Rating: Summary: An interesting intro to Stooge history Review: Moe, Curly, and Shemp Howard were born Moses (1897), Jerome (1903), and Samuel (1895) Horwitz -- and were believed for many years to be the three least accomplished sons of their Litvak parents. (Irving and Benjamin, the older brothers sold insurance, and at least, that was a real job, no?) Their parents were second cousins (Jennie and Solomon Gorovitz) which is maybe why the stooges were stooges. Did you know that Moe was a Shakespearean actor? Obviously, Larry Fine (Feinberg), a Philadelphian, was not a Howard brother, but a violinist with an injured arm. He joined the vaudeville act in 1925. This book details with an okay level of accuracy (a good intro), the 190 films by Moe, Larry, Curly, Shemp, Joe Besser and Joe DeRita made from 1934 to 1958, (from Woman Haters in 1934 to Sappy Bullfighters in 1958) with annotations on the number of slaps, eye-pokes, conking heads, pies thrown, etcetra in each. Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk. Did you know that the original "Men in Black" was a 1934 Stooges film with the memorable line of "Calling Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine, Dr. Howard."
Rating: Summary: I laughed, I cried Review: My boyfriend was laughing out loud as he read this book so after he finished it, I decided to see what was so funny. I was dubious because I've never been a Three Stooges fan, something my boyfriend has always considered a flaw. However, I've always considered his love of the Three Stooges one his flaws. He now feels triumphant because I couldn't put the book down. I've pointed out that I still don't get the Stooges humor - but the story of their development as an act, their vaudeville years, and the relationships between the brothers is fascinating. It's an extremely well written book and I did laugh but what really struck me was how hard The Stooges worked, the amount of physical abuse they suffered while performing, and how much they're still a part of our culture. I'm very glad I read it, I highly recommend it; and much to my boyfriend's amazement, I want to rent a Stooges tape.
Rating: Summary: Nuck Nuck Review: My stepson is a Stooge fan and he refers to this book constantly. It is a great history of the 5 men who appeared as the 3 Stooges. They were great comedy and ahead of their time.
Rating: Summary: I see nothing wrong with it Review: Perhaps the term "craftsmen" is difficult to associate with the Stooges, however they were masters of slapstick and comedy. Physically comedic in appearance, they were underappreciated and underutilized by the Columbia crowd. In the best of the shorts, their timing was impeccable and their delivery delightful. The book provides a great deal of information as to the particulars of their careers and also reminds us of what could have been, especially in the later "Shemp" years, had they been blessed with better quality writing and production values.
Rating: Summary: The Three Stooges: Craftsmen Review: Perhaps the term "craftsmen" is difficult to associate with the Stooges, however they were masters of slapstick and comedy. Physically comedic in appearance, they were underappreciated and underutilized by the Columbia crowd. In the best of the shorts, their timing was impeccable and their delivery delightful. The book provides a great deal of information as to the particulars of their careers and also reminds us of what could have been, especially in the later "Shemp" years, had they been blessed with better quality writing and production values.
Rating: Summary: very funny! Review: the three Stooges have always made me Laugh.they were funny back then&now.this book deals with their rise and the business side.very solid Book.for any fan of theirs this is a special treat.from the first time i saw them i was rolling on the floor and to this day i find them amazing.
Rating: Summary: The Flawed Stooges Review: This bio gets three stars because of its collection of photos and some background information on the Stooges. However, don't rely on Mr. Fleming's description of the shorts provided in Part Three of the book. For example, I had just seen short 51, "Cookoo Cavaliers", on American Movie Classics before I read his description of the short. He claims that the boys want to get into the salon business. They don't. They want to buy a saloon. Then he says of the four beauties that one gets"~ curlers glued to her head, another gets a cement facial, and a third gets her nails sprayed with paint. He then says that the quartet ends up balder than Curley. Only one of the four has curlers clued to her head, a cement facial and her nails sprayed painted. This all happens to one beauty. She does not leave with a bald head. True some of her hair in missing. Only one of the beauties leaves balder than Curley."~ plane that the boys are flying nose-dives into a well. It doesn't. The plane is flying upside down a the Stooges fall out and into a well.
Rating: Summary: A must-have! Review: This book is a history of the Three Stooges that is literally without peer. It does an excellent job of covering the history of the Stooges, from their births through their marvelous careers, and on to their final curtain calls. After the history, there is a very nice look at the legacy of the Stooges, and the many modern comedians and actors that they influenced. The final chapter of the book is an excellent chronologically organized list of the Stooge's shorts, complete with credits, summary, review, and list of number of Stooges moves (e.g. "Slap Count: 9, Eye Pokes: 1, Conking Heads: 1"). Throughout the whole book, there is a sprinkling of many excellent black-and-white photos. As I hope the summary above shows, this is an excellent book on the Stooges, one that any Stooge fan (such as myself) would be glad to own. It is a must-have!
Rating: Summary: Three Stooges: An Illustrated History Review: This book is amateurish and full of inaccuracies. Judging by the promos I've seen the movie will be the same.
Rating: Summary: A worthy purchase Review: This guy has really done his homework. Giving honest reviews, he doesn't hail every episode as a classic. I found the episode guide the most valuable part of the book, which bits of trivia where available, the cast, and a useful Slap count!
|