2/23/2023 0 Comments Linehold niebr![]() ![]() As others have pointed out, the irreplaceable Curly was a one-of-a-kind comedian, but it's hard to imagine him playing anything other than Curly of the Three Stooges. Though still saddled somewhat with the patsy pole-position, Shemp made no attempt to imitate Curly, and was frequently hilarious in his own right, as he often was in the solo appearances he made in films of all kinds in the years between. Shemp's return to the Stooge fold after a 15-year absence (Shemp being the original "third stooge" in the pre-Columbia days with Ted Healy) gave the series a big, BIG shot in the arm. Curly died in 1952, while Shemp remained with the Stooges until his death three years later. When Curly abruptly vanished from the climax of Half-Wits Holiday (1947) and was replaced with Shemp, initially the idea was that Curly would eventually return. Even the funniest Curly-starring shorts lose some of their charm after three dozen viewings, while the widely-circulated comedies produced during Curly's post-stroke decline, during 1944-47, are generally more depressing than funny. Though it's been great fun watching the overly-familiar classic shorts with Curly playing the patsy opposite tough-but-stupid boss stooge Moe Howard and middle stooge Larry Fine, the earlier Columbia-produced comedies dating from 1934-1947 have totally dominated television airings, 35mm retrospectives, and home video releases - at the expense of the later shorts with Shemp and, later still, Joe Besser, who replaced Shemp at the end of the Stooges' long run. Curly Howard passes the Columbia torch to big brother Shemp in The Three Stooges Collection - Volume Five - 1946-1948, a much-anticipated gathering of 25 classic two-reel comedies, presented for the first time in order of their release.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |