DVD Review HTF DVD REVIEW: The Three Stooges Collection Volume Eight, 1955-1959 (1 Viewer)

[HELLOLARRY]

Found mine at Wal-Mart this morning. They hadn't even put it on the shelf yet so it was right out of the box for stocking.

I know there was talk along the line during these chronological sets of doing the solo shorts. I have no idea what the plans are for those now.


Maybe there will be another set with the features that will have the solo shorts as bonus features to boost that set or they will do some sort of mega-set that has all 190 shorts and include the solo-films as bonus features exclusive to that set. I hope that is not the case as Sony has listened pretty closely to the feedback from fans however it still wouldn't surprise me if they did that.


One thing I noticed on this volume is that the little 30 second or so preview clips before the opening credits on Flying Saucer Daffy and Triple Crossed are not on there. This is the way I remember seeing these on TV ever since I started watching. Were these little clips unique to TV broadcasts to pad out for time or are they just missing from this set? It is not a deal breaker for me as I (and I'm sure I'm not the only one) am done upgrading, saving spare sets because of inconsistancies with formatting etc.

 

[Brent S]

Originally Posted by HELLOLARRY
Were these little clips unique to TV broadcasts

Yes.

 

[HELLOLARRY]

What was the purpose of them tacking those things on there and just on those two shorts?

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Actually, those previews were on the original 35mm prints sent to theaters. I've had several (including Triple Crossed) and it has the preview at the beginning.


The shorts were usually shown between features (most theaters booking the Stooge shorts had a double-feature policy) and this was a way to give the audience a reason to stay in their seats and watch the short. I'm not sure if it worked, but it was an interesting idea!

 

[Ockeghem]

I was able to pick up The Three Stooges Collection: Volume Eight, 1955-1959 (Walmart) the other day. It's quite nice to have all of these shorts. I am hoping that there are a few that I have never seen before (I am thinking that this will be the case).

 

[WadeM]

My copy arrived today. It seems a bit surreal to actually have all of their shorts on DVD. Thank you Sony!

Great job!

 

[Ockeghem]

^^^


I must say, I have loved the packaging for these volumes right from the start. The art work and 'liner' notes are not too bad either.

 

[Steve...O]

Finished disc 1. Definitely a sense of deja-vu with all the reused footage, but still enjoyable.


I noticed a QC issue with the "Husbands Beware" short though...it is out of synch. Not much, but enough to be annoying. Having the sound of a slap being heard before the visual is a bit jarring.


On to disc 2....and a meeting with "Fake Shemp"

 

[lxxsumi]

Thanks for a very well written and informative review. I just picked up my copy today (thanks to certain warehouse club selling this for $16.99) and am looking forward to viewing over the next few weeks.

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[dana martin]

great set, hope they make a run on the films next, also would like to see Sony/Columbia tackle all 28 Blondie movies in chronological order to the same degree that the stooges had, since i am still waiting on the Bowery Boys, and it seems ma and pa kettel are finaly getting a finish

 

[Steve...O]

Would love to see Blondie, but I think the rights are held by the Hearst Corporation, and not Sony.


I am several shorts deep into the "Joe" era now. I love Joe Besser as a comic, but it is a bit jarring to see his effeminate character play off the ultimate macho man - Moe. The shorts aren't bad, but they're a far cry from the best of the Stooge shorts.

 

[Joe Lugoff]

I keep seeing this idea that the Joe Besser Stooge character was effeminate.


To me, that's part of the humor.


Wasn't Curly effeminate in a way? Moe once commented on Curly's walk, and the way he'd stand with his fingers together (in the early years) as being effeminate.


Also, Curly would talk in a high voice.


Whatever they were, they provided a nice contrast to Moe and Larry.


Some people don't care as much for the Shemp ones, because Shemp was too similar to Moe.


Myself -- I like them all! If Besser did play the part effeminately, and we wonder why macho Moe hung out with him, it's just that much funnier. After all, the Stooges are totally surrealistic in the first place.

 

[dana martin]

king features syndicated, so sony would need to come with a deal with then sort of what WB did for Popeye, but since cloumbia was the original studio, the original materials and extras should already be somwhere in a vault.

 

[Steve...O]

Originally Posted by Joe Lugoff

I keep seeing this idea that the Joe Besser Stooge character was effeminate.


To me, that's part of the humor.


Wasn't Curly effeminate in a way? Moe once commented on Curly's walk, and the way he'd stand with his fingers together (in the early years) as being effeminate.


Also, Curly would talk in a high voice.


Whatever they were, they provided a nice contrast to Moe and Larry.


Some people don't care as much for the Shemp ones, because Shemp was too similar to Moe.


Myself -- I like them all! If Besser did play the part effeminately, and we wonder why macho Moe hung out with him, it's just that much funnier. After all, the Stooges are totally surrealistic in the first place.

Good observations all and a great explanation of the appeal of the 3rd Stooge. I never thought of Curly as being that effeminate but you're right, he did have his moments.

In no way do I knock Joe Besser. I like the guy and think he's very funny. He does play better opposite Lou Costello in my view simply because Lou had that childlike character. However the point about the Stooges being totally surreal in the first place is a great one goes a long way to explain why Larry, Curly, Shemp, Joe would spend YEARS in the company of a man who belittled and beat them

 

[Brent S]

Originally Posted by Steve...O
Good observations all and a great explanation of the appeal of the 3rd Stooge. I never thought of Curly as being that effeminate but you're right, he did have his moments.

When Jerry joined Moe & Larry as Healy's 3rd stooge in 1932, he was physically replacing brother Shemp... but much of his initial "Curly" characterization and mannerisms picked up the effeminate character played by Healy stooge Freddie Sanborn, the 4th stooge in 1930's SOUP TO NUTS.


Throughout MGM's Healy & His Stooges films, and the 1934 - 1935 Columbia shorts, Jerry Howard portrayed his "Curly" as slightly effeminate, e.g., prancing, hands on hips, etc.. In PLANE NUTS (1933), which recreates much of the stage act, Healy makes a couple verbal barbs about Curly... e.g., "What's his name?" "Curly!" "Oh excuse me, I thought you said Girl-ey."


With director Del Lord's help at Columbia, Jerry Howard made Curly a distinctive character by mid 1935. Not effeminate, despite that high pitch in his character's voice... Curly became a basically good, bad-boy cherub with a low IQ. (And Moe, the basically good, mean-tempered bully with a low IQ... and Larry as the balance/pivot between the two.)

 

[Joe Lugoff]

In response to Steve...O's comment: " ... the point about the Stooges being totally surreal in the first place is a great one goes a long way to explain why Larry, Curly, Shemp, Joe would spend YEARS in the company of a man who belittled and beat them."


---------------------------------------------


And not only keep company with him, but sleep in the same bed with him -- even in the episodes where they're married.


And they'd snore in rhythm, and turn over in unison.


You know, the more you think about the Stooges, the funnier they get.


I guess the other Stooges put up with Moe because he was the "brains" of the outfit.


A commentator once pointed out that Abbott was the brains of Abbott and Costello -- Hardy was for Laurel and Hardy -- and Moe was for the Three Stooges -- but they only seemed smart compared to the guys they hung out with. Compared to a normal person, they were morons themselves!

 

[DeWilson]

Originally Posted by Brent S

Quote:



In PLANE NUTS (1933), which recreates much of the stage act, Healy makes a couple verbal barbs about Curly... e.g., "What's his name?" "Curly!" "Oh excuse me, I thought you said Girl-ey."

Girl-ey? I've got an Uncle I'm not sure about.

 

[cadavra]

Originally Posted by Steve...O

Would love to see Blondie, but I think the rights are held by the Hearst Corporation, and not Sony.

[COLOR= #0000cd]Correct. Sony lost the rights to these eons of your Earth years ago.[/COLOR]


[COLOR= #0000cd]Mike S.[/COLOR]

 

[Steve...O]

Originally Posted by cadavra ), any chance you can give us any hints on what other classic material (Stooge or otherwise) is coming down the pike from the Columbia catalog?

 

[rdf8585]

Yeah, would love to know about HAVE ROCKET, WILL TRAVEL and the Besser/Shemp/DeRita solos and films like TIME OUT FOR RHYTHM.