The Three Stooges Collection Volume Three: 1940-1942
Studio: Sony/Columbia
Years: 1940-1942
Rated: Not Rated
Length: 396 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Languages: English
Subtitles: None
The Program
Sony’s rollout of Three Stooges shorts in chronological order continues with The Three Stooges Collection Volume Three: 1940-1942. This set is every bit as good as the previous two volumes. The new collection includes the following shorts:
Disc One:
YOU NAZTY SPY!
ROCKIN' THRU THE ROCKIES
A PLUMBING WE WILL GO
NUTTY BUT NICE
HOW HIGH IS UP?
FROM NURSE TO WORSE
NO CENSUS, NO FEELING
COOKOO CAVALIERS
BOOBS IN ARMS
SO LONG, MR. CHUMPS
DUTIFUL BUT DUMB
ALL THE WORLD'S A STOOGE
I'LL NEVER HEIL AGAIN
Disc Two:
AN ACHE IN EVERY STAKE
IN THE SWEET PIE AND PIE
SOME MORE OF SAMOA
LOCO BOY MAKES GOOD
CACTUS MAKES PERFECT
WHAT'S THE MATADOR?
MATRI-PHONY
THREE SMART SAPS
EVEN AS I.O.U
SOCK-A-BYE BABY
As far as I can determine (and please correct me if I am mistaken), eight of these shorts had never been released previously on DVD by Sony/Columbia:
FROM NURSE TO WORSE
COOKOO CAVALIERS
SO LONG, MR. CHUMPS
SOME MORE OF SAMOA
LOCO BOY MAKES GOOD
WHAT'S THE MATADOR?
EVEN AS I.O.U
SOCK-A-BYE BABY
However, “What’s the Matador?” did appear on the The Three Stooges Comedy Collection laserdisc box set.
“You Nazty Spy!,” the first short in this collection, is notable for Moe’s satirical take on Adolph Hitler, which is said to be the first time that an American actor played a character based upon the Nazi dictator. The Stooges play hapless paperhangers who are put in charge of the country of Moronica by three industrialists – Mr. Ixnay, Mr. Ohnay, and Mr. Amscray. The sequel, “I’ll Never Heil Again,” was released the following year and is also included in this set.
Trivia note: The title “I’ll Never Heil Again” is a humorous spin on the song “I’ll Never Smile Again,” which was written by Ruth Lowe in 1939. “I’ll Never Smile Again” was the first #1 hit on Billboard’s Best Selling Singles chart.
The Stooges sets obviously are selling extremely well; this volume is already #58 at Amazon and Volume Four (1943-1945) is scheduled to be released on October 7, 2008.
The Video
As was the case with the first two volumes in this series, these shorts have been superbly restored and remastered. The images are sharp, with excellent contrast and fine shadow detail. Sony has wisely resisted the temptation to apply excessive DNR, as an appropriate amount of film grain has been retained to give these shorts a satisfying film-like appearance.
It is gratifying to see that Sony is continuing to deliver the Stooges shorts in a fashion which must rival the way they looked when they first appeared in theaters more than sixty years ago.
The Audio
The mono soundtracks are of course limited in dynamic range, but they are in fine shape. The dialogue is always intelligible and the sound is for the most part free of distortion. The one exception is during the opening few minutes of “A Plumbing We Will Go,” when there is some audible hiss. This is a minor flaw, however, and does not impair the viewer’s enjoyment of the short.
The Supplements
There are no supplements on this DVD set. I know that many fans would like to see some Stooges extras, but it is difficult to complain when we are getting three and one-half hours of wonderfully restored shorts for a street price of approximately $17.
Other Features
Each of the two discs offers the option of playing all shorts or selecting individual shorts.
The Packaging
The 24 shorts in this collection are spread over two discs. Each disc comes in a slimcase and both discs come in a slipcase. The artwork on the covers of the slimcases is similar to the artwork on the slipcase, except that the slimcases has different thumbnail photographs.
The Final Analysis
I cannot recommend this set more highly. Stooges fans obviously are snapping up these sets as fast as Sony can produce them, and if that support continues we can expect to see every Stooges short get this first-class treatment. Therefore, I will repeat my earlier plea: Buy one for yourself and another for a friend -- For Duty and Humanity!
Equipment used for this review:
Toshiba HD-XA2 DVD player
Sharp LC-42D62U LCD display
Yamaha HTR-5890 THX Surround Receiver
BIC Acoustech speakers
Interconnects: Monster Cable
Release Date: August 26, 2008
