Even The Three Stooges to The Second Violins

Diminish the Three Stooges, if you want, you directed. Reject their films with a wave of fatigue your Gauloise smoldering. But give them this: Moe, Larry, Curly and Shemp inhabited world completely on their own, a place where surreal cream pies can fly, and blows to the head was never drawn blood.

The Stooges continued their violent safer world for decades, starting with the short comedy house in the 1930s and continuing into the era of television. But they gradually slip Stoogeland as hollow Atlantis, dummy - that is, until he lifted the Farrelly Brothers film, a tribute to this week's "Three Stooges".

But what about all that threatening a cup sitting on a sizzling waffle? And all the girls, who fell to Larry sassy hair, as if it were drawn? And all the others living in this crazy house in black and white, delivery and collection in a quick, go home and return in the morning to do it again? Sometimes the best features did not go further: "Hey you, Come back!" Or: "Why should I be."

In other words: What are the puppets of The Stooges?

Play ladies and thugs, judges and juries, police and nurses, and merchants, and mad scientists, people unfamiliar Columbia Pictures were worth less than their control Shakespearean canon of their ability to spit take. I would like to hear your update Agincourt, King Henry. Indeed. But for this scene, when Moe hits you over the head with a wrench, you cross your eyes, fix his knees and collapsed on the frame.

These character actors struggled for decades, cheap shorts two coils, which lasted from 15 to 18 minutes. And as these charges were in the service of home theater to the main function of these players were in the service of Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard and Shemp Howard, who intervened to help his younger brothers, when illness forced Curly retired in 1946.

(Yes, we know about the later years, Joe Besser, send letters to perturbations in the journal Cahiers du Cinema, Paris, France).

No matter how thick Vernon Dent, for example, it was clear from the outset as a credible actor in silent film comedy, Mack Sennett studio. Here he is now making comics "slow burn" in dozens of films short Stooges: "Guest laughing" in "Three Little sew and sew" (1939), "Balbo Magician" in the "Boy Loco well" (1942), King Arthur in the "domino Round Table "(1948).

Regardless of the sculpture by Christine McIntyre was a classic beauty and voice. Here she is now putting to use her musical talents by singing "Voices of Spring" in the "Micro-phonies" (1945). In 1950 she appeared in only six Stooges two winders, none of them will never be mentioned next to "Citizen Kane": "Hugs and cups." "Dopey Dicks", "Three ham on rye.".

McIntyre, in Nogales, Arizona, probably did not come to Los Angeles in hopes of one day appear in the "Three Pests in a mess" (1945). But, according to David J. Hogan, author of "Three Stooges FAQ: All about Left Eye-stinging face slaps, hollow head of geniuses" (Applause, 2011), she and the other henchmen in the Stooges were lucky that the film, given the complex and competitive, which was a golden Age of Hollywood.

"There was only enough room for the players of the characters in Hollywood at some point," Hogan said. "And it was also a stigma, if you have worked in both winders. It was a wonderful caste system."

He said that many of these actors, supporting actors cruets, and worked in two other comedies of the drums, which are mostly forgotten today. (When was the last time someone mentioned the Columbia shorts Vera Vague, or Andy Clyde?) But in the universe Stoogian limited, at least, those selected to live, but with pie on their faces.

This was made possible thanks in large part, to the passionate fans of almost all male members of which are cataloged and deconstruction seeks any time Stooge film. Mr. Hogan, for example, an analysis of each 190 shorts Stooges - with the "Woman Haters" (1934) to "Sappy Bull Fighters" (1959) - with scientific precision worthy of Truffaut.

Therefore, those who may forget to remember. Here, in the tiny Brouwer, a gangster reliable and Bud Jamison, a detective and reliable Symon Boniface, matron of a perfect society, and Connie Cézan, go to the gold digger with a silver dollar eyes.

Here, Emil Sitka, a tall, talented actor who was so omnipresent in Stoogeland it is sometimes called the "fourth Stooge". His greatest pride of the time, "Brideless Bride" (1947), was angry when he played the magistrate, who says over and over again, "Keep your hands and doves" - even after being crowned in the organs of a bird cage is required.

His tombstone, incidentally, includes a "hands in anticipation, you're in love." Input

And finally, here's Joe Palma. In 1955, Shemp Howard died, and the Stooges have a contract with Columbia for a few short films. Decision: The processing of some short movie with a few new scenes that showed Moe, Larry - and Joe Palma, as Shemp dressed but appear only in the back or side.

We can say that the work of Palma, say, "Boom in the Harem" (1956), is a tribute to all those who work the secondary inhabit a strange world, which was Stoogeland. This is because it is not easy to play Shemp. It was a Shemp.