Topic: Punchy Cowpunchers (1950)

[Woe-ee-Woe-Woe80]

Very good Stooge short and it was great seeing the supporting actors getting a chance to shine with their performances, I especially loved Dick Wessel's performance in this short and him getting demoted from captain to private, I wish he'd gotten to be a regular Stooge foil, I've read somewhere that this was Edward Bernds's favorite Stooge short he directed.

The only downside to this short is Moe doesn't give out much punishment in this short, overall I give this short an 8/10

[Dr. Mabuse]

I always preferred Curly's sagebrush sagas, but "Punchy Cowpunchers" is easily the best of the Shemp westerns directed by Edward Bernds. The cast and crew had a lot of fun with one . . . and it shows.  A rare two-reeler in which the Stooges do not appear in the closing shot.

7.5/10

[Daddy Dewdrop]

Coming in at #188 in my countdown is this mess.  First let me say, I'm generally a fan of westerns, just not Three Stooges westerns.  Something about our clearly city boys just doesn't mix with the western genre.  I'm also decidedly not a fan of Jock Mahoney, and we get way too much of him and his pratfalls in this short.  The lone bright spots for me are the always reliable Christine McIntyre and Shemp's "sour milk" line.  This just doesn't feel like a Stooges short and, as you'll see coming up on the countdown, that's a big turn-off for me.  My least favorite Shemp short, though it's a tight horse race (pun intended) with "Cuckoo On A Choo Choo" (coming soon).

#188. Punchy Cowpunchers

[Samurai]

I'm surprised by how much I've come to enjoy this short. And even more surprised that it's due to the supporting cast, not the boys. Everyone agrees that Christine is terrific as the 'damsel in distress'. Little did anyone know that she would be about as damsel-y as Lana Kane. I suppose the 'Cousin Basil' mauling should have tipped us off.

For me, Jock-O is the highlight. He is a perpetual train-wreck of ineptitude, with zero disregard for his own well-being. He took pratfalls to a new and painful level. There is nothing he cannot fall over (furniture), fall off of (horses) or bounce off of (Sgt. aka Private Wessell).

It may not have belly laughs, but for me, it's completely entertaining.