THREE STOOGES COLLECTION, THE: VOLUME SEVEN, 1952-1954 - DVD review

Sony has done the right thing by The Three Stooges, putting out every single comedy short that they produced, and in the order in which they were made. Each volume in this superb "Three Stooges Collection" lists the episodes with annotations in order, and the picture quality for this series has been wonderful, with strong contrast levels and very little grain, especially considering the age of these properties.

But Columbia initially didn't exactly do the Stooges any favors. In 1952, the year that this volume begins with, the studio cut the budget and plenty of corners in downsizing its short subjects division. The Stooges shorts that used to be produced on a four-day schedule were instead shot on a two- to three-day schedule, and in other cost-cutting measures they decided to insert old footage from other Stooges shorts--as if fans wouldn't notice. As a result, storylines tended to repeat more often. And if you thought a scene looked familiar, that's because it was.

I've said in other reviews that Curly was an irreplaceable Stooge, and there's nothing in these shorts that changes my mind. Curly had a feisty innocence and a repertoire of comic reactions that made even the most brutal assaults by Moe seem funny. But Shemp? In the first two years of this sequence, he just seems to take it, and that makes Moe's assaults seem like something we witnesses should call the police about. In one episode he bites Shemp on the nose. Funny? Not with Shemp's reaction. I'm not even sure that Curly could have pulled it off. It could be my imagination, but this volume features much more sadistic brutality. When the Stooges show signs of returning to the hilarity that made them one of the all-time great comedy acts, it's in short features that are set in historical periods--like the Old West or Middle Ages. Put the boys on foreign ground or make them time travelers and it somehow inspired the writers and the Stooges to elevate their material. But keep them on the home front and you wound up with 1001 variations on three guys without money staying just a step ahead of the law who have three girlfriends they want to marry. And those plots get old.

It's interesting that in later years Shemp gradually started to incorporate some of Curly's mannerisms and trademark reactions. Not surprisingly, those episodes are also funnier. This DVD covers the period between 1952 and 1954, and it's the last year that's the most uniformly entertaining. Of interest to fans is that two of these episodes ("Spooks" and "Pardon My Backfire") are presented in both 2-D and their original 3-D. Two pairs of glasses are supplied, so families are going to have to scramble for other pairs. The other thing of interest is that a number of the shorts from this period were filmed in widescreen, and they're available here in widescreen for the first time. Unfortunately, there's no heads-up to let you know when you need to shift your aspect ratio. The 3-D episodes at least are obvious, though be warned: the 3-D quality is REALLY rough. You see not just ghosts but double outlines, some of which appear right on people's faces. But it is interesting to see these episodes in 3-D.

Here's a rundown on the 22 digitally remastered shorts that are included in "The Three Stooges Collection: Volume Seven, 1952-1954":

1952

"A Missed Fortune." As always, pun intended. When Shemp wins $50,000 in a contest, the boys take up residence in a fancy hotel, where golddiggers get wind of their luck and try to cash in.

"Listen, Judge." The boys narrowly avoid jail and have to bolt from the courtroom, but they end up finding work at the home of the judge who was going to sentence them.

"Corny Casanovas." Weaker outing has the Stooges dating the same woman, unaware that the others are "two-timing."

"He Cooked His Goose." Larry owns a pet shop, but it's his erratic behavior that's becoming a "pet peeve" of the other Stooges and their girlfriends.

"Gents in a Jam." It's a double whammy as the boys try to stave off eviction and also evade the world's strongest man who thinks Shemp is fooling around with his woman.

"Three Dark Horses." Better outing has the Stooges attending a political nominating convention, unaware that the candidate they're supporting is crooked. Decent episode.

"Cuckoo on a Choo Choo." In one of the rare shorts that separates the Stooges, Moe is a railroad investigator who's trying to discover what happened to a missing railroad car--the same car that Larry and Shemp have taken up residence inside. Also unusual is that Shemp is intoxicated throughout, and an imaginary giant canary factors into the mix.

1953

"Up in Daisy's Penthouse." Solid outing has the Stooges busting out of the hooskow in order to keep dear old Dad from marrying a golddigger. So they set up Shemp as the dupe, but boy, are THEY duped.

"Booty and the Beast." The boys unwittingly help a safe cracker commit a robbery, and when they get wind of it they try to recover the money and set things right.

"Loose Loot." A fun episode has the boys inheriting a huge chunk of money from a dead uncle and having to foil the executor, Icabob Slipp, when he tries to take off with the money.

"Tricky Dicks" is a minor classic in which the boys are coppers trying to catch a murderer and having a run-in with an organ grinder.

"Spooks." This time they're P.I.s trying to find a missing girl and finding a gorilla instead.

"Pardon My Backfire." Once again the boys are wanting to marry three girls, but they're lowly mechanics who need cash. It falls into their laps when escaped cons show up at the garage and the boys devise a plan to get the reward.

"Rip, Sew and Stitch." They're tailors this time, again with money problems. And when a bank robber just happens to leave the combination to a safe in his coat pocket, the boys get ideas.

"Bubble Trubble." A fountain of youth? Nope. Just another gorilla escapade that happens when the boys, who are druggists, mix the wrong potion.

"Goof on the Roof." While a friend is on his honeymoon the Stooges are entrusted with taking care of the house. Needless to say, anyone stupid enough to trust the Stooges deserves to have his house (and marriage) wrecked.

1954

"Income Tax Sappy." One of the better shorts from 1954 has the Stooges defrauding the government and then getting busted when they throw a lavish party to celebrate.

"Musty Musketeers." The Stooges have always had good luck with medieval themes. This time they want to marry, but the King won't have it until his Princess Alicia can find a husband. When an evil wizard named Mergatroyed (as in, Heavens to Mergatroyd) kidnaps her, it's up to the Stooges to save the day.

"Pals & Gals." This time the boys head west because of Shemp's poor health, but the local bad guy is forcing a gal named Nell to marry him, and again, it's up to the Stooges to break it up.

"Knutzy Knights." Cedric the blacksmith is in love with a princess who's promised to the Black Prince, an evil fellow who wants to take over the kingdom. Naturally, it falls to the Stooges to set things right.

"Shot in the Frontier." Another time traveler finds the boys going against a gang called the Noonans, who coincidentally want to marry the same three gals that Moe, Larry, and Shemp have been seeing.

"Scotched in Scotland." This time Scotland Yard provides the settings, and the Stooges provide the laughs in another strong outing. The crooks try to spook the boys, but in the end, you know who's going to win.

Video:
Remastered in High Definition and presented in 1.33:1 and 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, these short subjects look awfully good, same as previous releases. Though contrast levels are a little light in some, for the most part there are strong black levels and nice clarity. The two 3-D episodes are really rough, though, with nothing lining up well.

Audio:
The audio is an English (CC) Dolby Digital Mono, and it's clear of distortion and defects. There's no crackle, and that's the biggest positive, because I remember what these shorts sounded like in TV reruns.

Extras:
Once again, there are no bonus features.

Bottom Line:
The Three Stooges had some growing pains this season as Columbia made their work difficult and Shemp was still growing into a role that Curly filled for so many years. In 1952, the episodes were more violent than in later years in this period, and that too suggests that the Stooges were feeling their way. Volume 7 isn't as consistently funny as previous releases, but there are moments that remind you of the golden days.