Studio: MGM. Runtime: 19 minutes. Production Number: 628. Release Date: May 12, 1934. Director: William Beaudine. Story: Ted Healy, Matty Brooks. Screenplay: Matty Brooks. Cast: Ted Healy (Himself), Muriel Evans (Ted's Girlfriend), Bonnie Bonnell (Cleaning lady), Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Jerry "Curly" Howard (Themselves), Lew Harvey (Machine gunner), Billy Engle (Short painter), Robert Milasch (Tall Painter), Heinie Conklin (Drunk), Buster Brodie (Bald man), Henry Taylor, Eddie Bartell, Jimmy Hollywood (Radio Rouges), The MGM Dancing Girls (Themselves), Tut Mace (Dancer). Choreographer: Sammy Lee. Songwriter: L. Wolfe Gilbert.
The last short film that Ted Healy and the Stooges made for MGM, is really more of a Ted Healy solo short with the Stooges in bit roles.
In this short film, Ted Healy is the president and only member of "Big Ideas Theatrical Productions." However, he has yet to think of a big idea. While he tries to think of a big idea, he is constantly interrupted. He eventually comes up with a plot idea about three radio performers. We then cut to these radio performers doing impressions of various radio stars. Cutting back to Ted's office, Ted comes up with the idea that these radio performers buy their own musical show. We then cut to a musical number. The scene with the radio performers and the musical number are deleted scenes from two feature films. These feature films are Dancing Lady (1933) and Going Hollywood (1933), which starred Bing Crosby and Marion Davies (a delightful film).
Despite the Stooges' limited screentime, there are still somethings to enjoy here. Ted Healy is excellent in this role effortlessly going back and forth between being a loud-mouthed comedian and a straight man to the zany goings on. Some of the gags are quite familiar but work thanks to Healy's execution. The Stooges appear briefly throughout the film without doing much Stooge like. Towards the end, they get a pretty decent comedy bit all to themselves.
However, it is the use of deleted scenes from other movies that really hurts this film. Going Hollywood benefited greatly because the radio scene didn't make it into that movie. This scene just simply isn't that good. The radio imitations are okay at best and are never actually funny (even for those who know the radio performers that are being kidded). Along with this the Amos and Andy bit goes on much too long.
When this short would be released to theaters, new title cards were given. Rather than crediting "Ted Heal with Howard, Fine and Howard," the new title cards stated, "Ted Healy and His Three Stooges."
By the time this short was released, the Stooges had already split from Healy and were beginning making their famous and beloved series of two-reel shorts for Columbia (more about that in a later post). As this was going on the Stooges were still making quite a few live performances. They made their last two live appearances with Ted Healy on January 13, 1934 (at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles) and February 10, 1934 (at Loew's State Theatre in Los Angeles). These were star studded charity events. At the Biltmore Hotel, there were also performances by Russ Columbo, Bing Crosby, Jeanette MacDonald and Rudy Vallee. Even the orchestra was made up of movie stars. Charlie Chaplin played the violin, and James Cagney played the drums. Other performers at the Loew's State Theatre included Betty Grable, Leo Carillo, Billy Gilbert, George Raft and Mickey Rooney.
The Stooges first performed live without Healy at the Warfield Theatre in San Fransico from April 20-26, 1934. Jack DeWees played the straight man role to the Stooges mayhem. Billed as "Howard, Fine & Howard," the team made quite positive impression. On April 21, 1934, the San Fransico Chronicle reported, "Ted Healy's Stooges, Howard, Fine and Howard, assisted by Jack DeWees keep the audience in gales of laughter with their nonsense." Starting in June of 1934, Howard, Fine and Howard would be performing without the aid of Jack DeWees. Beginning in October, the group would be billed as The Three Stooges for their live performances.
Other 1934 performances of the Stooges included: April 29 at the El Campanil Theatre in Antioch, CA, May 18-24 at the Palace Theatre in Chicago, May 25-31 at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, June 25 at the Biltmore Hotel again, August 29 at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, September 9 at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles, October 3-10 at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, October 13 at the Club Ballyhoo in Hollywood, November 1-14 at the Warfield Theatre, November 10 at the Bowery Nite Club, November 28 - December 4 at the Orpheum Theatre, December 11, 17 and 21 at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, December 19 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and December 31 at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle.
-Michael J. Ruhland
Resources Used
The Three Stooges Scrapbook by Jeff Lenburg, Joan Howard Maurer and Greg Lenburg
A Tour De Farce: The Complete History of the Three Stooges on the Road by Gary Lassin
A Tour De Farce: The Complete History of the Three Stooges on the Road by Gary Lassin
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