Topic: New News (1937) - Monte Collins & Tom Kennedy

[Paul Pain]

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0138653/

REQUIRED READING: CRASH GOES THE HASH thread

Well, according to my measurements, there are over 90 available Columbia shorts across various sources.  We shall see how this pans out with reviews ranging from Charley Chase to Harry Langdon to Vera Vague and more.  It also depends on whether or not metaldams wants to lead the Langdon and Chase discussions (20-something shorts).

NEW NEWS is the original of CRASH GOES THE HASH and in some ways it compares and others it doesn't.  Collins and Kennedy was one of Columbia's early short teams and featured many interesting and unique shorts, but sadly only this one both survived and had a video to watch on the internet.  Monte also has a lost short in which he was the solo star.

It's hard not to make comparisons to CRASH GOES THE HASH.  The Stooges venture overshadows this in three ways: better writing, better chemistry, and better actors.  OK, the last is a bit unfair.  Collins and Kennedy were decent actors, but they clearly didn't click like Moe, Larry, and Curly did.

This is, however, a fantastic effort from all involved.  We have Elwood Ullman as a writer and Charles Lamont directly.  We also get Columbia's superior supporting cast in this.  In particular, we have Bud Jamison as the butler in both, and he is fantastic in both.  We also get Stanley Blystone and Harry Semels in top form.

Collins and Kennedy do a fine job with their roles, which are clearly crafted to their strengths, another plus of Columbia in the 1930s.  This allows their to be some decent yucks at ooints where otherwise we'd be tempted to say "Curly was better."  It shows as their are some differences between this and CRASH, in addition to the variations in the execution in the gags.  This is a good example of what Monte Collins and Tom Kennedy were capable of doing.

Definitely a pristine example of what Columbia did when solid comedians had scripts catered to their strengths, much like a classic Stooges short.

10/10

[metaldams]

This is on YouTube in two parts, I just edited in part two.  Will be pitching in my thoughts soon.

[Paul Pain]

This is on YouTube in two parts, I just edited in part two.  Will be pitching in my thoughts soon.

I figured people would see the 2nd part on their side bar, like I did.

[metaldams]

If one were going to compare this thing to CRASH GOES THE HASH, yeah, it’s going to fall flat.  As a Columbia short made in 1937, this one is pretty good.  The budgets were obviously higher at this point than they would be later on, judged by all the extras decorating the room and a few bits of outside scenery earlier on. 

Collins and Kennedy are in a long line of competent comedians who make decent comedy shorts but don’t stand out.  Collins stuffing the turkey - man, totally pales compared to Shemp or Curly pulling off this gag.  Lacks the unique character or charisma of those Howard brothers, but again, he’s competent.  He does just enough to make an old warhorse of a gag work and for guys like me who have seen a zillion old comedy shorts, I can accept that and be entertained.  Tom Kennedy comes across as a likable big oaf and may have worked better in a comedy team if he was given a better partner and enough time to gel with that person.

I do enjoy the bit in the beginning where they get thrown out for being reporters and steal cook and servant clothes to get into the party.  I get the feeling the nose in the door gag was inspired by Collins big nose, but even there, Moe and Curly just flat out react better when they do it.  The biggest contrast to me, however, is the ending.  We get a smashed cigar gag in NEW NEWS while in CRASH GOES THE HASH we get a special slapstick moment that could only be done by The Three Stooges.  Therein lies the difference between competent comedians and classic ones - the classic can have moments tailor made for them.

    I will say Bud Jamison is younger, healthier and angrier here and is the highlight of the short.  I especially love him screaming out the window with the cleaver threatening the comedy team, he had loads of energy there. Overall, a good 1937 Columbia short and entertaining to those of us who obsess about this era and comedy shorts.  Historically of interest too, glad I got to see it.

[Umbrella Sam]

Looking back-to-back at NEW NEWS and CRASH GOES THE HASH, it seems that NEW NEWS does a better job with the initial set-up while CRASH GOES THE HASH does a better job with the ending. In CRASH GOES THE HASH, there’s a very obvious plot hole in that we don’t know why the original cook and butlers didn’t show up, as well as not addressing how the Stooges got into the house in the first place. NEW NEWS explains this by showing Collins and Kennedy stealing the actual cook and butler’s clothes. On the other hand, NEW NEWS really rushes the ending, to the point where you wonder how they managed to get the fake prince arrested given how easily they seem to be beaten up. CRASH GOES THE HASH not only shows the Stooges beating them up, but shows them doing it with a gag that’s been proven to work by them multiple times.

Collins and Kennedy are fine in their roles. Collins is especially capable as the frustrated leader. At the same time, though, this does have the same feeling that a lot of the Columbia team-ups have, in that these actors kind of just got thrown together with no real thought on how to work out their personalities. For example, look at the scenes in CRASH GOES THE HASH and NEW NEWS where the teams consider giving up and going home. In CRASH GOES THE HASH, Larry is the one who wants to give up and Moe is the one who wants to stay, which makes sense because he’s the leader. But in NEW NEWS, Collins is the one who wants to go home, even though he’s supposed to be the leader of the duo.

While it’s not performed as well as CRASH GOES THE HASH, the two leads are still strong enough to pull off the comedy fairly well. Collins having issues with the oven is my personal favorite part. Overall, it’s a fun short that just happens to be a bit weaker compared to the one with a more established comedy team.

8 out of 10