Sony has released Vol 3 of The Three Stooges classic short films. This batch includes all their work for Columbia during the period of 1940-1942. Curley fans will be particularly pleased as this era shows the comedic legend at his zenith. The shorts themselves are like most of the Stooges' work: somewhat erratic in terms of how durable they have remained. Some, such as You Nazty Spy (the boy's answer to Chaplin's The Great Dictator) are ambitious but somehow fall short of their comedic potential. One would think showing Moe as Hitler and Curley as Mussolini would be ripe for belly laughs, but the gag runs thin quickly. Others -such as A Plumbing We Will Go-Â remain indicative of their best work. I've grown up with The Three Stooges' work and it's amazing to me how funny most of it seems despite its sheer predictability. The fact that our politically correct era wouldn't allow such gouging, slapping and eye-poking on TV today makes their films all the more welcome. Yet, I remain virtually alone in my feeling that Shemp was the best Stooge of all and I eagerly await the release of that golden era on DVD as well. The only complaint- as usual- is that, despite the great picture quality on these shorts, the set is sans any extras whatsoever.- Lee Pfeiffer
Here are the titles included in the 2 DVD set:
1940
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
1941
So Long Mr. Chumps
Dutiful But Dumb
All the World's a Stooge
I'll Never Heil Again
An Ache in Every Stake
In the Sweet Pie and Pie
Some More of Samoa
1942
Loco Boy Makes Good
Cactus Makes Perfect
What's the Matador?
Matri-Phony
Three Smart Saps
Even as IOU
Sock-a-Bye Baby
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