http://www.threestooges.net/filmography/episode/117http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041623/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ODkuH93AkNwWatch MALICE IN THE PALACE in the link above
One of these weeks where I work to 8:00 at night and have to get up at the crack of dawn on Saturday to start a busy day. My review will be edited in this spot either late Saturday night or the early A.M. hours on Sunday. Starting in August, I have a new and improved work schedule, so let's just say day shift for Metaldams again and Friday will be my short day....I get out at noon! Expect to routinely see earlier reviews starting in a few weeks.
But alas, not this weekend. Obviously, feel free to post your thoughts and reviews before mine. I'll have my cell phone on me tomorrow, so big Metaldams brother will be watching.
Edit: It's 11:33 PM, Saturday, and it's time for my review. Hung out with a friend today, had a good time, but it's now time to return to Stooge reviewing. Cool to see all these responses already, and I'm really happy I posted the infamous Curly shot. Número 117, my friends. Let's rock 'n' roll, maternal fornicaters.
Ah yes, MALICE IN THE PALACE! I absolutely love this short. Back in the days when people paid for entertainment and had to buy cassette tapes and discs, this was one of the most available Stooge shorts due to its public domain status. It's a good thing it's a worthy short.
I'll tell you one thing that's great about this. The first eleven minutes or so? It's one continuous, beautifully written, uninterrupted scene of funny bit followed by another funny bit. Everything flows together beautifully. The music at the beginning is a nice touch as the wonderfully named Hassan Ben Sober and Ghinna Rumma characters are introduced, and the boys themselves get a great introduction in a well choreographed scene narrowly escaping collision holding trays of food as waiters, only for Shemp to end things in a satisfying conclusion. When it's almost impossible not to hit each other, they escape, when it's silmple to avoid collision, that's when Shemp screws up! Good stuff. As Shemp_Diesel previously mentions, the scene where Shemp's wandering hand leads Moe's lemming like head into the ground for several bumps is a classic bit of Stoogedom. Moe and Shemp smacking dishes over each other's head is painfully fun.
Then there is Larry with the cat and dog, one of my favorite Stooge scenes ever. The reactions by Moe, Shemp, Vernon, and George Lewis are priceless as they get the wrongful impression Larry is partaking in domestic animal slaughter before the feast. Vernon wanting to throw up in George Lewis's hat always makes me laugh, but my favorite part is subtle. Once the hot dog is touched and an animal noise is made, the camera pans to both Moe and Vernon for reaction shots, and both of their faces are priceless! Vernon looks a bit cross eyed, and Moe...don't know how to describe it, but damn, it looks funny. Other funny stuff? Shemp giving the spaghetti haircut, Moe's happy birthday wish after he takes the cupcake out of the beard, and the two would be cut throats outing themselves as doormen at the Oasis Hotel! Vernon's cries are wonderful, and Moe giving a desperate Ghianna Rumma two instead of five is another highlight.
Once they get to the palace, the fun does not stop. Highlights for me are the guard playing leap frog with the boys, Paul Pain's already mentioned Johnny Kascier as the lunatic Emir of Shmow, and Shemp as the top third of the evil spirit. The ending is great too. The boys, in a rare feat of 100% victory mode, still find themselves outsmarted by an inanimate object who sprays water in their faces! I have no complaints about this short. None. Zilch. Nada.
10/10