Customer Reviews

Funniest Guys in the World Aka Love Those Stooges [VHS]

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The VHS documentary, "The Funniest Guys in the World" is actually a 1984 made-for-TVer called STOOGE SNAPSHOTS. An apt description, for the many photographs shown are the best Stooge material in this 47 minute program.

Film clips are primarily crummy repros of three public domain titles: "Disorder in the Court," "Sing a Song of Six Pants" and "The Brideless Groom." Interviewees like Emil Sitka, who eats at his kitchen table with a Lite Beer nearby, are steered toward commenting on these shorts. Also included are scenes of Ted Healy and a faded Ed Wynn kinescope.

Puppeteer Paul Winchell, who appeared in the 1960 Stooge compilation STOP! LOOK! and LAUGH! (VHS) (DVD), contributes few insights. Director Jules White is extremely frail-looking and in fact died less than a year after the documentary's release. Scriptwriter Elwood Ullman is more robust and quite interesting; he passed a few months after White. Director Ed Bernds and cameraman Henry Freulich comment in tandem. Bernds died ten weeks after Ullman-- 1985 was a bad year for Stooge hands!

Curly's wife and daughter are the best interviewees, Leonard Maltin the worst. It was fun hearing Emil Sitka recreate his famous line from "Brideless Groom": "Hold hands you lovebirds!" Steve Allen's narration is competent and the overview of this famous comedy team factually correct throughout.


A word of caution: "Off" brand VHS companies (like SUPERIOR PROMOTIONS) often dubbed their non-HiFi tapes in SLP or LP mode. Some track and look better than others. Unfortunately, "Stooge Snapshots" is not available from one of the "majors," and as of 6/09 was not on DVD.

The very first ever produced documentary about the Three Stooges features interviews with Jules White, Emil Sitka, Ed Bernds and Elwood Ullman, Curly's ex wife and daughter, co-stars Jock Mahoney and Julie Gibson and much more. Rare film footage and narration by Steve Allen. It's the first and it's the best! Released the same day The Stooges got their star on Hollywood Boulevard. Buy it!

This tape was released earlier as "Love Those Stooges". This tape has movie and stage clips, including television guest appearences, commercials, etc.