Phony Express (1943)

metaldams · **on:** September 26, 2014, 10:26:22 PM

http://www.threestooges.net/filmography/episode/75
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036263/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

One of those weeks where I don't really have much to say. PHONY EXPRESS has always been pleasant enough, nothing overly offensive, but very little that stands out, so I'm not very opinionated here, I'm afraid. Just your standard Stooge slapping, insults, quick plot, and there are a ton of these Western shorts, much more later on with Shemp. Frankly, Edward Bernds did the best westerns, and Christine McIntyre as the damsel in distress added a lot to those shorts. Del Lord's shorts at this point are slowly dipping in quality, and Mr. Bernds will take over soon. A shame, because in his peak, Del Lord was the greatest Stooge director, in my opinion.

The only real highlight of this short is Curly dancing with Shirley Patterson. His reaction when she hits on him initially is priceless and it's fun watching him dance. This feels like natural Curly material here. The medicine mixing scene was much more inspired in other shorts, and Moe as a carny is OK, but not exactly W.C. Fields or Bud Abbott.

6/10

Shemp_Diesel · **Reply #1 on:** September 27, 2014, 01:51:27 AM

This falls into the good, but not great category. But as a general rule, I always felt that the Curly westerns were better than the Shemps overall. There's a lot of fun stuff in this one--Curly wanting a bottle of medicine because he's wide awake all day & I think by this point, Columbia finally found some good eyepoke sound effects.

Another high point was Curly and Larry mixing the medicine or what passes for medicine if you're a stooge.

Btw, to touch on another point Metal brought up--I think the slight decline for Del Lord begins on the next short after this one. Which is when Del starting writing or co-writing his shorts as well as directing--the results from here on out were often mixed; although I think Del went out on a high note, because I believe his last Curly was Booby Dupes which I've always been high on.

At any rate, I give "Phony" a solid 7...

Paul Pain · **Reply #2 on:** September 27, 2014, 04:07:28 AM

I know this short. I know I have watched. But I cannot tell you WHEN I last watched it... shame on this Stoogephile.

JazzBill · **Reply #3 on:** September 29, 2014, 07:47:04 PM

I actually like this short a lot. It has plenty of funny sight gags and bits. The spinning mustache, Curly scaring the bottle to death and Curly as a bloodhound still makes me laugh. Curly is in top form in this one. I rate this one a very solid 8.

metaldams · **Reply #4 on:** September 29, 2014, 08:48:50 PM

Great to see another post! Man, do people find this short as non descript as I do? Glad Jazzbill likes it, but where's everyone else? Is this a preview of what the Shemp remake threads will be like?

Shemp_Diesel · **Reply #5 on:** September 30, 2014, 05:34:28 AM

Does anyone know the shooting dates on this one--I only ask because I was thinking Bud Jamison looks a bit healthier in this short as compared to I Can Hardly Wait or what was his last one, Crash Goes the Hash....

BeAStooge · **Reply #6 on:** September 30, 2014, 08:24:54 AM

Quote from: Shemp_Diesel on September 30, 2014, 05:34:28 AM

Does anyone know the shooting dates on this one

3/27/43 - 3/31/43

Production dates, if known, are provided in this site's Filmography, in the "Production Notes" folder of each film's page.

Shemp_Diesel · **Reply #7 on:** September 30, 2014, 08:37:46 AM

Thanks Brent. From looking at the notes, I see this one was shot over a week after I Can Hardly Wait....

Paul Pain · **Reply #8 on:** September 30, 2014, 12:37:07 PM

Quote from: metaldams on September 29, 2014, 08:48:50 PM

Great to see another post! Man, do people find this short as non descript as I do? Glad Jazzbill likes it, but where's everyone else? Is this a preview of what the Shemp remake threads will be like?

No. There will be too much rage spewing out my lips complaining about how the short was ruined.

Paul Pain · **Reply #9 on:** September 30, 2014, 01:14:39 PM

Just watched it. It is actually a pretty good short. The boys all hit their marks, and Bud Jamison is as irritable as ever. I think the scene with Curly attacking the skunk was the kind of role he was best suited to: that of a lovable nutcase. I think what makes this short seem so average is that this type of plot, while unique to this point of Stooge history, was heavily abused during the Shemp era, with two or three shorts with this premise being made, and then all being remade a second time.

Lefty · **Reply #10 on:** September 30, 2014, 03:15:07 PM

It's a decent short. My favorite part was Curly and Larry mixing the "Lumbago" drink. Snub Pollard would have made a good quarterback with that toss. While I don't quite understand why the short ended with Curly going around with the shots going off, the scene with the bad guys was all right.

Kopfy2013 · **Reply #11 on:** September 30, 2014, 05:21:24 PM

I give this short a 9. Not for it's hilarity but because of it's plot and flow. A good Western.

Curly as the bloodhound is great ... he should have raised his leg by the tree -- missed out on that one - or would the sensors frown upon that?

Has anything been written about Shirley Patterson - life story-movies-etc? Great interaction between her and Curly. Curly really shines with his interaction with the opposite sex.

Curly has been in his element for the last few shorts.

Paul Pain · **Reply #12 on:** October 01, 2014, 02:57:42 PM

The lumbago drink was quite enjoyable. Curly really has some nice lines to describe his ridiculous behavior. The bear traps always make me cringe, and the scene with Curly in the stove that ends the short later becomes a recycled concept in THE THREE TROUBLEDOERS. Look for venom to exit my mouth then (January 2015).

I am looking forward to this weekend's short, GEM OF A JAM, where I shall lavish well-deserved praise on the great Dudley Dickerson.

metaldams · **Reply #13 on:** October 01, 2014, 09:06:24 PM

Quote from: Kopfy2013 on September 30, 2014, 05:21:24 PM

Has anything been written about Shirley Patterson - life story-movies-etc? Great interaction between her and Curly. Curly really shines with his interaction with the opposite sex.

Had a pretty good and lengthy career, actually, and most importantly, born a couple of months after my Grandma.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0666408/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

Big Chief Apumtagribonitz · **Reply #14 on:** October 22, 2014, 02:08:10 AM

I'm late commenting on this one, but not because I don't enjoy it. I do. None of the bits are earth-shaking, but it's a bunch of first-rate comedians making the most of fairly good material. Snub Pollard, for example, shows up here, and does a fine job. Western-themed shorts dont bother me as they do some of us, and the big finish is O K. Not a masterpiece, but perfectly watchable.

Tony Bensley · **Reply #15 on:** September 25, 2017, 10:44:26 PM

Quote from: Paul Pain on September 30, 2014, 01:14:39 PM

Just watched it. It is actually a pretty good short. The boys all hit their marks, and Bud Jamison is as irritable as ever. I think the scene with Curly attacking the skunk was the kind of role he was best suited to: that of a lovable nutcase. I think what makes this short seem so average is that this type of plot, while unique to this point of Stooge history, was heavily abused during the Shemp era, with two or three shorts with this premise being made, and then all being remade a second time.

I actually associate PHONY EXPRESS (1943) with YES, WE HAVE NO BONANZA (1939), no doubt, in large part, because they were both on the only VHS cassette of Three Stooges shorts (PHONY EXPRESS & OTHER NYUKS, with UNCIVIL WARRIORS (1935) being the other short.) that I had for the longest time. That said, they do seem fairly similar to me, and of course, Curly is in fine form in both! In fact, it was these two shorts that helped me decide that Curly was (And still is!) my favorite Stooge!

I give PHONY EXPRESS a solid 8!

CHEERS!

Woe-ee-Woe-Woe80 · **Reply #16 on:** November 20, 2017, 12:46:59 PM

This was an OK stooge short but it was never really one of my favorites, I've always felt this Stooge short marks the decline of the Del Lord directed shorts, Moe seems to be a bit more calm than usual in this short and this was the last stooge short written by Monte Collins and co-produced by Del Lord, I wish he would've gotten to write more Stooge shorts after this, there is nothing really wrong with this short but there weren't really any standout scenes.

I find it strange that this short was filmed before "Dizzy Pilots" but released after because Curly seemed more energetic and animated in "Dizzy Pilots" as he did here, maybe it was because of the material they gave Curly to work with in that short.

Overall I give this short a 6/10

Tony Bensley · **Reply #17 on:** November 20, 2017, 04:40:00 PM

Quote from: Woe-ee-Woe-Woe80 on November 20, 2017, 12:46:59 PM

This was an OK stooge short but it was never really one of my favorites, I've always felt this Stooge short marks the decline of the Del Lord directed shorts, Moe seems to be a bit more calm than usual in this short and this was the last stooge short written by Monte Collins and co-produced by Del Lord, I wish he would've gotten to write more Stooge shorts after this, there is nothing really wrong with this short but there weren't really any standout scenes.

I find it strange that this short was filmed before "Dizzy Pilots" but released after because Curly seemed more energetic and animated in "Dizzy Pilots" as he did here, maybe it was because of the material they gave Curly to work with in that short.

Overall I give this short a 6/10

It might be worth reiterating that the last few minutes of DIZZY PILOTS (1943) was lifted from BOOBS IN ARMS (1940). Perhaps a lesser amount of original footage shot may have also factored into Curly's apparent higher energy level for the former.

Online "Stooge Goofs" for PHONY EXPRESS (1943) also notes that a bandage is visible on the back of Curly's neck during the film. Perhaps whatever neck injury he had sustained led to his somewhat lower energy level for this particular short?

CHEERS!

Dr. Mabuse · **Reply #18 on:** November 20, 2019, 12:13:37 AM

The last Stooge western with Curly at full strength. "Phony Express" is surprisingly disjointed for a Del Lord effort, but the laughs keep coming. Bud Jamison is fun as always.

8/10

jkernan · **Reply #19 on:** December 16, 2019, 10:09:06 AM

Is that Joe Palma (uncredited) as on of the henchmen? It sure looks like him, especially near the end of the short when he and Red Morgan (Bud Jamison) arrive at the back door to the cabin.

metaldams · **Reply #20 on:** February 26, 2021, 06:15:01 PM

Shemp_Diesel · **Reply #21 on:** February 26, 2021, 06:50:47 PM

I'm surprised Columbia got away with advertising it as "Dracula" on that poster, since Universal back in those days thought they had a copyright on the name. Very nice picture anyway; Lugosi and the stooges...

metaldams · **Reply #22 on:** February 26, 2021, 06:52:23 PM

Quote from: Shemp_Diesel on February 26, 2021, 06:50:47 PM

I'm surprised Columbia got away with advertising it as "Dracula" on that poster, since Universal back in those days thought they had a copyright on the name. Very nice picture anyway; Lugosi and the stooges...

I have a feeling either the newspaper or local theater made the advertisement. Definitely not Columbia who would have been sued to Hell and back.

HomokHarcos · **Reply #23 on:** February 27, 2021, 07:25:53 AM

Quote from: metaldams on February 26, 2021, 06:52:23 PM

I have a feeling either the newspaper or local theater made the advertisement. Definitely not Columbia who would have been sued to Hell and back.

It's really interesting to look at newspaper listing for movie theaters. I like doing that mainly to see what shorts were being played.

Tony Bensley · **Reply #24 on:** February 27, 2021, 07:35:44 AM

Quote from: HomokHarcos on February 27, 2021, 07:25:53 AM

It's really interesting to look at newspaper listing for movie theaters. I like doing that mainly to see what shorts were being played.

They can also be a great source for those who want to recreate Movie Nights from a certain period.

CHEERS!