Moronika
Film & Shorts Discussions => The Three Stooges - Curly Years => Topic started by: Paul Pain on December 08, 2019, 01:01:11 PM
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https://threestooges.net/filmography/episode/201
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024102/
(https://i.redd.it/qhah9215e4341.jpg)
I should be absolutely ashamed of myself for disappearing for almost a month without popping in to update you on things. I certainly had time to do that much. But, alas, folks, because, I, Paul Pain, the heart throb of millions, have no valid excuse for not getting this thread up sooner for everyone.
This looks like an interesting short, and I should definitely have time this week to watch it and also give my own two cents on it. Meanwhile, enjoy this thread and post your thoughts.
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For years, HELLO POP was a lost film that almost every Stooge fan was dying to see. When it was found, it got a little bit of publicity, people watched it and it’s now been damned to the blasé purgatory all the other Healy MGM shorts reside in. I’m glad this was found nonetheless.
This is a real loud comedy with Ted Healy screaming at Henry Armetta and others with bits of The Three Stooges and musical numbers with some Rudy Vallee wannabes. There’s also a bunch of leggy showgirls for good measure. It’s obvious Ted Healy did not have a character to carry a feature length film and was served well going into supporting roles. Just too loud and abrasive when relying on his own character to carry things, I find him hard to take in this short.
As for The Three Stooges themselves, the few moments they do have show promise, especially when they are reading over the script. Most interesting is Moe’s interaction with the leading lady of the play and how he aggressively kisses her. Columbia Moe was child like around women, so this moment indeed is the biggest revelation about HELLO POP. All Three Stooges hiding under her dress may also be the most risqué gag they ever did - definitely a pre-code moment.
Overall, a bizarre acid trip of a short that has The Three Stooges in it. The comedy, music and pacing of the thing is very quick and without rhyme or reason, very dream like. Even the end with pretty girls falling from the Heavens is dream like. A strange film that’s interesting to see but at the same time, not the reason I, and I assume most others, are Three Stooges fans.
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Metaldams hits the nail on the head with the big problem here. The majority of this short is basically just Ted Healy yelling at everyone, with recurring gags involving Henry Armetta and Bonnie Bonnell that aren’t funny. The only thing I thought was funny about Healy in this was when he suddenly kissed Henry Arnmetta to prove he liked him, mainly because of how unexpected it was. As strange as it sounds, I also like how he constantly refers to Edward Brophy as just “Brophy,” as though he didn’t have any idea what his first name might be.
The Stooges have a few good bits, mainly the part where they’re reading the script and the beginning when Moe hits Larry after claiming he’s normal and Curly isn’t. Otherwise, it’s just boring comedy and boring musical numbers. It’s great that this was found for historical purposes, but this isn’t a short I’d constantly come back to for entertainment purposes.
4 out of 10
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Metaldams hits the nail on the head with the big problem here. The majority of this short is basically just Ted Healy yelling at everyone, with recurring gags involving Henry Armetta and Bonnie Bonnell that aren’t funny. The only thing I thought was funny about Healy in this was when he suddenly kissed Henry Arnmetta to prove he liked him, mainly because of how unexpected it was. As strange as it sounds, I also like how he constantly refers to Edward Brophy as just “Brophy,” as though he didn’t have any idea what his first name might be.
The Stooges have a few good bits, mainly the part where they’re reading the script and the beginning when Moe hits Larry after claiming he’s normal and Curly isn’t. Otherwise, it’s just boring comedy and boring musical numbers. It’s great that this was found for historical purposes, but this isn’t a short I’d constantly come back to for entertainment purposes.
4 out of 10
Oh yes, the Healy/Armetta kiss! Done on the cheek but still....probably would not have gotten away with that a year later. Yeah, that was funny.
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I finally watched "Hello Pop" on YouTube last night. Worth a look for the two-strip Technicolor and a few moments of Stooge magic. However, when Ted Healy becomes more abrasive than Edward Brophy, you know you're in trouble.
4/10
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Del Lord might have turned this into something.
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Del Lord might have turned this into something.
Ted Healy certainly turned it into something… 💩