Topic: Baby Sitters Jitters (1951)

[metaldams]

http://www.threestooges.net/filmography/episode/129
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043308/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=H2lQ7lMCSxI

Watch BABY SITTERS JITTERS in the link above

      One of those frustrating films because there's a lot of really funny stuff, yet the overall short gets bogged down by a few elements, mainly the weak tea ending and the running gag of "Shemp" standing on his head getting old after a while.  I'll get to the good stuff first then get to the bad.

      I have a feeling a lot of people are going to knock the toddler with a gun in his mouth gag.  You're entitled to your sensibilities, but it's cartoonish to me more than offensive and the more fascinating cultural artifact of days gone by is the idea of a mother openly concealing a gun to protect her child.  No way in Hell you'd ever see that in a sitcom today and this peek into different attitudes is one of the reasons why watching old movies is great.

      This is one of those Three Stooges in a room early fifties thing a ma bobs where they get to let loose for a while, and I really enjoy this stuff.  Not as violent as say, A SNITCH IN TIME, but their art at their most basic, anyway.  Lots of great slapstick exchanges with Moe being extra cantankerous, grabbing the gaping jaws of Larry and Shemp like fish gaining bait, and my favorite being Moe baptizing Shemp like a ship by breaking a bottle of wine over him.  Shemp's exchange about 1,000 reasons not to drink is very funny, and one that needs to be added to the Metaldams vocabulary.  The absolute highlight of the short, however, is Shemp in the kitchen displaying a Kindergarten reading level.  Just real simple, basic humor performed by a funny man that doesn't lend well to analyzing, it's just funny because it is.  I love the way Shemp says, "mustard."  Basically, rule number one about these early fifties domestic shorts - Stooges in kitchen equals funny.

      The head standing gag does get old after a while, especially lame when it cheers up the mother while her kid is gone.  Also lame when the kid does it at the end.  The fight for the most part between the boys and the father has no flow but is saved by Shemp's shadow boxing routine, always trusty, always reliable.  The reconciliation between the mother and father has to be one of the most sudden what the farfanugen moments in all of Stoogedom.  It just comes out of nowhere and the resolution makes no sense.  Father kidnaps baby and mother forgives on sight.  Eh, maybe there's stuff going on behind closed doors we don't know about, but very strange.

      Good short which could be great with a better ending comic and dramatic wise as well as a better running gag.

8/10

     

[Shemp_Diesel]

Well, I know for years, stooge fans have had varying opinions about the shorts involving babies or little kids, but this one has always been a favorite of mine. Maybe not Top Ten or even Top 20--as far as Shemp shorts go--but very funny regardless.

The opening section with the boys in their apartment is great stuff & Shemp's misadventure in the kitchen and his bad reading habits is primo stooges. I also enjoyed Moe getting his hair parted by Shemp's gun misfire and Moe's reaction--I'll kick your brains out. The coughing up bubbles bit is also great, especially Shemp's little remark "If I hadn't made it myself, I'd swear there was a little soap in it."

Also very funny--to me--was Moe getting hit with the ball trying to peek inside the apartment room & his "Oh you framed me, eh" then he kicks Shemp in the ass and bubbles come flying out--You gonna start that again.

Overall--as I've said before--this is a great period of stooge shorts we are in right now.

8.5 out of 10....

[Paul Pain]

Myron Healey and Lynn Davis kill this short for me.

The opening scene is fantastic: I can't praise it enough.  The scene in the house is mostly good except for the gun bit.  The aftermath?  Yuck.

For the record, I had a much longer post, but it got deleted by accident, which is a reason to drink.

[GreenCanaries]

The debut of Margie Liszt. Only four shorts to her name, but a few more notable roles coming up.

The gag of Moe kicking at Shemp only to fly up and land on his back was used with Vera Vague in her short DOCTOR, FEEL MY PULSE (1944). I can't tell, really, if Moe did the stunt himself or not, but if not, I wonder if the same stuntman performed in both instances...

[Dr. Hugo Gansamacher]

Ah, yes: the short with the Devil Baby in it.

      One of those frustrating films because there's a lot of really funny stuff, yet the overall short gets bogged down by a few elements, mainly the weak tea ending and the running gag of "Shemp" standing on his head getting old after a while.

There you have it.

Shemp's exercise of his reading skills here doesn't rise to the level of "Dangarooze, kippawah!" for me, but it's still pretty funny. "Consummated soup! . . . Powdered bacon!"

I notice that in this short, when Moe tries the old "See dat?" with Shemp, Shemp's downward slap of his fist makes him conk himself on the head with it. I don't recall that happening with him before.

The parting of Moe's hair by a bullet is one of the highlights, and the Stooge-on-Stooge violence is pretty good, but I can't help noticing how much it has lost the ritualized polish that it had in the old days with Curly. Moe can't handle big brother Sam with the same masterfulness that he showed with baby brother Jerome.

[Lefty]

True, the ending was nothing to brag about, but the Stooges' slapstick and Shemp's reading inabilities made BSJ a decent watch.  Never have soup and soap in the same area if they are in similar containers.  Whenever the bubbles were shown, I was expecting to hear "Wunnerful, wunnerful" from Lawrence Welk.

Shemp's 1000 reasons for not drinking is one of the best quotes in Stooge history.
 
David Windsor, now age 65, was 11 months old when this short was released.  He seemed mighty "with it" for that age.  "That don't sound right no how, somehow!"

[Paul Pain]

OK, Dr. Hugo or Big Chief have to explain the significance of "Davenport Seats."

I admit I laugh horribly loud when Shemp trips and falls on the baby.  That or Moe smashing Larry's head with the doll are the best moment in this short, although there were many great moments here.

[metaldams]

OK, Dr. Hugo or Big Chief have to explain the significance of "Davenport Seats."

I admit I laugh horribly loud when Shemp trips and falls on the baby.  That or Moe smashing Larry's head with the doll are the best moment in this short, although there were many great moments here.

Oh Hell yes, Moe smashing Larry with the doll, I'm laughing as I type it!  A little girl's doll as a weapon is priceless.

The crazy thing about the falling on the baby gag is at that point the audience doesn't realize it's a doll yet. 

[Dr. Hugo Gansamacher]

OK, Dr. Hugo or Big Chief have to explain the significance of "Davenport Seats."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davenport_%28sofa%29

I remember a Peanuts strip from, I believe, the early 1960s in which Lucy, reporting on the progress of a game of cowboys and Indians, says, "I shot him right in the Davenport, and if that's not fatal, I don't know what is."

Edited to add: Found this in the Wikipedia article:

In a 1952 episode of the Three Stooges, "Corny Casanovas," the Stooges attempt to re-upholster a Davenport. Shemp says, "As soon as we get this Davenport re-covered, the place will be more 'presentimental' to the new 'bribes'" (meaning "brides").

[Signor Spumoni]

Moe wears a captain's cap in this short.  This is the only time, to my recollection, he wears one.

My favorite joke comes when Shemp is reading the spice names aloud and comes to the cloves:  "Gloves. [dumps them into pot] Oh!  Little gloves!"

The ending is awful enough to be funny.  The couple are separated and even have separate furnished apartments, yet they reconcile on sight, all troubles forgotten!  Then Junior does his little schtick - - which appears, to my eyes, to be run in reverse - - and we have an extremely cute, happy ending.   

[Paul Pain]

Edited to add: Found this in the Wikipedia article:

In a 1952 episode of the Three Stooges, "Corny Casanovas," the Stooges attempt to re-upholster a Davenport. Shemp says, "As soon as we get this Davenport re-covered, the place will be more 'presentimental' to the new 'bribes'" (meaning "brides").

I am the dummy.

Then Junior does his little schtick - - which appears, to my eyes, to be run in reverse - - and we have an extremely cute, happy ending.   

Keep in mind that it is a dummy doing the headstand at the end, but the nature of it does seem to indicate being done in reverse because of the way it starts crumpled over and goes into the headstand.

Junior has an amazing vocabulary for a child of less than one year!

And while continuing string of thoughts... my whole life headstands have made cringe... it's too close to a broken neck for my liking.

[GreenCanaries]

Keep in mind that it is a dummy doing the headstand at the end, but the nature of it does seem to indicate being done in reverse because of the way it starts crumpled over and goes into the headstand.

Looks real to me. Pay close attention to the mouth especially.

[Paul Pain]

Looks real to me. Pay close attention to the mouth especially.

I'll do that, right after I watch the kid's eye color and clothing change following that large jump in the footage...

[Signor Spumoni]

I'm afraid I can't see what you see, Paul Pain.  I just watched it on youtube as closely as I could, and I can't even see the jump in the footage.  I'll watch it again, though.  I never suspected that could be a dummy.

As others have remarked, the baby is mature for his age.  His coordination, his teeth, his ability with the hammer - - it's hard to believe he's not even a year old.

Paul Pain, I'm with you on headstands, and always thought of that, too.

[Signor Spumoni]

I've watched this a few more times.  I can see the jump in the film, now, but I can't see a dummy instead of a child.  Paul Pain, my hat's off to you for being far more observant than I, and I mean it.  I just can't see the difference.  But I'm glad you brought it up.  I enjoy learning things even when I can't see them for myself.

[GreenCanaries]

I'll do that, right after I watch the kid's eye color and clothing change following that large jump in the footage...

Maybe it was a stunt double kid, then.

[Kopfy2013]

 Another solid short. I do believe that it is the baby doing the handstand. I say they tied fish line to his feet to pull him up.   So the boy is still alive today?

 My favorite part: Shemp falling on the kid in the beginning. "I'm afraid to look "I love it.

Is  there anything more on Lynn Davises career? Life?

 I give this an 8  and agree with the poster that stated this is a solid time for Shemp shorts.

[Desmond Of The Outer Sanctorum]

So the boy is still alive today?

Apparently, at age 65: http://threestooges.net/cast/actor/573

[Paul Pain]

Apparently, at age 65: http://threestooges.net/cast/actor/573

Something is seriously wrong here.  David Windsor was born on March 23, 1950, but the production notes say the short was made on January 23 to January 26 of 1950, two months before David Windsor was born!

[Signor Spumoni]

Something is seriously wrong here.  David Windsor was born on March 23, 1950, but the production notes say the short was made on January 23 to January 26 of 1950, two months before David Windsor was born!

Hmm!  I can't solve this, but I can add this:  the actor's full name, according to IMDB, is David Milton Windsor.  Someone by that name is on the Arizona Registrar of Contractors Page  [urlhttp://win.azroc.gov/forms/details.asp?license=235603][/url] as Handyman For Hire.

Has there ever been a Stooges Journal item on David Windsor?  Is there any information on him in the "whatever happened to____" style?

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

I'm flattered to be asked, and yes, it's just that simple: a davenport is a shape of sofa, usually a two-seater, I think.

[Lefty]

The ever-famous imdb.com still lists David Windsor's date of birth as 3/3/1950, while on the front page of this website, for today only, for the low, low price of $5.00*, his birthday is listed as 3/3/1948, which makes more sense as he seemed to be too much "with it" to have been only 11 months old at the time of this short.

* -- or 3 for $25.00

[Larrys#1]

Shemp gives one heck of a great performance here. The head standing bit, the falling out of the silverware from his jacket, and his whining after he peaks into one of the apartment doors. Not sure if I'm in the minority here, but I found him very funny in this episode. And it's why I always like re-watching this one. I agree, the ending of this one could have been better and probably what is preventing me from giving this one a perfect score.

9/10

[Daddy Dewdrop]

A very entertaining performance by Shemp ranks this one at #7 (Shemp) and at #46 overall.

[Larrys#1]

I was watching this short today and it really got me thinking how Curly would have done on a short like this. The reason I started thinking about this is because this is one short where I felt Shemp did one heck of a great job. His style of comedy just fits in this short. Maybe Curly could pull it off, but I guess I'll never know.