Cuckoo On a Choo Choo (1952)

Shemp_Diesel · **Reply #25 on:** July 10, 2016, 09:32:17 PM

The things you notice about a certain short when you watch it for the umpteenth time--or maybe something I noticed about myself.

I don't know if I was just in a really good mood when I watched Cuckoo again, but damn, I didn't remember it being this funny. I've always liked this short, but after this most recent viewing, I've got to bump this up to all time classic status. Maybe even in my Shemp Top Ten.

Again, maybe I was just in an extremely good mood, but I was laughing my ass off...

Oh Carrie, my dear--I love but you...

New Rating: 9.5 out of 10 pokes...

Paul Pain · **Reply #26 on:** July 11, 2016, 03:15:24 PM

Do my ears deceive me, or is the music that plays around the "little brown jug" the same music from BACK TO THE WOODS?

Big Chief Apumtagribonitz · **Reply #27 on:** July 12, 2016, 06:13:07 PM

It's the same instrument, either a celesta or its miniature cousin a music box, but the melody in Back to the Woods is Beethoven's Minuet in G and the tune in Coo-coo is the drunk's anthem How Dry I am. I'd tell Beethoven on you, but at the moment he's busy decomposing.

Paul Pain · **Reply #28 on:** July 13, 2016, 05:00:14 AM

Quote from: Big Chief Apumtagribonitz on July 12, 2016, 06:13:07 PM

It's the same instrument, either a celesta or it's miniature cousin a music box, but the melody in Back to the Woods is Beethoven's Minuet in G and the tune in Coo-coo is the drunk's anthem How Dry I am. I'd tell Beethoven on you, but at the moment he's busy decomposing.

That drunk music never lasts more than 2 or 3 notes; God bless you for figuring it out nevertheless! Do you know which Beethoven that is?

Big Chief Apumtagribonitz · **Reply #29 on:** July 13, 2016, 10:14:18 AM

Ludwig.

Paul Pain · **Reply #30 on:** July 13, 2016, 03:26:41 PM

Quote from: Big Chief Apumtagribonitz on July 13, 2016, 10:14:18 AM

Ludwig.

Woe-ee-Woe-Woe80 · **Reply #31 on:** November 22, 2017, 05:46:41 PM

Not one of the best episodes the Stooges have ever done but definitely not one of the worst either, the boys are in separated form again but I've thought it worked better here than it did in "He Cooked His Goose" (which I did not like), I liked how weird and different this short is to your typical stooge short and it was good seeing the boys do something different.

Overall I give this short a 7/10

Paul Pain · **Reply #32 on:** July 27, 2019, 03:47:56 PM

My "Larry as Don Corleone" photo is one of my favorite posts ever... and I'm almost at 1300 of them!

joe strubachincoskow · **Reply #33 on:** August 18, 2019, 08:09:34 AM

Just one of those shorts that I occasionally set up, watch, shake my head, and appreciate - somewhat - for the sheer oddity of it.

Dr. Mabuse · **Reply #34 on:** September 27, 2019, 03:15:00 PM

A definite oddity, but not one of my favorites. Though I consider "Cuckoo" a mostly unfunny misfire, I understand why the short has its admirers. Worth a look for Larry's bizarre take on Brando.

3/10

Daddy Dewdrop · **Reply #35 on:** July 25, 2021, 06:38:14 AM

I remember seeing this one for the first time as a teenager in the early 1980s and thinking "what the hell was that?!?" Yes, it's different, but it's just not very entertaining. Anytime the boys don't work as a team, it's usually (always?) not a good sign. I've also never found the drunk act very funny. Maybe it's because I grew up with an alcoholic father or that I was an active alcoholic myself (now sober for the past 12+ years). Until I saw "A Streetcar Named Desire" I never realized that Larry was doing a poor Brando imitation, although knowing it now doesn't make it any better. For all the faults of this short, I must say that the canary is a bright spot for me. It's SO weird, that it actually works and saves this short from being Shemp's absolute worst - that dishonor belongs to "Punchy Cowpunchers".

#185. Cuckoo On A Choo Choo

Peter · **Reply #36 on:** May 01, 2022, 02:40:05 PM

Having read all the comments about this short, I approached it with a great deal of apprehension. I have been watching the Columbia shorts in order since the beginning of the year (as not many of them have aired in the UK for many years). Now it was the turn of "Cuckoo On A Choo Choo. It was considerably better than I was expecting. I would rate it 5 eye pokes.

Woe-ee-Woe-Woe80 · **Reply #37 on:** May 27, 2022, 01:30:30 PM

To me this short feels like listening to a trippy, acid rock tune which I enjoy listening to, definitely off the wall but I enjoy watching it.

vomit · **Reply #38 on:** August 13, 2022, 08:24:11 AM

Quote from: Woe-ee-Woe-Woe80 on May 27, 2022, 01:30:30 PM

To me this short feels like listening to a trippy, acid rock tune which I enjoy listening to, definitely off the wall but I enjoy watching it.

It's a weird one alright, but I like it. When they open the jug and "How Dry I am" starts playing, I know all is well in the universe.

Count Jerome “Curley” von Gehrol · **Reply #39 on:** September 30, 2023, 05:53:37 PM

I watched this one on Internet Archive (the user 3 Stooges Maniac has every single short that the Three Stooges have ever made). I have to be honest, I did not like this one at all and it is due to the subject matter. I will say that it is not the worst, but it is certainly not the greatest either. Mostly because I find the way Shemp acts to be legitimately worrying. He has a major drinking problem which will inevitably destroy someone’s health (not to mention their life if they are really careless) and a problem with hallucinations on top of that (which I did not find funny either as I found the paper mache suit to look hideous and the fact that he is in love with an animal and a bird at that to also be concerning), all thanks to his drinking. If anything, he strikes me as someone who should be in rehab.

The main reason why his act frightens me is that I remember seeing two guys who were blackout drunk when I was in Yokosuka back in 2018, and one of them took a hard spill on the sidewalk and looked like he was unable to get back up because he was totally smashed. My mom and I learned that alcoholism is a serious recurring problem in Japan. My dad had a major drinking problem as well (he started drinking at age 12 if I recall). The good news is that he had already long quit drinking by the time he met my mom. Once he got sober, he never looked back and never touched alcohol again. I have a cousin who has a terrible drinking problem and has already admitted to driving drunk because he was going to get more beer. I have a friend from high school who got into legal trouble for DUI and he told me to never start drinking (he is a good guy too and he regrets the decision).

I am sorry, I do not want to step on anyone’s toes, but there are too many things that bother me about this story.

QuinceHead · **Reply #40 on:** May 03, 2024, 08:58:17 AM

Quote

author=Daddy Dewdrop link=topic=5666.msg59955#msg59955 date=1627213094]
I remember seeing this one for the first time as a teenager in the early 1980s and thinking "what the hell was that?!?" Yes, it's different, but it's just not very entertaining. Anytime the boys don't work as a team, it's usually (always?) not a good sign. I've also never found the drunk act very funny. Maybe it's because I grew up with an alcoholic father or that I was an active alcoholic myself (now sober for the past 12+ years). Until I saw "A Streetcar Named Desire" I never realized that Larry was doing a poor Brando imitation, although knowing it now doesn't make it any better. For all the faults of this short, I must say that the canary is a bright spot for me. It's SO weird, that it actually works and saves this short from being Shemp's absolute worst - that dishonor belongs to "Punchy Cowpunchers".

#185. Cuckoo On A Choo Choo

The worst thing that a Three Stooges short can be is not entertaining — or even worse, boring — and that pretty much sums up Cuckoo on a Choo Choo for me.

Like Daddy Dewdrop said, any time the boys are split up/don’t work as a semi-cohesive unit, the short usually suffers — and boy, does it suffer! (Although not as much as the audience does…)

And also like Daddy Dewdrop, I’ve never found the “comedy drunk” character funny whenever one shows up. I had a couple of alcoholic relatives when I was quite young, but they were distant enough that they didn’t have much direct impact on my life (aside from my mother’s rigid disapproval of them). For whatever reason, I’ve always been a natural-born teetotaler (probably from seeing people my age act like complete asses when they were drunk, plus I can’t stand the taste of most alcoholic drinks), so I’ve never seen the appeal of drinking. (But that being said, the older I get, the more I understand why so many people DO drink…)

Anyway — sermon over! Like I said, I’ve never found the “comedy drunk” a funny character (a lot of them crop up in Bewitched, a sitcom practically swimming in hard liquor), so for as good as Shemp is at portraying one, his performance leaves me cold. And don’t get me started on Larry’s take on Marlon Brando — I feel bad for his fellow retirees at the Motion Picture Country House who were constantly subjected to it in the facility’s movie room at Larry’s request!

Even though this short is at the bottom of my “Shemp List”, I still rank it higher than the four Fake Shemp shorts…

For duty and humanity,
JohnH aka QuinceHead

J_Kasumi · **Reply #41 on:** May 03, 2024, 02:18:26 PM

I've seen this short a few times, and honestly, I don't care for it. It's not the worst short ever made involving the Stooges. But, it certainly is a weak offering. The plot as it is, genuinely bores me. While there is some slapstick silliness, it's not enough to make me care for this short too much. It has an idea that could have been great, with some proper reworking. But, as it stands, it falls flat. Very flat. I've probably watched it at most twice. It genuinely doesn't work for me, it annoys me. A weak offering with the boys, and one I'd rather never see again.

PeteHale · **Reply #42 on:** May 22, 2024, 07:46:26 PM

I always liked this one. They were experimenting, and I think it works well. The pushy Larry was hilarious. I guess one of the greatest things about the Shemps is the more-active Larry.

Count Jerome “Curley” von Gehrol · **Reply #43 on:** May 23, 2024, 10:42:46 AM

Quote from: QuinceHead on May 03, 2024, 08:58:17 AM

The worst thing that a Three Stooges short can be is not entertaining — or even worse, boring — and that pretty much sums up Cuckoo on a Choo Choo for me.

Like Daddy Dewdrop said, any time the boys are split up/don’t work as a semi-cohesive unit, the short usually suffers — and boy, does it suffer! (Although not as much as the audience does…)

And also like Daddy Dewdrop, I’ve never found the “comedy drunk” character funny whenever one shows up. I had a couple of alcoholic relatives when I was quite young, but they were distant enough that they didn’t have much direct impact on my life (aside from my mother’s rigid disapproval of them). For whatever reason, I’ve always been a natural-born teetotaler (probably from seeing people my age act like complete asses when they were drunk, plus I can’t stand the taste of most alcoholic drinks), so I’ve never seen the appeal of drinking. (But that being said, the older I get, the more I understand why so many people DO drink…)

Anyway — sermon over! Like I said, I’ve never found the “comedy drunk” a funny character (a lot of them crop up in Bewitched, a sitcom practically swimming in hard liquor), so for as good as Shemp is at portraying one, his performance leaves me cold. And don’t get me started on Larry’s take on Marlon Brando — I feel bad for his fellow retirees at the Motion Picture Country House who were constantly subjected to it in the facility’s movie room at Larry’s request!

Even though this short is at the bottom of my “Shemp List”, I still rank it higher than the four Fake Shemp shorts…

For duty and humanity,
JohnH aka QuinceHead

Funnily enough, your reasons for avoiding alcohol are very similar to mine. In fact they mirror my thoughts perfectly. I can not stand the taste of most alcoholic drinks (champagne is the worst) and the stupidity that many people tend to display when drunk is another major turnoff. Not to mention that it infuriates me when that stupidity puts other people in danger.

metaldams · **Reply #44 on:** May 23, 2024, 01:03:39 PM

I have a few alcoholics in my family and what’s even worse is they’re too prideful to even admit it. I have a few glasses of red wine a month and that’s it.

Alcoholism in real life is obviously not funny, but I can find humor in almost anything in comedy. Shedding light on the dark side of life can be catharsis for me.

I have a W.C. Fields avatar for Pete’s sake. I find the drunk humor in this short to be just fine. The mileage of others may vary and I’m cool with that.

PeteHale · **Reply #45 on:** May 24, 2024, 07:05:45 PM

Quote from: Count Jerome “Curley” von Gehrol on May 23, 2024, 10:42:46 AM

Funnily enough, your reasons for avoiding alcohol are very similar to mine. In fact they mirror my thoughts perfectly. I can not stand the taste of most alcoholic drinks (champagne is the worst) and the stupidity that many people tend to display when drunk is another major turnoff. Not to mention that it infuriates me when that stupidity puts other people in danger.

Never drank, never will.