Topic: Who Done It? (1949)

[metaldams]

http://www.threestooges.net/filmography/episode/114
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042042/?ref_=fn_al_tt_3

http://www.emilsitka.com/whodoneit1949.html

Read Emil Sitka's diary entry in the link above

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=toU1qEBfDxQ

Watch WHO DONE IT? in the link above



       By some accounts (former Metaldams short tournament winner, I believe the highest rated short on threestooges.net), this is considered the best Stooge short ever.  While I personally wouldn't go that far, it's a damn good one.  It's simply one of those shorts where every person puts in a memorable performance and the energy level is top notch.  Can anybody here name me one performance where somebody is sleepwalking through this thing?  There is no "whoa, Charger" moment in this one, just pure energy throughout.

      In other films recently, The Stooges are wanna be detectives (HOT SCOTS), or reporters (CRIME ON THEIR HANDS), who work blue collar jobs.  Here, there's no wanna be, the boys are actual detectives...completely horrible ones, but actual detectives.  Yeah sure, they get tied up in their own office and get easily distracted in their work.  The distraction is my favorite part of the film, and it's the on screen chemistry of Shemp and Christine McIntyre. 

      Shemp's excitement when uttering the classic line, "The niece is nice" is a great example of the Stooges enjoyable, yet immature reaction to beautiful women.  The boys get overly emotional and excited and never play it cool.  You'll never see a Stooge short involving an adult look at relationships, which can't be said for some of these Laurel and Hardy films I'm reviewing.  Stan and Ollie can be somewhat passable as adults in some films and have somewhat mature relationships (relatively speaking), but The Three Stooges are the seventh grade version of me, and probably you, around women.  They rarely hit the married stage, and when they do, there's usually not much deep exploration of the relationships.  Then again, we get priceless moments like, "The niece is nice."  I like having both outlooks in my comedy collection.

      Shemp's hormone addled infatuation with Christine plays best with the extended camera lens scene, an all-time classic Stooge bit.  Shemp takes an inanimate object and makes it part of him, an extension of him if you will, totally checking out Christine like a crazed phallic symbol (yes, old Metal's going off the deep end here).   .  Christine reacts perfectly, an array of cocky expressions, knowing damn well she's hot.  She can play anything from innocent, to funny, to evil, to sexy, and sing a song while doing it.

      The poison scene is another classic bit and Shemp's reactions to being poisoned are so funny you can tell even Christine is about to lose it!  Other funny bits are Larry's face when he smiles for the picture, what a perfect avatar face that would make.  I even love the scene where Moe constantly gets hit on the head with a barrage of picture frames in different situations behind Larry and Shemp's back, and I can even tolerate the Curly impersonation here.  I guess he doesn't draw it out so much for my tastes.  Emil Sitka is wonderful as the old rich guy, amazing to think he was a few years younger than me when he filmed this, he was always made up to look older, and he acted the parts very convincingly. 

      A great short overall, definitely classic.  Check out Emil Sitka's entry above, some interesting stuff, and yes, I notice Moe's limp.  Great results, but things weren't perfect behind the scenes.

10/10

     

[Shemp_Diesel]

Not sure I have much to add this week--Metal you just about covered it. One of my favorite moments from this short is after Larry hits Moe with the fireplace shovel & Moe's reaction (Don't you know, you been around me a many years, don't you know what I look like--you're nothing but a nitwit). And, of course, Larry thanks Moe.

Every stooge is on top of his game here--nothing much I can think of wrong with this short.

10 out of 10....

[metaldams]

Not sure I have much to add this week--Metal you just about covered it. One of my favorite moments from this short is after Larry hits Moe with the fireplace shovel & Moe's reaction (Don't you know, you been around me a many years, don't you know what I look like--you're nothing but a nitwit). And, of course, Larry thanks Moe.

Every stooge is on top of his game here--nothing much I can think of wrong with this short.

10 out of 10....

LOL!  Yeah, Larry THANKING Moe for calling him and nitwit and Moe's acknowledgement of the team's longevity, definitely a great moment.

[Paul Pain]

This short works its way out very nicely.  Emil Sitka puts on a top-notch performance that enhances the comedic drama that is unfolding here.  One must enjoy that his torture was having to "listen to singing commercials." 

Christine McIntyre can do it all: happy-go-lucky, sad, sinister, sexy, and singing.  Dudley does a fine job with what little he's given.  The other support actors get a solid D; they look like it's torturing them just to be in this short.  After Shemp sees Moe in the camera and runs out screaming, notice Christine's facial expressions as Moe beats on Shemp.

And then the Stooges... let's start with Moe.  Moe makes a terrible detective as he climbs on the table he's studying, and then to find termites in Larry's hair!  He tortures to the extreme, and he makes a nice bully of himself.  Yes, he is limping for those last few minutes.

Larry is of course than man of strange but funny lines, such as when he answers the Councilman's phone call.  When Christine comes in, Larry makes the best face.  He makes an awesome face while posing for the camera... that isn't photographing him.  It's a shame he only gets significant roles at the expense of others (Curly's illness, Shemp's illness and death) outside the two shorts HE COOKED HIS GOOSE and CUCKOO ON A CHOO CHOO (the latter of which was pretty bad!).

And then Shemp.  Shemp is a comedic classic here... his perverted behavior with the camera namely.  He has fantastic delivery of his one-liners.  He hams it up nicely with Christine in the art gallery.  His Poison Dance was a riot.  Oh, and don't forget him and his trusty little shovel.

[Shemp_Diesel]

Yes, Shemp is a comedic dynamo in this short, but as I said before, all Three Stooges are in fine form here. Love that "light to dark" fight sequence at the end & all the great business that goes on, like Emil with his cry of "My furniture, be careful" or Shemp's "Here I am Moe" and then when the lights come up for the last time, Larry is on the floor repeatedly punching Moe in the face. I'm giggling as I type...

 

[Dr. Hugo Gansamacher]

Well, Metaldams has commented on just about everything that I could have mentioned, so all I have to add is this bit that occurs after the boys try to escape and encounter a guy in the hallway who draws a gun and shoots at them:

Larry: Hey, who was that guy?

Moe: I don't know, but he don't like us!

[Lefty]

There's not much I can add to the prior opinions of this great short.  Obviously "The niece is nice" is one of the all-time best quotes in Stoogedom.  One really funny scene is when Moe grabs Niko by the hair, thinking the goon is Larry, and saying "Oh there you are!  Nyaaaaaaahhhh!"  Then, "That thing, the goon, he's coming!"  "Hey!  What did he say?"

Following the all-out brawl in the dark, we see Christine McIntyre unconscious on a chair.  This is a rare time I recall a woman getting "beat up" in a Stooges short, possibly on purpose here.  Sure, other women have had bad things happen to them, like Curly falling out of the tree on Marcia Healy and then her getting hit with concrete from the bucket.  But in "Who Done It?" it's obvious that Christine was theoretically involved in the fight.

[metaldams]

There's not much I can add to the prior opinions of this great short.  Obviously "The niece is nice" is one of the all-time best quotes in Stoogedom.  One really funny scene is when Moe grabs Niko by the hair, thinking the goon is Larry, and saying "Oh there you are!  Nyaaaaaaahhhh!"  Then, "That thing, the goon, he's coming!"  "Hey!  What did he say?"

Following the all-out brawl in the dark, we see Christine McIntyre unconscious on a chair.  This is a rare time I recall a woman getting "beat up" in a Stooges short, possibly on purpose here.  Sure, other women have had bad things happen to them, like Curly falling out of the tree on Marcia Healy and then her getting hit with concrete from the bucket.  But in "Who Done It?" it's obvious that Christine was theoretically involved in the fight.

Curly has had some slap fights with female dancing partners, though obviously non were knocked out.

In Christine's case, I think it's just a situation where the room was dark and people were accidentally getting hit since everyone was brawling, yet no one could see.

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

Simply as good as they ever got.

[Kopfy2013]

I am obviously in the minority here. Metal did a great job summarizing the short. However I do not consider it a classic. Not even close. I enjoyed it. However it got no laughs from me.  The character actors played their part well.

 To me there were tired gags. And another chasie scene. I get tired of the chase scenes.

 I give it a seven.

[metaldams]

I am obviously in the minority here. Metal did a great job summarizing the short. However I do not consider it a classic. Not even close. I enjoyed it. However it got no laughs from me.  The character actors played their part well.

 To me there were tired gags. And another chasie scene. I get tired of the chase scenes.

 I give it a seven.

Obviously, it's your opinion, you're entitled to it, but that said, Shemp sniffing Christine through the camera lens and Christine's nonchalant reaction get not a single laugh?  The bizarreness of that scene does it for me.

[Kopfy2013]

I do like that scene - probably the best gag of the short.

[Seamus]

It's a shame he only gets significant roles at the expense of others (Curly's illness, Shemp's illness and death) outside the two shorts HE COOKED HIS GOOSE and CUCKOO ON A CHOO CHOO (the latter of which was pretty bad!).

This is indeed a shame, but I've also noticed that in the earliest Stooge shorts - before Curly really hit his stride - Larry seemed to be given equal weight with the other two, and was given a lot more to do.  When I bought the Volume 1 set and re-watched those early shorts for the first time in god knows how long, Larry's performances were a real revelation.  I'd remembered him always functioning as a "reactor" in the background of the action, so it was great seeing him carry so much of the load, and pulling it off in such a relaxed, confident way.  As Curly's performances got bigger, poor Larry got pushed into the background.  Still, Larry can stand in the background and react to cartoon violence like no other, so we can't complain too much.

[Shemp_Diesel]

On the subject of Larry, I always thought that for the most part during the Shemp era, his performances seemed to be balanced out with that of Moe & Shemp--of course, there are some shorts like a Brideless Groom or Scrambled Brains where you could say Shemp is the one stooge dominating the action, but off the top of my head, I can't think of one short during the Shemp years where Larry has nothing to do--certainly not like in some of the past shorts with Curly; i.e. Busy Buddies or Idle Roomers....

[Shemp_Diesel]

Just some random observations I had while enjoying watching this one again--the observation that I'm sure was already made on this thread about how the boys are detectives, yet managed to get robbed and tied up in their own office.   

That onscreen chemistry between Shemp & Christine--going back to before Shemp rejoined the team; making reference to Shemp's solo Columbia outings where the pairing of these 2 sometimes elevated the average material presented within those shorts--such as the oft used "jealous husband/wife" gimmick. Watching Christine admirably try not to break character as Shemp launches into an eeeping-fit & convulses on the floor just kills me.

Watching this short also made me think of For Crimin' Out Loud for some reason--at least comparing the 2 different openings in the boys office. "Crimin" has some really good moments, but to me, Who Done it? still takes the prize (I'm sorry Mr. Goodrich, we were tied up)...

 

[Dr. Mabuse]

That onscreen chemistry between Shemp & Christine--going back to before Shemp rejoined the team; making reference to Shemp's solo Columbia outings where the pairing of these 2 sometimes elevated the average material presented within those shorts--such as the oft used "jealous husband/wife" gimmick.

Christine McIntyre was a tremendous asset during the Shemp era, which helped compensate for the reduced production values.

[metaldams]

Seeing a recent comment on this one, my first instinct was, “Don’t tell me Daddy Dewdrop ranked this one so low!”  Phew!

[Daddy Dewdrop]

My "worst to first" countdown of all 190 Three Stooges shorts is now down to the Top 100.  There are still 36 Shemps and 64 Curlys to go.  Now, on with the countdown!

Once again, I find myself in the minority.  I'm quite surprised this one is considered such a classic.  There are great moments and Shemp is really on his game here, but overall it just doesn't rank with the true classics yet to come.  In fact, I actually rank the re-do ("For Crimin' Out Loud") just a tad higher (right at #99).

#100. Who Done It?

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

I've tried over these past months to cut Daddy Dewdrop some slack, but reading this review of his, I can't stay still any longer.  His opinions are shallow with no valid observations to back them up, his reviews last only one sentence, maybe two, and his scoring system is completely personal and arbitrary.  Who Done It at #100?  Ahh, no, my boy, you haven't watched enough Three Stooges if you rank Who Done It as #100.  And your rankings and your opinions up to now have been so simple and juvenile that you've given us veterans no reason to pay any attention to your opinions at all.  Go back and reread all of the reviews from past years by Metaldams, Jazz Bill, Kopfy, Lefty, Dr. Hugo Gansamacher,  Paul Pain, and maybe Big Chief Apumtagribonitz, et. al., and see how it's done around here, then wipe the snot off your nose and save your numerical scores for your local high school swim meet.  Some may find your ultra-mini reviews enlightening,  but there are a lot of people on this site who know an awful lot more than you do.

[stoogesfan06]

Shemp/Christine's chemistry is very solid. Always funny and awkward with them 2