Hey, fair enough, Pils. I don't love all of the Curly or Shemp shorts, but I do love probably over 90% of them, and love some more than others.
As for AN ACHE IN EVERY STAKE, it's always been a favorite of mine, but I admit my opinion of it has gone down slightly since seeing THE MUSIC BOX. I don't mind The Three Stooges using gags of others because in comedy, it's not who originates, it's who does it best. With THE MUSIC BOX, Laurel and Hardy do their stairs routine so masterfully that it's never the same watching The Three Stooges do it. THE MUSIC BOX is arguably Laurel and Hardy's greatest short and sets such a high standard for anybody to follow. It would be like asking Lou Costello or Stan Laurel to do the maze of pipes routine. After seeing Curly's reactions, it just wouldn't feel the same. Don't get me wrong, though, I still enjoy AN ACHE IN EVERY STAKE.
Incidentally, Jim, have you ever seen THE MUSIC BOX?