THE BIG IDEA....an idea so big, that even a hardcore Stooge nut like me couldn’t remember the plot. I’ve seen it before, but this short has left very little impression on me. Upon watching it for this review, some things came back to me, namely The Three Stooges with brass instruments. Overall, I would have to call this the weakest of the MGM Healy shorts. I don’t know if the problem is MGM or Healy himself.
Healy In PLANE NUTS, in doing what I guess is a replica of his stage act, seemed like an engaging enough fellow on stage, but as a featured player in film, he just lacks charisma....or in his defense, maybe MGM just couldn’t write for him. It’s not like MGM had a stellar track record in creating film comedians and they created mostly passable to bad films for established ones. Based on what we have, Healy seems better off as a supporting actor and nothing in THE BIG IDEA changes my mind. He’s merely OK and Bonnie at times is bad. The on screen relationship and scenario here would have been perfect for George Burns and Gracie Allen. With some better written dialogue, they could have made this a really funny short. Those two together draw me in, Healy and Bonnie, I was interested only for historical reasons. I like Healy much better in MAD LOVE.
As far as The Three Stooges, as limited as their role is here, they just had “it.” Not Clara Bow’s kind of “it,” but something that just translated to screen well, and THE BIG IDEA momentarily perks up by virtue of Moe, Larry and Curly simply walking in front of a camera. I’m so happy Columbia snatched these guys up without Healy, the world is a better place for it.
