Moronika
Film & Shorts Discussions => The Three Stooges - Curly Years => Topic started by: metaldams on February 20, 2015, 01:57:50 PM
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http://www.threestooges.net/filmography/episode/96
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039027/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/c3/be/1d/c3be1dd3046c52eabc02b16f0f9aff22.jpg)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OjIWbeZ3KtM
Watch THREE LITTLE PIRATES in the link above.
Shot weeks before Curly's stroke on the set of HALF-WITS HOLIDAY, Curly is in surprisingly good shape in this one, the last time we'll ever see him give such a great performance. Director Edward Bernds has referred to this as one of Curly's up day performances of the era, and it really shows. His vocal range is pretty high here, and for a guy who supposedly had to be coached line by line in MONKEY BUSINESSMEN, it's amazing he now can pull off the difficult maharaja routine (though I should point out Moe is just as awesome here). Part of this may be due to memory, though, as the routine was previously performed in TIME OUT FOR RHYTHM (which I have not seen in ten years, at least), and most likely done on stage. Curly even threw in a slight teaser of the routine in MATRI-PHONY, so the routine has been around a while in the Stooge bucket. Curly also does a nice flip on the chair, let's out some good "woo-woo's" and shows enthusiasm for pretty girls (OK, maybe he's not acting for that), so it's nice to see him, for one final time so late in the game, be this funny.
Besides Curly being in good shape, this is great short overall. For all the worship Shemp gets on this board, and deservedly so, I do wonder if some of that has to do with the fact Edward Bernds directed so many of those shorts. The Ed Bernds shorts tend to be better constructed, if not as high budget, and this short is no exception. In other words, even though Shemp's not in this one, it kind of feels like a Shemp short.
In this one, the Stooges are stowaway garbage men, again showing blue collar roots even in an olde European monarch setting. The fact there are references to cops, Marines, and Coney and Long Island show The Stooges inhabiting another planet than the rest of the cast. A subtle but classic moment appears earlier in the short when the guard smacks Larry and Moe thanks him. It's as if Moe doesn't care if he has to do the slapping, as long as another Stooge is slapped, justice is done in his mind. Funny stuff!
Christine McIntyre is wonderfully understated and deadpan in this one, and Vernon Dent is in his element as the overly materialistic king. All he cares about is the gifts, even though he gets suckered into thinking a lollipop is a ruby and a mere pen as being the tusk of a black walrus. He's one of those fake people who pretends to have highly cultured tastes.
A really excellent short overall. Next week we say goodbye to Curly as the third Stooge and say hello to a future middle Stooge...for one photo shoot in 1975, anyway.
10/10
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Wow, so much praise for this short--and not just from you Metal, but most stooge fans I know seem to hold this one to a lofty standard. I always thought it was a bit dodgy to say this short belongs in the same neighborhood as something like In The Sweet Pie and Pie, Disorder in the Court or even something from the "Sick Curly" era like Micro-Phonies.
Not that I'm saying this short is bad in any way--it's good, but something just seems a little lacking for me to put this short up there with the all-time greats. The maharaja routine is very good & Curly admirably steps up to the challenge, but I can't say it's the funniest thing the stooges ever did--much like the raved about "maze of pipes."
The scenes with the stooges trying to locate the "West Wall" may be the highlight of this short for me & Larry shines a bit when the boys go to Black Louie's den.
Overall, I would file this under the good but not great category--though I get the feeling a few will disagree....
7 out of 10...
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I have to agree with Shemp_Diesel on this one. While Curly gives one of his greatest performances during his sick time, it still isn't as good as I think it should be. First, while Curly's performance has been the best it's been lately and his energy level has skyrocketed, you can still see he's sick. His speech is still slow. Just listen to his laugh after he says "Because a hot steak is better than a cold chop." The younger, healthier Curly wouldn't laugh like that. He would do a fast paced "nyuk nyuk." My guess would be that he struggles with that now because of his speech problem.
Second, the maha routine is good, but isn't the best it could have been. Curly gives is all he's got and I commend him for that, but the healthy Curly would've done a much better job. Proof?... Watch "Time Out for Rhythm." It's shorter but Curly is a lot funnier there.
I really hate to knock Curly's performance because as I just said, his performance has improved a great deal here since he's been ill, but I just can't help but feel that this episode could have been so much better with a healthier Curly.
Still a good episode overall with some great bits here, especially the "west wall" scene and the knife throwing bit.
8/10
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When I was fairly new to the Stooge shorts, I took the "Maha" scene to be an extraordinary new departure on the part of the Stooges, as it was so unlike the rest of what they do in their shorts. Little did I know that it was just a routine from their early days that they revived for this short. But I still enjoy watching it and still consider it the high point, or high stretch, of the whole short. In this short as in Three Troubledoers, Curly's decrepitude is less evident when he is wearing thick eyeglasses.
I just want to insert my transcript of the scene (http://moronika.com/forums/index.php/topic,3875.msg30228.html#msg30228):
Rita (Christine McIntyre): (Curtsies to the Governor (Vernon Dent)) Your excellency, these men bring rare gifts. (Indicating Curly) Allow me to present the Rajah of, uh—
Moe: Canarsie! (Curly does bit with rapping fist, drumming fingers on neck, then salutes, slapping Moe.)
Rita: (Indicating Moe:) And his interpreter, uh—
Larry: The Gin of Rummy! (Moe does fist-rapping, finger-drumming bit, slaps Larry.)
Governor: Can we dispense with the formalities and make with the gifts?
Moe: Oh, yes; the gifts. (To Curly:) Sit down! (Curly goes to chair, examines it, tries to sit down on it and misses. Moe and Larry rush over to him, help him up and seat him in the chair.)
Moe: You apple head! Come on! [Says something more that sounds like “stick around”] (Returns to the governor)
Governor: What pricelss gifts does the Rajah bring?
Moe: Gifts?
Governor: Yes.
Moe: We shall see. (Shoves Larry aside to go over to Curly; seats himself across the table from him.) Maha!
Curly: Aha!
Moe: You like to speak dat?
Curly: I like to talk dat!
Moe: Rasbanyas yata bene fuchi atimeni kharonchi, that, how do you say, that pickle-puss, he asky-tasky what did you fertsaik, you gaddit?
Curly: Nya tink!
Moe: Nya tink?
Curly: Yoks!
Moe: Oh, boy! (To the Governor:) The Maha—
Curly: Aha! Rasbanyas yata bene fuchi atimeni—
Moe: QUIET!
Curly: Oh!
Moe: The Rajah says that he is the bearer of a rare jewel, (Curly pulls a large lollipop from his costume and puts it in his mouth) known as the—
Governor: A ruby! (Moe fetches the lollipop and gives it to him) A ruby as large as a turkey’s egg!
Moe: The Ruby of Lollipopskia!
Curly: It’s raspberry!
Governor: What fire! I have many pigeon-blood rubies, but never have I been given the raspberry! What other rarity does the Rajah have for me?
Moe: He had some bubble gum, but I think he swallowed it. But we shall see what we shall see. (Returns to Curly, shoving Larry aside again.) Maha!
Curly: Aha!
Moe: Ello doh!
Curly: Ello doh!
Moe: Rasbanyas yata bene fuchi atimeni kharonchi, that, how do you call it, that frog head, he asky-tasky what did you fertsaig, ingensommen. Gadda something else, kiddo?
Curly: Rasbanyas yata bene fuchi atimeni kharonchi, pareDItima hiha, I gonna see dat! (Searches his costume and pulls out a fountain pen.)
Governor: Ah, the tusk of a black walrus!
Moe: (Examining pen) No leak dat?
Curly: No leak dat. (Moe raps him on the nose with the pen then brings it to the governor.)
Moe: (To the Governor) Guaranteed forever.
Larry: You should live so long! (Moe conks him on the head.)
Governor: Ask the Maha—
Curly: (Rising, facing the wrong direction) Aha! Rasbanyas yata bene fuchi atimeni kharonchi—
Moe: Sit down, you Flatbush flathead!
Curly: Oh, shut up, I don’t have to! (Tries to sit down and takes another spill. Moe and Larry rush over to set him into the chair.) Rasbanyas yatabenefuchi, I faw down! (Moe and Larry hit him, then return to the Governor.)
Governor: Are there fair damsels in the Rajah’s domain?
Moe: Damsels?
Governor: Yes. (They chuckle together.)
Moe: We shall see. (Returns to Curly.) Maha!
Curly: Aha!
Moe: Rasbanyas yata bene fuchi atimeni kharonchi a Bay Meadows, that iron head, he asky-tasky what did you fertsaig, hendele bendele, you got some slick chicks?
Curly: Oh, a wolf! Rasbanyas yata bene fuchi atimeni kharonchi, paneDI tima hiha, I’d like to see some babes myself.
Moe: Me too— (interrupts utterance to slap Curly.)
Curly: (Removing glasses) Hit a guy with glasses, huh? (Moe slaps him again.) AAH! All right.
Moe: (Sotto voce) Put ’em back on! (To Governor:) The Maha—
Curly: (Rising) Aha! Rasbanyas yata bene fuchi—
Moe: (Rapping on desk) SIT DOWN!
Curly: Oh, shut up, I don’t have to!
Moe: The Rajah says that in his domain on the islands of Coney and Long, there are some fair chickadees, who prowl through the meadows day and night. If you give us till sunup, we shall bring some back by sundown.
Governor: Excellent! Excellent! On your way with winged feet!
(Moe and Larry rush past Curly toward the door.)
Moe: (In passing) Come on, Maha!
Curly: (Rising and groping about) Aha! yata bene—WHERE ARE YOU?! (Falls over his chair; Moe and Larry pick him up and hustle him toward the door.)
Moe: Pick up your winged feet and let’s get going! (He and Larry exit through the open door; Curly walks into the wall.)
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My two cents: I enjoy this short. However, it has always seemed to me that the energy level is low in this one. There are spots where it isn't but, overall, that's how it seems to me.
I have always liked the Maha routine. I found some dollar store Maha glasses once, and I always wore them when this came on (yes, I was an adult when I did this).
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This does good enough as a movie. Curly is not at his best, but he does a fair job considering his next movie would sadly be his last... Curly does insert some better physical comedy than some other shorts that we have discussed that are late-Curlys. Just thought I'd get that out of the way.
Well, this is a good movie, and when we start out, we immediately see Vernon Dent, which is already a sign this is going to be a good movie. He plays a king, and a very good one at that. Also another foil to the Stooges in this movie is Christine McIntyre, who as Metaldams noted in his review, is deadpan in this movie. Which reminds me of Buster Keaton. And, lucky for myself, I really enjoy Buster Keaton. :)
I like the scene where The Boys are trying to drill a hole in the wall, and it's one of the rare examples of old Stooges humor in a late-Curly. There is nice little bits of slapstick worked in, as you can see Larry trying to become more of the victim of slapstick, except then in the Shemps he would take more of the lines except Shemp would become the main victim of slapstick. With the Joes, it was all Larry. Seriously.
Then, of course, the Maha routine is great. I've never seen Time out for Rhythm, so I really can't compare, but, all I know is that this version is definitely comedy at its finest. When Shemp and Curly-Joe do it, no offense to them or fans of those sketches, but this really would take the cake as best version of the sketch. It's enjoyable, and Vernon Dent is in it!! :D :D
One of the only advantages against this Maha sketch and the others was that they did not have the little bit where the Moe would hold up a big tin circle and say, " What is this?" only to have the third Stooge say, " A half a dollar!" and Larry goes," I thought it was a dime.." But, it makes sense not to be in here because Larry hardly participates in this Maha sketch and would be involved more in the other versions.
Of course, then they go to Old Black Louie's. The remainder of this movie is quite enjoyable, except really can't match up to the Maha sketch. The Maha sketch is definitely what makes the movie.
The knife-throwing battle makes me a bit nervous when I forget the part ever happened in this movie.. I feel like some weird sight gag is going to happen, and make me feel nauseous. Except, then other bystanders get involved, and it all ends up good, like one of the tit-for-tat scenes in a Laurel and Hardy comedy.
Then, Moe gets knocked out, starts repeating some nonsense from the Maha sketch, and blah blah blah.. Then, the movie's over. My overall thoughts about this movie: This pleasant movie featuring a great comedy bit can be highly recommended, especially for a late-Curly short. What do I rate this?
9.5/10
Well, I'll see you in a week to discuss the last Curly episode ever and in 2 days to discuss The 2nd Hundred Years over on the L&H episode discussions!
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I personally enjoy this short a lot. You can knock it for being a Curly short, but it was deliberately written around a slow Curly. While the actions and mannerisms are not what we have come to normally expect, they are executed with absolute perfection.
Only in the Stooges' universe can people who work on a New York City garbage scow land on an island of twisted medieval kings and queens interspersed with 18th century Barbary pirates... all right near the NEUS!
I have not much to say about this because metaldams said it all for me for once! Vernon Dent, Christine McIntyre, and Robert Stevens are all great in their roles.
I just watched several three Stooges shorts yesterday in preparation for reviews, but I forgot this one of all the shorts!
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This is a very good short, and like the vast majority of bodies, I like the Maha scene the best.
In the olden days, when the local UHF channel cut out the beginning of the third episode of each day, this short did not "begin" until the Stooges were in costume, walking down the stairs with Christine McIntyre and Curly flirting with the other gal, so I never got to see the "West Wall" part until a lot of many years later. That was a good part.
And the session at Black Louie Smellington's place had lot of good moments as well -- Curly throwing knives recklessly, the bar brawl, "Ye Olde Tilt".
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I forgot to mention this short piece of banter of dialogue in my review: " How would you like to die?" " Old age!"
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Sorry, it was a good try, but the Maha bit here doesn't hold a candle to the one in Time Out For Rhythm. Watch that one for the definitive version. The knife throwing bit is rather longer and better integrated into the story in Pirates, but the energy of both bits is way higher in Rhythm. Rhythm is a pretty good flick in general, except whoever wrote the stooges dialog wasn't used to writing for them and they sound a bit stilted sometimes. But it is the real Maha.
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Oh, I found this Stooges set at my local movie store that included about 6 Stooges feature films and one of them being Time Out For Rhythm. However, it cost like 20 bucks, and I had seen all the other movies, so I didn't buy it. But, I think it looks worth it, from what everybody on this forum is telling me about Time Out for Rhythm.
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On the theme of quotes:
Governor: "You may choose the manner in which you will die!"
Larry: "Oh, that's easy: old age! Ha, ha, ha, h..." *SLAP!*
Moe (tipping hat to soldier): "Thanks!"
Governor: "You have your choice — you may have your heads chopped off, or you may be burned at the stake."
Curly: "We'll take burning at the stake!"
Governor: "Very well. We'll toast them Monday at sundown."
Moe (angrily): "What did you pick 'burning at the stake' for?!"
Curly: "Cause a hot steak is better than a cold chop!"
The Maharajah routine is good and all, but this is punnier.
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I would have to agree.
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As I watch this, I observe...
The lady sitting on Vernon Dent's lap to take a message like a 1930s secretary.
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This was a great one!
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And, oh yes, one mega-Larry-moment, when his head pops into frame and he says " you should live so long !" Funniest part of the whole thing IMHO.
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Sorry, it was a good try, but the Maha bit here doesn't hold a candle to the one in Time Out For Rhythm. Watch that one for the definitive version. The knife throwing bit is rather longer and better integrated into the story in Pirates, but the energy of both bits is way higher in Rhythm. Rhythm is a pretty good flick in general, except whoever wrote the stooges dialog wasn't used to writing for them and they sound a bit stilted sometimes. But it is the real Maha.
You've definitely inspired me to hunt down my VHS (!) copy of that film and watch it again. I'll post my thoughts here when I watch it again.
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I like the modern touch of having a pinball machine in Black Louie's place with the old fashioned touch of "Ye Olde Tilt" being added. I also like it when Larry uses his "hard knocks" experience with the machine to conk a villain. I also like the poetic justice at the end when Moe says, "Arise, slaves, and 'sa-lam' me," right before he gets slammed.
I agree that "Time Out For Rhythm" has the better Maha skit, but I wish the camera hadn't cut back to the onlookers to show they're enjoying the comedy. Even though Larry, my favorite, has next to nothing to do in the Maha skit, I like having him there just for what I'll call atmosphere.
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You've definitely inspired me to hunt down my VHS (!) copy of that film and watch it again. I'll post my thoughts here when I watch it again.
It's coming out on Blu-ray in a couple months as well! A must buy!
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I just went back and watched the film again before commenting. I agree and disagree with the general consensus regarding Curly's health/performance here.....
I've mentioned this before, but I think that the reason that people consider MICRO-PHONIES and THREE LITTLE PIRATES to be the two best "sick-era Curly" shorts, is that for a good bit of the film, Curly is in disguise and not being "Curly" as we know him. In disguise, it's much easier to mask his physical and verbal limitations. To me, in those two films, when he's just being Curly, he's no better or no worse than he is in any other of the 1945-46 films. That said, however, I must give him credit for the "Maja" scene. While not even in the same league as his performance of it in TIME OUT FOR RHYTHM, Curly deserves a lot of credit for putting his best effort into it here. The one single thing that has always stood out to me from this scene is the upside down flip he does when he misses the table with his elbow. It's really him doing it, no stuntman, no film editing, no trickery. Definitely the most physically demanding thing he did on film in these final two years. I still find it unfathomable that he was able to accomplish this stunt at this late stage, considering the rumored things he was NOT able to do from this era [pop pills into his own mouth], and things we know for sure he was not able to do anymore [I absolutely cringe when I watch his attempt to throw a jailhouse "punch" in the new footage of BEER BARREL POLECATS]. As metaldams says, I too suspect that Curly was able to make the "Maja" scene work so well [physically and verbally] due to the fact that it was already familiar to him, having performed it on film once already and countless times in live performance. I'm sure that made the difference, as opposed to any new material he had to learn [I think the difference is even noticeable in the "fight" scene that follows, a scene -to me at least- where Curly's lack of vocal and physical coordination is very apparent]. One thing that I only recently noticed about the "Maja" scene [after missing it my first 500-or-so viewings!]: When Curly flips upside-down, the sounds he makes are DEFINITELY dubbed in from older films. In fact if you listen carefully, you can hear the "live" Curly simply going "Oh-oh-oh-oh" over and over, with the vintage-era Curly sounds laid over top. Also, earlier in the film, there's a scene that lasts a full minute with no edits or cuts [it's the scene where Christine McIntyre helps them plan their escape]. Curly has 4 fairly simple lines [including the first line of the scene], and he nails it perfectly, however when it gets to all three of them saying "Ohhh, the WEST wall!", he flubs the line slightly [it almost sounds like he's saying "the EAST wall"]. Based on what we've heard about Curly's inability remember his lines during this period, who knows how many attempts it took to film such a long scene with no cuts? Perhaps that's why the scene was left as is, flub included [that, and the fact that the flub is not very audible].
Also, when I watched this film on YouTube, it was followed automatically by IF A BODY MEETS A BODY, the first film where Curly is in real bad shape. Watching these two films, filmed a little over a year apart, back-to-back, to me it's pretty noticeable how much worse Curly has gotten by the later film, "Maja" scene notwithstanding.....
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I just went back and watched the film again before commenting. I agree and disagree with the general consensus regarding Curly's health/performance here.....
I've mentioned this before, but I think that the reason that people consider MICRO-PHONIES and THREE LITTLE PIRATES to be the two best "sick-era Curly" shorts, is that for a good bit of the film, Curly is in disguise and not being "Curly" as we know him. In disguise, it's much easier to mask his physical and verbal limitations. To me, in those two films, when he's just being Curly, he's no better or no worse than he is in any other of the 1945-46 films. That said, however, I must give him credit for the "Maja" scene. While not even in the same league as his performance of it in TIME OUT FOR RHYTHM, Curly deserves a lot of credit for putting his best effort into it here. The one single thing that has always stood out to me from this scene is the upside down flip he does when he misses the table with his elbow. It's really him doing it, no stuntman, no film editing, no trickery. Definitely the most physically demanding thing he did on film in these final two years. I still find it unfathomable that he was able to accomplish this stunt at this late stage, considering the rumored things he was NOT able to do from this era [pop pills into his own mouth], and things we know for sure he was not able to do anymore [I absolutely cringe when I watch his attempt to throw a jailhouse "punch" in the new footage of BEER BARREL POLECATS]. As metaldams says, I too suspect that Curly was able to make the "Maja" scene work so well [physically and verbally] due to the fact that it was already familiar to him, having performed it on film once already and countless times in live performance. I'm sure that made the difference, as opposed to any new material he had to learn [I think the difference is even noticeable in the "fight" scene that follows, a scene -to me at least- where Curly's lack of vocal and physical coordination is very apparent]. One thing that I only recently noticed about the "Maja" scene [after missing it my first 500-or-so viewings!]: When Curly flips upside-down, the sounds he makes are DEFINITELY dubbed in from older films. In fact if you listen carefully, you can hear the "live" Curly simply going "Oh-oh-oh-oh" over and over, with the vintage-era Curly sounds laid over top. Also, earlier in the film, there's a scene that lasts a full minute with no edits or cuts [it's the scene where Christine McIntyre helps them plan their escape]. Curly has 4 fairly simple lines [including the first line of the scene], and he nails it perfectly, however when it gets to all three of them saying "Ohhh, the WEST wall!", he flubs the line slightly [it almost sounds like he's saying "the EAST wall"]. Based on what we've heard about Curly's inability remember his lines during this period, who knows how many attempts it took to film such a long scene with no cuts? Perhaps that's why the scene was left as is, flub included [that, and the fact that the flub is not very audible].
Also, when I watched this film on YouTube, it was followed automatically by IF A BODY MEETS A BODY, the first film where Curly is in real bad shape. Watching these two films, filmed a little over a year apart, back-to-back, to me it's pretty noticeable how much worse Curly has gotten by the later film, "Maja" scene notwithstanding.....
I would need to watch THREE LITTLE PIRATES and IF A BODY A MEETS A BODY back to back someday, but man, going by memory, there's no way Curly is worse is PIRATES, though time wise it would make sense for him to be. I'll word it this way, in THREE LITTLE PIRATES, Curly does a flip on a chair most of us couldn't handle. In IF A BODY MEETS A BODY, his timing of the match gag, a much simpler gag to pull off, could have been done better by any of us.
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Ed Bernds himself said that Curly was actually "up" for this one, so I'll take him at his word--he should know better than any of us. That flip in the chair Curly does couldn't have been easy, but the fact that he wasn't doubled for that little bit of business should show that Curly was indeed spry on those few days of shooting.
I have a kind of uneasy feeling about what's to come this Friday--discussing that particular short will be anything but fun....
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I have a kind of uneasy feeling about what's to come this Friday--discussing that particular short will be anything but fun....
You'd think The Three Stooges with these three would be happy stuff, but you're right. She towers over them all [love10] and it still stinks.
(https://threestooges.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FK4mVqArhTPk%2Fhqdefault.jpg&hash=f48770e8c16b0fa5c88454f06dd50f75b9db593d)
At least there's always Stan Laurel in a kilt.
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I would need to watch THREE LITTLE PIRATES and IF A BODY A MEETS A BODY back to back someday, but man, going by memory, there's no way Curly is worse is PIRATES, though time wise it would make sense for him to be. I'll word it this way, in THREE LITTLE PIRATES, Curly does a flip on a chair most of us couldn't handle. In IF A BODY MEETS A BODY, his timing of the match gag, a much simpler gag to pull off, could have been done better by any of us.
I definitely agree on the comparison of those two gags; to me the "overnight" scene in IF A BODY MEETS A BODY is possibly Curly's worst ever, with the match-striking gag particularly bad. For some reason however, Curly doesn't seem nearly as bad in the opening scene of the film [about the first three minutes]. It's almost as though it was filmed a few months earlier, even though I know it wasn't. In PIRATES, Curly seems to try doing his falsetto voice more, and I think that's when his struggles are the most noticeable. To me, he's definitely trying harder in PIRATES, but not succeeding most of the time. Check out the fight scene; Curly tries his hardest to be his old wacky spastic self, but he just cant do it. To me, when he's walking toward the camera and croaks out an unsuccessful attempt at one of his trademark "barks", that's as painful to watch as the match-striking gag. But agreed: The chair-flip is definitely something he doesn't look capable of performing a year earlier.
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I definitely agree on the comparison of those two gags; to me the "overnight" scene in IF A BODY MEETS A BODY is possibly Curly's worst ever, with the match-striking gag particularly bad. For some reason however, Curly doesn't seem nearly as bad in the opening scene of the film [about the first three minutes]. It's almost as though it was filmed a few months earlier, even though I know it wasn't. In PIRATES, Curly seems to try doing his falsetto voice more, and I think that's when his struggles are the most noticeable. To me, he's definitely trying harder in PIRATES, but not succeeding most of the time. Check out the fight scene; Curly tries his hardest to be his old wacky spastic self, but he just cant do it. To me, when he's walking toward the camera and croaks out an unsuccessful attempt at one of his trademark "barks", that's as painful to watch as the match-striking gag. But agreed: The chair-flip is definitely something he doesn't look capable of performing a year earlier.
I'll grant you those first few minutes in BODY aren't as bad as the haunted house stuff, and you're correct about the barks not being as good as prime Curly. Still, Curly at his worst in PIRATES is better than an amateur like me could've done. Curly at his worst in IF A BODY MEERS A BODY I don't feel the same. I genuinely feel in BODY Jules White had no idea what he was in for and didn't prepare properly. I think in the later films, there was probably some preparation that went into them knowing of Curly's condition. That's my guess, anyway.
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I have a kind of uneasy feeling about what's to come this Friday--discussing that particular short will be anything but fun....
I'm the only one who has this opinion ( only one), except I actually like Half-Wits Holiday! Because, of Emil Sitka. Because, of the ( Curly-less) pies. Because, of the great gags of them trying to fit in society.
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I'm the only one who has this opinion ( only one), except I actually like Half-Wits Holiday! Because, of Emil Sitka. Because, of the ( Curly-less) pies. Because, of the great gags of them trying to fit in society.
Speaking of Emil Sitka... was he the only supporting actor is have worked with all six stooges. Vernon Dent only worked during the Curly and Shemp era. I heard he suffered some sort of blindness. Bud Jamison only worked during the Curly era. I heard he died shortly after CRASH GOES THE HASH. And Christine McIntyre worked during the Curly and Shemp era. From the top of my head, it seems like Emil Sitka was the only one to have worked all the way through the Curly Joe years.... though Emil Sitka just came on board right when Curly got his stroke, so he didn't get a chance to work with Curly for that long.
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Speaking of Emil Sitka... was he the only supporting actor is have worked with all six stooges.
Harold "Bill" Brauer (http://www.threestooges.net/cast/actor/145/), aka Tiny Brauer.
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I'm the only one who has this opinion ( only one), except I actually like Half-Wits Holiday! Because, of Emil Sitka. Because, of the ( Curly-less) pies. Because, of the great gags of them trying to fit in society.
Not true... I am going to be very high on this short in a few days.
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My judgement will solely be based on what appears on the screen, I'll just leave it at that for my preview.
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May I say I love this one purely based on that fact that Wikipedia's note, "a last flash of the great Curly", made me choke up when I read it. Because the shorts before and after this were dreadful; he was so sick but trying so hard; Harry Cohn was an asshole in not letting them have a break so Curly could recover (look what a recovery did for his short appearance in "Hold that Lion"!). And of course he's not on all cylinders in this one; the voice is too strident as he tries to reach his previous high-pitch levels; words are slurred, the eye is droopy, and Moe and Larry are given the fun business usually reserved for Curly. But this short, given those faults, is still magical. The business of trying to get out the jail cell is painful at times, but once they are the wayfarers it is awesome. I love the look on Vernon Dent's face during this whole scene; I've decided I'm going to make and market a birthday card that says, "Could we dispense with the formalities and make with the gifts?" The Maha bit is awesome; Curly is still awesome; a little off, but this is his last great stab. Moe is awesome...."No leak dat?"; "He had some bubblegum but I think he swallowed it", and constantly pushing Larry out of the way. Black Louie's bar scene is awesome; the noise Moe makes when Curly is trying to feel the knives but feels Moe's face instead make me literally choke with laughter the first time I re-heard it. And yeah; the noises Curly makes are not the usual WOOP WOOP WOOP but my god he was trying. And he did it. Shall I reiterate: the last flash or the great Curly. [love1]
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Harry Cohn was an asshole in not letting them have a break so Curly could recover
That is a myth. There is little truth to it.
Recently discussed at length in THE MONKEY BUSINESSMEN (1946) thread. (http://moronika.com/forums/index.php/topic,5430.msg46745.html#msg46745) Debunking the myth will also be featured in an upcoming issue of The Three Stooges Journal.
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That is a myth. There is little truth to it.
Recently discussed at length in THE MONKEY BUSINESSMEN (1946) thread. (http://moronika.com/forums/index.php/topic,5430.msg46745.html#msg46745) Debunking the myth will also be featured in an upcoming issue of The Three Stooges Journal.
Okay; please fill me in on the truth. Harry Cohn was an asshole, documented by several contract players under his reign. The fact that the Stooges contract gave Columbia rights to their likenesses "in perpetuity" isn't giving Cohn any angel wings; nor the fact that he didn't give the Stooges a raise in 23 years. He kept making shorts with Shemp with stock footage and poor stand-ins and recut pieces from Moe and Larry for years after Shemp's death. All of these things are not in Cohn's favor. When they shut down production on Half Wits Holiday due to Curly's stroke, I understand Cohn went crazy and ordered no breaks or time off. Please give me the truth. I think the nasty stuff is way more documented than his largesse.
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That is a myth. There is little truth to it.
Recently discussed at length in THE MONKEY BUSINESSMEN (1946) thread. (http://moronika.com/forums/index.php/topic,5430.msg46745.html#msg46745) Debunking the myth will also be featured in an upcoming issue of The Three Stooges Journal.
Okay; I just read your thing in Money Businessmen; I somewhat stand corrected. But if the stooges had been paid better maybe they wouldn't have moonlighted so much.
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Harold "Bill" Brauer (http://www.threestooges.net/cast/actor/145/), aka Tiny Brauer.
Thanks.
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And yay!!!!!! I've finally achieved Applehead status!!!
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Not talking about Cohn's personality. Talking about Columbia incorrectly blamed for Curly's illness/retirement.
Regardless...
The fact that the Stooges contract gave Columbia rights to their likenesses "in perpetuity"
No truth to that whatsoever. Columbia never had 'trademark' or other likeness-related rights.
nor the fact that he didn't give the Stooges a raise in 23 years.
Somewhat true, they were underpaid as compared to other Hollywood stars.
But circa $20K for an average of 32 days on-camera work per year at their height... that was good money for part-time work, even by today's standards. Annualized to a work-year of 260 days, that's $162.5K.
He kept making shorts with Shemp with stock footage and poor stand-ins and recut pieces from Moe and Larry for years after Shemp's death.
- "...years after Shemp's death"? No. That situation involved four shorts filmed over 4 separate days, during a three-week period in January 1956. Done to fulfill a presold 1956 schedule of eight shorts.
- The stock footage remakes produced for 1953 - 1956 release... yes, they're a creative short-cut and a disappointment in that respect. But that's not about someone's personality, it's about business. After the war, shorts were increasingly rare bookings by theaters for showcased/evening bills; Saturday matinees were the general rule. Budgets had to be spread thinner, as box-office revenue and demand for shorts dropped annually. The bigger question is, why did Columbia continue to produce shorts after 1952? Because Harry Cohn liked the trio, and stood behind the Shorts Dept. as long as he could.
When they shut down production on Half Wits Holiday due to Curly's stroke, I understand Cohn went crazy and ordered no breaks or time off.
"Went crazy"... unsubstantiated myth. Are you referring to one of an endless stream of inaccuracies contained in the 2000 bio-fiction TV movie?
Columbia had presold commitments to theater owners. A month passed between Curly's stroke/retirement and the boys coming back a month later to film FRIGHT NIGHT. Known production schedules show that the Stooges' on-camera duties were not grueling or demanding, and they had reasonable & healthy amounts of time off between.
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Talking about Columbia incorrectly blamed for Curly's illness/retirement.
I have no love for any studio or any studio system. Look at Marilyn Monroe and her career; it was slave work; she got $18,000 for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes while Jane Russell made over $100,000. Look at Star Trek Original Series; the players only got residuals for three reruns and then after that their character likenesses could be used by the studio as they liked without paying the actors; Spock in a beer billboard was the reason Nimoy originally wouldn't sign for the Motion Picture. And Harry Cohn; he was a difficult and awful man; that's how they ran studios I guess. But because that's how it was done doesn't mean he had to be an asswipe, and he was to everyone up to and including Rita Hayworth. No, I didn't take my info from Mel Gibson's movie. I have done a lot of reading on the subject; probably not as much as you. However, I stand by my statements. Moronika has become less fun suddenly. My review stands. I don't care what anyone thinks.
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One of the better shorts of the year. However 1946 was one of the worst years for the Stooges. I love Moe thanking the guard for smacking Larry. The other highlights were already mentioned.
Curly was deathly on for this one.
I will give it a seven.
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That is a myth. There is little truth to it.
Recently discussed at length in THE MONKEY BUSINESSMEN (1946) thread. (http://moronika.com/forums/index.php/topic,5430.msg46745.html#msg46745) Debunking the myth will also be featured in an upcoming issue of The Three Stooges Journal.
How does that explain why he was sick in the first place? I mean going back to 1944. By the time of the touring and filming schedule in that thread he was already very sick. If the myth is going to be debunked about the cause of his illness, shouldn't we be going back to 1944?
I know it was mentioned that a rest helped him do good in Hold that Lion but he still met an early demise after his retirement. Rest didn't prevent that.
Say, is there any home videos of Curly after his retirement? That would be cool to see.
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How does that explain why he was sick in the first place?
As detailed by family accounts, notably Joan's "Curly: An Illustrated Biography of the Superstooge"... a life of poor diet, alcohol, cigars, excessive nightlife, and little rest. Habits increasingly indulged after he joined the act, and indulged even further beyond that after his 1940 split from 2nd wife Elaine.
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Well, reading this thread, tomorrow's entry might end up being real interesting. Look, my name is metaldams, so I read a lot of accounts of destructive rock stars destroying themselves at a young age, so perhaps I'm just used to and accepting of seeing these things happen. Every year now, at my relatively young age, I find a new rock star to outlive, being a few months shy of Phil Lynott now. Paul Baloff of Exodus was about the same age as Curly when he had his stroke, and in his case, it was fatal. Baloff, by all accounts, did not take care of himself either. You guys who blame Harry Cohn or working conditions, you're entitled to your opinion, I don't begrudge you for it, but I just happen to disagree. A healthy 42 year old man should be able to handle the workload Curly had, period. If Curly took better care of himself, he probably would have went on much longer. The truth hurts sometimes.
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I agree. I like Curly, but let's face it. He was immature. He went crazy over women, drank, and spent money like crazy. But look on the bright side..... his immaturity is what helped make him Curly. That's why he played the part so well.
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Metal, I agree. And I know I coddle my memory of the Stooges and demonize Cohn because I like the Stooges and don't like what I know of Cohn. People have a lot of reasons for self-medicating and living badly, and Curly had some which just don't make sense to us in hindsight -- he thought he was unattractive with his shorn head and his weight. Tell you what, I would have married him in a second for who I've read that he is -- an animal lover who found homes for homeless pets; a dancer; a lover of good food (I would have shown him how to eat well but healthy! It's what I do). But he didn't pick the right kind of women either. But I also know, as a studio head with a star of that magnitude on your hands, you make exceptions; you coddle them, you let them have a break when they have a frigging stroke on the set. Fox did what they could with Marilyn and got a lot more top-grossing movies out of her than they would have if they hadn't given her some latitude. She still ended up dying, but probably later than she would have. It wouldn't have been wrong for Columbia to extend that same latitude to Curly. End of story. Regardless of what he was doing to himself. Stars usually are self-destructive; this is nothing new. And their implosions are only a matter of time.
Can we move on? I want to go back to commenting on people's clothing and dancing abilities.
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I did hear about that.... Curly was supposedly very upset about having to shave off his head and was very insecure about it. I heard it bugged him to no end for all those years he had to do it.
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I think an overlooked aspect of Curly's health is genetic predisposition. Certainly his way of living helped drive him to an early grave as high living has done to many people famous, infamous and average. But having a tendency toward, say, hypertension, may express itself in one person but not necessarily in his siblings.
Also, healthcare was less sophisticated in this period. Diabetes was all but a death sentence, and cancer was a death sentence. I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that Curly developed type 2 diabetes even at a young age. That disease is hard on every organ. Hypertension, left untreated, is a leading cause of stroke. And so on. For Curly, I think it was a combination of overwork, high living and undiagnosed/improperly treated disorders.
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I was gonna mention that as well. Simply put: Some people are born with an earlier "expiration date" than others, and perhaps Curly was one of those people. Combine that with some bad habits and you have death at age 48. I definitely don't think "high living" was the lone cause of Curly's health problems. A contributing factor, for sure, but not the only reason. Getting back to the "rock star" analogy, we now have countless guys still alive [some, albeit, in body only ::)] who abused themselves way worse and way longer than Curly [IE Gregg, Keef, Ozzy, Lemmy, etc etc]. Some of these guys have now reached the "seventy" mark, and they're STILL performing!
And as for the studio and their way of handling things, it's VERY easy to look back on something that happened sixty years ago and say "They shoulda/ woulda/ coulda.......", and to pretend like we know everything that went on back then, but the fact is we DONT know everything, and we were not there. To look back now and say for sure what someone should or should not have done is foolish.......
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Metal, I agree. And I know I coddle my memory of the Stooges and demonize Cohn because I like the Stooges and don't like what I know of Cohn. People have a lot of reasons for self-medicating and living badly, and Curly had some which just don't make sense to us in hindsight -- he thought he was unattractive with his shorn head and his weight. Tell you what, I would have married him in a second for who I've read that he is -- an animal lover who found homes for homeless pets; a dancer; a lover of good food (I would have shown him how to eat well but healthy! It's what I do). But he didn't pick the right kind of women either. But I also know, as a studio head with a star of that magnitude on your hands, you make exceptions; you coddle them, you let them have a break when they have a frigging stroke on the set. Fox did what they could with Marilyn and got a lot more top-grossing movies out of her than they would have if they hadn't given her some latitude. She still ended up dying, but probably later than she would have. It wouldn't have been wrong for Columbia to extend that same latitude to Curly. End of story. Regardless of what he was doing to himself. Stars usually are self-destructive; this is nothing new. And their implosions are only a matter of time.
Can we move on? I want to go back to commenting on people's clothing and dancing abilities.
Tiska, we'll just agree to disagree on a few things, no biggie. I'm sure the conversation will carry over into the next short, (though I don't plan to bring it up), but beyond that, I can't foresee it carrying on into the Shemp shorts. We'll have plenty of time to wonder what kind of conditioner Shemp uses. :)
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We'll have plenty of time to wonder what kind of conditioner Shemp uses. :)
Heh, not only that, but as we crack open the Shemp years that means no doubt the "Ed Bernds vs. Jules White" debate will rage on.... :D
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Heh, not only that, but as we crack open the Shemp years that means no doubt the "Ed Bernds vs. Jules White" debate will rage on.... :D
Ed Bernds...... Yep, I just started that....
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I was gonna mention that as well. Simply put: Some people are born with an earlier "expiration date" than others, and perhaps Curly was one of those people. Combine that with some bad habits and you have death at age 48. I definitely don't think "high living" was the lone cause of Curly's health problems. A contributing factor, for sure, but not the only reason. Getting back to the "rock star" analogy, we now have countless guys still alive [some, albeit, in body only ::)] who abused themselves way worse and way longer than Curly [IE Gregg, Keef, Ozzy, Lemmy, etc etc]. Some of these guys have now reached the "seventy" mark, and they're STILL performing!
And as for the studio and their way of handling things, it's VERY easy to look back on something that happened sixty years ago and say "They shoulda/ woulda/ coulda.......", and to pretend like we know everything that went on back then, but the fact is we DONT know everything, and we were not there. To look back now and say for sure what someone should or should not have done is foolish.......
Bum, I agree with everything you say, and you're right, we don't know everything that went down, though I look forward to reading Brent's article. (Gary, the check's in the mail tomorrow). You are right some bodies can take more than others, though Lemmy is not human, so he's an unfair example. I share a birthday with the guy (different years, obviously), and I saw him in '98, best concert experience ever.
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I think an overlooked aspect of Curly's health is genetic predisposition. Certainly his way of living helped drive him to an early grave as high living has done to many people famous, infamous and average. But having a tendency toward, say, hypertension, may express itself in one person but not necessarily in his siblings.
Also, healthcare was less sophisticated in this period. Diabetes was all but a death sentence, and cancer was a death sentence. I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that Curly developed type 2 diabetes even at a young age. That disease is hard on every organ. Hypertension, left untreated, is a leading cause of stroke. And so on. For Curly, I think it was a combination of overwork, high living and undiagnosed/improperly treated disorders.
Actually, I have read accounts of people having surgery for stomach cancer in the late 19th century. Treatment options were more limited, but it wasn't necessarily a death sentence.
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Actually, I have read accounts of people having surgery for stomach cancer in the late 19th century. Treatment options were more limited, but it wasn't necessarily a death sentence.
Paul, you're right that there was surgery available, or at least attempted, for many years before the era we speak of here. In fact, I just read a book about early surgery in the 19th century, and I was amazed and astonished at the things which were attempted then. More of it was successful than I would have guessed (and most of it - - gulp! - - without anesthesia!) I still believe that cancer was considered, by those who received the diagnoses, a death sentence. I'm thinking of friends and relations who developed cancer even into the 1960s and '70s, and who were just plain grim about their prospects. But you're right that there was surgery available in the 1930s-40s.
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I get a kick out of Christine's appearing and dissapearing during the Maja routine.
Obviously some bad editing.
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One of the first Stooge shorts I've ever seen and have always liked this short a lot, I've thought Curly showed more energy and gave one of his best performances during his post-stroke period, Edward Bernds definitely was lucky to catch Curly during one of his up periods where he was able to perform well, this may be Curly's next to last short in order of release date but they did film "Rhythm And Weep" after this short and Curly didn't seem to be too bad in that short.
I really liked Robert Stevens's performance in this short and I wish he had appeared in more shorts with the boys, the only other short I can think of that he appeared in was "Rhythm And Weep".
A couple scenes I really like that seems to get overlooked is the pinball machine game where anyone plays gets knocked out by a large mallet and the scene where Moe disguises himself as a portrait while knocking out the bad guys.
A very good short that I give an 8/10 and it's tied w/"G.I. Wanna Home" as the best Stooge short of 1946.
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Curly's last hurrah and easily the best short of 1946 — highlighted by the famous "Maha-Aha" routine. Everyone shines in this enduring classic.
Extra Trivia: The "Red Hot" pinball machine (complete with "Ye Olde Tilt") was made by J.H. Keeney and Company in 1940.
9.5/10
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One of my Favorite shorts. Curly is good here but not great- but that's good enough. It's a Funny short.
Vernon is great as the pompous Emperor and the knife throwing and wild fight at Black Louis' are Classic.
I also like the "Jules White" special of the old pirate getting a Blade in the Pelvis and Hobbling Off(Is that Al Thompson?)
Cy Schindell and Joe Palma show up in time for the fight.
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Something I noticed in this short while watching it again today: Around 4:33, you can see Moe reach up like he's taking out something out of his mouth. Looks like he was taking a tobacco pipe out of his mouth and then he shoved it into the side of pants.
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I think an overlooked aspect of Curly's health is genetic predisposition. Certainly his way of living helped drive him to an early grave as high living has done to many people famous, infamous and average. But having a tendency toward, say, hypertension, may express itself in one person but not necessarily in his siblings.
Also, healthcare was less sophisticated in this period. Diabetes was all but a death sentence, and cancer was a death sentence. I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that Curly developed type 2 diabetes even at a young age. That disease is hard on every organ. Hypertension, left untreated, is a leading cause of stroke. And so on. For Curly, I think it was a combination of overwork, high living and undiagnosed/improperly treated disorders.
Over much of the 20th Century, diabetes was screened and evaluated by testing urine. Not good enough, as we've since learned. Some people don't let sugar spill into their urine until their blood sugar is significantly above a dangerous level. Curly may never have sweetened his water but other accounts about him point to an undiagnosed type 2.
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Not a political statement in either direction - but with RFK and this MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) movement, I can’t be the only one on this board whose brain is programmed to respond with, “Ras banas ya ti benafucci a timi nicaronja.”
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Not a political statement in either direction - but with RFK and this MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) movement, I can’t be the only one on this board whose brain is programmed to respond with, “Ras banas ya ti benafucci a timi nicaronja.”
I could easily see the Stooges modifying their “tapeworm” routine to incorporate RFK’s dead brain worms as the punchline instead! :laugh:
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I always consider this short "Curly"s last hurrah" He was good, but consider the "Maha" sketch from 1941's "Time out for rhythym" Where he's really in his prime.
https://youtu.be/6QCmunZ4nqA?si=EBZVOcheRGsdMabn