Amazingly shot over the last four days of Arbuckle’s life, as Paul mentioned. You’d never know it, the man still falling on his back side and getting involved in massive dough and pie fights like it’s 1917 all over again. It’s such a shame we have all those lost years professionally but at least he went out being Roscoe on screen. Really would have been fascinating to see what kind of features he would have made at Warner Brothers. His voice and delivery are perfectly fine. A kitchen, messy pie and dough fights, a revolving kitchen door running gag that knocks people to the ground, exploding cakes, a stuttering character, a running gag with a man who wants a cake with a capital S - simply an unpretentious comedy short that is entertaining all the way around and most importantly, feels like an Arbuckle film. I wish Roscoe would have lived a lot longer (he was way too young, the poor guy), but since it was his time, I’m glad he went out making an entertaining short like this.
As far as Shemp goes, he plays the stooge to Lionel Stander’s Ted Healy. Stander, who is excellent here, plays the comic gangster while Shemp takes the slaps and gets the occasional one liner. I like the way he he asks a prospective baker that’s about to be bumped off if he can make lady fingers. Shemp does get in on the dough and pie fight action and while not a star comedian, is used well in a supporting role. Overall, I think Shemp was used much better by Vitaphone than he was at Columbia outside of The Three Stooges.
So yeah, IN THE DOUGH is worth watching as a fun comedy short, a swan song for Arbuckle, and an early Shemp appearance. Good stuff.
