing more, because I'm trying to develop carpal tunnel syndrome.

The supporting cast is awesome.  Bud Jamison is fantastic as the butler.  Notice the way his body shudders when the pastry hits him in the back of the head.  It's his way of saying, "Look what I have to lower myself to to earn a buck."  I feel like this every Mon through Friday, you're in good company, Mr. Jamison.  Then there are the ladies.  Lorna Gray is wonderful as the wild and bored young gold digger.  The character reminds me of a girl I knew when I was 19.  She used to sneak in bottles of hard liquor in the ladies bathroom at Denny's.  Ms. Sherry Rumsford does not need a psychiatrist, it's Mr. Rumsford who does, thinking he can have a relationship with such a young, wild girl.  What do you expect, Rummy?  Anyway, your ideal is Ann Doran the countess.  Still attractive, yet more overly dignified.  Ann Doran is great in this one, like Bud with the pastry, you can tell she feels she lowered herself by the look on her face when covered in powder.  A real shame Ms. Doran did not appear in more Stooge shorts.  She played Charley Chase's leading lady in a lot of his shorts and like in this short, always did a fine job.

The boys themselves are of course in top form.  My favorite bits are Moe eye gouging the tamale, Curly and Larry using the stethoscope as a straw to drink the punch, and Curly's "putrid" line, which cracks me up every time.  I also find it fascinating how early in the short, Curly can hint that his wife is pregnant, but has to say it almost like he's embarrassed and not actually use the word pregnant.  Values of the day?  The Hays office?  A little of both?  Anyhow, there's tons of slaps, pastries and one liners to go around in this one at a rapid pace, and I will save it for others to discuss.  Besides, I'd like to save my carpal tunnel once we get to the Besser era.

10/10

[Shemp_Diesel]

Yes sir, we certainly are in the midst of a great stooge run of shorts right now. Some of my favorite parts: The return of Curly's pencils gag, why don't you get a toupee with some brains in it, and of course the pastry fight at the end.

Btw, wasn't this the short that the urban legend about Lorna Gray almost choking on a pastry came from?

Excellent stooge short, I get the feeling I'll be saying that a lot in the coming weeks.

8.5 out of 10...

[Lefty]

Btw, wasn't this the short that the urban legend about Lorna Gray almost choking on a pastry came from?

Soitenly!

That said, this was one of the funniest shorts from start to finish.  Curly is more dangerous with a ladder than the WWE wrestlers.  The Stooges always are great when mixing something -- in this case, the punch.  "Here's some new kind of liquor -- Wor-ses-ter-shire."  "This says 'Tabasco.'  I ain't never drunk any."  "Boibon and rum oughta help some!"

Ann Doran, a definite scene-stealer in this show, played "Pumpkin," Captain Binghamton's wife, in a McHale's Navy episode about 25 years later, even more stuffy in that role.  "This is our punishment for associating with the hoi polloi."

Of course, Lorna Gray did an excellent job as the nutty wife of J. Rumsford Rumsford (should have been "III" attached to his name).  Hitting those old geezers with the cream puffs always gets a laugh from me.

[JazzBill]

Another one high on my list of favorites. Fast paced with a lot of good bits. On a side note, Lorna Gray who also went by the name  Adrian Booth is still very much alive. She attended the fan club meeting in 2011. I rate this short 8 1/2. 

[Paul Pain]

I haven't seen this one in about 10 years.  Too long for me to remember much, but the Stooges were excellent in this as I remember.  $1500 is sweet though.

[metaldams]

Ann Doran, a definite scene-stealer in this show, played "Pumpkin," Captain Binghamton's wife, in a McHale's Navy episode about 25 years later, even more stuffy in that role.  "This is our punishment for associating with the hoi polloi."

A great example of her scene stealing is during the reflex testing scene.  Notice she's tapping her knee right along with everybody else.

Oh, and the scene with Curly tripping on the wooden leg followed by getting kicked by the statue is both a great showcase for Curly's reactions and one of the most surrealistic Stooge scenes ever.  Very Keaton like, but then again, this short was written by Clyde Bruckman, a regular Keaton collaborator.

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

     When I was a kid, a thousand years ago, both the punchbowl scene and the wooden leg bit were edited out.  Not for kids, I guess.

[Kopfy2013]

To me the stars of the short are Ann Doran as Countess and Lorna Gray.  What great contrasts and how they react to the stooges is great .... fun-loving vs. stiff.

One question I have is what did the Countess say when Moe was throwing the cream puffs and Curly was hiding behind the Countess and she was getting pelted?  It was like the line was partially cut out.

Overall I thought this short was average except for the two women.  I thought the telephone scene was not that funny and dragged. There were good one-liners as usual but I found myself squirming alot during the short. I would give it a 7.

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

     She says " The King shall hear of This!"

[metaldams]

I know there are at least a couple of fellow classic horror fans on the board.  Last night I watched the Karloff Columbia feature THE MAN THEY COULD NOT HANG, which is from 1939, the same year as THREE SAPPY PEOPLE.  Who do I see?  Lorna Gray, Ann Doran, and Don Beddoe! It was a THREE SAPPY PEOPLE get together.  Throw in Dick Curtis and John Tyrell, and I don't think I've ever seen so many Stooge supporting players in the same non Columbia short.  Definitely a film worth checking out.

[Kopfy2013]

I know there are at least a couple of fellow classic horror fans on the board.  Last night I watched the Karloff Columbia feature THE MAN THEY COULD NOT HANG, which is from 1939, the same year as THREE SAPPY PEOPLE.  Who do I see?  Lorna Gray, Ann Doran, and Don Beddoe! It was a THREE SAPPY PEOPLE get together.  Throw in Dick Curtis and John Tyrell, and I don't think I've ever seen so many Stooge supporting players in the same non Columbia short.  Definitely a film worth checking out.

Very cool. Trying to locate that movie

[BeAStooge]

Trying to locate that movie

Icons of Horror Collection: Boris Karloff




Adrian Booth [aka Lorna] has always spoken highly of Boris.

[Larrys#1]

Lorna Gray puts on a fabulous performance here. It's hard to believe that she was the same actress who played Mattie Herring in YOU NAZTY SPY. I did not know that until I checked the filmography just now.

The stooges start off with a great scene where they fix the switchboard. It's interesting how Curly had to IMPLY that his wife was pregnant, but never explicitly says it. I guess this is something they couldn't say because it implies sex?? I know they were careful about stuff like that back then.

The dinner scene was very good and so was the creampuff fight at the end. Though I always wondered what that wrapped food was.

10/10

[metaldams]

The stooges start off with a great scene where they fix the switchboard. It's interesting how Curly had to IMPLY that his wife was pregnant, but never explicitly says it. I guess this is something they couldn't say because it implies sex?? I know they were careful about stuff like that back then.

My Dad is the oldest of six children, born in the very early 1950's (my grandparents were Catholics with no rhythm).  He has no memories of my grandmother not being pregnant until he was 11, and her pregnant condition was always considered, "that way."

[hiramhorwitz]

Lorna Gray puts on a fabulous performance here. It's hard to believe that she was the same actress who played Mattie Herring in YOU NAZTY SPY. I did not know that until I checked the filmography just now.

One of the few surviving actors from the Curly era!  Here's a snapshot of her from Spring 2011, when she last appeared at the annual Three Stooges Meeting in Fort Washington, PA.

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

The wrapped food were tamales.  I didn't figure that out either until I moved out of New England.

[Larrys#1]

My Dad is the oldest of six children, born in the very early 1950's (my grandparents were Catholics with no rhythm).  He has no memories of my grandmother not being pregnant until he was 11, and her pregnant condition was always considered, "that way."

I didn't even read your review until now. I had no idea that you brought up the exact same thing. 

[VaudevilleFan]

Lorna Gray puts on a fabulous performance here. It's hard to believe that she was the same actress who played Mattie Herring in YOU NAZTY SPY. I did not know that until I checked the filmography just now.

The stooges start off with a great scene where they fix the switchboard. It's interesting how Curly had to IMPLY that his wife was pregnant, but never explicitly says it. I guess this is something they couldn't say because it implies sex?? I know they were careful about stuff like that back then.

The dinner scene was very good and so was the creampuff fight at the end. Though I always wondered what that wrapped food was.

10/10

I never realized he was implying his wife was pregnant.

[GreenCanaries]

The filmography says Gloria Blondell, but I've doubted this ever since her recent addition to Dave Lord Heath's "HALL OF FAME" at Another Nice Mess.

http://www.threestooges.net/cast/actor/4075
http://www.lordheath.com/index.php?p=1_334_Gloria-Blondell

Now that I think about it more, I'm 100% sure she (and as such, the girl in Andy Clyde's HOME ON THE RAGE) is actually Robin Raymond (CALLING ALL CURS)?

http://threestooges.net/cast/actor/305
http://forgottenactors.blogspot.com/2013/09/robin-raymond.html

[Shemp_Diesel]

I know there are at least a couple of fellow classic horror fans on the board.  Last night I watched the Karloff Columbia feature THE MAN THEY COULD NOT HANG, which is from 1939, the same year as THREE SAPPY PEOPLE.  Who do I see?  Lorna Gray, Ann Doran, and Don Beddoe! It was a THREE SAPPY PEOPLE get together.  Throw in Dick Curtis and John Tyrell, and I don't think I've ever seen so many Stooge supporting players in the same non Columbia short.  Definitely a film worth checking out.

I know I'm more than a bit late to the party with this reply, but I just recently got the "Boris Karloff: Icons of Horror" collection & you're right about The Man They Could Not Hang--it almost felt like a stooge co-star reunion party. Not only all the names you mentioned, but--unless my eyes deceived me--I think I spotted Joe Palma as a cab driver as well.

And on a further unrelated note, I enjoyed the hell out of Karloff and Peter Lorre in The Boogie Man Will Get You.... 

[Dr. Mabuse]

"The men you want are Doctors Ziller, Zeller and Zoller."

One of the best Stooge two-reelers directed by Jules White. "Three Sappy People" is a well-oiled slapstick machine with a terrific supporting cast (kudos to Lorna Gray, Don Beddoe and Ann Doran), classy production values and some hilarious set pieces.  A rare short in which the Stooges do not appear in the final shot.

9/10

[metaldams]

"The men you want are Doctors Ziller, Zeller and Zoller."

One of the best Stooge two-reelers directed by Jules White. "Three Sappy People" is a well-oiled slapstick machine with a terrific supporting cast (kudos to Lorna Gray, Don Beddoe and Ann Doran), classy production values and some hilarious set pieces.  A rare short in which the Stooges do not appear in the final shot.

9/10

Good point about the final shot.  PUNCHY COWPUNCHERS is the only other one that instantly comes to mind, but there may be others I’m forgetting.

[Dr. Mabuse]

The other shorts that come to mind are "Half Shot Shooters," "False Alarms," "Mutts to You" and "You Nazty Spy!"

[metaldams]

The other shorts that come to mind are "Half Shot Shooters," "False Alarms," "Mutts to You" and "You Nazty Spy!"

You’re right, but I think what was left of them was in the last shot of HALF SHOT SHOOTERS - it just wasn’t much.

[Samurai]

I enjoyed this one as a youngster, and I enjoy it even more as an oldster. The two primary women almost steal the show, but not completely. Curly, is a man(ic) on a mission, at his Ritalin-free best throughout. There are so many memorable moments, but Curly and Ann Doran (as a terrific snobess) have always provided the longest lasting ones. (I've always wondered if Curly shaving Ann's face was in the script... as her reaction of utter surprise seemed very genuine...she even suppressed a smile/laugh).

Anytime the boys have a seat at the grownup table, mayhem shall ensue, and the well-heeled shall devolve.

P.S. Once again, my two Beatrice theory proves correct. If they are both cast, no matter how small the part, the short will be gold!

[Umbday]

Any film where the boys mix it up with polite society automatically raises my rating by a few notches. And so, this one is possibly my favorite of the Jules White-directed shorts — or pretty near. I’m of sufficient vintage that I began collecting the Stooge shorts when they were available on Super 8 film, and Sappy People was one of the earliest ones I bought.

Yes, I’m fairly sure that Ann Doran’s reaction to Curly’s razor was spontaneous. She was legit, and I’ve often gotten the sense that she improvised a lot of her on-set business in Sappy People. Even the timing when she delivers her declaration about the king feels ad-libbed.

Finally, there’s Lorna Gray — who I was fortunate to sort-of rub shoulders with at one of the early conventions of the Buster Keaton Society (the Damfinos), in either 1995 or 96. Her main connection to Keaton was her appearance as leading lady in Pest from the West — the first and probably best of the shorts that Buster made at Columbia. In the more recent years, Lorna was known as Adrian Booth, and she had sort of a grand-dame presence at the convention — where she mostly hung with Eleanor Keaton. I always liked Lorna in Sappy People, and for my tastes she looks particularly smashing in Nazty Spy.

[Daddy Dewdrop]

We're now in the portion of my Stooge short countdown where each one I consider a classic.  I rank this one at #28 overall.