Moronika
Film & Shorts Discussions => The Three Stooges - Curly Years => Topic started by: metaldams on February 06, 2015, 01:19:02 PM
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http://www.threestooges.net/filmography/episode/94
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038544/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
(https://threestooges.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.robertedwardauctions.com%2Fauction%2F2014_fallimages%2Fitem_33189_1.jpg&hash=5c1a8b88a1d1e0650675cb426a15fc774e310359)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MZMu-fsBw6A
Watch the complete short in the link above.
G.I. WANNA HOME is a post World War II short that uses the housing shortage returning soldiers were facing at the time as a comic premise, as The Stooges play returning soldiers trying to find a home for them and their wives. There's even a part where a renter claims he's only renting hourly, from 4 - 5 AM! For the most part, the premise is used just as an excuse to tie together random gags, don't expect deep social commentary.
Curly is getting closer to the end here, as you can clearly see him come in too early as he's about to deliver his first line of the short. However, I will praise him during the scene where's he's doing a barber shop styled shave to the potatoes. The camera stays on him for an extended shot and we get to see him perform some very pleasant comedy. He's not exactly in genius mode like he was shaving the ice five years before, but his singing is nice, his timing is fine, and he comes across as likeable. His subtle pantomime is still in good shape for scenes like this, it's when he has to deliver major dialogue where you can see the decline.
This short to me feels more like random gags and doesn't gel as well as it should, so my favorite things about this short are just isolated moments. Curly with the potato that I talked about above is my favorite most extended piece, but other random things I enjoy are Moe slapping Curly with a sandwich (think about how bizarre that is), Moe going into his egg shampoo spiel towards Larry and throwing in that random off camera "shut up," Moe picking up grass from the roots to boil spinach (eeeewww!!), and Moe's funny little dance as he flaps the wings of the dead bird and gets giddy like a child. Oh yeah, Symona's brief moment is great too! Again, these are just random things I enjoy, the short rarely enjoys a steady pace where things gel.
As far as the wives, two out of the three of them, Etherelda Leopold and Judy Malcolm, are who I consider to be amongst the quintessential Stooge beauties to be beautiful and not do a darn thing. This short is no exception, as I feel the wives are underused. I don't know if these girls can't act or what, but Etherelda, like I've stated before, has her one shining moment in WEE WEE MONSIEUR as the Brooklyn harem girl, so that makes her lack of meaty roles even more confusing in subsequent shorts. Was that harem role a fluke? Who knows. The ending is really disappointing. The Stooges show the girls this measly little house they all have to live in, complete with separate triple bunks, so you think the girls would have been given the chance to go into battle axe mode. Instead, they're meekly brisked off into the other room while we get the tired triple bunk collapsing gag that always relies on stunt doubles more than actual Stooges. Bleh!
Only a few more weeks of Curly shorts left with shorts that were coincidentally shot in the span of a few weeks. Looking forward to discussing them. Gotta say, that lobby poster above is beautiful.
6/10
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I gave this one an 8/10.
I agree with the above sentiment that the ending is a disappointment for me as well, but I enjoy the rest of the short. The bunk bed scene is better in I CAN HARDLY WAIT, and the turkey scene was done a little better in CRASH GOES THE HASH and THREE DARK HORSES. The scenes are all jumbled together to make one cohesive story, and one must view this in said context.
It is after the war, the boys are looking for a home, and they find it in Stooge fashion: lay down some lines in an empty lot and call it "home." From there, most of the short involves the boys just going about the Stooge approach to life: shooting birds for food, "shaving" potatoes, etc. I always found the whole tractor thing odd though.
I'll watch this when I have the time and access next week and make another post in light of metaldams' and future observations, but until then I am sticking with my rating.
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When I talked about how I had a higher opinion of a lot of the "Sick Curlys" than most, this was the short that immediately shot to the top of my memory bank. I remember as a young teen rediscovering the stooges, that it was always a welcome moment when this short came on--and I think most of it has to do with the "outdoor home" scenes.
First, there's a tight shot of Moe and Larry sitting on a nice sofa in what appears to be a palatial home, then the camera peels back slowly to show the boys have actually taken up residence in a vacant lot. Curly's crack about sending the girls a telegram is a small moment I like, as well as that giant sack of tobacco he rolls out with.
But the goodness doesn't stop there--there's Curly asking how you peel a potato (just peel 'em); Larry's little adventure climbing a tree to get some eggs--you just know those eggs are going to end up all over poor Moe. And then Larry--or rather a dummy--falls on Moe & Moe goes into his tirade (Are you insane, deliberately jumping on people from trees; Shut up).
I agree with PaulPayne, that as much as I like the "bird in the turkey" gag, I think the whole scene wasn't pulled off quite as well as when they did it in Crash Goes the Hash or much later when it gets reused in Three Dark Horses--but that's only a minor quibble.
And lastly, that shot of the guy on the tractor rolling over the stooges "home" always breaks me out in laughter.
Overall, I give this a solid 8 out of 10....
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The attack of the man on the tractor has always bothered me. Who is this guy? Where did he come from with that tractor? Why does he crush all the furniture? One must assume that he owns the lot and also a farm nearby, but it seems to me a weakness of the short that his invasion and attack are completely unprepared. The gag of a hobo calling at their "door" is stuck in for nothing, when the farmer could have made the call instead. He could arrive, order the boys to get off his land, and get sent on his way with some Stooge violence before returning with the tractor to get even and get rid of the squatters. Then the action would have some shape to it and the attack would be the fulfillment of a setup. Instead, it's just a weird thing that happens, like the brides meekly and silently going off to their room at the end. Metaldams has already made a pretty thorough case for the structural weakness of this short. Meh.
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This is an okay short. My favorite parts are the "4:00 to 5:00 a.m." rental line, and the "outdoor home" sequence. I was tempted many times to yell at Curly to turn off the vacuum cleaner before something bad would happen. BOOM! The "egg shampoo" is still funny. And like others, I don't know why the man with the tractor just came in and ran over everything.
But the main thing I've always used in everyday life was the spinach. I never cared for it, and seeing that it is really cooked grass with its roots made it all the more unpalatable. :-X
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I just assumed the guy who runs over the outdoor furniture set up with a tractor is the property owner. Whether he represents the state or is a private property owner I have no clue. The gag really does come out of nowhere and there is no proper build up, then all of the sudden The Stooges have a home, as shabby as it is. Yeah, not exactly the best written Stooge short.
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Oh, and I just noticed the third bride, Doris Houck, while given little to do here, is that awesome would be wife in BRIDELESS GROOM who sticks Shemp's head in a vice, so she at least has some bit of Stooge immortality. However, she's another tragic one, dead at 44. Sheesh!
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I see so far, I'm alone in liking the man on the tractor--I wonder if I'll be alone when it comes to next week's short as well. But, as always, we'll get to that when the proper time comes... >:D
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Hello everyone, this is my first post as I just joined today and have been looking for an 'Introductions' style thread. However I thought I'd just post on the most recent topic and say hello that way, and also make a valid comment on the topic.
My favorite part of G.I Wanna Go Home is the scene with Larry dropping the eggs on Moe. Some of it looks unscripted. Moe's expressions are priceless. After he says, "Well, that's that", just as the scene cuts away, you can hear someone laughing off screen.
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Welcome aboard featherbrained--heh, whenever eggs and the stooges are in a scene together, you know there is going to be a mess... :D
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Hello everyone, this is my first post as I just joined today and have been looking for an 'Introductions' style thread. However I thought I'd just post on the most recent topic and say hello that way
Oh, newcomer, eh? [pie]
We didn't come to borrow any money,
We didn't come to borrow any dough,
We didn't come to borrow any trouble,
We just dropped in to say hello! Oh, oh, oh . . . !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWyMIJZGebA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWyMIJZGebA)
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The Stooges didn't mind getting dirty and that's why we love 'em! I'm glad to be aboard! Nyuk nyuk nyuk.
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The Stooges didn't mind getting dirty and that's why we love 'em! I'm glad to be aboard! Nyuk nyuk nyuk.
I'll extend a welcome as well. Perhaps they didn't mind getting dirty, but that must have been one heck of a shampoo job Moe had to do between takes, but that's why they pay those people the big bucks. Yes, I always loved the egg shampoo scene.
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Yeah, this one's not much without the outdoor house, especially the chicken in the tree. Did anyone else notice that despite what we've always heard about the royal welcome the GIs got when they returned from WWII, everybody the stooges meet is angry and surly? No kindness there, by golly.
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First off, I have read comments straight aboard this discussion about how they like the " egg shampoo" scene and all that other stuff where the Stooges get dirty. I usually like those scenes, except this time I will have to make a exception. It just doesn't fall through as a good movie, to me.
The beginning...... Where The Three Stooges are trying to land a cab, except well, you know what's going to happen. They're going to get splattered with dirt, and then find a cab. It's pretty obvious!! Um.. have the writers even seen their many, many shorts where this happens???
Then, we see a short scene involving the Stooges' wives, and then we don't see them again until the end of the movie. Another thing in this movie, that is indeed worthy of a explanation. C'mon, we know Moe, Larry, and Curly's writers can do better, as we've seen in the other 93 movies that we've reviewed!
The " Let's go find a apartment!" scene is a good scene, although not worthy of a mention as a great scene. Still, no laughs in this scene, but it's quite amusing and you can see a hint of classic Stooges. But, it still seems very routine-like..
" Hey, kids! If you want to build a house when you grow up that is completely outdoors, I encourage it!!" That's what the next scene screams. Why have an outdoor house. Sure, the Stooges are dumb, but not that dumb! And, seriously, a door..... OUTSIDE?????? ARE THE THREE STOOGES TURNING INSANE????
Curly shaving potatoes. This would be a good gag, if it was made earlier on. His voice doesn't sound like Curly, and his physical mannerisms just aren't as good as before. It's a nice amusing, little idea, but it would've gotten more laughs if it was made earlier. Now, I know that Curly really can't help it what with his health right now, but this seems like it was an idea from a previous time. Oh, well. It might be remade someday in a Shemp short.
Egg shampoo. This seemed like just a way to get Moe to be dirty. I seriously am a fan of their scenes where they get dirty, but not this one. You can tell that Moe is taking too much eggs to the face. Honestly, if it lead up to some sort of egg battle, that would be fine, but just having this as one short little scene is not that good of a decision.
Then, Moe takes a whole pan of water to the face. Look at above paragraph.
Next, the vacuum cleaner sprays in all of the boys' faces. Wow. They really wanted The Three Stooges to be messy. Just remember the fact that Curly is doing all of this slapstick comedic stuff shows how bad Columbia treated Curly.
The part where they eat the duck shows a scene that does remind me of various other Three Stooges movies, especially Malice in the Palace. It's a short little comedic gem, that is widely underrated.
The part where a random guy runs over The Three Stooges' outdoor house with a tractor is... wait, what did I just type?? Yep, it happens in the film with no explanation at all. Just totally random. Because, that happens every day in our lives, right?
Then, they switch over to a new scene where The Three Stooges introduce their wives to a nice, little, very, very SMALL house. Of course, when there is a triple bunk bed, you know a results.
My overall thoughts about this movie: A strange Three Stooges movie including the boys in various random scenes with ill Curly, with occasional quick little funny gags in between the bad stuff. What would I rate this?
8/10
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Curly's health again is continuing to go downhill. Listen to his "Nah nee" singing when he's preparing to climb the bunk bed. It sounds awful! Larry again continues to step in and play a bigger role (not as big as THREE LOAN WOLVES, but still bigger than in the past), and he continues to do so very nicely and will continue with a consistently good performance for many years to come.
The plot is very good. If only Curly was in better health, this episode would've turned out better. But Curly is just completely out of it. But the episode does have some good gags....the parrot in the turkey, the stooges living in an outdoor house and the whole Curly breaking the bunk bed bit.
Again, I would've enjoyed this episode if Curly was in better shape, but it has gotten to the point where I can't help but feel sorry for him. You can tell he's going through a lot at this time.
7/10
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I love the way the boys persevere no matter what the situation and they try to make the best of it. I guess problems like finding a lot and building a house seem rather trivial after going to war.
The Curly character is changing, still, at this point and maturing, I think, and stretching a little. His movement and mannerisms come slower (it would happen, eventually, for all the Stooges as they got older) and its not just that he's sick, but he's different. Listen to Curly yell when Moe bites a chunk outta his leg. Sounds just like Shemp, don't it?! He's not doing the high pitched voice much, but he still adopts a kind of dopey persona that is like younger Curly, but more sedate. Illness.. age.. life can be rough, I guess.
Curly's singing does kinda drone on and on, but at least it wasn't dubbed and repeated like in The Yoke's on Me.. La-la la-a-a-aaa/La-la la-a-a-aaa/La-la la-a-a-aaa/... He does get out a nice bark in this picture, and it doesn't sound like a slurred gurgle!
Directing style is changing, as well. Maturing. Slower paced scenes, long single-shot takes without a lot of cutting. Very few full, new setups for each scene, or changing of rooms or location. It is becoming more stagey, studio-based. Imagine the coming shorts that take place within the confines of apartments. The little, intimate sets that begin to betray the shrinking budgets. The acting pace that is much more relaxed, not the frenetic pace of, say, Men in Black. In rock star terms, the act is somewhere between playing stadiums and becoming a permanent lounge act in Vegas. Situations and urban interior settings will soon be prevalent.
And the shorts are getting shorter, aren't they? It seems the aim is right at 15 minutes, or two, 3/4 full reels. But, barring Beer Barrel Polecats, at least we're not getting too much recycled footage, yet!
And I don't like the tractor bit, either, but I guess that's just their rotten luck!
Oh, and the sound that toikey makes when Curly takes a bite? Nauseating! It's a crunch! Blecchh!!
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A decent Curly.
7/10
Love Moe's line: "Oh, boy! Goosey-goosey gander! WOOOOOO-OOOOOH-OOOOH-OOOOH!!"
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This is the worst short to date. Nothing was hilarious in my mind, or even cute. Curly is definitely showing the effects of his illness. The routines are slow and predictable.
This gets a five.
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This film is often referred to erroneously as "G.I. Wanna GO Home". I wonder why.
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I'm a little late with this, and I tried to find if anyone else has mentioned it, but has anyone else noticed that on the poster above, Larry's and Moe's names are reversed on their caps?
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I'm a little late with this, and I tried to find if anyone else has mentioned it, but has anyone else noticed that on the poster above, Larry's and Moe's names are reversed on their caps?
Ha! You're right. I wonder if that's meant to be funny or if someone goofed.
My quick take on this: I want to like this one more than I do. The man with the tractor always puzzled me, though I eventually assumed he owned the land, as other have mentioned. I like the part where Larry climbs a tree to get to the chickens' nest; somehow the idea of chickens nesting in trees amuses me.
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I'm a little late with this, and I tried to find if anyone else has mentioned it, but has anyone else noticed that on the poster above, Larry's and Moe's names are reversed on their caps?
Good eye, that's awesome! Wow.
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Good eye, that's awesome! Wow.
Oh, short eyeballs?
I didn't notice it on account of I got static in the left eye, see?
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Oh, short eyeballs?
I didn't notice it on account of I got static in the left eye, see?
Eye poke smiley...must....have....eye poke....smiley. [faint2]
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I am again a few weeks late here, but I just had a brainchild: before we get too deep into the Shemp era, would anyone care to contribute a list of their personal favorite Curlys? Let's say, their top five? You can defend your preferences or not, or refer us back to your original comments in the weekly reviews. You can put them in a strict one-thru-five order or not, according to personal preference. You can change your mind later. My point is it would be informal. In time, we could similarly list our favorite Shemps, and then maybe come to a top-ten-of-all-time. Metal, please don't think I'm trying to usurp your alpha status, I'm just ad libbing, it's just an idea. And I'm a beta if there ever was one, if not a downright scissorbill.
For example, I'll go out on the limb and start. In no numerical order, or really any other order, I think my top five would be, subject at any time to arbitrary change:
Dizzy Doctors
Woman Haters ( So shoot me, I like the music )
All The World's A Stooge
Cash And Carry
Spook Louder
Cactus Makes Perfect
Yes, I know, that's six. It's informal. Anybody care to play?
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I think my Top 5 Curlys would be (in this order):
Disorder In The Court
Grips, Grunts and Groans
Crash Goes the Hash
Pardon My Scotch
In the Sweet Pie and Pie
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Chief, if you are serious about collecting answers, you should start a separate thread (and include a link in this and other "Weekly Episode" threads) for your question.
I don't have an answer ready yet, but I certainly hope that Women Haters doesn't appear on the final list.
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The whole point is I'm really not serious. Just the whim of an idle hour. If someone wants to take it more seriously, with separate threads and everything, be my guest. That will save me from working on the job.
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:( I'm getting in on this one waaaaay late. Frankly, almost anything after Micro-Phonies makes me very sad, except for Three Little Pirates. I know the ascendency of Larry was the result of Curly's illness; he does all of the gags with Moe. However, and I LOVE Larry, he is a born background guy; the Stooge that stands in the background and reacts to what Moe and Curly are doing. Doesn't mean you shouldn't watch him; he does some awesome stuff back there, and even though he really tries to make his presence felt in these scenes what I feel the most is the absence of Curly's natural magnetism and perfection and how you couldn't look at anything else when he was onscreen. I feel Larry's promotion into Curly's lines and shoes is unsatisfactory and sad, especially because he started looking really old really fast; fat and middle aged. For instance, the drawer washbasin scene in Three Loan Wolves. Curly in his prime = funny. Larry filling shoes = boring and contrived. I don't want to upset any Larry fans here but this is my feeling about the whole egg thing and pretty much everything Larry does in Curly's diminished shorts. I can't stand this short. I find Curly's stint with the potato painful. I know he was trying but damn you Harry Cohn; I didn't need to see that.
Aren't you guys glad I'm back?
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Aren't you guys glad I'm back?
Of course. Here's your celebratory pie.
[pie]
You were expressly missed a few weeks ago when a question about clothes came up. Unfortunately, I don't recall which short was under discussion or what the question was.
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Doctor, I believe the question was about one of Moe's hats, specifically the one that looks somewhat bashed in. Someone wondered if that were a real style, and said that Mrs. M-M would likely know. But I'm no help because I forget which short that was.
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I forgot to say: nice to see you back in the neighborhood, Mrs. M-M
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I love you guys!!
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I love you guys!!
Ah... shucks! [biggrin]
[focus]
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This short to me has always had the feel of a Shemp short. I am easily picturing Shemp in Curly's role here. Despite that, I think Curly's performance was decent. Jules seemed to handle the situation well by giving Moe and Larry more to do, and that is commendable. The egg shampoo scene is the best for me and I agree with Metaldams about the out of the blue "shut up" shouted by Moe off camera as the vacuum bag is getting ready to blow. Very funny stuff here.
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I've thought Curly seemed more lively and energetic in this short than he did in the two previous episodes "Monkey Businessmen" and "Three Loan Wolves" although he wasn't given a whole lot to do, I think "G.I. Wanna Home" is one of the better post-stroke Curly episodes and thought this short had a lot of great moments like Larry poking a needle on Curly's bottom, Curly pulling the Stooges "car", Curly trying to take a bite of his sandwich, the scene where Larry falls off a tree and lands on Moe, Moe's reaction to Larry falling off of a tree, some random guy ruining the stooges "home" with a tractor
and the bunkbeds scene (which I've thought was as great as it was in "In The Sweet Pie And Pie" and "I Can Hardly Wait"), I've thought Curly does a good job in this short despite his illness but Moe and Larry really carry most the short together
An 8 out of 10 for me (this short ties with "Three Little Pirates as the best short from 1946)
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One of the better 1946 efforts directed by Jules White and the last Curly short to utilize outdoor settings. With the exception of "Uncivil War Birds" and parts of "Rhythm and Weep," Curly is more energetic than in any of his final White-directed outings. A pity that the ending is so lame; otherwise, my rating would be a little higher.
6/10
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One of the better 1946 efforts directed by Jules White and the last Curly short to utilize outdoor settings (evident in the first three minutes). With the exception of "Uncivil War Birds" and parts of "Rhythm and Weep," Curly is more energetic than in any of his final White-directed outings. A pity that the ending is so lame; otherwise, my rating would be a little higher.
6/10
I agree Curly was more energetic here than he was in some of his final White directed shorts like "If A Body Meets A Body", "Beer Barrel Polecats", "Three Loan Wolves" and "Half Wits Holiday".
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We're back to the "sick" Curly era, although he has a bit more energy here than in other efforts from that time. The gags are hit or miss, but overall I enjoy the "outdoor" house concept (at least until the end).
#162. G.I. Wanna Home
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The short has its moments, but it's very obvious Curly is getting more and more frail. Moe and Larry do their part to help the short (particularly the egg shampoo scene).