Product Details

• Actors: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Lynton Brent, Vernon Dent
• Directors: Del Lord
• Writers: Andrew Bennison
• Producers: Jules White
• Format: Black & White, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Sony Pictures
• VHS Release Date: January 28, 1997
• Run Time: 17 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6303019765
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #339,393 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

"Three Little Twirps" (1943) is the 71st Columbia short for the Three Stooges and the special effects are, as always, low budget. The circus scenario calls for Curly to retreat onto a high wire to escape an angry wild man, and the wires holding him in place are plainly visible. But the old vaudeville knife- throwing routine is given a new twist by using spears, and it works well. It is good to see silent comedian Chester Conklin do a turn with Curly and Larry, who are inside a two-man horse costume. As happens too often in this series, the lack of plot leads to a weak and nonconclusive ending.

"Ants in the Pantry" (1936, #12) is more substantial, with the boys drumming up trade as exterminators by first infesting a house with ants and mice. As always, a party of socialites suffers all sorts of indignities as the boys try to undo the damage without being observed. All ends well when one of the guests assumes they were hired to entertain, and a subsequent fox hunt leads to the punch line of Curly catching a skunk.

Coincidentally, "I smell a skunk" is one of Curly's first lines in "A Ducking They Did Go" (1939, #38), which actually has a plot. The Stooges are tricked into selling memberships in a phony duck club to the entire police department, including the mayor, and have to provide the ducks to avoid 20 years in the clink. As Moe and Larry do their best with decoys, Curly manages (never mind how) to find a flock of real ones. As was common in comedies of this era, the opening scene of their pounding the pavement, hungry and out of work, must have struck deep chords in many viewers back then. --Frank Behrens

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Three Real Good Ones, May 20, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: 3 Stooges: Ducking They Did Go [VHS] (VHS Tape)

"Three Little Twirps" is a circus comedy, where a mad spear thrower launches multiple spears at the threesome.

"Ants in the Pantry" is a case of three exterminators having to plant insects and rodents to drum up business or get canned by their evil boss (who has a nice German accent, of course.) These un-exterminators are masters at their craft, and high society gets their share of ants, moths, rats and cats. They are accepted by High Society after really entertaining them, and end up fox hunting (for a skunk!)

"A Ducking They Did Go" is about three salesmen selling memberships in a phoney duck hunting club. The scene with Curly dueling a duct in a pond is my favorite out of the 3 movie shorts on this tape. But there are many more great scenes.

A definite BUY!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Individual sequences are noteworthy in this collection, April 27, 2000

By 

Scott MacGillivray (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 3 Stooges: Ducking They Did Go [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is an interesting collection in that each film dates from a different period in the Stooges' career. ANTS IN THE PANTRY is the earliest, a fine comedy with the Stooges as exterminators who are thoroughly prepared for the job. A-DUCKING THEY DID GO has an informal bit in which the cast harmonizes on the Stooges' vaudeville standard "Tears" ("You'll never know..."); this charming, impromptu bit is the best thing in the movie. THREE LITTLE TWIRPS is the latest and least of this assortment, with the Stooges crashing a circus. Not their best, but Curly is memorable as the bearded lady. Overall, a decent package deal, and as good an assortment as you're likely to see on television.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Prime Stooge Stuff, July 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: 3 Stooges: Ducking They Did Go [VHS] (VHS Tape)

All 3 shorts on this tape are good--especially the last two. Larry trying to kill a mouse with a hammer, and missing, repeatedly, of course hitting Curly instead, repeatedly. The duck getting the better of Curly, repeatedly. Etc, etc