Topic: Sing a Song of Six Pants (1947)

[metaldams]

http://www.threestooges.net/filmography/episode/102
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039828/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=z1WfCjqqhzM

Watch SING A SONG OF SIX PANTS in the link above





      For the second week in a row, we are watching a short that is in the public domain.  I gather we have all seen this short one thousand times.  Since it's one of the four most easily available shorts over the years, I'm happy to say it's a good one, but definitely not a masterpiece like DISORDER IN THE COURT or BRIDELESS GROOM.  My overall impression of this short is that just about every part on its own works very well, but Felix Adler could have done a better job making it glue together better.  For example, the gag where Moe makes the pancakes on the ironing board and cuts them up with scissors is a perfectly fun and creative sequence on its own.  In the context of the story, this happens after the fact that the boys learn their debtors are going to repossess them of their work equipment the next day and that there is a criminal on the loose who can bring reward money.  Plenty of possible gag scenarios you can do around that, and in a fifteen minute short, there should be nothing but gags that revolve around this simple premise.  Instead, we get bits like this pancake gag that in context of the story, seem thrown in.  My other complaint is that for all the good stuff here, it's missing that sweater gag, that maze of pipes, that Elaine on the balcony....you know, that one extra special bit to make this feel more classic.

      OK, nitpicking out of the way, this is still an entertaining short.  Plenty of good gags throughout including the opening shot of the store windows.  Plenty of misspellings and grammatical errors, this is why God created the pause button.  My favorites are the way "Lary" is spelled and the word alterations is actually painted "altercations."  Leo Gorcey would be proud of the latter.  I like the little gag of Larry trying to get the stain out of the pants which turns out to be sunlight, and Shemp's fake leg gag on the ironing board is another creative little bit that may trick a first time viewer.  I've always loved the Teddy Hoosevelt and Thomas Hedison bit too, especially the way Larry delivers the latter!  For a subtle little gag, and I wonder who else caught this, there's the part where Teri Hargen complains about the Stooges stealing his bank roll from his suit.  Watching the scene before, we all know it was his girl who actually did it.  Also, an interesting character observation I want to make is that Moe acts adult here and shows real concern when he learns of the ultimatum from his debtor.  Shemp is about as carefree and childish as one can be, even later on reading the funny papers!

      One of those shorts that holds up better the less you think about it.  It's fine entertainment, especially for Stooge fans, so since imperfect Stooges is better than most other things out there, I rate this an....

8/10

PS:  Forgot to mention, great reactions from Cy Schindell as he gets the ironing board treatment!

[Shemp_Diesel]

I don't know if this short being "Public Domain" has anything to do with it, but this is the one episode I've seen more than any other. I wouldn't be exaggerating in the slightest if I was to tell you I've seen this one over a hundred times--maybe even 200. 

All that being said, I've grown a newfound appreciation of this short over the last few years--not that I ever thought it was subpar, I just didn't have it up there with the Brideless Grooms and Who Done Its? of the world. Now though, I'm here to say this is another stooge classic, keeping the little mini-roll that the Shemp era stooges were on during this time period.

Metal already covered some of the good bits, like "Lary" and "altercations"--I also loved Shemp's fake legs which really fooled me the first time I watched this short. This short has a lot of little things that add up to great laughs like "I'm sorry you stepped into me."

And, of course, there's Vernon Dent's first meaty role during the Shemp era. How can you not love "Where did you ever get this mess; I bought it here; Oh, what a beautiful messterpiece." More little things like "Who made that hat; my mother; I thought so" or Shemp not understanding what color Virginia Hunter wanted her clothes died--yellow turnips, blue cucumbers, anything...

Overall, I would say this short can only be considered disappointing if you consider the short it followed. But--even with that said--Pants rates as a first rate job in my eyes.

8.5 out of 10....

[metaldams]

I don't know if this short being "Public Domain" has anything to do with it, but this is the one episode I've seen more than any other. I wouldn't be exaggerating in the slightest if I was to tell you I've seen this one over a hundred times--maybe even 200. 

All that being said, I've grown a newfound appreciation of this short over the last few years--not that I ever thought it was subpar, I just didn't have it up there with the Brideless Grooms and Who Done Its? of the world. Now though, I'm here to say this is another stooge classic, keeping the little mini-roll that the Shemp era stooges were on during this time period.

Metal already covered some of the good bits, like "Lary" and "altercations"--I also loved Shemp's fake legs which really fooled me the first time I watched this short. This short has a lot of little things that add up to great laughs like "I'm sorry you stepped into me."

And, of course, there's Vernon Dent's first meaty role during the Shemp era. How can you not love "Where did you ever get this mess; I bought it here; Oh, what a beautiful messterpiece." More little things like "Who made that hat; my mother; I thought so" or Shemp not understanding what color Virginia Hunter wanted her clothes died--yellow turnings, blue cucumbers, anything...

Overall, I would say this short can only be considered disappointing if you consider the short it followed. But--even with that said--Pants rates as a first rate job in my eyes.

8.5 out of 10....

The "messterpiece" bit!  How can I forget to mention that one?  I use that in real life.

[Paul Pain]

Observing this short, I believe that we are supposed to believe these events take place over the course of a normal work day.  If so, why not throw in a funny bit of Moe cooking lunch on the steam press?  Is it any more relevant to the plot than the bit with the razor in the brush?  No!  But is it funny and appropriate with the theme of the boys being tailors?  Yes!

But this short does have a classic bit for me.  It wasn't even mentioned in the reviews above: Shemp vs. the ironing board.  Shemp goes through more torture in 75 seconds than he does in the entirety of some shorts.  We get to see one of his temper tantrums in full swing as well.

During the chase scene, isn't amazing how Shemp so quickly puts on that other guys beard?  And we see the debut of the "He went thatta way" that Shemp uses so often in chase scenes.

Harold Bauer gets possibly his best role with the Stooges and capitalizes all the way.  That dummy moves for you!  Cy Schindell of course is awesome.  Of course, any part played by Cy Schindell is awesome.

9/10

[metaldams]

Observing this short, I believe that we are supposed to believe these events take place over the course of a normal work day.  If so, why not throw in a funny bit of Moe cooking lunch on the steam press?  Is it any more relevant to the plot than the bit with the razor in the brush?  No!  But is it funny and appropriate with the theme of the boys being tailors?  Yes!

But this short does have a classic bit for me.  It wasn't even mentioned in the reviews above: Shemp vs. the ironing board.  Shemp goes through more torture in 75 seconds than he does in the entirety of some shorts.  We get to see one of his temper tantrums in full swing as well.

During the chase scene, isn't amazing how Shemp so quickly puts on that other guys beard?  And we see the debut of the "He went thatta way" that Shemp uses so often in chase scenes.

Harold Bauer gets possibly his best role with the Stooges and capitalizes all the way.  That dummy moves for you!  Cy Schindell of course is awesome.  Of course, any part played by Cy Schindell is awesome.

9/10

Concerning the first paragraph....fair enough.  I can't disagree with anything you said, they would probably eat lunch in spite of their situation being it is still a work day and they have to eat, and the gag is funny.  I just would have preferred a gag that deals more with the main storyline in this scenario.

As far as the Shemp ironing board gag, the sped up stunt double bit at the end always ruined it for me.  Shemp is for the most part fun to watch, but there are some hesitant barks that remind me of Curly.

Paul, I haven't forgotten about next week.  Saving the crazy revelation for you.

[Shemp_Diesel]

I remember reading somewhere--it was probably here--that the little instance of Shemp barking and slapping his face a bit ala Curly was something that Jules White forced on him, rather than Shemp doing it on his own.

Btw, I wonder if Phil Arnold ever got his shredded pants to go along with his coat? 

[Paul Pain]

This is actually the Stooge debut of Phil Arnold.  He had few roles in the shorts, but he always got involved in the laughs somehow.  He is always good at playing a funny role straight.

Concerning the first paragraph....fair enough.  I can't disagree with anything you said, they would probably eat lunch in spite of their situation being it is still a work day and they have to eat, and the gag is funny.  I just would have preferred a gag that deals more with the main storyline in this scenario.

As far as the Shemp ironing board gag, the sped up stunt double bit at the end always ruined it for me.  Shemp is for the most part fun to watch, but there are some hesitant barks that remind me of Curly.

Paul, I haven't forgotten about next week.  Saving the crazy revelation for you.

Well, then most of the short is irrelevant to the plot.  But then again I like these little sidetracks that are relevant to the overarching theme.  Is the drawer routine necessary in HOLD THAT LION?  No, but we laugh and enjoy it anyway because while it sidetracks, it doesn't last so long that you forget the plot.

[Paul Pain]

I am really annoyed... I am on the THREE STOOGES website, and spell check tells me that "Shemp" is an error?!

[Lefty]

Put this short with its remake, new footage only, and you can get a pretty decent half-hour sitcom.

Even with the sidetracking going on, it's still pretty good overall.  Of course, "What a beautiful messterpiece," "Teddy Hoosevelt" and "Thomas Hedison" are the best lines.  The brown reddish, the yellow turnip, and the blue cucumber should be in a box of Lucky Charms Vegetable Mix.

Shemp puts on the beard while Harold Brauer is holding him and looking around, then says to Shemp, "Where's that guy was here," not realizing he's been holding onto Shemp's clothing the whole time.

Try saying "L-R-L-R-L-R-L" really fast.  It's not that easy.  And that combination lock must have looked odd with just 3 numbers on it, or Brauer only remembered how many turns in each direction to give it, and not the numbers.

"A 50!  How did that get in there?"  I wish I had enough money to say that.   

[Final Shemp]

I am really annoyed... I am on the THREE STOOGES website, and spell check tells me that "Shemp" is an error?!

The spell check was programmed by the people who provided the message board.  The webmasters on the site most likely have no say as to what words are or aren't put into it.  In most word programs "Shemp" isn't considered a word.

As for the short itself, I treasure just about all of the public domain shorts.  Six Pants isn't as funny as Disorder or Brideless Groom but it's a mostly outstanding barage of strong gags.  The climactic chase is a hoot.

[metaldams]

For more shameless plugging of my Laurel and Hardy reviews, I compare my criticisms of this week's Stooge short to this week's Laurel and Hardy short, hoping it makes for some good reading.  Definitely some stylistic differences between The Three Stooges and Laurel and Hardy worth mentioning.  Please check it out.

http://moronika.com/forums/index.php?topic=5490.new#new

[Dr. Hugo Gansamacher]

But this short does have a classic bit for me.  It wasn't even mentioned in the reviews above: Shemp vs. the ironing board.  Shemp goes through more torture in 75 seconds than he does in the entirety of some shorts.

Quite right: the climax of the bit, when Shemp gets slammed into the wall and then dumped on the floor in fast motion, howling in pain or terror all the while, is one of those Stooge moments that never fail to make me laugh. It is certainly the comic high point of the short for me.

By the way, since Shemp's howling in pain or terror is always one of the things in his shorts that I most prize, I am curious to know whether it happens in every print of this short that when Terry Hargan is knocking Shemp around on the circular clothes rack,  the sound track is sped up so that it is raised in pitch. It is that way on my DVD and it is one of the bits that I wish I could fix. Shemp's howls at a higher pitch just don't sound like Shemp and are not funny. It is a shame to lose him doing one of the things he does particularly well.

A secondary high point occurs when Shemp encounters Hargan disguised with a false beard.

Shemp: (handles the beard as if admiring it, then pulls it away from Hargan's face before letting it snap back)

Hargan: (removes beard) All right, bub, where's that piece of paper was in my pants pocket?

Shemp: The one with the numbers on it?

Hargan: That's it, that's it!

Shemp: And the letters L-R-L-R-L-R-L?

Hargan: Yes, yes, where is it?

Shemp: Never sor it!

And then we get the preposterous bit where Shemp puts on the beard while Hargan is holding on to his shirt front and, for a moment, makes Hargan think that the guy he was holding "went that-a-way," before Hargan gets wise and, as Shemp makes a bizarrely slow attempt at escape (so as to stay in the picture frame, it seems), gives him a kick in the pants. All very funny.

[metaldams]

Quite right: the climax of the bit, when Shemp gets slammed into the wall and then dumped on the floor in fast motion, howling in pain or terror all the while, is one of those Stooge moments that never fail to make me laugh. It is certainly the comic high point of the short for me.

By the way, since Shemp's howling in pain or terror is always one of the things in his shorts that I most prize, I am curious to know whether it happens in every print of this short that when Terry Hargan is knocking Shemp around on the circular clothes rack,  the sound track is sped up so that it is raised in pitch. It is that way on my DVD and it is one of the bits that I wish I could fix. Shemp's howls at a higher pitch just don't sound like Shemp and are not funny. It is a shame to lose him doing one of the things he does particularly well.

A secondary high point occurs when Shemp encounters Hargan disguised with a false beard.

And then we get the preposterous bit where Shemp puts on the beard while Hargan is holding on to his shirt front and, for a moment, makes Hargan think that the guy he was holding "went that-a-way," before Hargan gets wise and, as Shemp makes a bizarrely slow attempt at escape (so as to stay in the picture frame, it seems), gives him a kick in the pants. All very funny.

To you and Paul Payne and anybody else who enjoys the ironing scene, great, I envy you.  Seriously, I mean that with no irony or sarcasm.  I enjoy it to an extent, but like I said, the obvious sped up finale with a stunt double ruins it for me a bit.  I just enjoy seeing actual comedians pull off actual gags with minimum fakery.  Stunt humor was never a Stooge strong point.

As far as the sped up nature of the scene you describe, do not adjust your DVD, that was the film maker's intent.  There are other instances in Stooge shorts where this happens.

[MrsMorganMorgan]

To you and Paul Payne and anybody else who enjoys the ironing scene, great, I envy you.  Seriously, I mean that with no irony or sarcasm.  I enjoy it to an extent, but like I said, the obvious sped up finale with a stunt double ruins it for me a bit.  I just enjoy seeing actual comedians pull off actual gags with minimum fakery.  Stunt humor was never a Stooge strong point.

I too am not fond of the ironing scene. While he wasn't Curly, Shemp had his own great, natural brand of physical humor that made canned or gimme-type gags like this seem so superfluous; they so could have done something else.

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

Forgive me if I'm stating the obvious,  but the sped-up sound always goes with the sped-up motion, which tells me that the sound track went through the under-cranked camera at the same speed as the rest of the film.  They could have fixed this in an overdub, I suppose, but I for one think the sped-up voices add a bit more comedy to the scene, and I certainly find it preferable to some of the ultra-crappy overdubbing that is used to patch together some of the later Shemp remakes and clip-fests.  There were plenty of Curly shorts with sped-up voices, as well.

[Dr. Hugo Gansamacher]

Forgive me if I'm stating the obvious,  but the sped-up sound always goes with the sped-up motion, which tells me that the sound track went through the under-cranked camera at the same speed as the rest of the film.  They could have fixed this in an overdub, I suppose, but I for one think the sped-up voices add a bit more comedy to the scene, and I certainly find it preferable to some of the ultra-crappy overdubbing that is used to patch together some of the later Shemp remakes and clip-fests.  There were plenty of Curly shorts with sped-up voices, as well.

There's no sped-up sound in the ironing-board sequence--thank heaven: it's the authenticity of Shemp's howls that makes it so hilarious--to those of us who find it funny. And it's the change in speed of the sound that ruins--well, at any rate, detracts from--the fight sequence for me because it makes Shemp not sound like Shemp. I want to hear Shemp go, "Oh! Oh!", not some artificial distortion that sounds like the voice of a child.

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

O K, but if they filmed the pictorial at normal speed so as to get the audio to sound normal, then we would see that the true speed at which the stunt was filmed was so slow as to not be funny at all.  Take your pick.

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

And yes, it's true that the finale of the ironing-board bit is filmed in fast motion and Shemp's howl sounds normal, but that's because the howl is an overdub, and it's an overdub because that's not Shemp taking the fall, it's a stuntman.  FWIW, Shemp is doing his own stunt when he's up on the coat rack.

[metaldams]

O K, but if they filmed the pictorial at normal speed so as to get the audio to sound normal, then we would see that the true speed at which the stunt was filmed was so slow as to not be funny at all.  Take your pick.

And yes, it's true that the finale of the ironing-board bit is filmed in fast motion and Shemp's howl sounds normal, but that's because the howl is an overdub, and it's an overdub because that's not Shemp taking the fall, it's a stuntman.  FWIW, Shemp is doing his own stunt when he's up on the coat rack.

Correct on everything.  Definitely Shemp on the coat rack, as it's worth repeating, but somehow I don't think real life could duplicate the under cranked speed we see.  Think about the actual speed that must've really happened, I don't think the force of the punch would be quite as believable.

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

Not only the punches, but especially the kicks.  They would have knocked Brauer's block off.

[stoogerascalfan62]

Every time I see the fight sequence with Shemp hitting the bad guys it seems the voices sound as though they're sped up.

[Paul Pain]

It is a result of accelerated film.

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

I'm not sure SRF62 read the six previous posts to his before posting his own comment.

[Kopfy2013]

200% Wool ......

Henna color? Henna color at all.

 I give this an 8. The story to me actually flows a little better than previous short ... It does seem like a day in the life of tailors.

[GreenCanaries]

Just curious: I know the filmography lists Jules as the radio announcer voice, but... I'm pretty sure it's actually Lew Davis?

Seriously: go look for any Lew Davis role and tell me it doesn't sound like him.