Dizzy Pilots (1943)

metaldams · **on:** September 19, 2014, 11:36:14 AM

http://www.threestooges.net/filmography/episode/74
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035814/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Another WWII short......kind of, sort of. If you notice the letter the boys receive about their military deferment for one month to give them time to work on their plane, it is from The Republic of Canabeer, not the U.S. Government. This I believe goes back to PresidentWardRobey's theory about the dream sequence in I CAN HARDLY WAIT and for what we know as fact concerning some naval scene in Abbott and Costello's IN THE NAVY. If you're going to make the armed forces, war effort, or government look comical, make sure it's some way divorced from reality or in this case, blatantly stating it's not the United States. Governments in general tend not to have a sense of humor about themselves, but enough of my political observations.

Anyway, for the most part this is a typical cartoonish Jules White short, and in this case I view it as a good thing. The image of Moe in the gas inflated burning rubber floating in the air to me is one of the all time great Stooge visuals. I don't have too much else to say about the actual comedy other than I find it to be well paced and satisfying. I'll give props to Larry's going steady line, a rare homosexual reference in a 1940's film. Innocent by today's standards, of course.

I will show some disappointment with the use of stock footage from BOOBS IN ARMS. The ending itself felt slapped together. If you click on the link above to the threestooges.net page on this short, you will see a photo of Judy Malcolm and the never to be seen in a Stooge short Sethma Williams pictured with the boys and listed as being in a deleted scene. I can't help but wonder if their scene was shot and deleted in place of the stock footage? Who knows, I can come up with a million conspiracy theories, but I have no facts on the issue to back anything up.

8/10

metaldams · **Reply #1 on:** September 19, 2014, 11:57:34 AM

Random nerd note: This short was shot one week after the next released short PHONY EXPRESS. Usually shorts are released in order they are filmed, but not always.

Shemp_Diesel · **Reply #2 on:** September 19, 2014, 12:06:05 PM

A lot of good/great stuff in this one--"Vice, I have no vice. I'm as pure as the driven snow." And Curly makes use again of his great line about not hitting him in the head (you know I'm not normal).

As Metal mentioned, Moe's helium fat suit is one of the all time great visuals. Another great exchange is Curly correcting Moe's English and of course, the saw treatment he gets afterwards. All of the scenes in the plane are great, which makes it sort of a major buzzkill that Jules White and his apparent "stock footage fetish" rears its ugly in the closing minutes of this short.

Of course, we all know that this is far from the last time Jules and his cost cutting measures will affect the stooges--but it definitely brings the grade down somewhat on an otherwise excellent short.

8.5 pokes....

Paul Pain · **Reply #3 on:** September 19, 2014, 07:52:47 PM

Jules took and his asinine skinflint attitude took what could have been one of the best shorts of the 40s and turned it into a 8/10 instead of a 10/10 by including one of the 2 or 3 all-time worst scenes (I blasted this scene on the BOOBS IN ARMS page already). I hate that scene in the same way I hate the Eagles: praised for what it doesn't do.

DIZZY PILOTS' original scenes are a fine example of what could be done when the boys were at their best. Moe as a helium balloon is excellent, but it is bettered by Larry and Curly's futile efforts to save him. Moe's punishments were well-deserved. Even the plane flying scenes are well done.

As for the homosexuality reference: I love it. Who else to deliver it other than Larry, the ever-flaky stooge. I personally have no problem with any jokes so long as they are obviously not meant to offend (e.g. All in the Family). I myself am Italian in Florida, and if I ever am a comedian you can be sure I will call myself a wop and some other things too.

Big Chief Apumtagribonitz · **Reply #4 on:** September 19, 2014, 08:51:52 PM

Here's another of the shorts where Moe is JUSTIFIABLY mad at the other two, another where they damn near kill him. And not painlessly, either: he gets the living Hell kicked out of him in this one, maybe worse than any other episode. Here, use a SHOTGUN! They hit him, too. Not to mention Curly trying to saw his arm off over a grammatical error. I don't agree with Paul Payne that Moe deserves this: nobody deserves this to begin with, and that the other two just keep making things worse, however accidentally, is what's great about this one, which is a favorite of mine.

Paul Pain · **Reply #5 on:** September 20, 2014, 03:53:20 AM

Quote from: Big Chief Apumtagribonitz on September 19, 2014, 08:51:52 PM

Here's another of the shorts where Moe is JUSTIFIABLY mad at the other two, another where they damn near kill him. And not painlessly, either: he gets the living Hell kicked out of him in this one, maybe worse than any other episode. Here, use a SHOTGUN! They hit him, too. Not to mention Curly trying to saw his arm off over a grammatical error. I don't agree with Paul Payne that Moe deserves this: nobody deserves this to begin with, and that the other two just keep making things worse, however accidentally, is what's great about this one, which is a favorite of mine.

I can see how I was misleading, but if you look on other pages you will see that I always use "Moe's punishments" to refer to Moe beating the crap out of the other two.

Big Chief Apumtagribonitz · **Reply #6 on:** September 20, 2014, 11:21:27 AM

O K, I re-read your post with that explanation, and it turns out we're on exactly the same page.

Paul Pain · **Reply #7 on:** September 20, 2014, 01:23:20 PM

No one has mentioned it, but this was, through stock footage, the last Stooge shorts for both Richard Fiske (who sadly died in WWII) and Charles Dorety.

metaldams · **Reply #8 on:** September 20, 2014, 01:50:26 PM

Quote from: PaulPayne on September 20, 2014, 01:23:20 PM

No one has mentioned it, but this was, through stock footage, the last Stooge shorts for both Richard Fiske (who sadly died in WWII) and Charles Dorety.

Richard Fiske's last actual footage is IN THE SWEET PIE AND PIE, but you're right, it's his last short. Also Harry Semels's last short, who died three years later and also lost a son in the war. I liked him best in WEE WEE MONSIEUR.

Shemp_Diesel · **Reply #9 on:** September 20, 2014, 02:13:59 PM

I had no idea this was Harry Semel's last short--I guess you do learn something new everyday. Whenever I think of Harry, it's always as Swinehart from Movie Maniacs...

Shemp_Diesel · **Reply #10 on:** September 20, 2014, 02:16:06 PM

Btw, if we're counting stock footage as an actual appearance, does that mean that Vernon Dent's last short is Guns-a-Poppin'... just asking?

metaldams · **Reply #11 on:** September 20, 2014, 02:43:50 PM

Quote from: Shemp_Diesel on September 20, 2014, 02:16:06 PM

Btw, if we're counting stock footage as an actual appearance, does that mean that Vernon Dent's last short is Guns-a-Poppin'... just asking?

That would be his last short.....but not his last performance, natch. I love pondering deep philosophical questions like this.

metaldams · **Reply #12 on:** September 20, 2014, 02:44:23 PM

Quote from: Shemp_Diesel on September 20, 2014, 02:13:59 PM

I had no idea this was Harry Semel's last short--I guess you do learn something new everyday. Whenever I think of Harry, it's always as Swinehart from Movie Maniacs...

Oh yeah, that's a great role too!

Paul Pain · **Reply #13 on:** September 20, 2014, 07:56:12 PM

Lots of final roles here, it seems.

Quote from: metaldams on September 20, 2014, 02:43:50 PM

That would be his last short.....but not his last performance, natch. I love pondering deep philosophical questions like this.

Last short I think differs from appearance. Vernon's last appearance was KNUTZY KNIGHTS, but he was in many stock footage specials, particularly the Fake Shemp shorts (which may be worse than Besser IMO).

Paul Pain · **Reply #14 on:** September 20, 2014, 07:57:10 PM

The philosophical question: what counts?

metaldams · **Reply #15 on:** September 20, 2014, 10:51:46 PM

Quote from: PaulPayne on September 20, 2014, 07:57:10 PM

The philosophical question: what counts?

It is what it is. One is a last appearance, with or without stock footage, one is last performance, meaning last thing shot in front of the camera. They both count for something.

Big Chief Apumtagribonitz · **Reply #16 on:** September 20, 2014, 11:36:44 PM

It's a rerun, and a rerun is a rerun.

Paul Pain · **Reply #17 on:** September 21, 2014, 06:56:19 AM

Quote from: metaldams on September 20, 2014, 10:51:46 PM

It is what it is. One is a last appearance, with or without stock footage, one is last performance, meaning last thing shot in front of the camera. They both count for something.

But is it an appearance? That's the deeper question. The actor does not technically "appear." At least in Vernon Dent's case all of his stock footage "appearances" came during his lifetime, but look at BOOTY AND THE BEAST: Jules White has no fear of using dead people in stock footage. But is it an appearance if the actor didn't appear? It's more like... a doppelganger.

Shemp_Diesel · **Reply #18 on:** September 21, 2014, 07:43:07 AM

It appears a big can of worms (or woims) has been opened. Damn that stock footage...

Something else from Dizzy Pilots I like--while the boys are in the plane: We got to lose some weight; what are you looking at me for?

Lefty · **Reply #19 on:** September 21, 2014, 10:34:07 AM

While we are discussing stock footage appearances, Christine McIntyre comes to mind (as I'm sure she does for just about any Stooges' fan). I believe every short she is shown in after "Of Cash and Hash" is stock footage -- definitely in "Fifi Blows Her Top," which I watched last week.

As for "Dizzy Pilots," I agree with the vast majority that this was an excellent short until the "Boobs in Arms" got involved.

JazzBill · **Reply #20 on:** September 21, 2014, 07:14:51 PM

This is another short that I like a lot. Plenty of good sight gags and a good plot that moves along nicely. The tar scene with Moe is classic. I have no problem with the stock footage in this short because it fits in nicely, not like some of the butcher jobs that will come later on. I rate tis short an 8 1/2.

metaldams · **Reply #21 on:** September 21, 2014, 07:47:51 PM

Quote from: PaulPayne on September 21, 2014, 06:56:19 AM

But is it an appearance? That's the deeper question. The actor does not technically "appear." At least in Vernon Dent's case all of his stock footage "appearances" came during his lifetime, but look at BOOTY AND THE BEAST: Jules White has no fear of using dead people in stock footage. But is it an appearance if the actor didn't appear? It's more like... a doppelganger.

The actor to me appears in stock footage, so that's the last appearance. The final short new footage was shot for is the final performance. That's my view and it doesn't run deeper than that. Other's mileage may vary.

Paul Pain · **Reply #22 on:** September 22, 2014, 05:03:22 PM

Hopefully tomorrow I can find 20 minutes to sit and watch this.

Quote from: metaldams on September 21, 2014, 07:47:51 PM

The actor to me appears in stock footage, so that's the last appearance. The final short new footage was shot for is the final performance. That's my view and it doesn't run deeper than that. Other's mileage may vary.

That's the kind of answer I wanted. You drew a thick line in the sand, which is how I like things: black and white with no grey area in between.

Paul Pain · **Reply #23 on:** September 24, 2014, 12:39:27 PM

I didn't get my 20 minutes.

Kopfy2013 · **Reply #24 on:** September 30, 2014, 04:23:33 PM

I rate this short an 8. As stated it could have been higher if they did not use stock footage. I am never a fan of stock footage but I guess we have to remember that these were shown at the theatre and many neither saw the military skit or forgot about it. As for stock footage this is a good scene that does not seem out of place ... but you do wonder why Fiske seems so angry.

One thing I notice is when Curly says 'P-Two' you can actually see spit flying into Larry's face ... I thought that was interesting ... He got some frustration out at Larry it seems.

'Moidering the King's English' ..'Going steady?' ... as mentioned some of the verbal highlights.