Has anyone noticed that the short awkwardly fades in while Moe, Larry and Curly finish harmonizing? A pity the vocal interlude was cut, since the short only runs 15 minutes.
I never had prior to today, but you are absolutely correct. That wasn't a cold opening, it was sub-zero.
I also just noticed how odd the first scene ended with Curly. After he gets the bucket of paste on his own head, he removes the bucket and nothing else happens, except a cut to some recycled circus footage. There were other less obvious moments where editing probably saved the lack of direction. Del Lord should have stood up from the Producer's couch, and into the Director's chair.
Finally:
EFFIE...EFFIE! Man, was I all wrong about her. I always '
knew' it was a man in drag with a dubbed voice, and would have bet heavily on it. I also assumed Anita Sharp-Bolster was a joke name, like Sillius Soddus or Biggus Dickus (or Mahatma Kane Jeeves). Stills from 'Saboteur' (and other IMDB shots) sealed my new reality. Just another reason I come here. We are never too old to learn...although I'm damn close.
