Topic: Higher Than a Kite (1943)

[metaldams]

http://www.threestooges.net/filmography/episode/72
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036000/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

      The first short actually filmed in 1943, and I suppose this would constitute a new season, as the previous short was shot several months before this.  We're back into WWII mode, and it's a great short.  I've always liked this short, but never quite realized how good it is until now.  I like it when that happens!

      There are really two parts to this short, the first being the boys as mechanics and the latter being the confrontation with the Nazis.  The bit where they end up inside the bomb is a great way to link the two parts together.

      The part as mechanics is no BS classic Stooges with tools fun.  It's Stoogery in its most primal form.  It gives us a rare chance to see Duke York in a non monster role, but the slapstick is the star here.  One hilarious bit is Moe gets black soot on his face and around his eyes it makes it look like he has a burglar's mask on.  Curly sees Moe like this and thinks it's a burglar until Moe pokes him in the eye.  It's a nice subtle piece of character building as it shows it's the eye poke more so than the appearance that serves as a signifier of Moe to Curly.

      The part with Moe's head in the pipe is the absolute highlight.  The camera close ups of Moe inside the pipe are hysterical, and it's funny watching Larry and Curly trying to reason their way through various methods to get Moe's head out.  Poor Moe.  Oh, and a random observation, Larry's hair is epic in this short.  Seriously, check out that balding frizzle top!

      The Nazi stuff is a continuation of BACK FROM THE FRONT in the sense that it completely makes buffoons out of the Nazis again.  Soldiers in Nazi underwear, Vernon on the scooter, Dick Curtis like a Pavlov's dog zeig heiling the picture of Hitler on Curly's backside, again, no pretense this is what Germans are really like, just a bit of fun escapism from an awful situation like WWII.  Look, I'll take this tomfoolery over something like Abbott and Costello's KEEP 'EM FLYING any day, the latter which at times seems like a recruitment film.

10/10

[Paul Pain]

Another propaganda classic: the fourth of a set of five including YOU NAZTY SPY, I'LL NEVER HEIL AGAIN, BACK FROM THE FRONT, and NO DOUGH BOYS.  Metaldams has highlighted all but the greatest part of this short: Larry as the homely Moronika trying to seduce Vernon Dent.  Curly plays chess with the war maps, leading to a glove slap fest and demotions that, as always, leave Curly as the odd man out. 

[Paul Pain]

Continuing, the boys start as RAF wannabe pilots who work as army mechanics.  They destroy the car beter than the one in PARDON MY BACKFIRE.  Duke York decides to kill them for their incompetence, so they hide in a dud missile.  After an hysterical initial encounter with Nazi soldiers, the boys get into the Metaldams above Nazi description. Curly's Hitler-on-the-rear gets him an ugly dog biting his rear at the end.  How a U.S. dog was surviving in Germany I do not know.

In all, I would say Larry and Curly lead more than Moe here, but even though he gets less camera time, Larry is the star of this short.

10/10

[Kopfy2013]

Nice capsules by Metal and Payne.  To me some of Curly's scenes start to show his sickness .... An early scene his face is a little puffed ... Another scene has him dragging. Also do you notice while in bomb he mouths Larry's line?

I was going to give it a solid 7 but Twirps got 7 ... Even though it was a barely 7 ... Still a 7. I bump this to an 8. 

[Shemp_Diesel]

The thing I've always wondered about this short--what exactly is a "sawdust frankfurter?"....

[metaldams]

To me some of Curly's scenes start to show his sickness ....

This in a sense falls into what I was saying about the time elapsed from the last short.  HIGHER THAN A KITE starts the new run of filming in February 1943 while THREE LITTLE TWIRPS was shot six month earlier.  It is around this time that Curly's voice gets deeper in parts and his face looks a little older, but it's more subtle and I think we fans, myself included, over analyze this about Curly because we know what's coming.  Perhaps this was just natural aging? IF A BODY MEETS A BODY is when there's no avoiding Curly's illness.

[metaldams]

The thing I've always wondered about this short--what exactly is a "sawdust frankfurter?"....

A hotdog you get at the circus, I guess?

[metaldams]

Another propaganda classic: the fourth of a set of five including YOU NAZTY SPY, I'LL NEVER HEIL AGAIN, BACK FROM THE FRONT, and NO DOUGH BOYS.  Metaldams has highlighted all but the greatest part of this short: Larry as the homely Moronika trying to seduce Vernon Dent.

Oh, I'd definitely throw THE YOKE'S ON ME in the mix, unless if the word "classic" is also a qualifier.

You're right, I certainly should have mentioned Larry as Moronika, a funny performance.  How dare you hit a lady!  I mean, geez, this site is named Moronika!

[Paul Pain]

This in a sense falls into what I was saying about the time elapsed from the last short.  HIGHER THAN A KITE starts the new run of filming in February 1943 while THREE LITTLE TWIRPS was shot six month earlier.  It is around this time that Curly's voice gets deeper in parts and his face looks a little older, but it's more subtle and I think we fans, myself included, over analyze this about Curly because we know what's coming.  Perhaps this was just natural aging? IF A BODY MEETS A BODY is when there's no avoiding Curly's illness.

Agreed.  He was already 40 years old when this was made!

Oh, I'd definitely throw THE YOKE'S ON ME in the mix, unless if the word "classic" is also a qualifier.

You're right, I certainly should have mentioned Larry as Moronika, a funny performance.  How dare you hit a lady!  I mean, geez, this site is named Moronika!

THE YOKE'S ON ME was racism, not propaganda.  There's a difference.  Imagine making a comedy with stupid actors pretending to act like Al Qaeda people and acting like idiots.  Now imagine people just saying all Muslims and Arabs are stupid.  See?

[JazzBill]

This short falls into my top 10 for sure. the beginning scene in the garage is Stooges at their best. Moe getting his head in the pipe and the effort to free him are classic. The second half is very funny also, even with the terrible German accent of Dick Curtis. I didn't notice any change in Curly, he seemed fine to me. I rate this short a 9 1/2.

[metaldams]

THE YOKE'S ON ME was racism, not propaganda.  There's a difference.  Imagine making a comedy with stupid actors pretending to act like Al Qaeda people and acting like idiots.  Now imagine people just saying all Muslims and Arabs are stupid.  See?

Personally, I see, you see, and so do all other intelligent people.  Unfortunately, this world is not made up of all intelligent people.  Let's just say there are people I know very well who don't see the difference between Al Qaeda and all Muslims or simple Japanese citizens of the WWII era vs. the Japanese government of the era.  Racism is a tool for propaganda and is used to cater to these people.

[JazzBill]

  It is around this time that Curly's voice gets deeper in parts and his face looks a little older, but it's more subtle and I think we fans, myself included, over analyze this about Curly because we know what's coming.  Perhaps this was just natural aging?

That's what I felt too, he was just starting to show his age. Look at some famous singers, they can't hit the high notes they used to hit in their younger days. His timing was still spot on in this short. This should be interesting to find out when other people start to notice the decline of Curly.

[ThumpTheShoes]

That's what I felt too, he was just starting to show his age. Look at some famous singers, they can't hit the high notes they used to hit in their younger days. His timing was still spot on in this short. This should be interesting to find out when other people start to notice the decline of Curly.

Curly also enjoyed cigars. They do wonders to ravage a person's voice.

[Paul Pain]

Personally, I see, you see, and so do all other intelligent people.  Unfortunately, this world is not made up of all intelligent people.  Let's just say there are people I know very well who don't see the difference between Al Qaeda and all Muslims or simple Japanese citizens of the WWII era vs. the Japanese government of the era.  Racism is a tool for propaganda and is used to cater to these people.

Don't trust me.  I'm a Washington Redskins fan. 

This in a sense falls into what I was saying about the time elapsed from the last short.  HIGHER THAN A KITE starts the new run of filming in February 1943 while THREE LITTLE TWIRPS was shot six month earlier.  It is around this time that Curly's voice gets deeper in parts and his face looks a little older, but it's more subtle and I think we fans, myself included, over analyze this about Curly because we know what's coming.  Perhaps this was just natural aging? IF A BODY MEETS A BODY is when there's no avoiding Curly's illness.

I am aware I already commented on this, but to add more I think the "Sick Curly" era begins with IDLE ROOMERS.  The rest of the shorts he seems slow in before that can be attributed to the part he was given, like A GEM OF A JAM, which was almost a bottle show.

[Paul Pain]

In case it's not obvious I am racing to get to the "100 post" milestone.

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

I mentioned this a while back, but here's another example of Moe's violence to the other two being more or less justified, in that they've almost killed him.

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

Paul Payne:  Bottle show?

[metaldams]

Don't trust me.  I'm a Washington Redskins fan. 

I am aware I already commented on this, but to add more I think the "Sick Curly" era begins with IDLE ROOMERS.  The rest of the shorts he seems slow in before that can be attributed to the part he was given, like A GEM OF A JAM, which was almost a bottle show.

I'll have to look for that, but being IDLE ROOMERS is Ms. McIntyre's debut, you'd think he'd be cured of all his ills! 

That said, IDLE ROOMERS was shot 11/17 - 11/20 1943.  BUSY BUDDIES and THE YOKE'S ON ME were also shot earlier in November of 1943 and CRASH GOES THE HASH 10/11 - 10/13.  All very close to each other.

Somebody correct me, as I can't find it anywhere in the database, so I may be wrong, but I thought I read somewhere that Shemp filled in for Curly in stage performances as early as 1942.  Am I dreaming things or did that actually happen?

[JWF]

One thing I found unusual in this short was the fact that Larry was the one who dressed up as a woman.  That task always seemed to always fall to Curly.

And what was US Marines bull dog doing behind Nazi lines, anyway??

[Paul Pain]

Paul Payne:  Bottle show?

A show shot using only pre-existing materials.  No new sets are constructed.

[Paul Pain]

I'll have to look for that, but being IDLE ROOMERS is Ms. McIntyre's debut, you'd think he'd be cured of all his ills! 

That said, IDLE ROOMERS was shot 11/17 - 11/20 1943.  BUSY BUDDIES and THE YOKE'S ON ME were also shot earlier in November of 1943 and CRASH GOES THE HASH 10/11 - 10/13.  All very close to each other.

Somebody correct me, as I can't find it anywhere in the database, so I may be wrong, but I thought I read somewhere that Shemp filled in for Curly in stage performances as early as 1942.  Am I dreaming things or did that actually happen?

This is true.  But somewhere in there he just slowed down, and IDLE ROOMERS is the end of a relatively long period of activity.  Shemp regularly filled in for Curly, as you said.  The next short, GENTS WITHOUT CENTS, definitely has a much slower Curly, although his voice is still OK (aside from the age deepening effects described earlier in this thread).

[metaldams]

This is true.  But somewhere in there he just slowed down, and IDLE ROOMERS is the end of a relatively long period of activity.  Shemp regularly filled in for Curly, as you said.  The next short, GENTS WITHOUT CENTS, definitely has a much slower Curly, although his voice is still OK (aside from the age deepening effects described earlier in this thread).

I can tell winding up this Curly discussion is going to be depressing.  Unavoidable, I guess.

You do make a good point about IDLE ROOMERS coming towards the end of a heavy shooting schedule.  That said, in my opinion, anyway, up until IF A BODY MEETS A BODY, no matter Curly's condition, I never felt he didn't belong in front of the camera.  He was still funny, which is ultimately the most important thing.  It's those last dozen shorts or so where it gets REAL hard for me to watch, and even then, once in a while he'll still be good.

HIGHER THAN A KITE Curly, I hope we can all agree, is not depressing at all.

[Shemp_Diesel]

Hmmm.... as far as the coming decline of Curly, I don't know where the exact tipping point begins & the forum members here have brought up a point I had not thought of before--as far as the change in Curly being due to age & not so much his health.

I know in upcoming shorts, there is Crash Goes the Hash, where Curly slips into a deep voice when he whispers to Larry. I also thought The Yokes on Me showed a slightly different Curly, not so much ill, just a change in voice--although the energy is still there as proven by Curly's fandance in that short.

Still, I would say the most noticeable change might be Idiots Deluxe, then of course there's If A Body Meets a Body where's there's no denying Curly is not his old self.

Yep, there's going to be some interesting & maybe slightly depressing discussion coming up in the next several weeks....

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

Thanks, Paul Payne, for the definition of Bottle Show.  I've never heard that term before.

[Paul Pain]

I think what makes the "Sick Curly" years so saddening is that he was so ill that in many cases, like IF A BODY MEETS A BODY, you can tell the short would actually be quite good if he hadn't been so ill.  The "Sick Shemp" years, however, are somewhat ignored because most of the shorts before Shemp's death were crapheap remakes of previous shorts.  IF A BODY MEETS A BODY, however, starts a row of gut-wrenching shorts.

That's that, however.  Let's go with metaldams suggestion and still revel in this "Healthy Curly" short!

As I mentioned last week, if you really think about it, Duke York isn't THAT big.  He's just big compared to most of the regular Stooge cast (including Vernon, Bud, and Stanley).