Happy Halloween

 

Plane Nuts (1933)

 

Studio: MGM. Runtime: 20 minutes. Production Number 680. Release Date: October 14, 1933. Director: Jack Cummings. Story: Ted Healy. Screenplay: Matty Brooks. Cast: Ted Healy, Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard (Themselves), Bonnie Bonnell (Bonny), Kathryn Crawford, Geneva Mitchell, Mildred Dixon, Loretta Andrews, Mary Halsey, The Albertina Rasch Girls (Chorus Girls), Gus Arnheim and His Orchestra (Themselves), Matthew Betz (Airline Official in deleted scene). Songwriters: Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh. Choreographer: Busby Berkeley. Working Titles: Aviation Short; Around the World Backwards. 

Plane Nuts is the fourth of five short films Ted Healy and his Stooges made for MGM and some Stooge fans consider it the best of the five. This also marked the fourth and final time the comedy team would be directed by Jack Cummings and the next to last time that Boonie Boswell would appear in a film with them. 

A storyline is nearly non-existent in this short film. Instead, this film is a cinematic version of the team's vaudeville act, with some musical number spliced in. 

As was the case with Hello Pop (1933), the musical numbers were not originally created for this film. Instead, they are reused footage from the MGM feature film, Flying High (1931). That movie was directed by Charles Reisner and starred Bert Lahr, Charlotte Greenwood, Pat O'Brien, Charles Winninger and Hedda Hopper. 

This short is a real treat for any Stooge-phile. True it may not be one of the comedy team's funniest films, but it is the closest thing we will ever see to what Ted Healy and His Stooges were like on stage. Because of this regardless of whether one finds it funny or not any true Stooge love will find it a fascinating watch. 

This film's main fault and its main virtue are exactly the same. This is that everything involving Ted and the Stooges is hopelessly stage bound. On one hand, this provides the film with great historical interest. One the other hand, confining the action to one place and lacking any cinematic touches, this short lacks the playful spirit and comedic freedom found in the Stooges' best work. There is also the sad truth that filmed stage acts rarely capture the magic of what is on stage. However, there are some funny gags in this short (especially involving the boys continually interrupting Ted trying to sing a song and the melodrama) and the Stooges and Healy are comedic performers who know perfectly how to deliver a gag. 

Simply being clips from a feature film, the musical numbers are much more cinematic (They include some of the earliest work of the great Busby Berkley). These scenes are visually delightful. They are brilliantly shot in a way that is very cinematic, the costumes are wonderful, and the sets have a wonderfully abstract feel to them. It is a shame then that the songs themselves are instantly forgettable.

 

A deleted scene would have included Ted and the boys boarding a plane and flying around the world, only backwards. Photos of this scene appear in Moe's autobiography, Moe Howard and the Three Stooges (released posthumously in 1977). The scene is also discussed with production still shown in Leonard Maltin's television documentary The Lost Stooges (1990).



The following are exhibitors' reviews from The Motion Picture Herald. 

"Plane Nuts: Ted Healy. Had a nice ensemble number and a few laughs. - Mayme P. Musselman, Princess Theatre, Lincoln, Kan. Small Town Patronage."

"PLANE NUTS: Ted Healy— If they like Ted Healy and His Stooges, it is a riot and our people do. Entitled to your best time. - C.L. Niles, Miles Theatre, Anamosa, Iowa. General Patronage."

"PLANE NUTS: Ted Healy. If this was a couple more reels in length, it could be run as a feature. Easily as good as the Marx Brothers. Just as silly and just as funny. Play this by all means and watch them roll in their seats. - Harry Pace, Broadway Theatre, Audubon, Iowa." 

"PLANE NUTS: Ted Healy and his Stooges and pretty girls - Excellent musical revue (not in color). - D.E. Fitton, Lyric Theatre, Harrison, Ark. Small Town Patronage."

" PLANE NUTS: Ted Healy and Stooges— Lots of comedy in this one. MGM makes them right. Running time, 19 minutes. - A.H. Edwards, Orpheum Theatre, Orwigsburg, Pa. Small Town and Rural Patronage." 

This film is available on the DVD set, Classic Shorts From the Dream Factory Volume 3. That set features all five of the shorts Ted Healy and his Stooges made for MGM as well as a short featuring Curly solo, Roast Beef and Movies (1934). 

- Michael J. Ruhland

Resources Used

The Three Stooges Scrapbook by Jeff Lenburg, Joan Howard Maurer and Greg Lenburg

https://lantern.mediahist.org/

https://thefilmediary.wordpress.com/2023/03/12/plane-nuts-1933-review-the-three-stooges-4/

https://threestooges.net/filmography/view/202

Hello, Pop! (1933)

 

Studio: MGM. Runtime: 17 minutes. Production Number 696. Release Date: September 16, 1933. Director: Jack Cummings. Story: Ted Healy. Screenplay: Matty Brooks. Cast: Ted Healy, Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard (Themselves), Bonnie Bonnell (Bonny Latour), Henry Armetta (Italian musician), Edward Brophy (himself), Grace Hayes (herself), Jack 'Tiny' Lipson (strongman), The Albertina Rasch Girls (dancers), Lawrence Gray (I'm Sailing on a Sunbeam singer). Songwriters: Dimitri Tiomkin, Ballard MacDonald, Al Goodhart, Dave Dreyer. Working Titles: Back Stage; New Musical Short by Suber and Ted Healy Short. 

Ted Healy and His Stooges' third short film for MGM is very much in the same vein as their first (Nertsery Rhymes (1933)). It is again a color film (the second they made), features Jack Cummings in the director's seat, is a musical revue film, features Bonnie Bonnell in a supporting role and even has the Stooges once again playing Ted Healy's sons. 

In this short film, Ted Healy is a theatrical producer, who is attempting to put on his stage show, The Ted Healy Follies. However, his sons (Moe, Larry and Curly) cause much trouble for their father. 

This is not a bad film, but one can't help but feel that it should be better. Many Stooge fans will be disappointed that this short never really allows Moe, Larry and Curly a chance to shine. They get a decent amount of screen time but each scene they are in is dominated by Healy. While Healy is a better comedian than many of his detractors give him credit for, this film hardly shows him to his best advantage. Most of the comedy simply comes from Ted getting more and more frustrated. However, nothing really funny is done with this mounting frustration. If he was trying to repress his rage in the style of Edgar Kenndy or if his anger was shown in an over-the-top comedic way, it might be funny. Simply having him get angry and frustrated though is not funny in and of itself. The only really funny moment here comes not from Ted Healy and his Stooges but rather from Grace Hayes. Still the two-stirp Technicolor has a real charm to it and the musical numbers are delightful. 

Unlike the previous musical revue shorts featuring Ted Healy and his Stooges, the song numbers were not originally filmed for this short. I'm Sailing on a Sunbeam was originally from the MGM feature film, It's a Great Life (1929). The source of the Moon Ballet number is uncertain, but some sources believe that it is from an unreleased MGM feature film entitled The March of Time (1930). 

I'm Sailing on a Sunbeam was written by Dave Dreyer (music) and Ballard MacDonald (lyrics). Dave Dryer wrote music for such songs as Me and My Shadow, There's a Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder and Back in Your Own Backyard. Ballard MacDonald wrote lyrics for such songs as On the Mississippi, The Trail of the Lonesome Pine (which many of you might know from Laurel and Hardy singing it in their feature film, Way Out West (1937)) and Three Wonderful Letters from Home. 

Henry Armetta (born July 4, 1888; passed away October 21, 1945) plays an Italian musician in this film. Born in Palermo, Sicily, Italy, he stowed away to the United States at the age of 14. The immigration authorities were prepared to send him back, but he found an Italian family to sponsor him. He spent much of his young life working any menial jobs he could find. One day while working as a pants presser, he was noticed by actor/producer Raymond Hitchcock, who got him a job in the chorus of the play A Yankee Consul. In 1920 he hitchhiked to Hollywood. He went on to appear in a great number of films often played stereotyped Italians. His portrayal of these characters often was both comedic and empathetic at the same time. His filmography includes such movies as Street Angel (1928), The Passionate Plumber (1932), Speak Easily (1932), What! No Beer? (1933) (the previous three with Buster Keaton), Fra Diavolo (1933) (with Laurel and Hardy), The Black Cat (1934), Imitation of Life (1934), Magnificent Obsession (1935), The Big Store (1941) (with the Marx Brothers) and Anchors Aweigh (1945). 

Lawerance Gray (born July 27, 1898; passed away February 2, 1970) appears in the reused scenes from It's a Great Life. Probably his best remembered movie role is as the playboy, who Marion Davies tries to get the attention of by impersonating movie stars in the silent classic The Patsy (1928). He would again co-star with Davies in Marianne (1929) and Marianne (1929). His other films include Kid Boots (1926), Pajamas (1927), Marriage by Contract (1928) and Sunny (1930).

Actress Grace Hayes (born August 23, 1896; passed away February 1, 1989) was born in Springfield, Missouri but moved to San Fransico at the age of ten. She began to sing at nightclubs at the age of fourteen. She married Joseph Lind in 1912, and they had a son, Peter Lind Hayes, in 1915. Her son would join an act with her at The Palace in New York. Starting in 1922 she began appearing in Broadway shows including The Bunch and Judy, The Merry World, A Night in Spain, Ballyhoo of 1930 and A Little Racketeer. Her screen work included such films as King of Jazz (1930), Myrt and Marge (1933) (which would also feature Ted Healy and his Stooges), Rainbow Over Broadway (1933), Babes in Arms (1939), Zis Boom Bah (1941) and Always Leave Them Laughing (1949). From 1939 to 1941 she would perform at various resorts in Las Vegas. Soon after she moved to Las Vegas and in 1947 she purchased the Red Rooster club. Changing the name to the Grace Hayes Lodge, she ran the nightclub until she sold it to Steve Wynn in 1960. She would remain in Las Vegas until her death. 

In 1932, the year before this film was released, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle starred in a short with the same title. That would be Arbuckle's first film in front of the camera since 1921, when the infamous scandal (he was accused of raping and killing a young woman, though he would be acquitted) ruined his career.

The following are some exhibitor's reviews from the Motion Picture Herald. 

"Hello Pop: Ted Healy - A good example of how to butcher a musical comedy with no material for the comedians. - Charles Bern, Elk Theatre, Prescott, Ariz. General Patronage." 

"Hello Pop: Musical Revue - This is only fair entertainment with Ted Healy and his Stooges in the lead. In spite of the fact that it is in color, it does not add to the entertainment. Come on, Metro, give us good shorts or don't give us any. Running time, 20 minutes. - J.J. Medford, Orpheum Theatre, Oxford, N.C. General Patronage." 

"HELLO, POP!: Ted Healy and his Boys— In color. Musical numbers great. Ted Healy and his boys try to be funny, but the Four Marx Brothers have got him beat for entertainment. Play it. Running time, 18 minutes. - Edmund M. Burke, Fort Plain Theatre, Fort Plain Theatre, N. Y., General Patronage." 

"HELLO, POP!: Ted Healy— Color and music are good. The dancing is beautiful. The comedy is punk. - Harold C. Allision, Baldwin Theatre, Baldwin, Mich. Small Town Patronage."

You can watch this film below. 

-Michael J. Ruhland

Resources Used

The Three Stooges Scrapbook by Jeff Lenburg, Joan Howard Maurer and Greg Lenburg

https://lantern.mediahist.org/

https://www.library.unlv.edu/speccol/finding-aids/MS-00271.pdf

https://threestooges.net/filmography/view/201/

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/obituary-peter-lind-hayes-1161769.html

Video Link: Three Stooges Spike TV Bumpers (Part 1)

Yogi Bear and The Three Stooges Meet the Mad, Mad, Mad, Dr. No-No (1966)

Note: This has previously been posted on my Movies With Michael blog. 


 Many of you are aware that Scooby-Doo! met The Three Stooges in two episodes of The New Scooby-Doo! Movies. However, Scooby wasn't the only Hanna-Barbera character to meet The Three Stooges. That smarter than your average bear, Yogi also met the threesome. However, there were two major differences. One was that this was not animated and the second was that The Three Stooges were voiced by themselves here. This was released as a record album rather than a cartoon episode. The record album came from Hanna-Barbera Records in 1966 and is very similar to the style of an old radio show, with the story being told through narration. Both the Stooges and Hanna-Barbera were no strangers to record albums. Hanna-Barbera made plenty of similar albums on their label that lasted from 1964 to 1967, and The Stooges had been releasing record albums since 1959. This would mark The Stooges last record album. An often forgotten but very enjoyable part of the comedy team's career.

This is a very enjoyable album that is just as silly as it sounds. The jokes consist of very corny puns, but the makers of this album are completely aware of this and take great joy and just how corny these puns can get. Along with these corny puns is some silly but clever satire on the mad scientist trend in movies and TV. Both Yogi and The Stooges are completely in character, and this should make the album a delight to fans of both. I hope you enjoy this album as much as I did.

-Michael J. Ruhland 

How Ted Healy Defines a Stooge

 Ever wonder how the Stooges one time boss and head man would define what a stooge is? Well wonder no more. You can find out from the following article from a 1934 issue of Movie Classic magazine. If you have any trouble reading any of the following pages, you can click on them and use your touch screen to zoom in. If you do not have a touch screen, click here. 

Video Link: N.Y.U.K. - Remembering Leslie Nielsen's Three Stooges Show on AMC

This video is by Hats Off Entertainment, a wonderful YouTube channel that delves into the history of classic comedy and more.