Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
Brand: Sony
EAN: 0043396271043
Format: AC-3
Label: Sony Pictures
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
MPN: COLD27104D
Number Of Items: 2
Publisher: Sony Pictures
Region Code: 99
Release Date: 2008-10-07
Running Time: 359
Studio: Sony Pictures

The hilarious slapstick antics of Larry, Moe and Curly are back in digitally re-mastered versions of The Three Stooges shorts originally created from 1943 - 1945. The set includes, in original release order, all 21 complete shorts filmed during these years.
In "Crash Goes the Hash," Moe, Larry and Curly offend a snooty butler's sensibilities. "Such levity," he sniffs. "You remind me of the Three Stooges." In a huff, Curly replies, "Hey, that's an insult." No, it's the highest compliment. The best of these 21 shorts (and even the worst have at least some redeeming bits of silliness) are essential for every Stooge-phile's library. This chronological collection is book-ended by two key shorts. Violent is the word for "They Stooge to Conga," jaw-dropping slapstick porn that features an excruciating bit wherein Moe's head, ear, and eye are punctured by Curly's spiked shoe. "Micro-Phonies" is arguably the Stooges' very best short, in which Curly is mistaken for an operatic singer. The lip-sync renditions of "Voices of Spring" and the sextet from the opera Lucia di Lammermoor are moments that even Stooge-haters love. Mistaken identity happens a lot to the boys. They are mistaken for doctors in "A Gem of a Jam," reporters in "Crash Goes the Hash," sweepstakes winners in "Three Pets in a Mess," and Japanese soldiers in "No Dough, Boys." In several of these wartime shorts it seems they can't turn around with uncovering a "rat's nest" of Japanese and German spies and saboteurs. Perhaps the stereotypical portrayals of the Axis villains in "They Stooge to Conga," "Back from the Front" and "Higher Than a Kite" can be forgiven today. However, as great a performer as African-American character actor Dudley Dickerson is, his cowardly, put-upon characters in "Conga" and "Gem" are a little more problematic in our more enlightened times. Other notable shorts are "Gents Without Cents," in which the Stooges return to their vaudeville roots with their performance of their signature "Niagara Falls" sketch ("Slowly I turn…."). "Busy Buddies," in which Curly enters a cow-milking contest, is another fan favorite. "Idle Roomers" marks the debut of the versatile Christine McIntyre, one of the great additions to the Stooges stock company. "If a Body Meets a Body" marks the first use of the swing version of the Stooges' "Three Blind Mice" theme. The first short produced following Curly Howard's mild stroke, it also marks the beginning of the end for the Curly era. But this thoughtfully produced collection ensures that the Stooges' legacy is secure. These shorts, to quote Curly in "Crash Goes the Hash," are mostly "colossal, stupendous, terrific…even superlative." --Donald Liebenson

Amazon.com
Stooges fans may experience a sense of the bittersweet mixed with their elation over the arrival of Volume 4 in the digitally remastered Three Stooges Collection; although the new set continues to present the knucklehead's legendary comedy shorts in pristine condition and chronological order, it's also the beginning of the end in regards to the participation of Jerome "Curly" Howard, who arguably remains the most popular member of the trio. By 1943-44, a variety of debilitating health issues robbed Howard of his manic energy, which is more than evident in shorts like "If a Body Meets a Body" and "Micro-Phonies," both from 1945. Unfortunately, brother Moe Howard's requests to halt production was nixed by Columbia, which resulted in a further decline in Curly's health that would eventually lead to the stroke in 1946 that forced his retirement from the team. And while the knowledge of Howard's health issues casts something of a pall over the set, there are still plenty of laughs to be had over the course of the two-disc set. Chief among the highlights is "Dizzy Detectives," which pits the boys against a rampaging ape man; "Spook Louder," (Stooges vs. mad scientist with death ray machine; viewers should note that the short features some World War II-era anti-Japanese sentiment); "Gents Without Cents," which features their version of the "Niagara Falls" routine; and "Dizzy Pilots," which chronicles the Stooges' contributions to the aviation industry (all disastrous, of course). As with the previous Collection releases, seven of the 21 shorts included in the set are making their DVD debuts; the flawless quality of the DVD presentation, as well as the sheer amount of nyuks on hand, make Volume 4 a must-have for every self-respecting Stooge-phile. --Paul Gaita

Customer Rating:
Summary: Stooges rule!
Comment: I am a Three Stooges fan. This video lived up to the shorts I remember seeing on late night TV. The quality of the shorts were very high. The only problem I had was that I thought I was getting all of the Jerome "Curly" Howard shorts. I was disappointed that the one short I was looking for was not included in the set. It was made the next year. So I will be looking for volume #5.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Happy husband
Comment: I got this for my husband, along with volume 3, and the complete collection of The Little Rascals. He loves them! Said I could have bought nothing else, and this would be his greatest Christmas gifts ever!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: I don't experience many belly-laughs from films these days...
Comment: ...but a half dozen of these Stooges shorts had my husband and I rolling with laughter. As with most video collections, some tracks were far better than others. Still worth owning. We'll pull this 2-disc set out the next time we need cheering up.

Gail Strumberger
Author: "Shock Therapy-Planaphobic"

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Customer Rating:
Summary: You Won't Regret Your Purchase !!
Comment: Bought the whole "Stooges" series from 1934-1945. Top notch quality. Watching on 50" Plasma. No commercials, etc. Video quality is the best.

I had wanted to get this series for a number of years...sorry I waited. Amazon's services was AAA. They kept me updated on my order, were fast and efficient. I have bought other products and videos from Amazon over the past 3 years. Always a good experience.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Remember: " 'Gritto' spelled sideways is 'ottriguh-guuuhhh'..."
Comment: The fourth chronological collection shows Moe, Larry and Curly at their best with the twenty-one shorts from 1943 to 1945. In many ways, the shorts are transitional, as ill-health has begun to take its toll on Curly. Problems with high-blood pressure and other medical issues, including a series of mini-strokes that worsened in 1946 are evident in the later shorts in the collection. Even in the classic, "Micro-Phonies," one of their best shorts, shows Curly at just slightly less manic and physically frantic as those of just a year or two earlier. Still, with a few exceptions, these two- reelers show the comedy team at their slapstick best.

Before commenting on the films themselves, it is important to note that Sony has done a fine job in restoring the shorts. Gone are the scratches and out-of-focus scenes, as well as the crudely edited offerings previously shown on TV. Picture and sound are excellent; one can imagine the enjoyment experienced in theaters when these classics first appeared onscreen.

Many of these shorts are not seen today on television. During the war years, plots revolved around antics against Nazis and "Japs" in ways now considered to be politically incorrect. In particular, "The Yokes on Me" features the Stooges efforts to capture three Japanese "escapees" from a relocation camp. Although the physical comedy is typical stooge slapstick, the idea that US Citizens were imprisoned in WWII remains repugnant. Still, the short reflects the (unfortunate) prevailing attitude of the times. Other shorts, such as "No Dough Boys" are more innocuous, parodying stereotypes in more cartoonish "over-the-top" ways.

"They Stooge to Conga" is the first of the 1943 shorts and is considered to be the most violent of the shorts. Even slapstick devotees cringe when Curly impales his telephone pole climbing spike in Moe's eye, ear and skull. I would agree that is over the top, but it is like a car wreck: one feels compelled to watch. Look for Dudley Dickerson, the gifted African-American character actor, whose brilliant comedy antics are sadly seen as too-stereotypical for today's audiences. The Stooges used him in a number of their comedies. Given the nature of the times, his performances are physically inspired pieces of slapstick.

"Back from the Front", released later in 1943, features Moe's third impersonation of Hitler. The short takes place on the S.S. Schickelgruber and features non-stop mayhem. The stooges look interesting in their full beards.

"Micro-Phonies" is one of my favorite Stooge shorts. Although Curly's physical mannerisms have been slowed by his medical difficulties, facial expressions and precision mimicking of "The Voice of Spring" are priceless. Together with Moe and Larry, he offers musical interpretations of several classics that makes one wish that the Stooges had done more with song and dance in their comedies.

Like all of the shorts, viewers have their preferences. Still, most of those in this volume are entertaining, providing laughs some 60-plus years after their original release.

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