Topic: Columbia's Curly/Stooges Features on DVD?

[Hammond Eggar]

For starters, I've really enjoyed what Sony has been doing with the Stooges shorts up to this point.  I'm curious about the feature films, though.  I'm not so worried about the films from the DeRita era.  I am more interested in the features from the 1930s and '40s that feature Moe, Larry and Curly in various cameos.  Of course I speak of titles such as The Captain Hates the Sea, Start Cheering, Time Out for Rhythm, My Sister Eileen and Rockin' in the Rockies.  I would love to see these films released on DVD, either in a box or individually.  I know it's all speculation at this point, but does anyone know if there's any chance that these films will see the light-of-day on DVD as part of the current Stooges campaign at Sony?  It would be really nice.  What's the word going around?  What are the chances we'll see these on DVD?  Any thoughts?  Thanks.

[falsealarms]

They should have been bonus features on the sets that correspond to the year of the movie.

[metaldams]

I said the same thing about the MGM films awhile back, and the same applies here.  With the exception of ROCKIN IN THE ROCKIES, these aren't Three Stooges films.  If I were some casual fan who didn't know any better, and I picked up a copy of MY SISTER EILEEN expecting The Three Stooges, I'd feel pretty ripped off getting just that 10 second cameo in the end.  Now, including the scenes the boys are in as extra features on DVD's with real Stooge shorts?  That would be cool.

[xraffle]

If I were some casual fan who didn't know any better, and I picked up a copy of MY SISTER EILEEN expecting The Three Stooges, I'd feel pretty ripped off getting just that 10 second cameo in the end. 

I agree. When I first saw it, I was pretty disappointed to see the stooges just for 10 seconds at the end. But at the same time, I enjoyed the movie.

[metaldams]

I agree. When I first saw it, I was pretty disappointed to see the stooges just for 10 seconds at the end. But at the same time, I enjoyed the movie.

I knew going in the boys had a short role, but I too enjoyed the movie.

[ArPharazon]

Not too different from their appearance in It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

I have the DVDs for Soup To Nuts, Meet The Baron/Gold Raiders, Dancing Lady, Swing Parade, plus 3 low quality DVDs with 4 out of the 6 MGM shorts Nertsery Rhymes, Beer And Pretzels, Plane Nuts, The Big Idea and a few of the animateds and a couple of Shemp's solo shorts.

I'd love to see the surviving MGM shorts cleaned up, we had some confusing discussions on who owns those now (maybe WB?).

[Hammond Eggar]

Taking the Stooges out of the discussion, a film such as My Sister Eileen deserves to be released on DVD.  Plus, Stooge completists deserve to have these films made available to them on DVD.  If Sony truely wants to celebrate and aknowledge the Stooges careers, then these films need to be considered, regardless of how small their parts may have been.  At the very least, Rockin' in the Rockies should get the DVD treatment.  Perhaps they could release these films as double features.  If packaged properly, I still think a boxed-set could work.  As for misleading casual fans, home video companies have been doing it for years.  For example, I give you Roger Corman's 1960 version of The Little Shop of Horrors.  Jack Nicholson made his screen debut in it as a dental patiet.  He's only in it for two minutes, yet every VHS/DVD copy I've ever seen has his name in big letters on the box art as if he was THE star.  Most fans know better.  Besides, when it comes to these Columbia features, aren't we really only talking about the die-hard Stooges fans buying them anyway.  Perhaps a classic film buff might take a second look, but a casual Stooges fan probably wouldn't bother.

[BeAStooge]

... we had some confusing discussions on who owns those now (maybe WB?).

There were no confusing discussions. It has been stated here numerous times...

The classic MGM (pre-1986) library was sold to Turner Entertainment in 1986. Turner Entertainment was acquired by Time-Warner in 1996. Warner Brothers has owned the classic MGM library since 1996.

[ProfessorStooge]

The thought of the Stooges' entire MGM output on DVD has been on my mind too. Another thought came to me a few weeks ago. Leonard Maltin's documentary The Lost Stooges is an overview of their MGM tenure. I think Warner Bros. should issue that program on DVD. It contains Beer and Pretzels in its entirety. The other extant MGM shorts would make good supplementals, alomg with photo galleries and trivia tidbits.

[Hammond Eggar]

The Lost Stooges is, indeed, a wonderful overview of the Stooges' career at MGM.  That said, I'd still like to see the boys entire MGM output on DVD.  We already have Meet the Baron and Dancing Lady on DVD.  What's left?  Well, there's features such as Turn Back the Clock, Fugitive Lovers and Hollywood Party.  Some of the shorts have been sprinkled as extras on other DVDs.  Dancing Lady, for example, includes Plane Nuts and the Curly solo title Roast Beef and Movies.  While I don't mind the shorts being spread out as bonus features over several DVDs, at least pair them with an actual Stooge-related feature.  Beer and Pretzels, for example, is included with a feature titled Flying Down to Rio.  This makes no sense at all.  I don't like the idea of paying $17.99 (Amazon price) just to add one two-reeler to my collection.  Hopefully, if/when the other Stooge-related MGM features are issued on DVD, Beer and Pretzels, along with The Big Idea and Nertsery Rhymes, will be included. 

While we're on the subject, what about the solo films MGM released?  First, there's Ted Healy's filmography, which includes Stage Mother, featuring Larry Fine's ONLY solo film appearance.  There's also Broadway to Hollywood, featuring Moe and Curly in a cameo as clowns.  Moe also appeared solo in the three-minute short Give a Man a Job.  Should these films also be considered among MGM's Stooges titles?

[metaldams]

I have the Laurel and Hardy set WB released a few years back.  The two features WB have the rights to are on this set.  Laurel and Hardy also happen to be in HOLLYWOOD PARTY, but not as stars (billing aside).  Instead of throwing in the whole movie, the two or three scenes with Stan and Ollie were included as extras, and that is the right approach in my opinion.  You can't realistically market TURN BACK THE CLOCK as a Stooge film.  They have one minute in a dream sequence. 

[Hammond Eggar]

Probably the best solution as to the DVD releases of the MGM/Columbia features is to release them individually.  That way they aren't misleading Stooges fans by promoting them as Stooge features.  Stooges fans, and classic film buffs, can own the films if he/she wants them.  I still believe that these films should be made available on DVD in their entirety.  As for the MGM shorts, they'd make nice bonus material for the various features.  A short such as Nertsery Rhymes would make a great compliment to a feature such as Fugitive Lovers.

[archiezappa]

I think a DVD of "Myrt & Marge" would be a good idea.  It could be billed as Stooges, since they're in most of the picture.  But Universal owns that one, right?

[Hammond Eggar]

If Columbia wants to be selective with which Stooges-related features it issues on DVD, they should, at least, consider Rockin' in the Rockies, Start Cheering and Time Out for Rhythm.  Their roles were fairly big in each.  I've never seen the last two, but have read enough to know that it would be worth the money for Stooges fans to buy these titles on DVD.  As I mentioned before, regardless of the Stooges role, My Sister Eileen really deserves a DVD release.  I'd still like to see Captain Hates the Sea re-released. 

I'm not a big fan of just issuing the scenes with the Stooges.  It takes their moments out of context.  Besides, some of these films are enjoyable beyond just the Stooges scenes.  Whether these films are promoted as Stooges films or not, I'd like to see them re-issued onto DVD.  Dancing Lady could be considered a Stooges film.  That said, when it was released on DVD, it wasn't promoted as a Stooges film.  It's out there for all to enjoy, no matter what your reason for buying it is (i.e. Clark Gable, Joan Crawford, Fred Astaire, Stooges etc.).  The other MGM and Columbia features could and should be issued in similar fashion.

While I'm thinking about it, I really wish someone would do a proper restoration of the short, Hollywood on Parade.  The copies floating around now don't do it justice.  There's poor picture quality and it's badly edited.

[metaldams]

I'm not a big fan of just issuing the scenes with the Stooges.  It takes their moments out of context.  Besides, some of these films are enjoyable beyond just the Stooges scenes.  Whether these films are promoted as Stooges films or not, I'd like to see them re-issued onto DVD.  Dancing Lady could be considered a Stooges film.  That said, when it was released on DVD, it wasn't promoted as a Stooges film.  It's out there for all to enjoy, no matter what your reason for buying it is (i.e. Clark Gable, Joan Crawford, Fred Astaire, Stooges etc.).  The other MGM and Columbia features could and should be issued in similar fashion.

These films won't sell in the current economic environment, and even arguably in a healthy one.  Your best bet is to scour TCM's schedule and DVR these films, or search the bootleg market. 

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