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The Three Stooges Collection, Vol. 4: 1943-1945 | 
 enlarge | Actor: Three Stooges
Studio: Sony Pictures
Category: DVD
List Price: $24.96
Buy New: $17.99
You Save: $6.97 (28%)
New (46) Used (9) Collectible (1) from $17.99
Rating:  29 reviews
Sales Rank: 810
Format: Ac-3, Black & White, Color, Dubbed, Dvd-video, Full Screen, Original Recording Remastered, Subtitled, Ntsc
Languages: English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Dubbed)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 99
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 2
Running Time: 359 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5.4 x 0.7
MPN: COLD27104D
UPC: 043396271043
EAN: 0043396271043
ASIN: B001D7T6AO
Release Date: October 7, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Condition: Brand new, factory sealed. Fast shipping!
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Product Description
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent Release Date: 10/07/2008
Amazon.com
In "Crash Goes the Hash," Moe, Larry and Curly offend a snooty butler's sensibilities. "Such levity," he sniffs. "You remind me of the Three Stooges." In a huff, Curly replies, "Hey, that's an insult." No, it's the highest compliment. The best of these 21 shorts (and even the worst have at least some redeeming bits of silliness) are essential for every Stooge-phile's library. This chronological collection is book-ended by two key shorts. Violent is the word for "They Stooge to Conga," jaw-dropping slapstick porn that features an excruciating bit wherein Moe's head, ear, and eye are punctured by Curly's spiked shoe. "Micro-Phonies" is arguably the Stooges' very best short, in which Curly is mistaken for an operatic singer. The lip-sync renditions of "Voices of Spring" and the sextet from the opera Lucia di Lammermoor are moments that even Stooge-haters love. Mistaken identity happens a lot to the boys. They are mistaken for doctors in "A Gem of a Jam," reporters in "Crash Goes the Hash," sweepstakes winners in "Three Pets in a Mess," and Japanese soldiers in "No Dough, Boys." In several of these wartime shorts it seems they can't turn around with uncovering a "rat's nest" of Japanese and German spies and saboteurs. Perhaps the stereotypical portrayals of the Axis villains in "They Stooge to Conga," "Back from the Front" and "Higher Than a Kite" can be forgiven today. However, as great a performer as African-American character actor Dudley Dickerson is, his cowardly, put-upon characters in "Conga" and "Gem" are a little more problematic in our more enlightened times. Other notable shorts are "Gents Without Cents," in which the Stooges return to their vaudeville roots with their performance of their signature "Niagara Falls" sketch ("Slowly I turn?."). "Busy Buddies," in which Curly enters a cow-milking contest, is another fan favorite. "Idle Roomers" marks the debut of the versatile Christine McIntyre, one of the great additions to the Stooges stock company. "If a Body Meets a Body" marks the first use of the swing version of the Stooges' "Three Blind Mice" theme. The first short produced following Curly Howard's mild stroke, it also marks the beginning of the end for the Curly era. But this thoughtfully produced collection ensures that the Stooges' legacy is secure. These shorts, to quote Curly in "Crash Goes the Hash," are mostly "colossal, stupendous, terrific?even superlative." --Donald Liebenson Amazon.com
Stooges fans may experience a sense of the bittersweet mixed with their elation over the arrival of Volume 4 in the digitally remastered Three Stooges Collection; although the new set continues to present the knucklehead's legendary comedy shorts in pristine condition and chronological order, it's also the beginning of the end in regards to the participation of Jerome "Curly" Howard, who arguably remains the most popular member of the trio. By 1943-44, a variety of debilitating health issues robbed Howard of his manic energy, which is more than evident in shorts like "If a Body Meets a Body" and "Micro-Phonies," both from 1945. Unfortunately, brother Moe Howard's requests to halt production was nixed by Columbia, which resulted in a further decline in Curly's health that would eventually lead to the stroke in 1946 that forced his retirement from the team. And while the knowledge of Howard's health issues casts something of a pall over the set, there are still plenty of laughs to be had over the course of the two-disc set. Chief among the highlights is "Dizzy Detectives," which pits the boys against a rampaging ape man; "Spook Louder," (Stooges vs. mad scientist with death ray machine; viewers should note that the short features some World War II-era anti-Japanese sentiment); "Gents Without Cents," which features their version of the "Niagara Falls" routine; and "Dizzy Pilots," which chronicles the Stooges' contributions to the aviation industry (all disastrous, of course). As with the previous Collection releases, seven of the 21 shorts included in the set are making their DVD debuts; the flawless quality of the DVD presentation, as well as the sheer amount of nyuks on hand, make Volume 4 a must-have for every self-respecting Stooge-phile. --Paul Gaita
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| Customer Reviews: Read 24 more reviews...
Stooges November 23, 2008
Kelly J. Mix (Indianapolis, IN, USA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Three words say it all, "THE THREE STOOGES", which means classic comedy at it's best. Another awesome box set of cleaned up Stooge goodness. I REALLY hope they continue to go through ALL the shorts, so we get cleaned up Shemp shorts as well, as I loves me some Shemp. Eeb bee bee bee bee! Buy this if you love the Stooges, as it's a MUST have for all collectors of all things Stooge.
The Three Stooges Collection, Vol. 4 November 23, 2008
Harry Brewer (S'port, La.)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
We have another fantastic collection of The Three Stooges in this set. There are 21 shorts on two discs & the comedic genius of Curly is fully evident. It was a sad day when Curly Howard's career was cut short by health problems but few episodes in this set reveal the problems.
"They Stooge to Conga" has our three boys taking on spies when they arrive to fix a doorbell.
"Dizzy Detectives" finds them taking on a gorilla.
"Spook Louder" has them hired to guard an inventor's spooky house. This is the short that has the mysterious pie thrower.
"Back From the Front" has the boys at sea & the ship they're on is sunk. They're adrift at sea long enough to grow beards. They board an enemy ship & raise havoc with the Axis powers. Moe does another great imitation of the despised German leader.
"I Can Hardly Wait" is the famous short where Moe attempts to pull Curly's tooth.
"Phony Express" is one of their Western spoofs. In this one the boys are misidentified as three famous lawmen.
"A Gem of a Jam" finds the boys working as janitors but thought to be doctors by three hoodlums.
"Idle Roomers" has the boys taking on a version of the wolfman.
Gents Without Cents" is one of my favorite shorts by the Stooges. This is the one where the boys do the Niagara Falls routine. "Slowly I turned, step by step, inch by inch..."; Moe & Larry then proceed to rip Curly's clothes to shreds. Listen closely to them on the stage & you'll hear Moe & Larry mess up their lines.
"No Dough Boys" finds our boys in Japanese uniforms & thought to be escaped prisoners.
"Idiots Deluxe" is certainly one of the Stooges most violent episodes. Moe is being sued by Larry & Curly because he tried to kill them."If a Body Meets a Body" finds the Stooges involved in a murder-mystery.
"Micro-Phonies" has Curly posing as Senorita Coocaracha, an opera diva who can't sing. Curly is actually miming to a record & then the real female singer. It's a classic episode.
It's a great collection for Stoogephiles that love to yuk it up with the boys. The prints are in pristine condition but there aren't any bonus features, not even subtitles. Thank you, Sony, for giving so much of the proper attention to restoring these prints.
Three Stooges Freak November 18, 2008
Leo E. Mcnees (Ohio)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
If you are like me and love the Stooges , you are going to like all four of these volumes.I think these remastered shorts are great, and I never get tired of watching the stooges over and over, their kind of comedy never gets old to me. I think you can't go wrong with these guys, so sit back and enjoy.
Always Fantastic November 16, 2008
Walter N. Marziani (Philadelphia)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
These Collections are great, I have all of them so far and they are awsome. The picture is great, i watch them on my PS3 and HDTV and the quality is great even in full aspect ratio. the only thing i would complain about is no etras, which would be nice. Like mini documentary that would explian for example curly's illness and fall in the recent collection and the emergence of shemp. But the stooges are great just to watch and I am 22 years old and I love them. Their comedy is not dead and it will never die.
The Last Of The Hilarious "Curly" Shorts November 13, 2008
Zachary Koenig (Fergus Falls, MN)
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
This fourth volume of the Three Stooges collection again showcases the hilarious slapstick comedy of Moe, Larry, and Curly. Although a few episodes in this set are a little stale due to a recycling of old ideas, for the most part they are as hilarious as all the others preceding them!
Of course, at this point in the release of this collection, most Stooges fans are probably wondering when they, sadly, will begin seeing the effects of Curly Howard's mini-strokes, which led him to become a shell of his former self both on and off screen. However, only the very beginning of Curly's mini-strokes can be seen in this collection, and even then it is only in the final 3-4 shorts (which are still hilarious!)
So, buy this product confidently knowing that you are still getting the best of the "Curly" shorts. No Volume Five has been announced yet, so this may be the last we can own of the Stooges for some time (as the next collection would contain the "Stroke Curly" and the very unpopular Shemp as his replacement).
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