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11

General Discussion / Re: The New SHEMP BOOK

« Last post by QuinceHead on December 02, 2024, 07:15:11 AM »

My fellow chowderheads —

Heads up that this new Shemp biography is currently available on Hamilton Books for $24.95 plus S&H!

https://www.hamiltonbook.com/shemp-the-biography-of-the-three-stooges-shemp-howard-the-face-of-film-comedy-hardbound

For duty and humanity,
JohnH aka QuinceHead

EDIT: Whoops — looks like the book’s backordered already! 

12

The Three Stooges - Curly Years / Re: Crash Goes the Hash (1944)

« Last post by Larrys#1 on December 01, 2024, 09:49:46 PM »

I was watching this short the other day with my family (who aren't even stooge fans, btw) because it was Thanksgiving and well.... it had a turkey in it! This short brought nothing but smiles and laughter to all of us! This really hit me how I've taken this short for granted. I've always loved this one but it never really occurred to me how absolutely great and perfect this short is!

First, the jokes and gags here are really funny. Bud telling the stooges that he reminds him of The Three Stooges is a rather unique and shocking joke! Not something you hear in any other short.

Also, like metaldams said, the stooges become high society men. And Curly delivers an amazing performance here. The lemonade bit was absolutely hilarious.. from obliviously spilling the lemonade on the woman, then handling the ice with his hands and then using a huge ice tong which is meant for a big block of ice; not for ice cubes! And Larry, although his part is rather small in the short, gives one of his finest performances where he tries to take a picture of the Prince and then falls into the piano, and just comes up and says, "it fall down!." After that bit, he accidentally steps on Van Bustle's skirt causing it tear off. Then she pulls it from Larry's foot causing Larry to fall smack on his back! I wonder how Larry pulled off that stunt without a stuntman! He must be more talented than I thought!

And I agree with metaldams,  Victor Travers' reaction to the masked potatoes in his face and also the peas and crackers getting thrown at him were priceless!

And of course, the whole turkey scene was hilarious as well!

13

Random Comedy Reviews / Re: Oh! Oh! Cleopatra (1931) - Wheeler and Woolsey

« Last post by Big Chief Apumtagribonitz on November 29, 2024, 09:26:37 PM »

I know that W & W were successful Broadway comedians, but nowadays they more resemble a couple of cheapo Burlesque comics, especially in the pre-code stuff like this one.  It seems like a warmup to a striptease, with Woolsey's cigar puffing and the checkered suits, and well, just everything.  There's a tackiness to the routines, and it's the same on everything of theirs that I've seen to date, especially So This Is Africa.  They're like lame dirty jokes which just kind of peter out, no pun intended.  I actually enjoy the musical numbers they do, they nail those, but I'm not a fan of the verbal routines at all.

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Stooges DVD/VHS/Home Video / Re: Our Gang silents being prepped for DVD/Blu Ray

« Last post by Tony Bensley on November 29, 2024, 05:45:45 PM »

Yea, I don't know how youtube determine what frame of a video to display as a "teaser", but the angle and the fact that the "L" is a bit light creates the illusion. I can't unsee it -- if you look quickly, or not directly focused on it it says "Vietnam" to me.

I can definitely see it.

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Stooges DVD/VHS/Home Video / Re: Charley Chase 1927 silents DVD/Blu-ray forthcoming

« Last post by NoahYoung on November 29, 2024, 03:07:27 PM »

Interested to hear how the rest are.

I suppose the next release will contain all of 1928, and LIMOUSINE LOVE will finally be available in any video format in the U.S. (It was released on 16mm, though.) I know they're going in order, but I would have included it as a bonus on one of the prior discs lest they never release a 1928 set. The forces of nature seem to not want LIMOUSINE LOVE released and I'm glad I downloaded a copy from the tube while it was available.

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Stooges DVD/VHS/Home Video / Re: Charley Chase 1927 silents DVD/Blu-ray forthcoming

« Last post by metaldams on November 28, 2024, 03:30:21 PM »

I watched the first disc.  All I’m going to say is that WHAT WOMEN DID FOR ME is one of the most bizarre silent shorts I have ever seen.  Very, very enjoyable and funny.  FLUTTERING HEARTS I have seen before - another funny one with a nice Oliver Hardy turn.

The shorts ranged from acceptable to great - par for the course with Charley Chase (I agree with Noah’s talkie assessment, by the way).  Looking forward to digging in to disc two.

17

General Discussion / Re: The New SHEMP BOOK

« Last post by Big Chief Apumtagribonitz on November 27, 2024, 08:12:14 PM »

Homok Harcos I wondered about that too, why Shemp suddenly got a Columbia series about the time that Curly's health took a turn for the worse.  Moe claims that he fought hard for Shemp, which makes perfect sense, and Columbia's worries about Shemp returning as the third stooge ( ie he looked too much like Moe, which he doesn't, really ) were obviously eliminated by Shemp's performances in the solo shorts.  Shemp's solo shorts may have been done at Moe's bidding ( or pleading, perhaps depending on the state of Curly's health at any given time ) and Shemp's return to the live act certainly figures in there somewhere, and Curly maybe hung on a year or so longer than expected, at least by Moe, who, as was his wont, was trying his best to keep the stooges act viable, until Curly's big stroke called in all the chips.  Boom, call Shemp.   ( I never believed that Mantan Moreland bullshit, no disrespect to Mantan, who was great, I just find it odd that Moe never mentioned considering anyone besides Mantan, and I insist that Moe in his book ( I have a mint first edition ) mentioned Mantan humorously to point out how impossibly wide they cast their net, which statement I don't buy either.  They knew Curly was sick, and they were breaking in Shemp for at least a year and maybe more both live and in a series of shorts.

18

General Discussion / Re: The New SHEMP BOOK

« Last post by Kopfy2013 on November 27, 2024, 01:01:58 PM »

I'm curious if anyone else has read the newest Shemp book.....  I was skeptical of any new books on him offering all that much not already widely known. He's been gone for nearly 70 years, after all.

It seems, from a few comments here and some interviews by author Burt Kearns, the book mostly aims to build a case for Shemp's legacy at the expense of Moe.

Is that accurate? I haven't read the book yet because I waiting on some reviews of it.

I am having a hard time getting into this .... Definitely a lot of Moe slapping    ... and denigrating .....

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Stooges DVD/VHS/Home Video / Re: Our Gang silents being prepped for DVD/Blu Ray

« Last post by NoahYoung on November 26, 2024, 10:08:48 AM »

Yea, I don't know how youtube determine what frame of a video to display as a "teaser", but the angle and the fact that the "L" is a bit light creates the illusion. I can't unsee it -- if you look quickly, or not directly focused on it it says "Vietnam" to me.

20

Stooges DVD/VHS/Home Video / Re: Our Gang silents being prepped for DVD/Blu Ray

« Last post by Tony Bensley on November 26, 2024, 07:06:53 AM »

Now that this thread popped up again -- I again thought it said "Vietnam" on his helmet. Kinda spooky considering how old the film is.
 

I remember seeing it that way too, though I can see now it is actually a misspelling of "Lieutenant!"

CHEERS!