Topic: Rhythm and Weep (1946)

[Woe-ee-Woe-Woe80]

Nice to see some people who enjoy this short, I've thought Curly looked healthier and more energetic in this short than he did in most of the episodes of this time period (especially compared to Monkey Businessmen, Three Loan Wolves and Half Wits Holiday), I especially loved Nita Bieber as Wilda, I used to have a crush on her when I've first seen this short and had wished she appeared in more episodes, My favorite scenes are Curly and Larry accidentally whacking Moe in the face with the instruments, the paint falling in Curly's saxophone and it landing on Moe & Larry, Curly's "die-just" scene and Mr. Walsh turning out to be a mental patient, I do find some of the musical scores dragging on a bit too long but I still liked the episode, overall I give it a 7/10, not one of the best of the Curly shorts but definitely not one of the worst.

[Dr. Mabuse]

Apart from being Curly's last complete performance, "Rhythm and Weep" also marks the iconic Stooge's final wholehearted "woo-woo-woo" and "swing it!" Despite a lackluster ending, this offbeat short remains director Jules White's best 1946 outing. Inferior to "Gents Without Cents," but a mostly enjoyable change of pace.

7/10

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

Five years have gone by ( unbelievably ) and no one has rebutted my claim that Curly could not possibly have been so devastatingly sick as to not been able to find his own mouth with the pills, and that the scripted gag was for Moe to throw the pills into his mouth exactly as it appears on screen.   No one has produced any original script where Curly gives himself pills, which wouldn't have made any comedic sense anyway, so until a script is submitted that proves otherwise,  I believe that the scene was shot as scripted, with Moe flinging pills in Curly's mouth, especially since it seems to me that Curly was in no way incapacitated to that extent, compared to his performance in the rest if the film.  He's slower, yes, and his voice is different, yes,  but to be too spastic to find his own mouth with pills, no,

[metaldams]

Five years have gone by ( unbelievably ) and no one has rebutted my claim that Curly could not possibly have been so devastatingly sick as to not been able to find his own mouth with the pills, and that the original gag was for Moe to throw the pills into his mouth exactly as it appears on screen.   No one has produced any original script where Curly gives himself pills, which wouldn't have made any comedic sense anyway, so until a script is submitted that proves otherwise,  I believe that the scene was shot as scripted, with Moe flinging pills in Curly's mouth, especially since it seems to me that Curly was in no way incapacitated during the rest of the film to the extent as is claimed in this scene.

It’s been years, so I’m probably sketchy on the details, but I think a relative was on the set and made this claim about Curly.  I think this was mentioned in either Curly or Moe’s biographies, but I haven’t read those in 15 - 20 years - my memory is possibly as faulty as the person who told the story.  I’ll have to dig out the books.

That said, the story may or may not be true and Moe flinging pills into Curly’s mouth indeed plays out funnier and makes more sense.

[metaldams]

Just checked Wikipedia, and in quotes.

“He was having trouble with his coordination.  He was supposed to pop pills into his mouth during the (doctor’s office) scene, but the scene was switched to Moe putting the pills into Curly’s mouth because of Curly’s physical problems.”  - Norman Maurer


....and I agree, seeing a script would be great.

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

Watch the scene.  It speaks for itself.  Hi, Metal, I've got a new rig and I think I'm back.  Maybe. 

[metaldams]

Watch the scene.  It speaks for itself.  Hi, Metal, I've got a new rig and I think I'm back.  Maybe.

Hopefully whatever it was is fixed and you can post regularly again.  Your commentary and questioning things such as this is missed.

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

Thanks, happy to be here.  Look at the rest of this short:  From the rest of the 18 minutes, there was no evidence of Curly  being too infirm to pop some pills in his mouth.  Indeed, it would have been less difficult for him to pop pills in his own mouth than to have Moe pop the pills into his mouth.. I mean, just watch it:  It's a well-rehearsed, smooth-as-silk schtick.  No debility there at all.

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

I've got all the books, and that story is in none of them.

[Daddy Dewdrop]

Never cared much for "the Stooges put on a show" type shorts, and this is no exception.  A few laughs, but not nearly enough to rank with Curly's classics.

#123. Rhythm And Weep