Moronika
Film & Shorts Discussions => The Three Stooges - Curly Years => Topic started by: metaldams on February 22, 2014, 08:09:22 AM
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http://www.threestooges.net/filmography/episode/44
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033281/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
Man, I've been both looking forward to and dreading reviewing this one at the same time. Looking forward to it because it is culturally one of the most important Stooge films and should lead to interesting discussion. Dreading it because of the serious nature of the topic being parodied. Look, the older I get, the more I see how screwed up the world is on a collective level, though beauty can exist on the individual level. I actually look forward to reviewing these films every week as an escape from the collective garbage going around in the news and the workplace, but this short is a sober reminder that the problems of the world today existed in 1940, existed long before that, and will probably exist long after we're gone. I was hoping to write a fun little review about a slapstick film, but I can't help but be a downer on this one, even though I find great value in the film itself.
The opening scene is fantastic. Three war profiteers most of the public is probably unaware of gathering around a table trying to beat the war drums and control who is in power. Enough said. The irony is one of them was played by Richard Fiske, who in real life, ended up dying in World War II. The scene on the balcony is a bit chilling as well, though it does have its funny moments. I find the whole idea of holding up signs telling people how to react and them obeying without thought disturbing, then again, it's supposed to be. Still, Moe's mock German is classic, and Larry cracks me up. I love it when Moe rubs the perfume on Curly's head and Larry pantomimes that he would like some on his skull as well, only to have Moe bonk him. A perfectly timed bit of business there. Larry also gets a huge laugh out of me when Moe tells him to hold the pliers to his nose. Larry, of course, listens, squeezes the pliers on his own nose, makes a funny grimace, and walks off the screen, still crushing his own nose. Ah, funny stuff.
Lorna Gray as Mattie Herring is fantastic. Ickle, dickle, bickle indeed, I guess. She looks absolutely stunning in that black dress and had the talent to act with the boys as well as just looking pretty. A shame she only had one released Stooge short after this one because she was the closest to the full female package the boys had to work with at this point. Of course, Christine McIntyre would finally come a few years later and stick around for about ten years, thank God, but I wish Ms. Gray would have stuck around longer.
Oh yes, then there's the whole first comedy film to parody Hitler thing. Yeah, it was the first released film to do so. However, this was filmed in December 1939 and released one month later. If anybody else follows Stooge filming and release dates, you'll know shorts are usually released 8 - 12 months after filming, not 1 month. This short was also filmed after ROCKIN THRU THE ROCKIES but released before it. So, why the rush release? Well, I say one of two reasons. Reason one is The Three Stooges and Jules White were dying to make a political statement (bear in mind the U.S. was not in the war at this point and there was a strong America first movement from people still weary of the war twenty years earlier), or more likely, they wanted to beat Chaplin to the punch and have this released before THE GREAT DICTATOR. I say most likely the latter, as they must've heard Chaplin, who back then was a huge star, arguably the biggest, was doing his Hitler parody and they wanted their film out first. THE GREAT DICTATOR started filming in September, 1939.
Well, a crazy, sobering, and valuable film, but it feels like it belongs in a different universe than say, A PLUMBING WE WILL GO. You're bound to stumble into different feelings and moods when you shoot 190 of these things.
8/10
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Hmmm, I don't know if I have anything of great value to add to the discussion outside of saying it's a very funny film & of course the social context of it, poking Schickelgruber right between the eyes.
I like when Moe asks what a dictator is & Richard Fiske explains that a dictator makes love to beautiful women, promises the people everything then gives them nothing. That is a dictator. Then Moe decides to think, heh heh....
On the balcony scene I liked Larry's little "Hallelujah" then he gets poked in the eyes. This was also the first short to introduce the map bits which always seem to go on too long, but I'm sure that's why fast forward buttons were invented.
If I had one wish for this film, is that Moe should have worn the Hitler mustache for the whole short like he did in the followup I'll Never Heil Again, which I actually prefer to this one.
8.5 out of 10....
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I will get to my review soon but wanted to agree with Metal on Lorna Gray ... too bad she was not in more shorts. She was great and held her own with the Stooges. She probably would have been better than Christine McIntyre (who I love) if she was in more shorts.
Also totally agree they wanted this out before Chaplin's.
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An awesome parody of Hitler in this one at the hands of Hailstone, Fieldstone, and Pebble. Curly and Larry are truly heartless as dictators as they take pleasure in the mass destruction they cause. Nevertheless, Moe was at his greatest in I'll Never Heil Again, but this is a top-5 moment for him.
We must lend our neighbors a helping hand! We must lend them two helping hands, and help ourselves to our neighbors!
This site's motto comes from this great short!
"To you, I give Mickey-Finland." "If I get Mickey-Finland, I'd better be rushin'." "Then quit Stalin."
The quotes go on and on. Somebody please compile You Nazty Spy, I'll Never Heil Again, Three Little Sew and Sews, Higher Than a Kite, They Stooge to Conga, and Back from the Front into one long YouTube video, please?
Hitler was a thug. Imagine his face when he found out that JEWS were mocking him in films!
Also one of the first Stooge shorts for the legendary Ned Glass.
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I forgot to mention one of my favorite little moments when Curly & Moe are holding hands under the table and Lorna says something to the effect of "I can feel the spirits coming closer" and Curly says "me too, woo woo woo." That always puts a smile on my face.
:D
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No question on my end: given the seriousness of the topic, the uncompromised ferocity with which they attack it, and the undiluted hilarity which they achieve, this and I'll Never Heil Again is the Stooges two-headed masterpiece. And unquestionably Moe's finest moment.
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Totally agree with the group. This is a masterpiece. You can actually spend a ton of time analyzing this short. It is definitely ethno-political and as Chief said the seriousness of the topic but the ferocity of how they make fun of 'the dictators', and the hilarity is EXCELLENT.
Jon Solomon in his book states items in the short like 'making our majorities minorities', Larry making the square table round, appeasing the group, Blitzkrieg, Beer Putsch all are from actual events that were happening in Europe. The boys along with Jules White were in Europe in 1939 and had to leave early - the reason is debated - the war or touring schedule change - but they obviously were aware of the events going on there. They shot the short in December - released January. Amazing.
All Stooges were on top of their game. The Solomon book says Curly is imitating Mussolini ... I have to see clips of Mussolini to see that. I was unaware of that.
I love the applause and other cue cards, Moe considering to be a dictator; what a dictator does; Curly's skit with Mata Herring and the blind fold; the fight where Larry tells the guy to look at his right arm and he hits him with his left.
Everything was so right on ... the only minuses is the golf scene ... ok for a little but not a great fan of that and the lions at the end... but these are minor.
Trivial Trivia: Solomon's book says a 'niblick' is an eight iron... googling a niblick is a 9 iron ... a pitching niblick is an 8 iron ... I like to golf and never, ever heard the term niblick.
P.S. If you have not guessed this short is a 10 in my book joining Horse Collars, Men In Black, Violent is the Word for Curly, Tassels in the Air, Pain in the Pullman, Punch Drunks, Hoi Polloi, Three Little Pigskins and Beers.
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The boys along with Jules White were in Europe in 1939 and had to leave early - the reason is debated - the war or touring schedule change - but they obviously were aware of the events going on there. They shot the short in December - released January.
No unplanned departure, schedule change, or debate...
They played their tour of the British Isles as scheduled, and returned to New York as scheduled (on the Queen Mary's final pre-war trans-Atlantic crossing). Early August was personal/family time, plus rehearsals for GEORGE WHITE'S SCANDALS OF 1939, which they co-starred in for two months at Broadway's Alvin Theatre beginning August 28, 1939. The Stooges left SCANDALS in late October (the show continued until early December) for more filming in Los Angeles... ROCKIN' THRU THE ROCKIES (1940) filmed the week of November 7.
They did not tour along with Jules White. They worked for White at Columbia, and beyond that, had no professional connection with him.
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They did not tour along with Jules White.
I was quoting from Jon Solomon's book. In rereading it you were correct I misstated that fact.
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No unplanned departure, schedule change, or debate...
They played their tour of the British Isles as scheduled, and returned to New York as scheduled (on the Queen Mary's final pre-war trans-Atlantic crossing).
I took this from Jon Solomon's book page 166. He quotes Larry's autobiography pages 112 through 114, so who are you going to believe? My point is since the Stooges were over there just before they made the short they were aware of the goings-on's and the feelings of people and why the short was so dead on regarding the events. Many people in the United States was still unaware of the magnitude.
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This is just me Kopfy but I wouldn't bet money on everything quoted from "Stroke Of Luck".
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This is just me Kopfy but I wouldn't bet money on everything quoted from "Stroke Of Luck".
Totally understandable ... should I not be able to trust Jon Solomon though?
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No question on my end: given the seriousness of the topic, the uncompromised ferocity with which they attack it, and the undiluted hilarity which they achieve, this and I'll Never Heil Again is the Stooges two-headed masterpiece. And unquestionably Moe's finest moment.
My Stooge masterpiece will be discussed very soon.
I can understand the praise for this film, and I agree, it IS a masterpiece. It's just not a film I go to often for pleasure because of the very real nature of what's being parodied. Funny, because there are several other art forms where unpleasant reality doesn't bother me (I literally just listened to the first three Black Sabbath albums, for example, and it doesn't get more grimmer and detailed than "Electric Funeral" and "Hand of Doom"), but I suppose these art forms are things I've discovered in my teen years or later and not my childhood, like The Three Stooges. Perhaps I just want innocence when I watch the boys, and that's more of a reflection on me than YOU NAZTY SPY itself.
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Totally understandable ... should I not be able to trust Jon Solomon though?
Jon Solomon set out to write a detailed analysis of the Stooges' filmography, and did a wonderful job of it.
His book was not an attempt to write their biographies or history. For historical references, he drew on prior publications and cited his sources accordingly. As we've learned over the decades, many names, dates and events in Larry's and Moe's books are erroneous... those books are valuable as personal memoirs, but problematic as solid sources of information.
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The Stooges beat Chaplin to the screen with this marvelous Hitler parody. With the myriad puns and one-liners, and the freewheeling satire here, the Stooges seem to be channeling the Marx Brothers! I can definitely see Groucho and Chico spouting many of the verbal zingers, and Harpo would have been right at home here too! The Stooges reveal their great versatility as character comedians and their matchless comedic timing. No, this is no GREAT DICTATOR, but neither is DICTATOR a YOU NAZTY SPY! :laugh:
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I love the Stooges' Nazi parodies, mostly because they're so on point. Like they're literally a caricature of Hitler and Goebbels.
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Despite having family that died in the holocaust, I tremendously enjoy this film. The serious nature of what the boys are parodying doesn't bother me. One thing in particular I love about this film is its set design. If I were a dictator, you can bet I'd want a palace like Moe Hailstone's. Doesn't this short also introduce the famous map the Stooges reuse in later films? Also have to agree on Lora Gray. Terrific actress and quite a looker too. I don't really find girls not from my era (Born in 1994 here) attractive but she was simply stunning.
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Our first WWII episode! Not a bad one at that. Slow beginning but it eventually picks up. And Mattie Herring is a very stunning the way she looked. Ah, my favorite dish! They don't make 'em like that anymore. I particularly enjoyed the whole peace conference. That was a very funny scene.
8/10
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I like when Moe asks what a dictator is & Richard Fiske explains that a dictator makes love to beautiful women, promises the people everything then gives them nothing. That is a dictator. Then Moe decides to think, heh heh....
Yep. Classic scene in a classic short.
Give it 8/10.
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In terms of this short's obvious merits, I have little to add, except that I agree regarding all of these, right down to Lorna Gray's exceptional portrayal of "Mattie Herring!" I can't believe she only appeared in two Stooge offerings! Shame. I was also sad to read about Richard Fiske's death in World War 2 at a young age! I tend to feel a bit of a connection to this War, as my Dad saw action as an RAF Engine Crewman.
YOU NAZTY SPY! was of course, the first Three Stooges short that had an additional purpose besides generating laughter, though it also manages this rather nicely, in my opinion! I'll reiterate that Moe Howard's mock German sounds very Hitler like to my ears!
To briefly touch on a couple technical points; this was the first Three Stooges short to open with the merged "COLUMBIA SHORT SUBJECT PRESENTATION/THE THREE STOOGES - CURLY . LARRY . MOE" opening card. Also, at around the 16 minute mark, the film quality on the Sony DVD is considerably downgraded for several seconds, as if derived from a dupe print!
If this important film isn't in the Library Of Congress National Film Registry, it should be!
9.5/10
CHEERS! :)
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In terms of this short's obvious merits, I have little to add, except that I agree regarding all of these, right down to Lorna Gray's exceptional portrayal of "Mattie Herring!" I can't believe she only appeared in two Stooge offerings! Shame. I was also sad to read about Richard Fiske's death in World War 2 at a young age! I tend to feel a bit of a connection to this War, as my Dad saw action as an RAF Engine Crewman.
YOU NAZTY SPY! was of course, the first Three Stooges short that had an additional purpose besides generating laughter, though it also manages this rather nicely, in my opinion! I'll reiterate that Moe Howard's mock German sounds very Hitler like to my ears!
To briefly touch on a couple technical points; this was the first Three Stooges short to open with the merged "COLUMBIA SHORT SUBJECT PRESENTATION/THE THREE STOOGES - CURLY . LARRY . MOE" opening card. Also, at around the 16 minute mark, the film quality on the Sony DVD is considerably downgraded for several seconds, as if derived from a dupe print!
If this important film isn't in the Library Of Congress National Film Registry, it should be!
9.5/10
CHEERS! :)
Lorna is actually in four shorts: OILY TO BED, OILY TO RISE; THREE SAPPY PEOPLE; YOU NAZTY SPY! and ROCKIN' THRU THE ROCKIES. And indeed, we lost a great talent far too soon with Mr. Fiske.
Film quality occasionally does that on the DVDs. Another example that comes to mind is the shot of the pot falling on Curly's head ("I'm lost!") in GOOFS AND SADDLES; additionally, the entirety of WHOOPS, I'M AN INDIAN! looks to me like no one even bothered to remaster the picture.
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While we're on the subject of film quality, I know there's a scene in Crime on Their Hands where the film loses some of its quality--I believe it occurs after Shemp swallows the Punjab diamond, and Christine faints.
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Lorna is actually in four shorts: OILY TO BED, OILY TO RISE; THREE SAPPY PEOPLE; YOU NAZTY SPY! and ROCKIN' THRU THE ROCKIES. And indeed, we lost a great talent far too soon with Mr. Fiske.
Film quality occasionally does that on the DVDs. Another example that comes to mind is the shot of the pot falling on Curly's head ("I'm lost!") in GOOFS AND SADDLES; additionally, the entirety of WHOOPS, I'M AN INDIAN! looks to me like no one even bothered to remaster the picture.
I should have seen that Lorna was in at least 3 these, literally having viewed OILY TO BED, OILY TO RISE and THREE SAPPY PEOPLE, as well as YOU NAZTY SPY! just last night! In hindsight, I don't even know where I got that Lorna Gray only appeared in two Stooges shorts?
Regarding the occasional brief instance of film degradation, I actually recently screen captured a few Curly "Pot" shots from GOOFS AND SADDLES. In my opinion, these look pristine compared to the degraded bit in YOU NAZTY SPY! My guess, is in these rare instances, several seconds of the original nitrate negative (Which, I believe was thankfully, the main source for the Three Stooges shorts, prior to the early 1950's switch to safety film!) was either missing, or otherwise unusable, and a later generation dupe print had to be sourced to replace the missing footage in such instances. Nevertheless, even these surprised me, as I've heard offhand statements that the original negatives for all of the Stooges Columbia Shorts were in pristine condition, but I'm thinking that may not be quite 100% accurate?
That said, the overall PQ of these shorts through the first two volumes of The Three Stooges Collection has in my opinion, been quite impressive!
CHEERS! :)
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In terms of this short's obvious merits, I have little to add, except that I agree regarding all of these, right down to Lorna Gray's exceptional portrayal of "Mattie Herring!" I can't believe she only appeared in two Stooge offerings! Shame. I was also sad to read about Richard Fiske's death in World War 2 at a young age! I tend to feel a bit of a connection to this War, as my Dad saw action as an RAF Engine Crewman.
YOU NAZTY SPY! was of course, the first Three Stooges short that had an additional purpose besides generating laughter, though it also manages this rather nicely, in my opinion! I'll reiterate that Moe Howard's mock German sounds very Hitler like to my ears!
To briefly touch on a couple technical points; this was the first Three Stooges short to open with the merged "COLUMBIA SHORT SUBJECT PRESENTATION/THE THREE STOOGES - CURLY . LARRY . MOE" opening card. Also, at around the 16 minute mark, the film quality on the Sony DVD is considerably downgraded for several seconds, as if derived from a dupe print!
If this important film isn't in the Library Of Congress National Film Registry, it should be!
9.5/10
CHEERS! :)
Tony, I hope your father is alive and well. Please give him my thanks for his part in keeping and restoring freedom in those dark days. I have a great respect for those who serve in the Armed Forces.
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Tony, I hope your father is alive and well. Please give him my thanks for his part in keeping and restoring freedom in those dark days. I have a great respect for those who serve in the Armed Forces.
Thank you very much for your kind post!
My Dad passed away in November 2006. I do miss him, but at 86, he did live a full life. Of course, he and countless others did serve to protect and restore freedom, for which I for one, am grateful for!
Kind Regards,
Tony
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YOU NAZTY SPY is the topmost example of a rush-job because Columbia wanted to beat out THE GREAT DICTATOR.
Hi Paul!
While Columbia, no doubt, rush released this iconic short, THE GREAT DICTATOR didn't even have its U.S. premiere until October 1940, while YOU NAZTY SPY was released in January of that year. Thus I don't believe there was ever really a race (Between the Stooges and Chaplin, at least!), as there was never much danger of Chaplin's iconic Feature seeing release first, even if the usual delay between shooting and release of a Stooges short applied here!
Just my opinion.
CHEERS! :)
Tony
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Watched this today... I didn't find much humor, if any, in Mattie Herring. In fact, it was downright retarded in the grand scheme of things, as was Mrs. Pfeffernus's dance.
But God bless Lorna gray, who's turning 99 in 12 days!
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re Miss Pfeffernuss: I may be wrong about this but I'm thinking that this is a takeoff on the fact that Hitler at one point had a secretary or someone in his entourage who had been or still was, or something, a ballerina. And no, it wasn't Goerring. And I agree that if this factoid is not right, Miss Pfeffernuss makes no sense at all.
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A quick google turns up more than one Hitler ballerina, if you can imagine. I don't care enough to follow the trail, but the quick scan seems to show that Nazty Spy predates any knowledge of either one, though it may be that rumors were flying even that early. My interest, anyway, is the stooges, not the Nazis.
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A quick google turns up more than one Hitler ballerina, if you can imagine. I don't care enough to follow the trail, but the quick scan seems to show that Nazty Spy predates any knowledge of either one, though it may be that rumors were flying even that early. My interest, anyway, is the stooges, not the Nazis.
It still was a sucky bit in the short. The sequel is definitely better than the original in this scenario.
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I strongly feel that Charlie Chaplin saw "You Nazty Spy!" while filming "The Great Dictator." How could he not? In fact, the Stooges may have given Chaplin a few ideas.
For example: "Any resemblance between the characters in this picture and any persons, living or dead, is a miracle."
Chaplin's opening title card: "Any resemblance between Hynkel the dictator and the Jewish barber is purely co-incidental."
One can also find similarities between Moe Hailstone's speech and Hynkel's initial rally.
Any thoughts?
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I strongly feel that Charlie Chaplin saw "You Nazty Spy!" while filming "The Great Dictator." How could he not? In fact, the Stooges may have given Chaplin a few ideas.
For example: "Any resemblance between the characters in this picture and any persons, living or dead, is a miracle."
Chaplin's opening title card: "Any resemblance between Hynkel the dictator and the Jewish barber is purely co-incidental."
One can also find similarities between Moe Hailstone's speech and Hynkel's initial rally.
Any thoughts?
I think there had to be some kind of disclaimer, even a comic one, at the beginning of each film because in 1940, Hitler was not officially an enemy of the U.S.
As far as speeches, it’s possible either The Stooges knew what Chaplin was up to or maybe Chaplin added in scenes after watching The Three Stooges. Hard to say, but things like speeches could also be coincidence. After all, they were spoofing the same regime.
I don’t have a definitive answer, but it is interesting to think about. Would have to look online or through old Three Stooges Journals when I have more time to see what is out there.
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I always assumed because of the era the Stooges and Chaplin came up in, as comics they knew Yiddish (especially the Stooges) and both Moe and Chaplin used that to their benefit in imitating Hitler.
(By the way, first post, happy to be on the message boards :) )
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Historically valuable as a political satire, but not the Stooges at their absolute best. The ambitious "You Nazty Spy!" gradually runs out of steam after Moe Hailstone's classic speech as the laughs become more sporadic in the second half. Even at 18 minutes, the short feels a bit long by Stooge standards. "I'll Never Heil Again" (the only sequel of the Curly era) is a definite improvement — funnier, better paced and, most importantly, Moe wears his Hitler mustache throughout.
8/10
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Anyone else out there have a problem with pundits who make statements like "The Three Stooges educated the American public about the evil of Hitler at a time when Roosevelt refused to do so?" Obviously, YOU NAZTY SPY and I'LL NEVER HEIL AGAIN were made for an audience who already knew plenty about Hitler, things they'd read in the newspapers(and news about his policies was not owned by Roosevelt and not his to conceal from the public). They might as well be saying "Boris Badenov and Natasha informed America about the crimes of the Soviet Union when Eisenhower and Kennedy hid the truth from the public".
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Anyone else out there have a problem with pundits who make statements like "The Three Stooges educated the American public about the evil of Hitler at a time when Roosevelt refused to do so?" Obviously, YOU NAZTY SPY and I'LL NEVER HEIL AGAIN were made for an audience who already knew plenty about Hitler, things they'd read in the newspapers(and news about his policies was not owned by Roosevelt and not his to conceal from the public). They might as well be saying "Boris Badenov and Natasha informed America about the crimes of the Soviet Union when Eisenhower and Kennedy hid the truth from the public".
I’m not sure how much of an impact a Stooge short would have had on the public at the time. If anything, I’m sure The Great Dictator was much more publicized but even there, I agree the majority of the American public - or at least the portion who are inclined to care about such things, already had some idea what was going on in Europe and also already had their mind made up about entering or not entering the war. To me You Nazty Spy is a political statement and parody by The Three Stooges, nothing more, nothing less. As far as educating the public, most likely not.
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The Miami Herald (February 27, 1940)
https://img.newspapers.com/img/img?institutionId=0&user=2725284&id=617133550&width=557&height=1235&crop=257_333_1300_2937&rotation=0&brightness=0&contrast=0&invert=0&ts=1594277149&h=807ff5cc2900d66e739df059e9538327
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Showmen's Trade Review (February 10, 1940)
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Thanks for these two reviews, Doctor, it's nice to see that the Stooges were very much appreciated for their best work in their own time.