Moe Howard Movies

Perhaps the most thorough (and least hokey) of the many TV Three Stooges retrospectives, this NBC special not only concentrates on the most popular members of the comic trio -- Jerry "Curly" Howard, Moe Howard, and Larry Fine -- but also provides generous and laudatory screen time to Curly's successors, Shemp Howard, Joe Besser, and Curly Joe DeRita. As the title indicates, the special covers the years from the Stooges' apprenticeship with comedian Ted Healy, their 25-year tenure with the Columbia Pictures short-subject department, their spectacular comeback in the late '50s thanks to TV exposure of their old films, and their "first love," performing before live audiences all over the world. The film clips shown herein are in pristine condition, and many have not been shown publicly for decades, notably the Stooges' guest appearance on the 1955 syndicated TV series The Eddie Cantor Comedy Theatre and Jack Linkletter's interview with Moe Howard and his family on a 1960 episode of the CBS early-morning program On the Go. Also included are interviews with such dyed-in-the-wool Stooge fans as the Farrelly brothers, Saturday Night Live's Tracy Morgan, and Michael Chiklis, who played Curly Howard in 2000 TV biopic. Narrated by Woody Harrelson, The Three Stooges' 75 Anniversary Special was originally slated to air in November 2002, but for obscure reasons was withheld from view for nearly six months; rest assured, however, that it was well worth waiting for. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This documentary, narrated by respected film critic Leonard Maltin, focuses on the year or so that The Three Stooges spent at MGM studios, from 1933 to 1934. At the time, the trio -- Moe Howard, Larry Fine and newest Stooge Jerry, better known as Curly Howard, were still sidemen to Ted Healy. The footage shown is relatively obscure, compared to the Stooges' Columbia shorts, but most vintage film fans have seen at least a few of the feature film appearances shown here, most notably Hollywood Party and Dancing Lady (there's a great scene in which the boys attempt to serve as musical accompaniment to Joan Crawford's footwork!). But for the most part, the clips from the shorts the Stooges shot with Healy prove that they were better off without either Healy or MGM. Although Nertsery Rhymes has the advantage of being shot in two-color Technicolor, its material is decidedly poor. Perhaps the best short the guys did during their MGM tenure was Beer and Pretzels, and this documentary shows it in full. Overall, this should be left to real Stooges and/or vintage film fanatics -- for pure, unadulterated enjoyment it's better to watch the Columbia shorts. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

Lucille Ball is honored in this program which features many of her television and film appearances. ~ Rovi

John Considine does a cut-rate Vincent Price impersonation as the flamboyant Dr. Death, a thousand-year-old magician who has mastered he art of transferring souls from one body to another and thereby manages to perpetuate himself by jumping from one body to the next (which actually makes him more of a "Seeker of Bodies"). Apparently the Doc is a kindred spirit to the Alien, since his blood is a highly-corrosive acid that can strip flesh from bone, thus ensuring his personal safety. This is "Z"-grade fare that plays somewhat like a Herschell Gordon Lewis film, but without enough silliness to keep things amusing. The only point of interest keeping this film in circulation (mainly via late-night-cable) is the presence of sad-looking former Stooge Moe Howard in his last role as a perverted old man. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

Unfortunately, the comedy in this film is just about as crummy as its title. On the bright side, it does feature a number of veterans from popular TV sitcoms. It is set in a run-down diner where a bumbling short-order cook and a klutzy waitress work. They are so terrible at their jobs that they soon lose them. Next the two go to help a pal run her recently inherited bookstore. There they found trouble when a Russian spy mistakenly identifies the former cook as a defecting cosmonaut. Meanwhile, two would-be bank robbers are secretly sneaking 'round the bookstore trying to tunnel into the bank vault next door. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

With this all-star Cinerama epic, producer/director Stanley Kramer vowed to make "the comedy that would end all comedies." The story begins during a massive traffic jam, caused by reckless driver Smiler Grogan (Jimmy Durante), who, before (literally) kicking the bucket, cryptically tells the assembled drivers that he's buried a fortune in stolen loot, "under the Big W." The various motorists setting out on a mad scramble include a dentist (Sid Caesar) and his wife (Edie Adams); a henpecked husband (Milton Berle) accompanied by his mother-in-law (Ethel Merman) and his beatnik brother-in-law (Dick Shawn); a pair of comedy writers (Buddy Hackett and Mickey Rooney); and a variety of assorted nuts including a slow-wit (Jonathan Winters), a wheeler-dealer (Phil Silvers), and a pair of covetous cabdrivers (Peter Falk and Eddie "Rochester" Anderson). Monitoring every move that the fortune hunters make is a scrupulously honest police detective (Spencer Tracy). Virtually every lead, supporting, and bit part in the picture is filled by a well-known comic actor: the laughspinning lineup also includes Carl Reiner, Terry-Thomas, Arnold Stang, Buster Keaton, Jack Benny, Jerry Lewis, and The Three Stooges, who get one of the picture's biggest laughs by standing stock still and uttering not a word. Two prominent comedians are conspicuous by their absence: Groucho Marx refused to appear when Kramer couldn't meet his price, while Stan Laurel declined because he felt he was too old-looking to be funny. Available for years in its 154-minute general release version, the film was restored to its roadshow length of 175 minutes on home video; the search goes on for a missing Buster Keaton routine, reportedly excised on the eve of the picture's premiere. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Curly-Joe DeRita are out of this world as The Three Stooges In Orbit. The veteran comedy trio defends a secret weapon invented by Professor Danforth (Emil Sitka) from falling into the hands of scheming Martians. Following his success as the villain in "The Three Stooges Meet Hercules", George N. Niese returns to play the role of villain, this time a malevolent Martian named Ogg. Of course, Zogg (Raymond Barnes) isn't far behind as the two conspire to steal the new invention that combines the features of a submarine, a tank, and a rocket ship. The Stooges prove their patented brand of slapstick comedy and sight gags work with or without gravity. This is the second Three Stooges film produced by Norman Maurer, who was Moe Howard's son-in-law. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

In this family-oriented comedy, Snow White is taken to the woods to be killed at the behest of her evil stepmother and ends up abandoned and alone. Fortunately she stumbles across a charming cottage inhabited by the Three Stooges, and comical fairy-tale chaos ensues. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi

Released on June 4, 1959, Sappy Bull Fighters ended the Three Stooges' 20-year-plus association with the Columbia short subject department. Consisting mainly of stock footage from the earlier What's the Matador? (1942), the two-reeler incorporated footage, filmed in 1957, featuring Joe Besser and the statuesque Greta Thyssen. Sappy Bull Fighters actually competed with the enormously successful television re-release of the earlier Stooges comedies. The surprising TV following gave new life to the team and the Stooges would go on to a fairly successful feature-film career. But not with Joe Besser, who left the partnership in 1958. He was replaced by veteran vaudeville and short subject comic Joe DeRita (nicknamed "Curly Joe"), who joined the team for their feature comedies: Have Rocket Will Travel (1959), Snow White and the Three Stooges (1961), Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962), The Three Stooges in Orbit (1962), The Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze (1963), It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), and The Outlaws Is Coming (1965). Although several later prospects were discussed (with veteran Stooges foil Emil Sitka replacing Larry Fine, who had suffered a stroke), none came to fruition. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

Joe Besser's French wartime girlfriend, Fifi (Vanda Dupre), moves in next door to the boys in this Three Stooges comedy two-reeler, a remake, with plenty of stock footage of Love at First Bite (1950). Christine McIntyre, who had retired in 1954, and Heinie Conklin appeared courtesy of the old footage. Fifi Blows Her Top was filmed in 1957. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

Senior Prom is another of those musical salads of the 1950s, heavy on the guest stars but very light on plot. The story concerns the romance between pretty high-schooler Gay Sherridan (Jill Corey) and wealthy BMOC Carter Breed III (portrayed by future "Billy Jack" star-auteur Tom Laughlin). Actually, the right boy for Gay is poor-but-likeable Tom Harper (Paul Hampton), so guess who winds up taking Gay to the senior prom? Well, nobody really cares, not with such topnotch musical talents on hand as Louis Prima & Keely Smith, Sam Butera & The Witnesses, Connee Boswell, Bob Crosby, Toni Arden, Jose Melis, Freddy Martin & His Orchestra, Les Elgart, and even Mitch Miller. And, oh yes, Ed Sullivan shows up too. Senior Prom was produced by Harry Romm and directed by David Lowell Rich, the same team responsible for the Three Stooges' comeback feature Have Rocket Will Travel; in fact, this musical's associate producer was Moe Howard! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi