Two More Stooges Shorts

We start off the year 1937...

Grips, Grunts, & Groans: 

(Short # 20 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges)

The Stooges in the world of professional wrestling: yes, please. I say that even though this was rather reminiscent of their first “proper” short, Punch Drunks. Instead of boxing, the trio get involved in the world of wrestling after running into a boxing/wrestling club… they were hobos running away from the cops. During that chase, they… run into a woman and her stroller, knocking the stroller over! It understandably has received some criticism, despite a shot of the baby in the carriage unharmed. It was an oddly dark moment which seemed out of lockstep compared to the norm.

After that, it was standard fare. A loud, boisterous wrestler named Bustoff befriends the trio. As he is similar shape and size to Curly, you can guess what occurs after Bustoff becomes plastered drunk right before his big championship fight. They can’t run away as Bustoff’s handlers are gangsters. Like in Drunks, an external stimulus causes Curly to go bonkers. This time, it was… wild hyacinth perfume; random.

There was funny slapstick (an entire set of lockers falls on a prone Bustoff!), gags and wordplay which make the short a pretty good time.

(Short # 21 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges)

A short divided into three parts that flowed together rather well. The Stooges are married men who live together in one domicile w/ their three wives but the boys are all ne’er-do-wells that let their wives work without working themselves. The women finally get fed up so they are forced to find work. A snake oil salesman peddling a medicinal product known as Brighto is what they find. After not even knowing what the product is, they are corrected and… go to a hospital as hey, “it’s full of sick people.” Makes sense to me.

In that setting, the energy is almost as anarchic as in their last hospital-related short-Men in Black. In those different settings spawned a wide variety of slapstick & verbal wordplay where each Stooge got a chance to shine w/ both their physical and aural dexterity as Brighto damages car exteriors, leather, and clothing. Getting to hear Moe deliver a radio pitch for the faux medicine on the hospital intercom: delightful.

There’s plenty of comedy & wackiness in a fun short that even has some visual puns, plus for my tastes, both Vernon Dent and Bud Jamison. Those different elements tied together rather well.