The Three Stooges Collection: 1934-1936
Year: 1934
Film Studio: Columbia Pictures
Genre: Comedy, Classic
Length: 340 Min.
StarsMoe Howard (1897) as Moe
Larry Fine (1902) as Larry
Curly Howard (1903) as Curly
Review Finally a DVD company has smartened up and listened to the general public. For years, the legions of Three Stooges fans around the world have been clamoring for the comedy shorts of their favorite bunch of knuckleheads to be released in chronological order. Up until now you had to either settle for public domain shorts that were in poor condition, or purchase DVD’s created by someone who thought it would be cheeky to group similar themes in the Stooges repertoire. Unfortunately, this would lead to unevenness in the quality of the performances of the trio. This has been the main reason why I have been such a steadfast hold out in purchasing anything by one of my favorite comedy teams. But finally, Sony has found a way to open my wallet and I must agree that I’m elated.
The Three Stooges Collection: Volume One - 1934-1936 is a complete delight for any true comedy fan that is happily mired is what is known as Stoogemania. If you are unfamiliar with the Stooges, here’s a brief lesson. From 1934 until 1955, Moe, Curly and Shemp Howard, along with Larry Fine created some of the finest comedy shorts in film history for Columbia Pictures. The original lineup consisted of Moe, Shemp and Larry as the trio of lovable buffoons who were the butt of slapstick abuse from the leader of the team, Ted Healy. The group was featured in a few MGM films in the early thirties, but mostly as supporting comic relief. When Shemp decided to strike out on his own in 1932, his brother Jerome (Curly) took his place. Their big break came in 1934 when Columbia studios owner Harry Cohn signed them as an independent act, free of Ted Healy, whom MGM thought was the real star. Their first release was
Woman Haters, which was completely done in song and barely resembles anything familiar to most fans. It was in their second feature,
Punch Drunks that they began to hit their stride. All of the comedic timing and roles are in place and from this point on, the Stooges never looked back. While Columbia was churning out Oscar winning films by Frank Capra, the Stooges shorts were the most profitable portion of Cohn’s film output, and would be so for many years.
The first installment in this collection features 19 of the best comedy shorts that the Three Stooges created in the early years of their career.
Hoi Polloi,
Pardon My Scotch,
Disorder in the Court and
Three Little Beers are just a few of the classics that Sony has painstakingly re-mastered for this release. For years, fans have had to deal with DVD versions culled from the public domain or copied from VHS transfers, each of which were loaded with grain, splits and damage. Now, for the first time since their original film releases, they can be viewed in the almost pristine presentation that greeted moviegoers during the Depression. I urge anyone who loves the Stooges to rush out and buy this DVD set.
Review Criterion5 Stars - The pinnacle of film perfection and excellence.
4 ½ Stars - Not quite an immortal film, yet a masterpiece in its own right.4 Stars - Historically important film, considered a classic.
3 ½ Stars - An entertaining film that’s fun or engaging to watch.
3 Stars – A good film that’s worth a Netflix venture.
2 ½ Stars - Borderline viewable.
2 Stars – A bad film that may have a moment of interest.
1 ½ Stars – Insipid, trite and sophomoric, and that's its good points.
1 Star – A film so vacuous, it will suck 2 hours from the remainder of your life.
½ Star - A gangrenous and festering pustule in the chronicles of celluloid.
