IMDB:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0132530/I knew we were going to have lots of fun when I discovered all the films uploaded by this page and by our own Geno. I apparently hated myself when I selected STAGE FRIGHTS to review. I preface this however with the realization that many of the shorts on this channel are low-effort low-quality cell phone filming of an old 9mm film projector. Do not get me wrong. This is not a terrible short at all, but the quality of what we have to watch leaves much to be desired.
STAGE FRIGHTS is a spoof of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA in some regards but mostly just horror films in general. Monte Collins and Tom Kennedy play the bumbling idiots charged with protecting an actress, and of course they fail miserably only to luck into victory. This is a typical Columbia plot line.
Monte, whom I know has many detractors, was a serviceable comedian, and both he and Tom Kennedy had the distinct ability to drop into any situation and perform well... without being exceptional. The man, however, much as I was saying last week about El Brendel, could take his slapstick like an absolute champion. Here, he plays a blithering idiot, but there's never a point in the film where I feel like he leaves an unique imprint upon the final product. Surprisingly, he does work well as the bully to Tom. Keep in mind this is before Columbia knew they'd hit pay dirt with some guys named Moe, Larry, and Curly.
Tom is again the big lunkhead that he typically portrayed for his entire career. Again, there is no moment where I feel like he takes this short up a notch, but he seemed more natural with his character than Monte did.
This is my first time seeing Herman Bing, and he was more impressive than the rest. He does rage very well in a Billy Gilbert type of manner. Herman, however, has a real accent, unlike Billy or Benny Rubin. He is a strong character in a script that's dying for one, and the funniest parts of the short feature him... with one exception.
The highlight of the short is a joke about Monte Collins' beak that I think once got mistaken for Pikes Peak. His nose gets shut in a door, and we get this bizarre seen of a fake nose, supposed to be Monte's on the other side of the door while Monte is hollering over it. If this were a better quality film, this scene would probably be as hilariously squeamish as Curly's nose in the pipe cutter in THEY STOOGE TO CONGA.
The plot is very basic with the comedic elements dragging out what is a very bare bones approach to the "how catch 'em" genre of mystery films. There is no twist and no turn, but the filling material that build it up do well enough. It's standard Columbia comfort food in this one, so I don't think you'll be astounded or disappointed by STAGE FRIGHTS.
