The New 3 Stooges

I saw this show as a compilation called Funniest Moments 1 & 2, along with several other DVDs, mostly interesting documentaries. The box showed Moe, Larry, and Curly together so naturally I assumed it was some of their Columbia shorts work. I am a big fan of the Stooges from this era, and was more than a little disappointed when it turned out to be a collection of introductory "shorts" for their 1965 cartoon series.

These starred Moe, Larry, and Curly Joe DeRita, who was in my opinion a little bit better than the often despised Joe Besser. Although the shorts came about at the peak of their popularity, the Stooges by this time were really beginning to show their age. They were, however, still reasonably capable of performing slapstick comedy.

The main problem was in the quality of the show. The writing and overall production quality was not nearly as good as that from Columbia. The violence so typical of the trio was also severely and purposefully toned due to the fact that the market for the show was intended to be children. Perhaps most importantly, though, the trademark sound effects were absent, replaced by some that were apparently borrowed from another popular show of the time - The Flintstones.

The cartoons themselves were just not to my liking. I grew up with the Stooges in black and white, but with live action, and having them as cartoons just did not fit.

As for the live shorts, any Stooge fan should appreciate them. It gives us a rare glimpse of the boys in color. Many of the shorts include Emil Sitka, a supporting actor who has worked with the Stooges since his debut in the Columbia short "Half Wits Holiday," which was ironically Jerome "Curly" Howard's final short.

I am the biggest Three Stooges fan as my friends know, and I have seen some of these cartoons and they just don't seem to match up to what we have seen before. I don't want to be bias by comparing these to the old shorts, but the shorts are far superior to these. Don't get me wrong, the cartoons are entertaining, but they seem to be a shadow of what the Stooges were. As I have said before in another comment, I don't think Curly Joe has much chemistry with Larry and Moe. By the time they did the little skits and voices for these cartoons, the boys were well into the late 60's, early 70's. But the Stooges will always be the kings of comedy in my opinion.

I'm very pleased these episodes can now be found on DVD. These have been continually appearing in 99 cent stores all over town. So far I've collected about 33 episodes on 3 different DVDs some of which (about 18 episodes) are without the live action skits.

I'm a fan of the classic stooges shorts but when I first discovered the cartoons years ago they also became a favorite of mine. I'm always on the look out for more cartoon stooges DVDs. Although it has been said that some of those episodes are lost, I'm going to try to find as many episodes as I can.

It's hard to believe that they were still doing comedy in 1965. Larry and Moe have been through so many third stooge partners its amazing they lasted so long.

After about a half decade or so of revived popularity and the acquisition of new generations of fans,the Boys continued in popularity. It was becoming increasingly apparent that the artistic* control of The 3 Stooges was rapidly passing from Moe's son-in-law, Norman Maurer to the team of Mother Nature and Father Time. Their own birth certificates were making a prima facia case their against their continuing in the Movie and TV businesses.

Certainly they would not be doing a comedy picture much longer, be it a short subject or a feature, with the same gusto as before. Who could? So, what to do? How to continue working for their fans, for themselves, for posterity?

The answer was Television Animation. There was a precedent for this genre already existing. There were two examples, as a matter of fact! In A.D. 1966, the top TV animation studios, Hanna-Barberra Productions, produced and released to local stations both "Laurel & Hardy" and "Abbott & Costello" cartoons. Following the usual H & B format, they used the half hour length. Each program has an opening introductory theme song, a signature theme, 3 cartoon shorts of about 7 or 8 minutes duration and in between bridge animations.

This system had been working well for the likes of Hucklebery Hound, Quick Draw McGraw, Ruff & Reddy, etc. So it was for "Abbott & Costello" and "Laurel & Hardy", and did have some more limited success.

Both members of The Laurel & Hardy team had died by this time. Oliver "Babe" Hardy passing away in 1957 and Stan Laurel in 1965. This "Laurel & Hardy " show had voices done by Larry Harmon(Stan)** and Jim McGeorge(Ollie). As for the Abbott & Costello cartoons, Stan Irwin did his best impersonation of Lou Costello on that sound track. But, Bud Abbott was still around on planet Earth and did his own voice. That would seem to be an advantage, a leg up, so to speak.

Well the Stooges were all there-at least the present day team who appeared in those Kiddie market features. Starting in 1959 with HAVE ROCKET WILL TRAVEL, the team consisted of original members, Moe Howard and Larry Fine. The Third Stooge was "Curly" Joe DeRita.*** So, Normandy Productions(Stooges own Production Co with Norman Maurer as C.E.O.), struck a deal with Cambria Animation Productions (of CLUTCH CARGO fame)to do a series. It was no FANTASIA, but it was not bad either, for Television Animation, I mean.

The format called for Color Photography and use of both Live Action and Animated Cartoon scenes. But these would not be of the mixed variety as employed by Max Fleischer's OUT OF THE INKWELL(Koko the Clown), Walt Disney's early effort, ALICE IN CARTOONLAND or the more recent WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT?(1988) and SPACE JAM(1996).

Each little cartoon episodic adventure had a prologue to it. In it, The 3 Stooges were always busy in some work capacity. Much like their old Columbia Shorts, they seemed to be "those three new men." Janitors in a Dentist's Office, Window Washers on Scaffolding, Factory Workers and Gas Station Attendants were typical of locales and occupations that they had.

After an animated color sequence featuring a most appropriate, snappy and up-beat original theme music, they would open at these prelude scenes(as good a place as any to open!), do a short, little bit of business which related to the upcoming animation's story. Then the Cartoon's Title, and we'd be off.

It seemed that THE NEW 3 STOOGES never got to be a powerhouse of an animated series, being always in syndication(somebody correct me if that's incorrect), but hardly any others did, except for Hanna-Barbera's and Filmation's series(and later some others), and that was mostly Saturday morning's time slot.**** THE NEW 3 STOOGES does remain dear to my own heart, though. The stories were quick, snappy, pleasant and very Stooge-like. That's a very important factor with any "adapted"(not "adopted") cartoon series.

And there's just one other point. The use of the Live Action opening sketches may have been the most original innovation of the series. We suppose that there those viewers who look at this aspect of the series as only a cost cutting device, foisted on our Stooges by some suits and began counters. We think not.

The live portion showed us the Boys in a contemporary setting. It also gave a chance to make use of another player or two. And even old Nemesis, Emil Sitka dropped-by once or twice.

That alone made the openings worth it!

* I'll bet you that The Stooges would be as surprised as anyone to hear "Artistic" connected with their work!

** Yes, the very same Larry Harmon of BOZO THE CLOWN fame!

*** Joe DeRita was the fourth guy to play the 3rd Stooge. The late brothers Jerry("Curly") and Shemp Howard being the earliest partners in the act(not together), and funny man Joe Besser, who was in the last couple of years of the shorts, chose not to continue, not wanting to travel and never being fond of the part anyway. On behalf of 3 Stooges fans everywhere,please let us offer a belated, "Thanks, Joe!"

**** Some notable exceptions were Hanna-Barbera's THE FLINTSTONES, THE JETSONS and JOHNNY QUEST. There was also CALVIN AND THE COLONEL by Messers. Freeman Gosden & Charles Correll, the former AMOS 'n' ANDY on the Olde Time Radio, late 1920's to mid 1950's.

Hi Im 13 years old and I'm a big Three Stooges fan! The New Three Stooges is A Short Film Of Them! Then a Cartoon Version. The cartoon is good. I like them and the short live action from Moe,Larry,Curly Joe, they are good but I like the movies alot better plus the old shorts with Moe, Larry, Curly alot better! But The new Three Stooges is still good and funny though!