http://www.threestooges.net/filmography/episode/101http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039219/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1http://www.emilsitka.com/bridelessgroom1947.htmlRead Emil Sitka's diary entry about BRIDELESS GROOM in the link above
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TylQyreCIDgWatch BRIDELESS GROOM in the link above
It's BRIDELESS GROOM. Does the world really need my commentary on this one? Probably not, but the world's going to get it anyway. I mean, this short has been praised to Heaven, is available at every Walmart for $1.49, and its footage is in every documentary thanks to its public domain status. I do agree with all the praise, as I feel this short is a masterpiece.
My personal story is when I got back into The Three Stooges in my early twenties, I had a five VHS Goodtimes box set to start with, and the tape I watched the most was the one with the four public domain shorts, over, and over, and over again. Did a wonderful job of making me realize Shemp was better than I remembered as a child.
The story of this short involves Shemp needing to marry in a ridiculously short amount of time in order to inherit his dead uncle's fortune. A similar plot can be found in Buster Keaton's SEVEN CHANCES. For further commentary about this, please see the most recent issue of THE THREE STOOGES JOURNAL.
Where to start? The beginning is a good place. Shemp is giving Dee Green some singing lessons, and Ms. Green's singing is loud and out of key. Shemp's frazzled out reactions are perfect and a joy to watch. Again, words fail me, it's one of those physical things that's funny just because. Dee Green is wonderful here too, and she's making her Stooge debut. A wonderful scene, and not a bad place to introduce someone to Shemp.
I also love the phone booth scene. Watching two comics struggle in close quarters tends to be either real funny or if it goes on too long, tedious. The former happens in this short, a good example of the latter....you guys will have to actually follow my Laurel and Hardy reviews if you really want to know in the future - ha!
. Admittedly, as good as the phone booth scene is here, they do even better in SCRAMBLED BRAINS. My favorite bit here, funnily enough, is Larry biting his fingernails and spitting them on the ground. It's funny because it's so blatantly throwaway it's impossible not to love. Give the old porcupine something to do!
The scene where they are getting Shemp ready to meet Ms. Hopkins is another classic. Lots of fun little slapstick bits, my favorites being Shemp shaving himself and Shemp thinking his head is cut off. Guys, does anybody else wince watching Shemp shave himself so roughly. Not quite getting kicked in the groin level, but getting close!
Ah yes, Ms. Hopkins, Ms. McIntyre herself. One of her all time best performances, and maybe her most famous. Heck, you can buy it for $1.49 at Walmart, so it should be! But seriously, she's wonderful here. Completely high strung, a never ending barrage of kisses, dialogue, slaps, and the final punch, which Shemp in real life really had to convince her to do. Shemp's a trooper, and Christine rules. By the way, would anybody else be creeped out having a cousin act that affectionately towards you? I don't care if she looks that gorgeous, that's still family and creepy, but in the context of a Stooge short, pretty damn funny. Does anybody else find it funny that Shemp is initially confident when he's about to propose to Ms. Hopkins before getting dressed up but kind of cowers after the fact?
Finally, we have the finale where all the gold diggers get into an epic cat fight trying to get Shemp and his fortune....not necessarily in that order. The one who sticks Shemp's head in a vice, I used to have a boss who looked just like her. Monthly evaluations were more fun back then. Emil Sitka's "Hold hands you lovebirds" is how the man is most remembered, again, the magic of Walmart. Just pure, unbridled estrogen digging for gold and acting violent (the romantic in me wants to think at least one of them loved Shemp for deeper reasons....nah). It's fun watching Moe and Larry decide proper etiquette towards a woman by choosing the correct weapon to hit her with, a great example of warped Stooge logic.
Just a great short overall, and one of Shemp's all-time great performances. The first Shemp short I shall bestow a perfect score, and I'm just another in a long line of schmucks who sings this short's praises. For duty and humanity.
10/10