The Three Stooges Collection Volume Five: 1946-1948
Studio: Sony/Columbia Years: 1946-1948 Rated: Not Rated Length: 432 minutes Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Languages: English Subtitles: None |
The Program
Thankfully, the economic slowdown has not slowed down Sony’s chronological releases of fully-restored Three Stooges shorts. This latest release, which covers the years 1946-1948, is historically significant because it includes the final appearances of Curly and the return of Shemp. Apart from a minor glitch here and there, these shorts look and sound terrific.
This collection includes the following shorts:
Disc One
BEER BARREL POLECATS
A BIRD IN THE HEAD
UNCIVIL WARBIRDS
THREE TROUBLEDOERS
MONKEY BUSINESSMEN
THREE LOAN WOLVES
G.I. WANNA GO HOME
RHYTHM AND WEEP
THREE LITTLE PIRATES
HALF-WITS HOLIDAY (Curly’s last credited short)
FRIGHT NIGHT (the return of Shemp)
OUT WEST
HOLD THAT LION (Curly’s last appearance, uncredited)
Disc Two
BRIDELESS GROOM
SING A SONG OF SIX PANTS
ALL GUMMED UP
SHIVERING SHERLOCKS
PARDON MY CLUTCH
SQUAREHEADS OF THE ROUND TABLE
FIDDLERS THREE
THE HOT SCOTS
HEAVENLY DAZE
I’M A MONKEY’S UNCLE
MUMMY’S DUMMIES
CRIME ON THEIR HANDS
Curly Howard, of course, suffered a stroke on the final day of filming on HALF-WIT’S HOLIDAY. Shemp Howard, who had carved out a successful career in Hollywood as a second banana for the likes of Abbott and Costello, agreed to replace his younger brother until Curly recovered. Unfortunately, Curly’s condition deteriorated and he died in 1952 at the age of 48. Shemp remained a Stooge, along with brother Moe and Larry Fine, until his death in 1955. Viewers can catch a glimpse of Curly in his final appearance, as a sleeping train passenger, in HOLD THAT LION.
Fans of Christine McIntyre will be please to see that she appears in eight of these shorts. Sharp-eyed viewers may recognize that “Cedric the Blacksmith” in SQUAREHEADS OF THE ROUND TABLE is played by Jacques O’Mahoney, who later changed his name to Jock Mahoney. He went on to star in two televisions series (THE RANGE RIDER and YANCY DERRINGER) and later played Tarzan in a couple of feature films.
Shemp was not as adept at physical comedy as Curly, who arguably had been the most popular Stooge. Nevertheless, Shemp was an accomplished comic actor and most of the shorts in which he appears have plenty of laughs. Fans who want to see all of the Stooges shorts released (and who among us does not?) should let Sony know that we want to see all of the Shemp shorts and all of the Joe Besser shorts. It is encouraging to see that this collection is already ranked #36 in sales at Amazon, so I have to believe that we will see Volume Six later this year.
The Video
The shorts in this collection have been meticulously restored and look terrific. Yes, there is the occasional soft spot (in particular, a few frames of UNCIVIL WARBIRDS look like they were spliced in from a third-generation dupe), but by and large the images are positively stunning. Indeed, it is difficult to believe that these shorts have ever looked better. Contrasts are strong, and Sony has resisted the temptation to apply excessive DNR. These shorts retain an appropriate level of grain, giving them a satisfying film-like appearance.
The Audio
The English Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtracks obviously offer nothing which will tax your sound system, but the mono sound is clear, intelligible, and devoid of annoying hiss and distortion. Every word of dialogue is clear and intelligible.
The Supplements
As with the prior four volumes, there are no supplements on this set.
Other Features
Each disc includes the option of playing all shorts or selecting individual shorts.
The Packaging
The 25 shorts in this collection are spread over two discs, each with its own slimcase. The two slimcases are held in a slipcase. The artwork on the covers of the slimcases is similar to the artwork on the slipcase, except that the slimcases have different thumbnail photographs. The back of each slimcase includes a brief summary of each short.
The Final Analysis
I have said it before and I will say it again – I cannot recommend this set more highly. Stooges fans continue to snap up these sets as fast as Sony can produce them. It is encouraging the see that Sony has given the same superb restoration to the Shemp shorts that we have seen in the prior collections, so I remain optimistic that this will continue.
I repeat my earlier plea – buy one set for yourself and another for a friend. For Duty and Humanity!
Equipment used for this review:
Toshiba HD-XA-2 DVD player
Sharp LC-42D62U LCD display
Yamaha HTR-5890 THX Surround Receiver
BIC Acoustech speakers
Interconnects: Monster Cable
Release Date: March 17, 2009
