Topic: Scotched in Scotland (1954)

[metaldams]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047460/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p2PcfwkOqgI

Watch SCOTCHED IN SCOTLAND in the link above



      I need some scotch after watching these stock footage jobs so much lately.  Oy vey!  I'm yearning for Besser folks, seriously.  As bad as some of those films are, at least they're discussable.  So, in essence, what is SCOTCHED IN SCOTLAND?  It's a remake of HOT SCOTS with a few new comedy plot scenes thrown in.  Let's briefly discuss the new scenes.

      The office scene, while brief, is the highlight of the short.  Phil Van Zandt gets to act as straight man to the boys, the now ancient routine of the boys finishing last in their class but having to go work in the real world is visited (seriously, that goes back to MEN IN BLACK, short number three); and we get some brief, but satisfying Stooging.  Some violent Stooging too, I may add, when it comes to Moe working that stapler.  I don't know about you guys, but I winced, LOL....and my God, I'm LOL ing in my reviews, a product of me texting more lately.  Oy vey, again!  Then there's the tired bird in the skull gag, never a favorite of mine, and Christine McIntyre, in new footage, gets stabbed in the backside with a knife....seriously.  Between that and the stapler, the gags are more violent.  This is just as the violence reigns were loosening, but before the boys were a kiddie act.

      Oh yeah, Ted Lorch has long passed away, so a new actor plays his role in the new footage, but here, it's not just the back of the head, like Palma, but full frontal shots, actor heavily disguised.  Not much else to say, just gotta plow through these remakes.

5/10

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

Three comments:

     1.)  The only thing the new footage, which is not horrible, adds is to reveal the identities of the thieves in the first five minutes, thus completely eliminating all the suspense there was ( which even in the original was admittedly not a whole lot ) about the identity of the ghosts/robbers.
     2.)  This new footage, while adding nothing new, does point out how good the original was: fast pace, good dialogue, good slapstick.
     3.)   The parrot's catch phrase, " How you fixed for blades? "  is a reference to an advertising campaign for Gillette razor blades, who in the early days of television had a ubiquitous ad series depicting a cartoon parrot asking that question, especially on pro wrestling and pro boxing shows, which themselves were ubiquitous at that point.  Like the pens that write underwater, or whipped cream, the reference would have been unmistakable to the audience of that day; how funny is another question.
     4. )   ( Okay, I lied, there's four, not three ):  Christine still looks great, if a tiny bit plumper in this one.  Still a trouper, taking a snee in the ass.  This has got to be close to her final stooge footage, no?

[metaldams]

Three comments:

     1.)  The only thing the new footage, which is not horrible, adds is to reveal the identities of the thieves in the first five minutes, thus completely eliminating all the suspense there was ( which even in the original was admittedly not a whole lot ) about the identity of the ghosts/robbers.
     2.)  This new footage, while adding nothing new, does point out how good the original was: fast pace, good dialogue, good slapstick.
     3.)   The parrot's catch phrase, " How you fixed for blades? "  is a reference to an advertising campaign for Gillette razor blades, who in the early days of television had a ubiquitous ad series depicting a cartoon parrot asking that question, especially on pro wrestling and pro boxing shows, which themselves were ubiquitous at that point.  Like the pens that write underwater, or whipped cream, the reference would have been unmistakable to the audience of that day; how funny is another question.
     4. )   ( Okay, I lied, there's four, not three ):  Christine still looks great, if a tiny bit plumper in this one.  Still a trouper, taking a snee in the ass.  This has got to be close to her final stooge footage, no?

Thanks for number 3.  Had no clue what the parrot even said, and certainly wouldn't have gotten the joke if I did.

As for 4, OF CASH AND HASH is Christine's last footage. I agree with everything you said.

By the way, next week we start the eighth and final DVD volume, albeit the volume with most shorts.  Amazing we made it this far!

[Paul Pain]

     3.)   The parrot's catch phrase, " How you fixed for blades? "  is a reference to an advertising campaign for Gillette razor blades, who in the early days of television had a ubiquitous ad series depicting a cartoon parrot asking that question, especially on pro wrestling and pro boxing shows, which themselves were ubiquitous at that point.  Like the pens that write underwater, or whipped cream, the reference would have been unmistakable to the audience of that day; how funny is another question.

Cool!  I could tell what the parrot had said, but the reference made absolutely no sense.  Thanks for the explanation, Chief!

SCOTCHED IN SCOTLAND is a Three Stooges short, all right.  There isn't much else to say other than that, if not for the stapler bit, the new scenes would have no redeeming value.  On the most part, it all adds nothing to what was already just an OK short: OK meaning a short you won't regret watching but won't ever get a craving for either.  Christine gets a skewer shoved up her rear, which makes metaldams... nevermind   .  We all get fixed for blades, but I apologize to the parrot as I use Schick... only the best for my hideous, monstrous face!

Bleh.

4/10

Edit: forgot an important word in there

[Dr. Hugo Gansamacher]

Hello-o-o-o-o-o . . .
__Hello-o-o-o-o . . .
____Hello-o-o-o . . .

Hello!

And Moe concludes the affair by giving Larry and Shemp together a slow hypnotic hand gesture followed by a quick conk on the forehead. An admirable manifestation of the old Stooge magic.

For some reason, in the stapling of Shemp's nose the funny outweighs the dismaying to me, though in the stapling of Larry's finger it doesn't. Maybe because Shemp's nose is funnier.

[Signor Spumoni]

Let us not forget the egregious, albeit brief, pun which is Phil Van Zandt's character's name and title, O.U. Gonga, Dean.  Also, I love his lens-less glasses. 

[Shemp_Diesel]

Well--having just watched this one again, recently--as far as recycles go, this is probably one of the better ones, like a Musty Musketeers or even the later Bedlam in Paradise. The new footage at the beginning is good--not prime stooges, but there are some funny bits, like the previously mentioned "stapler" and I like the little argument that goes on between the boys when Shemp says he's not going to Scotland.

For some odd reason, the "bird in the skull" doesn't hold the same power over me as the hilarious "bird in the turkey"--not sure I can explain why either. Also, I didn't find myself fast forwarding through the old footage as much as I usually do when watching these "rehashes." And Shemp's "McYowser" routine is always great for a laugh in either version.

6 out of 10 pokes....

[Dr. Hugo Gansamacher]

as far as recycles go

I approve of this description.

[Paul Pain]

Scotched in Scotland came out in 1954.

Nitpicking on your nitpicking... in your nitpicking you found the time for nitpicking the thread title but not for nitpicking the short? 

[Kopfy2013]

The new scenes round out the story ... creates a little more Stoogisms ... however it does not improve its grade from Scots ... the rating is the same - a 6

[Curly Van Dyke]

I always enjoyed this rather cheesy Re-Boot of "Hot Scots".Highlights are the Fake Ted Lorch-not as bad as a Fake Shemp!,
The Perennial Parrot in the Skull and How ya Fixed for Blades.
Yes,Christine is a little plumper here and in "Of Cash and Hash",but is still a Doll.
Also love those speeded up Stooge lines in the finale with Angus and McPherson.
We didn't really need this short but Columbia thought the average 1954 moviegoer forgot about "Hot Scots" and probably did.

[metaldams]

Rewatched this one and the two things I gotta say.

1.). Still surreal seeing Christine take a mouse trap to the finger and a knife to the butt.  I really think the violence reigns were loosening at this point and if the boys were making all originals, we may have had their most violent short from this time period.  Heck, PARDON MY BACKFIRE may already qualify.

2.). There’s this one shot of Moe in a room screaming while a fake looking skull is flying around with a parrot inside it.  That made me smile the same way Ed Wood films do.

[Daddy Dewdrop]

One of the better Shemp recycle jobs.

#119. Scotched In Scotland