Moronika
Film & Shorts Discussions => The Three Stooges - Curly Years => Topic started by: metaldams on November 14, 2014, 10:24:36 PM
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http://www.threestooges.net/filmography/episode/82
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037132/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
We're now talking about one of the last World War II shorts, because happily, that fiasco will be over soon. We're also talking about one of the last relatively healthy Curly shorts, because sadly, his health will be noticeably worse soon.
OK, I have a few thoughts. As far as the boys acting Japanese, eh, whatever. I'm currently trying to review 13 films now where a Jewish guys acts like an Italian, and being part Italian, I'm not bothered. So we get a short film where three Jewish guys impersonate Japanese guys. Yeah, the stuff in THE YOKE'S ON ME bothers me because the Japanese guys in that one were wrongfully kidnapped by the government from their homes because of their race. That offends me. But this? A silly impersonation? I don't find myself angered. Not exactly FEMA camp material. The boys do a pleasant enough job as the Japanese soldiers, I laugh, that's all I ask.
To me, the acrobatic stuff is the highlight of this film the same way the wrestling match is the centerpiece of RESTLESS KNIGHTS. The only problem is there are parts where obvious stunt doubles are being used, and being spoiled on Buster Keaton, I don't like that. Still there are plenty of parts where it's the actual Stooges and their charisma and teamwork shine through. I also love the play on the old changing cigar gag in the beginning. The catch is at the end Curly uses his actual thumb as a cigar, and not even Moe attempts to break that. Great gag!
As far as the ladies, this fits in perfectly with what we were talking about last short. Three beautiful women, but while none of them make fools of themselves with terrible acting, only one of them is given much to do, and that's obviously Christine McIntyre. I love her as the sexy German spy in this one, her talent shines through. She's our new favorite, but old favorite Vernon Dent is also great in this one, playing a pretty comical Nazi himself. The Swaztika underwear at the end is great stuff!
A somewhat average short for me, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Enjoy Curly like this while you can.
7/10
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This is good quality Stooge propaganda. At the beginning, the boys are simply posing for an anti-Japanese propaganda poster. On lunch break, they go to restaurant with their makeup still on. Of course, there are conveniently three Japanese escapees on the loose and dangerous right in their neighborhood. The rest is a barrel of laughs.
At the beginning, John Tyrrell does great at being the irritable boss, embarrassing himself on account of "these other idiots."
In the restaurant, there is incredible pleasure in watching the Brian O'Hara just maniacally attacking the Stooges, and watching them gang up on him. He fortunately sets his but on fire.
In the Nazi lair, we see typical Stooge mayhem, with Moe giving very gory descriptions of the results of poor acrobatics.
The ending is the highlight for me, with Larry getting the best line in the short: "So you Ratzies wanted the world, huh! Well, take it!" and smashing a globe on Vernon Dent's head.
Not much else to say about this one, except that it's a solid 9/10 in my book, but it's hard to describe... just watch it.
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I have to watch this one again before I give my thoughts--I remember liking it, but I'm not sure how much I like it...
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I know a lot of stooge moments we thought were adlibs have been proven not to be--but this certainly feels like an unscripted moment--during the seltzer fight between Moe and Curly after Moe says "serves you right" the first time; it looks like Curly forgets what he's supposed to do, so Moe starts to repeat his line, then Curly goes into action.
I would say this short overall, is very good & is one of the last few wartime shorts--I believe Booby Dupes is the final one.
7.5 out of 10 pokes....
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To me, the acrobatic stuff is the highlight of this film the same way the wrestling match is the centerpiece of RESTLESS KNIGHTS. The only problem is there are parts where obvious stunt doubles are being used, and being spoiled on Buster Keaton, I don't like that.
Was Curly's double wearing some sort of plastic mask? He looked more like an abstract Tom Kennedy than he did Curly!
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In my childhood, when the stooges first hit the small screen ( I'll nail it down to 1960, I don't think I was watching, or at least not watching sentiently, in 1959 ), WNAC-TV in Boston was running three Stooges episodes every weekday morning before school. I think that they ran them uncut, didn't even edit them for commercials, God bless 'em, but I also think that they for whatever reason clipped off the beginning of No Dough Boys to the extent that they edited out the first minute that established that the stooges were heavily-made-up photographer's models doing a shoot. That and Curly's comment later to Moe: " speak for yourself, John " ( John? His name is Moe! ) and the fight with the diner owner, was, given the missing opening minute, disorienting to Little Chief Apumtagribonitz. Moe's saying "he thinks we're Japs" was not, unfortunately, a light-bulb moment. It was years before I saw the actual opening and exorcised that childhood dilemma. I don't think the cut would have been done by a squeamish editor at WNAC, since they regularly ran Stooge To Conga and Yoke's On Me in their entirety.
In any case, even before I sorted all this out, I thought this was a very funny outing. The acrobatic act was great, and I think a lot of it ( the easy stuff ) was done by the stooges themselves. Larry's great here.
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Was Curly's double wearing some sort of plastic mask? He looked more like an abstract Tom Kennedy than he did Curly!
Seems like whenever they needed a double for Curly, they always used some guy with an ill-fitting shower cap....i guess that was supposed to make us believe it was Curly's bald head!
HD TV's have taken some of the fun out of these old time comedies, since you now can really tell that it's not the actors doing the stunts.
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True, but only since most of us have been raised on these things in their televised versions, which, IMHO, it's important to remember they were never intended for. In their original big-screen cinematic showings, the stunt-doublings, the string manipulations, and all the other cheap effects must have been glaringly, laughably, obvious. I've been hesitant to order the Sony remasters since they are reputed to be so gorgeously pristine that every little flying thread and felt anvil is obvious, and I'm not sure that after all these years I want to see them that way. I'm sure I'll cave sooner or later, but not real soon. I'm just not sure I want to see obviously-felt 78's hurled at the end of Micro-Phonies, not now anyway. Someday, maybe.
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I give the short a strong seven. They get props for imitating Japanese. I also like the turning off the light and then turning it on. And I love the weak arms of Larry right after Curly tries to do the acrobatic lift with him. We also get to see some leg from the women that were thrown into the couch.
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Quotes:
"Of alll the clumsy idiots!"
Moe: "Beat it sister, we don't want anyone learning our trade secrets!"
Classic!
"Is that not a swastika?"
"Yes that is a swastika!"
"Is that not a dirty rat?"
"Yes, that is a dirty rat!"
Love this episode.
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Quotes:
"Of alll the clumsy idiots!"
Moe: "Beat it sister, we don't want anyone learning our trade secrets!"
Classic!
"Is that not a swastika?"
"Yes that is a swastika!"
"Is that not a dirty rat?"
"Yes, that is a dirty rat!"
Love this episode.
Actually
"Of alll the clumsy idiots!"
Moe: "Beat it sister, we don't want anyone learning our trade secrets!"
is from THEY STOOGE TO CONGA.
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Actually is from THEY STOOGE TO CONGA.
Yes. I feel shame. And stand corrected.
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Yes. I feel shame. And stand corrected.
As penance, I assign you three "Hallowed Be Thy Names" and two "Killed By Deaths." Now go in peace, my son.
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As penance, I assign you three "Hallowed Be Thy Names" and two "Killed By Deaths." Now go in peace, my son.
Indeed, I do all my praying at the "Metal Church". And may the Blatz Be with You...
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Indeed, I do all my praying at the "Metal Church". And may the Blatz Be with You...
...and also with you.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nBHVQBNnGuk
[headbang]
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A great later Curly episode and the second best of the 1944 stooge shorts (I consider 1944 to be a mediocre year for the stooge films) after "Crash Goes The Hash", I've thought Curly looked more energetic here than he did in some of the earlier 1944 stooge films like "Busy Buddies", "The Yoke's On Me" and "Idle Roomers", I really liked the scenes where the stooges were fighting against the bad guys with the lights turning on and off and the acrobatic scenes.
I give this short a 9/10 and it's the last stooge film to feature the accordion based version of "Three Blind Mice".
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Compared to "The Yoke's On Me," this wartime two-reeler marks a huge advance. "No Dough Boys" is rather contrived by Stooge standards, but the high-energy acrobatics and Christine McIntyre make it worthwhile (clumsy stunt doubles notwithstanding). The last Jules White-directed short with Curly at full strength.
7.5/10
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A pretty decent later Curly outing. I rank it at #74.