The short is a favorite of mine, despite its problems. It contains one of my favorite contrivances, the extended bit of business where each Stooge is called to the phone as a flimsy plot device to make sure too much yeast gets put in the beer. And it is done so casually and as nonchalantly, and it reminds me of that bit in the WB cartoon, Hare Tonic, where Elmer Fudd answers the phone for a long time (Hewwo? Hewwo!!) so Bugs can cook up his deviltry.
There's another short that features a similar, extended contrivance-- think Bortch and his filibuster, "Shuddup! Shuddup! How many times I gotta tell you to shuddup? Don't you speak Ingles?" All so that the Stooges could get their share of salami. Yeah, jumping a little ahead, there.
It is predictable, and akin to throwing a joke in your face, like a character that has to drink water after getting stabbed just to become a comedy fountain. Is it any less funny, simply because it is asinine or bizarre, than, say, a parrot that chooses to hide in a skull or a turkey as a prank?
Nonetheless, I like those bits and the occasional filler dialogue that goes with them. Think ahead again to Rip, Sew and Stitch, when they take the pants of the "dummy" and the filler dialogue from Moe, "You don't have to buy anything you don't want. Just buy what we tell ya!" Sometimes just killing time is fun!
I'm just weird, I guess, or it is just difficult for me to explain. Top marks for this one, though, for the new footage, the laid back pacing of the new footage, and to Curly, who does well in spite of his health problems.
