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Reviews
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943)
Stunt double meets the Wolf Man
Is Eddie Parker the most overlooked actor to play Frankenstein's monster or what? Sure, he was just a stuntman, but you can't argue that he puts in as much time with the role as Lugosi. Heck, we see his face first as the monster before B.L. stumbles into the movie. :-0
And whatever became of that old gypsy woman? Did she leave the castle before the big fight broke out, somehow sensing the imminent doom or did she drown like a rat with the monsters?
Aside from quibbling about obvious doubles and disappearing cast members, Frankie Meets the Wolf Man remains enjoyable B-cinema after all these years.
Idle Roomers (1944)
a bit of a clunker
Another mid-40's effort with Del Lord trying his hand at writing and not having much success(imo). Most of Del's writing seemed to center on doing "spookhouse' antics, something I don't think the boys did well at all, with this short nearly matching SPOOK LOUDER as one of the worst by the team of Moe, Larry, and Curly.
This short would almost reach "throwaway" status, if not for the very first appearance of a fetching blonde by the name of Christine McIntyre.
To quote the boys: "Yowsers, what a dish."
"Dish, she's a flying saucer".
3/10
The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962)
acting their age
Hercules, my introduction to the "golden" Derita years. Golden perhaps, given Moe and Larry's age during this time and the fact that after 24 years toiling in Harry Cohn's salt mines, they were finally getting PAID, real money, not the peanuts tossed down to them before. As for the film, nothing golden about it(would you settle for the bronze, Moe and Larry certainly did with Curly-Joe). Maybe that's a bit strong. I hardly think this film is the worst, it's a decent outing. But much like the Besser years, decent is the best you can hope for.
There's something else about these films too, I think it's the stooges themselves and how their on screen personas seem to match their actual age. Even in the worst Besser films, the stooges still seem to be beyond the constraints of old age, still runnin' wild, vandalizing, and smooching with chicks half their age. But all that seems left behind at the closed down shorts department & the boys seem content with being portrayed as the kindly old grandfather figures always in the position to guide some strapping young lad which leads to another drawback of these 60's features, the prerequisite "love story". Just more useless filler to pad the length on these features, I suppose.
If only Cohn had let the boys have features during their prime, and they could've really brought all of their antics to the screen & not have to worry about angry parent groups or toning it down for the sake of the children.
5/10
Muscle Up a Little Closer (1957)
good grief
Man, I'd really be worried for Maxine Gates if she were still alive with this "desimone_ken" character on the loose (sheesh).
Moving on....
MUSCLE UP... is a somewhat curious piece for me because it's the only short from the Besser era I can think of that seems to have a decent script behind it. I can only imagine that had this story been done with a 100% Curly or Shemp that it may have been a very good entry in the stooge film library. Unfortunately, Joe Besser is third stooge in this one. Nothing personal against the guy, but his dainty personality just didn't mesh at all with the brashness of Moe and Larry.
1.5/10
Scheming Schemers (1956)
dig that crazy title
This film has possibly, the worst title for a stooge short ever dreamed up. Somewhat fitting, given the actual fifteen minute content.
I can do without any of the "Shemp A.D." stuff, but I will admit to having a few LOL moments from the two-man comedy offered by Moe and Larry in some of the new footage (and kudos to those guys for trying to give it their all, considering the position they were forced into in even making these dogs).
Another bright spot to this and the last A.D. debacle "Commotion on the Ocean" is the decided lack of screen time for Joe Palma and the back of his head. No attempts to have him speak or flap his arms like a chicken(see "Hot Stuff"), may be worth an extra rating point.
2/10