One of the most polarizing films ever made was the 1952 Three Stooges short “Cuckoo on a Choo Choo.” You cannot be indifferent to this work – either you love it as an avant-garde excursion into daffiness or you loathe it as a misguided work of cinematic excrement.
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Tag Archives: Three Stooges
The Bootleg Files: Hiss and Yell
BOOTLEG FILES 844: “Hiss and Yell” (1946 Oscar-nominated comedy short starring Vera Vague and Emil Sitka).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: The rights holder will not make it available.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.
In the late 1930s, comic actress Barbara Jo Allen invented the character Vera Vague for a radio show. This character was a chatterbox, featherbrained spinster who was always in pursuit of a man. Audiences quickly embraced the character, and her appeal was so strong that Allen adopted Vera Vague as her professional name.
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The Bootleg Files: King of the Pins
BOOTLEG FILES 813: “King of the Pins” (1950 short film).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: A true obscurity.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.
When people are asked to identify short films made by Columbia Pictures during Hollywood’s Golden Era, it is safe to assume that the majority of responses will be rooted in comedy – The Three Stooges, Andy Clyde, Buster Keaton, Charley Chase and Vera Vague will probably be cited most often.
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The Bootleg Files: The Seven Stooges
BOOTLEG FILES 799: “The Seven Stooges” (2014 animated short inspired by the Three Stooges).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: The film did not clear the trademarks associated with the Three Stooges characters.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Definitely not.
I was not planning to devote this week’s column to an animated fairy tale inspired by the Three Stooges, but YouTube posted “The Seven Stooges” in a list of recommended videos and my initial reaction was “Huh?”
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The Bootleg Files: The Three Stooges in Stupor Heroes
BOOTLEG FILES 796: “The Three Stooges in Stupor Heroes” (2012 fan film).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Unauthorized production that borrows copyright protected material from the Three Stooges and DC Comics.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Nope.
There seems to be a surplus number of fan films based on “Star Wars,” superhero flicks, James Bond adventures and popular horror franchises. But how come there is a deficit of Three Stooges-inspired fan films?
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The 10 Best Non-Holiday Christmas Films
I know, I know, the annual onslaught of Christmas movies is upon us. Whether it involves those syrupy love stories that pollute certain cable channels or the usual round-up of holiday-themed productions, there are certain films that only show up during December and then vanish for the other 11 months.
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Happy Larry Fine Day!
October 5 is the birthday of Larry Fine, the frizzy-haired “middle” member of the Three Stooges. And while Larry was too frequently overshadowed by Moe and Curly, there is enough of Larryisms to enable the celebration of his birth.
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The Bootleg Files: Sing a Song of Six Pants
BOOTLEG FILES 726: “Sing a Song of Six Pants” (1947 Three Stooges short).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: On too many public domain labels.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: A lapsed copyright.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: It is doomed to public domain hell forever.
Every Three Stooges fan knows that four shorts starring the slapstick icons are in the public domain because Columbia Pictures failed to renew their copyrights. Three of those films are among the trio’s best: “Disorder in the Court” (arguably the greatest courtroom comedy ever), “Brideless Groom” (my pick for the finest Stooges short) and “Malice in the Palace” (a masterwork of surreal mayhem).
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