Topic: 3-d Stooges

[pete]

How many 3-d shorts were made and also are they available to purchase in original 3-d mode ?
Thanks

[shemps#1]

Two shorts were made in 3D, Spooks and Pardon My Backfire, both made in 1953. As far as I know you cannot buy them in 3D anywhere.

[garystooge]

You can buy 16mm prints of those 2 films in 3-D but they're quite hard to locate and won't come cheap. There are also some 8mm and super 8mm prints around but they are usually abridged versions that don't run the full 16-18 minutes.
Gary

[locoboymakesgood]

I have an original CBS recording of Spooks and Pardon My Backfire from the 80s that my father taped. They were broadcast in 3D. I have no idea where that tape is, though.

It was some Halloween special or something. I saw the tape a few years later as a kid. That was neat.

[Pilsner Panther]

I have an original CBS recording of Spooks and Pardon My Backfire from the 80s that my father taped. They were broadcast in 3D. I have no idea where that tape is, though.

It was some Halloween special or something. I saw the tape a few years later as a kid. That was neat.

Broadcast in 3D? That can't be, because 1950's 3D in theaters required a special setup involving two synchronized 35mm projectors, and the audience had to wear cardboard and cellophane 3D glasses with one red and one blue lens. I actually own a pair, but they're not good for anything except inducing headaches, nowadays.

Maybe you think you saw those shorts in 3D because of the scenes where things are thrown at the camera (i.e., at the audience). But believe me, you didn't.

 

[xraffle]

Wow! I never knew that those shorts were actually in 3-D. I thought the reason why they said it was 3-D was because things were being thrown at the camera.

[BeAStooge]

As far as I know you cannot buy them in 3D anywhere.

Columbia occasionally distributes 35mm prints for theatrical distribution, in the "higher-end" Kodak polarization process (if you want a technical explanation, don't ask me).  September 2003, a week-long 3-D film festival was held at Hollywood's Egyptian Theater, and both shorts were screened.  During one afternoon schedule, SPOOKS was shown before I THE JURY (1953), a United Artists feature with Joe Besser in a small role.

16mm copies printed in the red/blue process are not uncommon.  Columbia struck a number of library and rental prints back in the 60s and 70s, and they occasionally show up on the collector market.  But, like Gary said, they can get pricey.  I bought a 16mm red/blue print of PARDON MY BACKFIRE a couple years ago on eBay, in great condition w/no splices for $325.  (One sold on eBay last summer for over $500, so I guess I got a bargain.)

[3Stooges]

If Columbia wanted to, would they be able to release a real 3D version of Spooks and Pardon My Backfire on DVD or does it have to be viewed via a projector?

[DoctorFine]

I have seen the 3d question posed in several places on this board. I just finished watching this short again, and people need to remember that this short was in black and white. In general, 3d effects use the red and blue glasses which work with the color separation on the screen.

This film was basically an attempt at 3d given what was available which was only camera angles...

[Dunrobin]

I have an original CBS recording of Spooks and Pardon My Backfire from the 80s that my father taped. They were broadcast in 3D. I have no idea where that tape is, though.

It was some Halloween special or something. I saw the tape a few years later as a kid. That was neat.

Broadcast in 3D? That can't be, because 1950's 3D in theaters required a special setup involving two synchronized 35mm projectors, and the audience had to wear cardboard and cellophane 3D glasses with one red and one blue lens. I actually own a pair, but they're not good for anything except inducing headaches, nowadays.

Maybe you think you saw those shorts in 3D because of the scenes where things are thrown at the camera (i.e., at the audience). But believe me, you didn't.

 

Actually, it's quite likely that he did, Pils.  3-D films can and have been broadcast on TV on quite a few occasions.  You still have to have the 3-D "glasses" to get the effect, of course.

I distinctly remember somebody broadcasting those shorts in 3-D a long time ago.  I couldn't have told you exactly when or which network it was, but I remember watching it with my friends wearing glasses that we obtained from the local 7-11 store for the occasion.

[kinderscenen]

I distinctly remember somebody broadcasting those shorts in 3-D a long time ago.  I couldn't have told you exactly when or which network it was, but I remember watching it with my friends wearing glasses that we obtained from the local 7-11 store for the occasion.

It may have been something that independent stations were doing, because I do remember being young (and stupid) enough to walk to the local 7-11 to purchase my 3-D glasses (in 95 degree heat), for a whopping $1. The station broadcasted the Stooges shorts first, then other 3-D movies. I can't recall if it was a sort of "Fest" for a holiday weekend or what.

Sunday

[Bruckman]

Back in the early 80s, WSBK in Boston showed THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON and PARDON MY BACKFIRE one evening in 3-D. I forget where one purchased the 3-D glasses there was some promotional tie-in to a local chain of stores but I've forgotten which one). Both my brother and I bought glasses. The trouble watching was you had to sit directly in front of the TV screen to optimize the 3-D effect; if you were off by a few inches the colors came out skewed. My brother and I ended up sitting one behind the other rather than side by side (he was and is shorter than I am). It was only moderately entertaining and the effect on a small screen not nearly as compelling as on a theatrical screen.

[kinderscenen]

It wasn't very entertaining, especially with all I went through to actually BUY the glasses. If it was done today (instead of 1982-83), I imagine that watching on a larger TV screen would improve it somewhat, but it still wouldn't be as entertaining as seeing it in a movie theatre.

Sunday

[Dunrobin]

I have seen the 3d question posed in several places on this board. I just finished watching this short again, and people need to remember that this short was in black and white. In general, 3d effects use the red and blue glasses which work with the color separation on the screen.

This film was basically an attempt at 3d given what was available which was only camera angles...

The short you saw was undoubtedly the more common "2-D" version (without the red and blue overlays) that is usually aired.  If you re-read the posts earlier in this thread, you'll see that these two shorts were released in "3-D" as well, which would require the red and blue glasses.

[Curley91]

You can get "Spooks!" on amazon.com. It is on The three stooges collection vol. V along with "Income tax sappy" and "3 hams on rye". I have a rare copy of "Pardon My Backfire".

[ThumpTheShoes]

   There are a number of DVDs floating about that have the two 3d shorts in field-sequential format. Does anyone know the source of these copies?
   I am used to seeing the anaglyph versions of the Stooges' 3d efforts - "Pardon my Backfire" is barely watchable, and "Spooks!" (the version I'm used to, anyway) is a really bad 2d conversion complete with fake-3d print damage. For years, I accepted the fact that the only way I would ever see these films was by way of the existing anaglyph coversions.
   Just today, however, I managed to get hold of the field- sequential DVD and I am quite happy with the 3d effect. While there is a marked lack of resolution in the picture quality department (a side-effect of the process, as well as generational dubbing and mpeg compression) the overall "feel" of the films is very pleasing with a great amount of spatial depth and the occasional image that pops out of the screen. There is also the occasional splice, scratch and even video dropout which indicates that the elements for the DVD were sourced from analogue tape at some point.
   I'd just like to know if these films were ever broadcast in field-sequential format or if some chucklehead spent a heap of time compiling the video elements.

Thanks for looking,
ThumpTheShoes

PS. I just realized that this is my first post. I've been checking in on the forums for over a year and haven't said anything! I'm not anti-social, I swear it!
   -TTs

[locoboymakesgood]

I have an original CBS recording of Spooks and Pardon My Backfire from the 80s that my father taped. They were broadcast in 3D. I have no idea where that tape is, though.

It was some Halloween special or something. I saw the tape a few years later as a kid. That was neat.

Broadcast in 3D? That can't be, because 1950's 3D in theaters required a special setup involving two synchronized 35mm projectors, and the audience had to wear cardboard and cellophane 3D glasses with one red and one blue lens. I actually own a pair, but they're not good for anything except inducing headaches, nowadays.

Maybe you think you saw those shorts in 3D because of the scenes where things are thrown at the camera (i.e., at the audience). But believe me, you didn't.

 

Actually, it's quite likely that he did, Pils.  3-D films can and have been broadcast on TV on quite a few occasions.  You still have to have the 3-D "glasses" to get the effect, of course.

I distinctly remember somebody broadcasting those shorts in 3-D a long time ago.  I couldn't have told you exactly when or which network it was, but I remember watching it with my friends wearing glasses that we obtained from the local 7-11 store for the occasion.

Believe me. I've been a Stoogephile since I was a wee lad in the 80s, and have seen Pardon My Backfire and Spooks many, many times. There was 3D glasses my father obtained somewhere and I watched the shorts in actual 3D, compared to the broadcast versions that aren't. I still wish I had that tape, it was awesome.