Even as IOU (1942) User Reviews

stupid and hilarious

[SnoopyStyle · 8/10 · 30 April 2020]

Larry, Curly, and Moe fail to get any bets outside the race track. They're on the run from a cop and find an abandoned lot. The furniture actually belong to a destitute mother and her daughter. They've been dispossessed. The boys go back to the race track and get con by two con-men.

Curly is the man. He does an amazing solo act with a musical instrument. I love the idiocy of see-saw and press-pull. It's all stupid and hilarious. It does go completely over the cliff with the ridiculous ending.

The precious tip from a talking horse!!!

[elo-equipamentos · 7/10 · 1 December 2019]

Even it being one of most weak on Curly's period, it never disappointed me, every single short from "The Three Stooges" is always under 7 out 10, this time ours friends trying to help an evicted mother and her little child, Curly steals from the kid a piggy bank to try to get some money in a race track, however a crook ventriloquist misleading Curly to put all money in a horse regarded as underdog, luckily the horse ends up being a winner and they get 500 dollars, nevertheless the ventriloquist is back again and sold to them the talking horse, this episode has enough great moments like a tuba's scene, Curly blowing and the sounds out with a bit delay, outstanding and funny!!!

Resume:

First watch: 2019 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.25

"Now!" "Now I've got to go!"

[slymusic · 6 May 2010]

Directed by the usually great Del Lord, "Even as IOU" is only a mediocre Stooge comedy. Moe, Larry, and Curly are con men who try to help out a young lady and her daughter who have been dispossessed. The boys win a pile of cash at the racetrack, but, as it so often happens in Stooge films, they get swindled out of their earnings, and from then on, the film goes nowhere.

"Even as IOU" does manage to bring in a few laughs, however. The sousaphone ("bazooney") gag is dear to my heart because I'm a tuba player. The cute little girl drinks milk from a nanny goat and then makes a sound like one, after which Curly "scales" a fish. In one of the most unrealistic stunts I've ever seen in a Stooge short, Curly gets run over by a car, emerges WITHOUT A SCRATCH from a manhole, and gets struck in the back of the head with another car. And I really like the "Press, Press, Pull" gag, which the Stooges first applied in "Three Little Beers" (1935).

Even with a stellar supporting cast such as Ruth Skinner, Stanley Blystone, and Vernon Dent, "Even as IOU" just doesn't hit the mark. Larry is virtually ignored, which is quite a shame for him, and the very ending is nonsensical, although cute.

EXTREMELY UNDERRATED!!!

[aka-45316 · 10/10 · 11 May 2020]

In all honesty, when I looked up what feedback this short received on IMDb, I was surprised to find how many were either neutral towards it or disliked it. I really can't understand why that's so, because I thought this was a fun one!

The direction by Del Lord, and the story by Felix Adler, were as entertaining as ever. I mean, yes, the plot may have been all over the place. But, the Stooges's goal to help the family tied everything together PERFECTLY, and it was remarkably character-driven to a tee. Plus, the comedy throughout the episode was nonstop hilarious and brilliantly executed. The jokes revolving around Curly were definitely the best ones, that's for sure.

The performances of the cast and the characters were excellent too. Even though the Stooges did start out to be con men in this short, I love the softer side they showed towards the family and their willingness to help them. Along with that, the Stooge trio once again gave some of their best performances, being so into their material to the point of where their portrayals seemed so real.

In conclusion, "Even as IOU" is another Three Stooges short that I'm proud to have analyzed and come to know, and it's one of the trio's funniest as well. Based on what I've gathered so far, it's also one of the most underrated of the Three Stooges filmography.

Not really an even watch

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 10 January 2018]

"Even as IOU" is an American 16-minute comedy short film from 1942, so this one is from the days of World War II and it had its 75th anniversary last year. Del Lord directed and the story is like for so many other Three Stooges short films by Felix Adler. This is of course still from the Curly days, but the number of votes for this one here on imdb shows you that it really is none of the trio's most known, must famous or funniest works all in all. Some horse race track action with some betting to and a story that has the Stooges once more as likable fools and do-gooders being really lucky once again helping those in need. The comedy really isn't impressive here at all, but this one also doesn't make an impact with the slightly dramatic story it is trying to tell and with the emotional approach. So what else can you say about this one. It's only worth checking out for the very biggest Stooges lovers as everybody else will be quite underwhelmed here. I give this one a thumbs-down and don't recommend seeing it. Go for something else instead such as the many impressive cartoons from the war era or just a better Stooges short compared to this one here with the unusual title.

Weaker Stooges Comedy

[Michael_Elliott · 21 February 2015]

Even as IOU (1942)

** (out of 4)

Mostly forgettable Three Stooges short has the boys running into a single mother and her daughter, both of whom are hungry. The boys decide to try their luck at the horse track when Curly is given a tip..... by a horse.

EVEN AS IOU is certainly one of the lesser Stooges shorts from this period and it really comes across as if it was just rushed into production so that they could get it into theaters as quick as possible. The film clocks in at just 15-minutes and only has a handful of laughs. Many of the gags are simply flat from the word go including a somewhat long one dealing with a fake fish. The few laughs that there are come towards the end when Curly is getting the tips from the "talking" horse. Fans of the Stooges will want to watch this but there are many better ones out there.