Customer Reviews

THE THREE STOOGES [3 episodes] ~ False Alarms (1936) / Three Pests in a Mess (1945) / Flat Foot Stooges (1938) [VHS]

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Those who remember the cameo the Three Stooges did it "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" will find humor in a similar thematic vein with the trio of Columbia shorts collected on the "False Alarms" videotape:

In the 1936 short "False Alarms" the boys as firemen who tend to miss fires because they take too long to shower and dress when the alarm comes in. The two main bits here are the Stooges being assigned to clean the fire hoses and their demolition of the fire chief's brand new car. This one is relatively standard Stooges fare.

Two years later the boys try the fire fighting routine once again in "Flat Foot Stooges." The issue at hand is whether the fire department should be using horse-drawn or motorized fire trucks, which ends up with the Stooges chasing the horse-drawn truck that is carrying the chief's daughter and a lot of gunpowder into the burning firehouse. Believe it or not, most of this is not the fault of the Stooges, who are called upon to save the day (or at some of it). This one is the best of the lot, especially since it deals more with the idea of the Stooges being firemen than the first short.

"Three Pests in a Mess" is from 1945 begins with the Stooges trying to get a patent on their fly-catching invention. The first reel has to do with a female scam artist (Christine McIntyre) trying to seduce Curly while the second has the boys convinced they have killed someone when they shoot a mannequin, which they take to the pet cemetery to bury. The second half is better than the first half, but this is an average Stooges effort at best.

Besides the first two Stooges shorts on the video having the boys as firemen, they also represent the less than laudable gag of making fun of an overweight woman, which should be commented on. This is a standard comic idea from that period, so the only real complaint is on those few occasions when the humor turns cruel. I know this seems an odd comment to make with regards to the work of the Three Stooges, where we expect eye pokes, slapping, and conking heads. But that is to each other and such actions are not only expected, they are usually deserved. So when you laugh at some of these scenes, at least feel a bit guilty about it.

A typical Stooges package, with elements of them at their best...and worst. Alot of their "best" is in the earliest offer here, False Alarms from 1936. The boys were on a roll that year; by '37-'38, they had their act down cold - I believe many fans and critics would disagree, but they were second to Laurel & Hardy in quality shorts in the '30s, and quite often *first* as laugh-getters. A fine example is Alarms, a fast-paced comedy, well-scripted, performed, edited. A great performance is by June Gittelson, one of three ladies anxious for a date - she is the least "glamorous" according to Curly and his reactions are quite funny. A nice touch is the less than careful handling of the Chief's new coupe - a mechanic early in the film advises him to take it easy for the first 500 miles - guess what happens?

As in many early comedies there are bits and pieces which do not translate well to present day. In this film, it is sad to watch Curly make a "false alarm" so as to summon his pals to the triple-date arrangement. Probably this should be edited out.

A nice follow-up to this one-reeler came in '39 with Flat Foot Stooges (a typically clever title having nothing to do with the proceedings). Charley Chase directed this entertaining story about the clashing of generations of thought as to firefighting: Chester Conkin does well as the old-timer at the Firehouse who believes in the old-fashioned way: horse-drawn wagons. Dick Curtis is the Sales Rep. with a decidedly crass method of convincing him to consider a motorized vehicle. A fire ensues. There's plenty of real action as the fighters discover that they have been misdirected - the fire is back at the station and the Chief's daughter is caught in the blaze!

Three Pests In A Mess from '45 has its' moments in the first half, as the Stooges try to peddle a new invention to no avail then get the attention of sultry Christine McIntyre who thinks they have won the Sweepstakes. When she realizes that Curly isn't exactly wealthy, the Stooges flee into an office where a mannequin stands. They believe that they accidently have killed a person and hysterically try to remove the "body", winding up at a cemetary.

This is a disjointed and depressing episode; it's unusual to see so much low lighting to create horror effects in the second half. The sight gags are well-executed but yield nothing mirthful.

Earlier in the review I mentioned that the scene in which Curly sets off a false alarm should have been cut. In this film there is a highly offensive racial remark by the character Larry, so typical of the times, and so obviously wrong for inclusion on this or any commercial package.

This tape features Curly, one of the best loved of the Three Stooges. He reminds me of Adam Sandler the way he makes silly noises and gets himself into all sorts of trouble. His type of comedy is very low-brow but very funny and he is an asset to the Stooges.

The first short presented is False Alarms, a story about the Stooges as faulty firemen who care more about partying with women than putting out fires. There are several funny quips and gags, but as with many of the earlier shorts, this film seems to focus on the storyline as well as the comedy elements. The film can be quite annoying in parts because people miraculously dry in seconds thanks to bad editing, but the film itself is rather funny.

Three Pests in a Mess deals with a woman trying to scam the Stooges out of money they don't have. Later, they think they've killed a man and try to bury him in a pet cemetary. This short has lots more laughs than the first due to the absurdity of the boys.

Flat Foot Stooges was directed by silent film comedian Charley Chase. It is also set in a fire house where the boys try very hard to fight fires although they aren't as plentiful as the Stooges would like. It is a pretty funny short with plenty of gags.

FALSE ALARMS, THREE PESTS IN A MESS, FLAT FOOT STOOGES. The only good one is FALSE ALARMS

FALSE ALARMS (1936) is in my top ten Curly films because of all the great gags. There's a great big car chase at the end. Car chases are always fun to watch.

THREE PESTS IN A MESS (1945)- A bad short, well, maybe not all of it. The first half of the film is great, with funny gags including Christine McIntrye beating up Curly. The Stooges try to run, but accidentally shoot a window dummy. That's where the short gets bad. They take the "body" to a pet graveyard and the owners show up in scary costumes. This part is inapropriate for general audiences. The second half of the film is not related to the plot of the first half. This also happened in BOOBY DUPES, the following short.

FLAT FOOT STOOGES (1938) is not great, but not terrible either. There's just nothing special about it. Too weird of a plot.

Not a good tape, one great short, two weak ones.

FALSE ALARMS (1936) - Stars the boys as firemen. A pretty good short, with a hilarious car chase scene towards the end.

THREE PESTS IN A MESS (1945) - A pretty good short. Del Lord did a good job, and this was around the time where his directorial efforts were getting bad. The plot gets interesting when they "kill" a mannequin and have to bury it at a cemetary.

FLAT FOOT STOOGES (1938) - Stars the boys as firemen again. One of the more mediocre Curly shorts. Suffered from a plot that didn't really go anywhere and weak direction. There's also a lot of flubbed lines and goofs that were carelessly left in the final print somehow. Also, why is there not even a writer credited in the opening?