Customer Reviews

Stooges: The Men Behind The Mayhem

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is basically an extended version of the A&E Biography on the boys from some time back. The only difference is that it's now padded out with a lot of great extras. Though they're essentially the same but for the bonus features, it's kind of confusing how reviews for both 'The Men Behind the Mayhem' and the old VHS of the original documentary are showing up on one another's review pages instead of being separated.

I agree that there are very few clips shown, and the only Columbia shorts shown via clips are 'Disorder in the Court' and 'Sing a Song of Six Pants,' but the title of this documentary is 'The Men Behind the Mayhem,' not 'The Mayhem Behind the Men.' If one wants something that's little more than a glorified clipshow, there's always the dreadful 'Stop! Look! And Laugh!' It also seems to work under the premise that the majority of viewers are already quite familiar with the shorts, so they won't need to see endless clips of them paraded out. However, while I did enjoy this documentary and found it really good, I just wish it had been longer and gone into more depth about some things. There wasn't a lot of information here that I didn't know already.

The photographs used both during the documentary and included as one of the bonus features (grouped into memorabilia, pix of the boys in character, and rare photos from Lyla Fine Budnick's personal photo album) are a real treasure trove. I think that most people who move beyond being casual fans into more serious interest in the boys and their careers find it really fascinating, sometimes even touching, how off-camera they were devoted family men and a far cry from their crazy screen characters. The pictures of Curly (with a full head of hair) and his daughter Janie, from the last few years of his life, were particularly touching. Janie herself was interviewed, and had nothing but good things to say about her parents' marriage, which was shortlived but very happy, and the father who adored her in the short time he had with her.

Other extras include an appearance Moe, Larry, and Shemp made on 'The Comedy Caravan' (hosted by Ed Wynn) in 1950, the 4 public domain shorts ('Brideless Groom,' 'Disorder in the Court,' 'Sing a Song of Six Pants,' and 'Malice in the Palice'), an interactive DVD-ROM webpage created by Bob Bernet, "Me and My Pal Moe" (full of personal letters, photographs, newspaper and magazine obits, and memorabilia), radio interviews, extended interviews with Billy West, Nate Budnick, and Lyla Fine Budnick, and movie trailers. The television appearance is somewhat amusing, but not really fall-down funny, and it's hampered by the poor print quality. It's far from unwatchable, but still not crystal-clear. (It's also shocking how it's sponsored by Camel cigarettes and even contains a skit where Ed is putting up a display of them and then selling them to customers; how far we've come since 1950!). And speaking of poor print quality, the public domain shorts weren't much better. 'Brideless Groom' in particular had very bad pictorial quality. I've seen much better prints of them, so it's not like these shabby prints were the only ones to choose from just because they're public domain. The radio interviews are also great, even though we hear Moe perpetuating the apocryphal legend about Joe DeRita being their first choice to replace Shemp (an urban legend which thankfully is corrected in the documentary itself) and that Shemp left the group in 1932 to play Knobby Walsh in the Joe Palooka series. Shemp was doing Vitaphone shorts in 1932; the Joe Palooka series wasn't until 1936. The first half of the final interview is with Larry, about two weeks before he passed away; because of the strokes he'd suffered, his speech is kind of slow and he doesn't sound like his old self, so one has to listen carefully for that one.

All in all, there are a lot of good things on these two discs. The only reason I can't give it a full 5-star rating is because, as aforementioned, the best possible prints were not used, and as great and informative as it is, I just wish it had gone into some more depth in certain areas instead of reading like a succinct biographical profile of these 6 men and their lives and careers. The new or casual fan probably won't mind, but people who are more serious fans will want a lot more than just the basics with some elaborations.

If you are a Three Stooges fan, you must get this video. Very little was ever said about the Stooges as "human beings." This Biography reveals the stooges to be not only excellent entertainers, but REAL human beings with flaws and weaknesses. Now i finally know who were the original stooges. Do you? (One fact is old in this video. Curly-Joe died a few years ago. None of the stooges are still alive.)

I was impressed with the quality in this DVD presentation. This documentary succeeds in many ways and preserves for all time some integral interviews of those who knew the Stooges. Some of the rare photography (including much from the Larry Fine family) was amazing, to say the least, and the DVD is well worth the purchase. It's much better than any previous or current documentaries on the comedy team or Ted Healy. The radio interviews with the Stooges add a nice touch as supplemental materials.

This 1 hour biography did in one hour what the TV movie couldn't do in two, tell the complete story. It shows the stooges brilliance while at the same time showing the hardships they faced. There was one innacuracy, Curly's birthday, which is October 22, not October 27, but that's okay. The important thing is that showed everything they needed to. Although Shemp's stroke in 1952 is omitted, it is only because that was not a confirmed fact when this film was made, so again, quite alright. This film is touching, as many non-stooge fans really find out that the six men who acted so goofy on film, were in truth kind-hearted men, all with families. Very well done.

Who can ever forget these marvelous clowns who kept your eyes glued to the tv laughing at their antics? Their poke in the eyes, slaps on the face and other wild gimmicks were imitated by those children who watched these numbskulls.

Mo, Larry, Curly,Curly Joe, and Shemp were far more than silly entertainers. They were disciplined comedians whose art transformed the comedy of their time. They were also family men, businessmen and shared all the foibles of all men. Biography does a superb job in chronicling the careers of this group but also allows us to look into their personal lives. You will finc humor, goodwill and sadness in this bunch. Enjoy the Stooges!

This DVD set is worth every penny just for the bonus interviews alone - you really get a good look into personal life of Larry Fine with some very interesting stories told by his sister and brother-in-law. Also to have Larry and Moe's last radio interviews included in this set is priceless. Granted, their classic film clips are missing from the documentary, but you can't beat the historical record of the interviews - not to mention the photo libraries containing personal photos of the stooges off screen as well as an archive of movie posters. I'd rather have all this than a documentary of film clips, voiced over with information heard many times over.

And if it's film footage you're after, the bonus disc takes care of that - film trailers, The Ed Wynn Show with Shemp, the 4 public domain shorts.

Always sleuthing for "missing links" of Stoogedom, this 2 disc-set brings a smile (and laughs during crystal clear film and audio excerpts).
A true bonanza for Larry Fine afficionados, as Lyla Fine Budnick speaks at length about her Brother, in a most articulate and engaging way.
An insightful, heart-warming life story is the result.
Interviewees such as Larry's Brother-In-Law, and yes, Curly's daughter Janie (!) are sensitived presented. On the original A & E Show, I do not recall them being as strongly identified as on this excellent, expanded reissue.
Speaking of the most popular Stooge, there are fascinating photos of his retirement (or semi-retirement, if you consider two post-1946 cameos), an important element of the story. As much as this package is appreciated, one wonders if more detail could have provided about that second cameo, which has the been a source of mystification and frustration for fans who have been told the results are (1) a lobby card still of Curly in costume for "Malice In The Palace"; (2) the lobby card still is the only remnant;
(3) there is n actual alternate version available that for some reason local TV stations do not use - Stooge historians.....help!!!
The Gallery feature has plenty of photos which, to this fan, appear to be previously unpublished.

This DVD is great in being brief, but descriptive, in the stooges. It follows the development of their act and all the people that made it happen. Perfect for the casual fan looking for an inside story of these bozo's.

This really is not good. Just still pictures and an amateur narrator that sounds utterly uninteresting, BEWARE amateur video quality.

This DVD description said that it has Closed Captions. I just recieved this and tried to play the movie. Guess what. No english subtitles or closed captions. Very disappointed. Going to return it.