The Three Stooges

[mizuhara_fan]

I'm not really sure if any of you ever ventured in the black and white comedies of the 30's, 40's, or 50's, but has anyone ever watched a Three Stooges shorts? They used to be on the AMC channel a while back, but sadly they don't show anymore. These guys are hilarious (especially with Curly as the third stooge). Nobody can argue that the slapstick is pure joy to watch and has even lived on during the decades. Plus there is suppose to be a modern movie coming up about their life story, but I'm not sure if it's confirmed or not.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

I've seen the movies, but I'm not sure I've seen the shorts. Yes, they are very funny! I also enjoy the Marx Bros stuff too. The Stooges movie I most remember is the Hercules movies with them. It was hilarious and so unusual!

[Nate]

The Three Stooges RULE.

Curly was the best third stooge, but Shemp had his moments. Joe was NOT funny, sorry.

[Orange Kitten]

Good stuff, classic even in its own time.

Out of curiosity, how do people feel about the new colorization of them?

And just to point out more of George Lucas' hypocrisy, he's a big activist against colorization of B/W films. Why? Because he feels that it destroys the original feelings and attitude behind the film. True, I believe it can too.
However, he himself went ahead and re-edited and "cleaned" up his own films, and will NOT release the originals ever again. Hypocrite.

[righteous_slave]

The Stooges were one of the greatest comedy troupes ever. I was never impressed by Shemp, and Curly Joe was a sad attempt to hold on to fame after their time was up, but the classic shorts they put out in thier prime are still hilarious.

I heard something funny about the attempts to colorize the Stooges shorts. They wentin search of any of the original props to make sure the colors were right, but some of the props were unususal colors so they would show up better in black and white, like a yellow potbellied stove.

There is nothing wrong with black and white, I say leave em alone.

And finally, I don't know about another one, but some cable channel made one about the behind the scenes action in the Stooges careers a few years ago. What I've seen of it was pretty good. There was a lot of drama in their lives.

[uc pseudonym]

I've watched one of their films and a number of their shorts. By large, I did find them funny, and that primarily because of raw absurdity.

I haven't seen any of the color versions, but I imagine that I wouldn't care as long as it still "felt" more or less the same.

[mizuhara_fan]

I wish I was able to see how the old shorts would look like re-mastered. But then again, the "feeling" of the show would be quite different if it had been modernized into color.

In the mid-sixties there was an attempt to bring the old guys back into business (with Curly Joe as the third Stooge). Don't know if you guys heard of "The New Three Stooges", which featured the Stooges as cartoon characters. Sandwiched around those cartoons were five minute shorts that were in color. It was made for kids, so the shorts aren't as funny or zany as the old reelers. Plus, the Stooges were probably too old to do anything live, so the characters had to insist on doing voice-over work for the most part.

[Nate]

Never heard of the cartoon. The closest I've seen was the New Scooby Doo cartoon where various celebrities would make guest appearances, such as Batman or the Speed Buggy characters. The Three Stooges were in more than one episode of that show, but obviously the voices were not done by the Stooges themselves.

Anyway, I don't think I'd like the Stooges as a cartoon. They were already sort of a cartoon, in a way. Making it a cartoon would do a few things, I think. First, the violence would be reduced, as kids watch cartoons, and we wouldn't want to be a bad influence...that isn't my opinion, but that's probably what the writers would end up doing. Second, it would probably start to rely heavily on cartoony effects to try and get a joke (ex. Moe grabs Curly's nose and stretches it out to about a foot long before releasing it and having it snap back like a rubber band). And that wouldn't be as funny as the original.

Just what I think, anyway.

[glitch1501]

i love the three stooges, i used to watch them with my dad when i was little

[mizuhara_fan]

Anyway, I don't think I'd like the Stooges as a cartoon. They were already sort of a cartoon, in a way. Making it a cartoon would do a few things, I think. First, the violence would be reduced, as kids watch cartoons, and we wouldn't want to be a bad influence...that isn't my opinion, but that's probably what the writers would end up doing. Second, it would probably start to rely heavily on cartoony effects to try and get a joke (ex. Moe grabs Curly's nose and stretches it out to about a foot long before releasing it and having it snap back like a rubber band). And that wouldn't be as funny as the original.

Just what I think, anyway.

Well having seen the cartoons myself, I can tell you that it really isn't something to be wild about. The "feeling" of these shows were a little like the Hanna Barbera toons (animation-wise and cheesiness of plot). The violence is really dumb down to the point to which it's suitable for a six year old to watch (as most of the violence is cartoony rather than actual slaps in the face). The cartoons were in the same "spirit" of the original Stooges, in that they were three guys who needed to find jobs. Except that everything is exaggerated when you take into account their struggles to beat the Wright Brothers as aircraft mechanics, or entering a dragster competition and having their "rocket-car" fly into space. Typical cartoony stuff.

But everything about it is far from the shorts and the cartoons only have 1\10th of the slapstick that was in the original B\W shorts. The "new" Three Stooges was definately aimed at a newer audience who grew up not seeing the shorts in movie reels.

Though it's nice to see of the live-action segments in color (and having to see the Stooges age a lot )

[uc pseudonym]

I have seen a few of the cartoons, and thoughts they were passable, though nowhere near as funny as their other material.