Topic: Dizzy Detectives (1943)

[metaldams]

http://www.threestooges.net/filmography/episode/68
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035813/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

It's funny, but once in a while, I just run into a short where I really don't have all that much to say about.  This would be one of them.

Overall, it is an enjoyable short.  The first three and a half minutes is from PARDON MY SCOTCH, an early example of stock footage, a practice that will appear a lot later on.  Hey it's really funny footage, but I've seen it before.  I do enjoy the footage shortly after, as Curly and Larry are bouncing Moe around like a pinball with their stomach and knee, respectively.  Think about how ludicrous of a concept that is, which makes it funny.  Then to have another grown man walk in on seeing these three guys participate in such tomfoolery is priceless.

Another funny bit is when the boys are fighting the gangsters and Curly knocks out Larry.  If possible, keep your focus off Curly and check out Larry.  The still, glazed expression he manages to hold while Curly does his thing is awesome.  With Larry, it's all about the subtle little things, and I never noticed Larry before in this scene until this viewing.

As far as the rest of the short goes, the plot is nothing to write home about, but it gives the boys an excuse to do Stooge like things as cops in a warehouse with a gorilla.  The guillotine scene and hat on the foot gag are all classics, and this short to me is just an assortment of fun little moments.  Not a classic, but a good short that's fun to watch.

7/10

[Shemp_Diesel]

I always thought that this short fell into the good category as well. This is not the first time Jules White pirated some footage from an earlier short, but it's probably the most extensive use of old footage.

I like when the detective walks in on the stooges and the boys immediately begin to profess their innocence before Larry and Curly try to throw Moe under the bus. The thing with the nuts Curly was eating; were those walnuts? At any rate, I always wondered what those shells were made out of for Curly to have to put them in his mouth and have to pretend to eat them (maybe he spit them out before he had to actually swallow them)...

Some other highlights were, of course, when Curly thinks he cut off his head and something that happens before that--when the hat falls on Curly's foot and he keeps raising his foot before shooting himself.

Overall, I give it a 7 out of 10....

[Shemp_Diesel]

Oh, almost forgot to add, this short was remade twice with Joe Besser and his straightman Jim Hawthorne for those of you interested in that sort of thing...

[Paul Pain]

After THEY STOOGE TO CONGA, few shorts will seem that good.  However, this one is still par for the course.  This is kind of what is expected for a short.  Plenty of funny gags in this one, with my favorite being Curly flopping on the floor and flailing when Moe whistles for him to come over.  I'd say it's 7/10.  OK, maybe that's above par when adding in all the stinkers from the late-Shemp and Besser years.

The thing with the nuts Curly was eating; were those walnuts? At any rate, I always wondered what those shells were made out of for Curly to have to put them in his mouth and have to pretend to eat them (maybe he spit them out before he had to actually swallow them)...

Yes, those are definitely walnuts.  Now what Curly actually ate is up for questioning.  Bud got completely abused in his two minutes of screen time.  Speaking of that scene, this probably was John Tyrrell's best role in a Stooge short.

Nice short that's an amalgamation of Stooge-ism put together to make one long coherent plot.

Edit: changed rating

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

We're ignoring the elephant in the room.  Is that a fart or not?  I say yes.

[metaldams]

We're ignoring the elephant in the room.  Is that a fart or not?  I say yes.

I've heard about this before, but never actually heard it before.  Where is the fart in DIZZY DETECTIVES located?

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

Towards the end, during the fight.  Curly runs up to Larry and the thug.  You have to turn up the sound, but not much...it's pretty much right there, high-pitched, kind of a two-cheek squeak.  I'm not much into fart humor, but I must admit that, by golly, there it is.  It's impossible, however, to determine who the culprit is.

[Paul Pain]

Towards the end, during the fight.  Curly runs up to Larry and the thug.  You have to turn up the sound, but not much...it's pretty much right there, high-pitched, kind of a two-cheek squeak.  I'm not much into fart humor, but I must admit that, by golly, there it is.  It's impossible, however, to determine who the culprit is.

Could have been a shoe... I hope...

[metaldams]

OK, I watched the part, I heard the noise.  The romantic in me would like to think it's a fart, but I'm going to have to go with the Paul Payne shoe theory.  My reasoning is it's a noisy scene to begin with, so the idea of a shoe squeak standing out amongst all the noise sounds much more believable than a fart.  But hey, I could be wrong.

[Shemp_Diesel]

This could be the fart noise that shook up the world; not quite, but I'm getting a kick out of this discussion regardless. 


"There's something rotten in Denmark."

"Oh boy, we're going to Denmark."
 

[JazzBill]

I like the short but it's not in my favorites list. I can't believe a bunch of grown men are turning up speaker volume and listening for fart noises. (me included). But then again why not? We're Stooge fans. I hear it and don't think it's a fart. Curly still seems to be in top form. Fart or no fart I still rate it a 7 1/2.

[ThumpTheShoes]

Hee hee hee!! While chuckling and shaking my head at it.. Sounds legit doesn't it?

Curly approaching the camera trails off with an L-cut-- his audio continues while the picture cuts to the next shot. I think the noise was him blowing a kinda raspberry right at the camera at the very last second before the call of "Cut!".

But the wayyyy it's cut? It sounds like..

Hee hee heeeee!!!   

[Shemp_Diesel]

I wonder if there are any shorts in the future that have strange noises in them--none that I can think of off the top of my head...


 

[Paul Pain]

As a cat owner, I love how every time Curly steps/rocks on the cats tail, he thinks a woman is screaming.

This could be the fart noise that shook up the world; not quite, but I'm getting a kick out of this discussion regardless. 


"There's something rotten in Denmark."

"Oh boy, were going to Denmark."
 

OK, I do love that line.  Though I think Moe telling Curly he's "all wet" is better.

Besides, farts aren't squeaky like that.  When they are, their usually only audible to the farter and maybe someone two feet away.  This is a disgusting conversation.

[Kopfy2013]

First of all it is a fart.... At least in my opinion.

I like this short, a lot.  It has stooge stuff in it.

Great one-liners. "I'll lead the way go ahead".... "Don't be scared just run" ... "That woman is a dummy like you" ... "Remember  my big toe? " snaps his fingers...
Curly was great so many times.... The walnuts; the cat; the guillotine; shooting his foot, he fight.

I give it a 9.

[stoogerascalfan62]

Where is Vernon in this short? Aren't you thinking of Bud Jamison?

[Paul Pain]

Where is Vernon in this short? Aren't you thinking of Bud Jamison?

Yes, I have edited my post accordingly.

[Paul Pain]

Warning: this topic has not been posted in for at least 120 days.
Unless you're sure you want to reply, please consider starting a new topic.

So it's been 831 days.  Sue me.

Fortunately, 'FRAIDY CAT has no fart debates.

[Woe-ee-Woe-Woe80]

Despite the first few minutes being recycled footage from "Pardon My Scotch" (which was never one of my favorites) I've always liked this short a lot and I'm glad I've seen this Stooge short before I've seen "Pardon My Scotch", I have fond memories of watching this short, my favorite scenes was when Mr. Dill was going off on the Police Chief, Curly's head getting stuck in a guillotine along with Moe & Larry's reactions to thinking Curly's head was cut off! The Stooges fighting the bad guys, the ending scene where the boys capture the gorilla, Curly sitting on a rocking chair and the cat screaming when the chair lands on its tail! I do have a soft spot for this episode and I give it a 9/10.

[Larrys#1]

This one is interesting because of the stock footage being reused. I understand they did it with "Beer Barrel Polecats" to help give Curly some resting period for his health. And then it becomes a major practice with the Shemp episodes due to budget cuts. But what's the reason here? It does not fit into the storyline in any way, shape or form. The stooges do construction work (all of which is stock footage) and then the new footage comes in, then the stooges join the police force. What's up with that? At least when they were reusing stock footage later on, at least they found some way to make it fit into the storyline. Here, it doesn't. It's almost as if they filmed the short and didn't fulfill their 18 minute quota, so they decided to add some random stock footage just to help the short reach its desired length time. Just my guess.

But enough with the over-analyzing of things and let me get onto my review. This episode is very good and I always liked this one. Curly does a great job with being a cowardly cop and he always cracked me up with his bit where he is rocking on the rocking chair. And I always enjoyed the scene with him cracking the walnuts. Hard to believe Curly starts declining in health a few years afterwards because he gives a hell of a performance here.

Not a perfect short (mainly due to the unnecessary use of stock footage), but a very good one.

9/10

[GreenCanaries]

This one is interesting because of the stock footage being reused. I understand they did it with "Beer Barrel Polecats" to help give Curly some resting period for his health.

Per the BEER BARREL POLECATS episode page:

The frequently told story of Curly's declining health causing a shortened production schedule and insertion of stock footage is untrue. A week prior to April 1945 production, comedian Harold Lloyd sued Universal Studios and Clyde Bruckman for use of his copyrighted material in one of their features. Lloyd also made it known to Columbia that he planned to file suit against them (and Bruckman) at a later date for use of his material in the Stooges' LOCO BOY MAKES GOOD (1942). Gilbert Pratt's original script for BEER BARREL POLECATS (1946) reworked scenes from Laurel & Hardy's PARDON US (1931), including a virtual word-for-word copy of the prison classroom scene. In reaction to Mr. Lloyd's lawsuit, the POLECATS script (and other shorts department scripts in pre-production) was overhauled at the last-minute. POLECATS deleted the scenes that copied from PARDON US, and stock footage from earlier Stooges comedies featuring prison-themed scenes was inserted.

[Fire_Gridley]

Best Line of the short  "I don't want to be dead, there is no future in it!".

[Dr. Mabuse]

Was the dated "Pardon My Scotch" stock footage really necessary? "Dizzy Detectives" would have worked much better without the padding. Nevertheless, it's a fun short with Curly in top form.

8/10

[metaldams]

I watched this one this past summer with my nephew and enjoyed it much more than my initial review let on.  I think when I was reviewing these Stooge shorts fatigue was setting in on some weeks.  Agree that the PARDON MY SCOTCH footage was not necessary.

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

In re: The legitimately asked question Are there any other "odd" noises in any other classic comedies:

    Go to the L & H section of this site, to Perfect Day.  In the early going, while they're re-packing the sandwiches, Stan slides down against the wall and lets out a blast that dwarfs Curly's in Dizzy Detectives.  I repeat, I am not particularly a fan of fart humor, but damn, this is a big'un.  Sorry, I'll show myself out.