Joe Besser Movies
After a stint as a delivery boy, roly-poly Joe Besser worked his way up the show business ladder as a song plugger and magician's assistant. A vaudeville headliner in his mid-twenties, the bilious, balding Besser usually appeared as a member of a team. On his own, he contributed to the general merriment of Olsen and Johnson's Sons O' Fun, playing his patented stage character as a whining, overweight sissy. Besser's trademarked "I'll HAAAARM you" and "Oh, you NAAAASTY, you!" could be heard throughout the 1940s in such radio shows as The Jack Benny Program and such Columbia feature films as Hey, Rookie! A close friend of comedian Lou Costello, Besser was amusingly cast as an effete gunman in Abbott & Costello's Africa Screams (1949) and as the bratty little boy (!) Stinky in TV's The Abbott and Costello Show (1951-1952). He also starred in his own series of Columbia two-reelers, usually playing a misfit G.I., and from 1956 to 1958 he was a member of the Three Stooges. Flourishing into the 1960s and 1970s, Besser was a regular on The Joey Bishop Show (1962-1965), played supporting roles (sometimes surprisingly dramatic in nature) in films and on TV, and provided voice-overs for such cartoon series as Jeannie (1972) and Yogi's Space Race (1977). One of Joe Besser's last public appearances came about when the Three Stooges at long last received their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2003
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
- 1978
Narrated by Milton Berle, Hey Abbott! is a compilation of highlights from Abbott & Costello's numerous television programs. Includes routines like "Who's on First," "The Birthday Party," "Floogle Street" and "Oyster Stew." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
- 1970
- G
Brendan (Jerry Lewis) is an eccentric multimillionaire who is rejected for military service in this misfired comedy. Eager to help the Allies, he gathers a quartet of offbeat irregulars and sails to Italy to join the conflict. Brendan captures a Nazi general and masquerades as the enemy. When Allies arrive, he is mistaken for the real general. Jan Murray, Dack Rambo, John Wood and Steve Franklin help the inept but patriotic Brendan. Also appearing are Kaye Ballard, Neil Hamilton, and George Takei, all allumni of successful television programs from the late 1960s. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jerry Lewis, John Wood, (more)
- 1968
Faded Hollywood star Katharine Packard (Miriam Hopkins) lives a lonely, secluded life in a sprawling mansion, battling the bottle and struggling to hold on to her eroding sanity. After a drunken reverie leads to a broken leg, her doctor advertises for a live-in nurse to help care for the embittered former actress. An intense, sarcastic young man named Vic (John Garfield, Jr.) arrives to claim the assignment, and is hired despite the concerns of Ms. Packard's secretary (Gale Sondergaard). She's right to suspect the worst, for not only is Vic lying about his medical credentials, he's also a psychopathic killer who preys exclusively on older women. He charms his way into Katharine's good graces, seduces the comely young cook (Virginia Wing) and keeps a secret leather kit full of syringes, butcher knives and scalpels hidden in his room. Katharine thinks she's falling in love and soon Vic is in full control of the household, charging expensive outfits for himself and bringing drug dealers and freaks back for midnight parties. When the elderly screen legend realizes that her young gigolo is dangerous, she mysteriously disappears, but Vic tells the household staff that Katharine is simply isolating herself in her room and doesn't want to be disturbed by anyone but him. As the domestic help start to get wise, they are picked off one by one by this remorseless predator. Also known as The Comeback and Hollywood Horror House. ~ Fred Beldin, Rovi
- 1962
Scientist Alex March (John Agar) is working on developing what he hopes will be a new, non-lethal form of nerve gas -- but following an accident in his lab, he discovers that not only is the gas deadly, but also that it has invaded his entire body, and his touch is instantly fatal to any other living thing. He also realizes that the only thing keeping him alive is the partial immunity that he has developed over the course of months of work, which will soon wear off. He goes into hiding in his employer's home, hoping that a cure can be found, but he's already begun to go mad, tormented by the deaths he's caused and the mounting pain as the gas begins to affect him. Finally, the gas transforms him into a scaly, misshapen creature (vaguely resembling the Lizard from Marvel Comics, who was also, interestingly, a stricken research chemist). He goes on a rampage through suburban Los Angeles while the police hunt for him, and his fiancée (Paula Raymond) desperately hopes that he'll come to his senses long enough to surrender and allow himself to be confined to a hospital. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi
The second of Jerry Lewis' directorial endeavors, The Errand Boy, like its predecessor The Bellboy, is essentially a series of "spot gags," some hilarious, others only moderately amusing. The gossamer-thin plot finds Morty Tashman (Lewis) being hired by the CEO of "Paramutuel Pictures" (Brian Donlevy) to spy on studio employees and report any incidents of wastefulness and sloth. This gives Morty a chance to wander all over the Paramutuel Pictures lot, inadvertently interfering with work in progress, encountering strange characters and inexplicable events, and overall making as much of a nuisance of himself as possible. Some of the better gags include Morty's chaotic behavior at the "wrap party" for a vainglorious movie queen (Iris Adrian); his attempts to eat lunch while a noisy battle scene from a war picture rages all around him; his misguided effort to dub in the singing voice of a tone-deaf actress; the "Mr. Baebrosenthal" bit; and Morty's tete-a-tete in the studio swimming pool with a scuba diver. The weakest scenes involve Morty's sugary encounters with the Ritts Puppets, and a smug curtain speech about the importance of laughmakers in this troubled world. The huge supporting cast includes such reliable chucklemeisters as Howard McNear, Sig Ruman, Milton Frome, Benny Rubin, Fritz Feld, Doodles Weaver, Joey Forman, Dick Wesson and Joe Besser; also making fleeting appearances are actress/writer/director Renee Taylor, veteran movie tough guy Mike Mazurki (in drag!), silent film comic Snub Pollard, and the four stars from TV's Bonanza. Even non-Jerry Lewis fans will come down with a case of loose chuckles while watching The Errand Boy. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jerry Lewis, Brian Donlevy, (more)
- 1961
Director John A. Bushelman makes a departure from his usual western and action films to guide this respectable, canine-centered, family film about a big dog by the name of Pete with definite separation anxiety. When the impoverished Brancato family takes off from their Nevada home to look for a better life in Los Angeles, they are forced to leave their dog in the care of a dubious-looking neighbor. Their son is heart-broken, and no one is particularly happy, especially Pete. Not willing to stand for this kind of treatment, Pete takes off to cover the hundreds of miles to L.A. and hunt down his family, meeting all kinds of hoboes, truckers, and other characters along the way. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Roger Mobley, David McLean, (more)
Let's Make Love is a breezy comedy about an off Broadway musical production. Jean-Marc Clement (Yves Montand) is the richest man in the world and looking for someone who loves him instead of his money. He reads in Variety he is to be satirized in the new production and tries out for the part. The producers hire him, unaware of his real identity. He hires Bing Crosby, Milton Berle and Gene Kelly to coach him for the role. Amanda (Marilyn Monroe) is the poor aspiring actress who lands a part in the play. Her opening number is the classic "My Heart Belongs To Daddy". Unaware of his fabulous wealth, she falls for the playboy billionaire during the rehearsals for the show. Tony Randall plays Montand's fussy public relations agent and tries to keep his boss from embarassment. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Marilyn Monroe, Yves Montand, (more)
- 1959
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
- 1959
In this Western, a good-hearted gunfighter helps a young cowboy find the cruel cattle baron who killed his daddy. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1959
A suspenseful courtroom drama, The Story on Page One was the second and last film directed by the distinguished American playwright Clifford Odets (who also wrote the screenplay). Jo (Rita Hayworth) and Larry (Gig Young) are lovers accused of murdering Jo's husband. Their trial lawyer, Victor Santini (Anthony Franciosa) has his work cut out for him on two different fronts. For one, he has to overcome his own tendency to hit the bottle, and for another, he has to somehow win this case. As revealed in the beginning, Jo's husband died accidentally. Yet the unpredictability of the courtroom proceedings indicate that a verdict of "not guilty" is going to be anything but automatic. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rita Hayworth, Gig Young, (more)
- 1959
This musical comedy takes an off-beat religious turn as it tells the tale of a show-biz priest (Bing Crosby) who runs a Broadway theater for spiritually kindred show-folk. His problems begins when a vivacious but troubled chorine (Debbie Reynolds) shows up with a sad story about her ailing father, a friend of the priest, needing an operation. Touched and eager to help her find work and earn the money to help her daddy. Unfortunately, she ends up performing in a sleazy dive owned by an oily wolf (Robert Wagner) who decides to prey upon the innocent gal. The protective priest tries to dissuade him, but its to no avail, the club owner wants to marry her. Meanwhile, the priest busily prepares to produce a charity television show in conjunction with other priests. It is upon this show that the real romantic and comical chaos occurs. Songs include: "The Girl Most Likely to Succeed", "The Secret of Christmas", and "The Night Rock 'n' Roll Died". ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bing Crosby, Debbie Reynolds, (more)
- 1959
This is an out-dated, feeble World War II comedy about a new army recruit who ends up alone with his Master Sergeant and a striking model on a deserted island, deserted except for two enemy soldiers. When Tommy Noonan (playing himself) insists on being drafted, the local boot camp has been all but shut down. In order to train him, Master Sergeant Marshall (Peter Marshall) and a few others hang around, but in the meantime Marshall's fiancee, actress Lili Marlene (Julie Newmar), arrives at the boot camp with her press agent to take advantage of the publicity surrounding Noonan's induction. She joins Noonan and Marshall when they board a ship destined for Japan, and then ends up in the drink with them when all three fall overboard. The trio make it to an island and comparative safety, until they discover that two Japanese soldiers (played by Noonan and Marshall) have also landed. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Claude Stroud, Norman Leavitt, (more)
- 1958
In their first two-reel comedy of 1958 (although filmed in 1957), the Three Stooges welcome blonde Greta Thyssen, Miss Denmark of 1952, and the last in a long line of pretty starlets to grace the team's little comedy shorts. The long-legged former double for Marilyn Monroe (Bus Stop), Miss Thyssen plays the niece of a fake millionaire out to bilk Joe Besser of his game show winnings. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- 1958
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
- 1958
Joe Besser's photograph of a paper plate is mistaken for an UFO in this two-reel comedy starring the Three Stooges. Moe and Larry are paid handsomely for the picture, but when it is determined to be a fake, they are hauled off to jail. Joe, meanwhile, manages to photograph a real flying saucer and earns a fortune. Having cried wolf once too often, his two comrades-in-arms are shipped off to a sanitarium. Flying Saucer Daffy was filmed in 1957. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- 1958
A professor (Gene Roth) wages that he can turn the Three Stooges into refined gentlemen in this remake, with stock footage of Hoi Polloi (1935) and Half Wits Holiday (1947). Symona Boniface, who had died in 1950, and Helen Dickson appeared courtesy of the stock footage while new scenes were filmed in 1957 featuring Greta Thyssen, Miss Denmark of 1952, Milton Frome, Harriette Tarler, Johnny Kascier, and, as a butler, Emil Sitka. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- 1958
About the best thing that can be said about this Joe Besser-era Three Stooges comedy is that it's not an exact remake of the boys' 1939 film Oily to Bed, Oily to Rise, a classic short which featured Curly Howard. Plus, it doesn't rely on recycled footage -- an unfortunate quality of many latter-day Three Stooges pictures. Once again, the Stooges have lost their jobs. Now their dad needs an operation, and he suggests that they search for uranium on his mining property. Joe, like Curly before him, has the uncanny ability to manifest anything he wishes for, from a cigar to milk (which shows up in the form of a cow). The boys locate the uranium, but run afoul of a load of dynamite (Joe accidentally sits on the detonator). Then, when they're trying to fix the water pump, it starts gushing oil. Joe tries to cork it by sitting on it, but he's sent flying into the air. When he wishes it would stop, it does, much to Moe and Larry's dismay. But he also gets it started again. This poor entry was one of the boys' final shorts for Columbia -- after the Stooges made two more pictures, the company's shorts department would be abruptly closed down. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi
- 1958
Filmed in 1957, this Three Stooges two-reel comedy featured Muriel Landers as Joe Besser's sister, a singer suffering from stage fright. Several scenes consisted of stock footage from I'm a Monkey's Uncle (1948) and Besser's solo effort G.I. Dood It (1955). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- 1958
In their penultimate two-reel comedy, the Three Stooges used mainly stock footage from their earlier He Cooked His Goose. Bachelor Larry makes a play for Moe's wife (Mary Ainslee, in stock footage) and Joe's fiancée (Angela Stevens). The few new scenes featuring Joe Besser were filmed in 1957. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- 1957
This Three Stooges comedy was the second with Joe Besser in the lineup, and from the beginning it hardly seems like a Stooges film at all. It opens with the boys greeting their girlfriends and both Moe and Larry have their hair slicked back. (They never show their normal hairstyles throughout the rest of the picture.) Joe's girl, who is nearly twice his size (which is really saying something), is called Tiny, and she is distraught because her heirloom diamond ring is missing. The main suspect is Elmo Drake, a fellow employee at the warehouse where the Stooges and their girlfriends work. While on the job, the boys are determined to keep an eye on their co-worker, but that doesn't stop them from screwing things up in the shipping department. Besser actually has some funny parts while trying to wrap a package, and later, when he cleans up a mess of smashed eggs by scrambling them with a blowtorch. But, it's Tiny who finally lets Drake have it, defeating him with her pure heft. She then sweeps her prissy beau, Besser, off his feet and heads for the altar. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi
- 1957
A remake with stock footage of the Three Stooges' earlier Idiots Deluxe, Guns A-Poppin' has Moe Howard on trial for assaulting Larry and Joe. Vernon Dent appears in the old footage. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- 1957
In their first sci-fi comedy, the Three Stooges land on Sunev (Venus spelled backwards), a planet inhabited by cannibalistic starlets such as Harriette Tarler, Lorraine Crawford, and Playboy Playmate Marilyn Hanold. Emil Sitka once again plays a deranged scientist, a favorite role of the popular supporting comic. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- 1957
The first Three Stooges short to co-star Joe Besser as the third Stooge, Hoofs and Goofs features Moe Howard in drag playing his own sister, Birdie. Joe dreams that Birdie is reincarnated as a horse who soon takes up every inch of space in the Stooges' apartment. Benny Rubin returned to the series after a long absence in this better-than-average entry written by producer/director Jules White's brother, Jack. White's son, Harold, was the credited film editor. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
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