A quartet of Three Stooges shorts, with a 3-to-1 balance tilting toward Shemp over Curly. The 1936 "Disorder in the Court" is definitely an honor-roll Stooges entry, with Curly providing testimony in a murder case. Note to... more » prosecutors: Do not bring a vise into the same courtroom as Curly Howard. The other shorts shift to the late 1940s, adding (and highlighting) returning Howard brother Shemp in place of Curly. "Brideless Groom" has Shemp inheriting a half million dollars if he can get married in a few hours. As Moe observes, this should be a snap: "When Shemp pours on the charm, no dame can resist." Ooof. "Sing a Song of Six Pants" is a lesser outing, with the boys running a tailor shop and getting mixed up with gangsters. It does provide an illustration of that Stooges truism: when a beartrap is located anywhere nearby, the law of probabilities favors an eventual convergence with Moe's backside. "Malice in the Palace" takes place in an Arabian café, where Moe, Larry, and Shemp are waiters. The best sequence has the boys and their diners convinced that Larry has sacrificed a dog and cat for the evening's entree. This Fox DVD offers colorized versions of the shorts, but like the 2004 Columbia colorized discs, it also features the original black-and-white versions. The fake color looks pretty bad, with the lurid shades of the Arabian nights episode especially glaring. Stick with the improved black-and-white versions of these familiar shorts. Wraparound introductions are provided by Mike Nelson and a couple of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 crew--they're hit and miss, but their mockery of poor, sputtering Shemp Howard is just a bit cruel. --Robert Horton« less
A must for people of this era but be warned that the sound and film quality is lousy and the plotlines are not great if others want to check it out.
Movie Reviews
Buy it . . . and a dozen copies as gifts!
Irving Thalberg | 04/27/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Though we all have seen these episodes before in b&w, the terrific colorization -- as if it were filmed in three-strip Technicolor -- brings out an entirely new dimension to the comedy. Seeing all of the objects within the filmed scenes as the actors and director saw them [perhaps with a few color variations] gives one an insight into their production and acting intent. It's as if we are on the set with the Stooges themeselves!
And if you loved MST 3000, having their crew onscreen to intro each short is a treat!"
See the Stooges in beautiful color and restored B & W !!!
Jake Marsico | Flagstaff,AZ | 05/04/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"(...) boy,was it definitely worth the wait ! Legend Films and co-partner 20th Century Fox has released THE THREE STOOGES IN COLOR on DVD that features the four well-known classic public domain Stooges shorts that we've seen over a hundred times by now,but never as good of quality and restoration job as they have done like in the past.I've seen and have several public domain Stooges shorts on DVD that have ranged from good ( Madacy,Columbia,Catcom ) to the not-so-good ( Platinum,Goodtimes,United American Video,Anchor Bay,etc. ) and so forth.Legend's restoration of all four shorts are perhaps the most exciting,beautiful-looking,cleanest,and pristine-looking that you're probably not going to see anywhere else and it's definitely for your money's worth ! The colorized versions are really amazing,realistic-looking,and sharp like the much-hyped Columbia DVD releases from last year as it was transferred from high-definition masters.This is perhaps the best colorization job of any film I have ever seen and certainly won't be the last.For a time,we also have had the much-rivaled colorized DVD release of only two public domain Stooges shorts from a company called Global Classics,which I also have and is of much different but watchable quality,whose colorized versions were done by the very same studio that did the official Columbia DVD'S,West Wing Studios that was released in 2004,but only Volume One has been released and not Volume Two.There were also colorized clips of some of the shorts that was used in the truly forgettable 1985 film STOOGEMANIA back when the process was still in its freshman phase.And lets not forget the colorized version of MALICE IN THE PALACE that was shown on the Alan Thicke-hosted Stooges Anniversary special back in 1991.But those previously mentioned versions didn't have the technology,nor creativity that the Legend Films and Columbia releases have and things have definitely changed since then ! Those aside,these color versions are truly amazing and very very entertaining to watch ! They are all presented uncut complete with the original Columbia opening and closing credits ( the Global Classics edition simply "letterboxed" any reference to Columbia on the main titles,if you watch that version,you'll know what I mean !) even though rival studio Fox has released this DVD.For fans looking for more,the original beautiful-looking restored shorts are also presented in their original black & white versions as well on this DVD,as with many of Legend Films' other DVD releases.The only big bonus feature that's included on this disc are the weird,but funny and entertaining introductions to each short by the 'Film Crew',in this case MST3K's Mike Nelson,a frequent and excellent collaborator on several other Legend Films DVD's,Kevin Murphy,and Bill Corbett that adds to the enjoyment of going back when the boys' films were shown on television with these types of intros ! Think the Blue Collar Comedy guys meets MST3K only without the bodily humor and PG-13 innuendos ! Plus,a whopping collection of trailers from six other Legend Films releases that are also now available on DVD ! This DVD is a great bargain and huge comparison to the Global Classics DVD incarnations and a huge bargain as well from the authorized Columbia DVD releases.Note that only two out of the four public domain shorts are now available on the Columbia Stooges DVD's: DISORDER IN THE COURT ( the COPS AND ROBBERS DVD release ) and BRIDELESS GROOM ( the DIZZY DOCTORS DVD release ). All in all,I definitely recommend this excellent DVD to any Stoogephile and I would love to see some more great films get the Legend Films treatment in the very near future ( including Abbott & Costello's AFRICA SCREAMS which is coming soon at the end of the year ) ! Throw away those crappy low-budget editions and get this definitive collection of public domain classic Stooges shorts !! LEGEND FILMS RULES !! I also recommend their version of REEFER MADNESS as well ! Visit their website at www.legendfilms.net for more upcoming releases and ones that are coming soon to DVD !"
Don't let the colorization bother you
K. Buckley | 08/28/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I hate colorization, but I think this is a great DVD. The reason is that it actually contains pristine and fully restored color AND black and white versions of the 4 public domain Stooge shorts every second-rate DVD company has released using horrible looking source elements (including Anchor Bay, whose "Greatest Hits and Rarities" is a disgrace for a company of their stature). If you are looking to pick up the 4 public domain Stooge titles -- Disorder in the Court (Curly), Malice in the Palace (Shemp), Sing a Song of Six Pants (Shemp) and Brideless Groom (Shemp) -- this is the definitive version."
Funny old stuff combined with funny new stuff; minor flaws
Valnastar | Deep 13, USA | 07/27/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The Stooges shorts are FUNNY and Legend Films has done a GREAT job cleaning up the film quality of these old gems, whether you watch the black and white original or the colorized versions. These are four terrific Stooges shorts, even the Shemp ones are very funny. The Film Crew host segments are also funny as one would expect from these three terrific former Mystery Science Theater 3000 writers and performers.
That said, I've only given this disc 4 stars instead of 5 for the following reason: The version of the shorts with the Film Crew comedy host segments is colorized. I'm still not certain why anyone would colorize these or any other classics. It adds nothing to the viewing experience and in many cases detracts from the director's original use of lighting and contrast in black and white. Thank goodness the black and white originals were included on the disc.
Also note that much of the humor of the Film Crew is not "young child friendly" and people buying this Stooges disc to share with their young kids may be shocked the first time through. The Film Crew segments are much more overtly crude and adult-oriented than the humor these fellows were known for on Mystery Science Theater 3000. So if you're showing these shorts to your little ones, you may want to run the black and white track that does not include the Film Crew. I also found the humor to be a bit less razor sharp in some spots than expected from these fellows. I know from reading other material by these three guys that they have some reverence for the great classic comedy that came before them, but you won't always know it when you see the sketches on this disc. Some of the humor is cruel in the way it relentlessly targets the physical appearance of the Stooges, although it is also undeniably at times very funny.
There's a hidden host segment during the final short, Malice In The Palace. During the movie, the Stooges acquire a map. While they are supposedly viewing the map and the map is on-screen so that the audience can see it, press the "enter" key on your DVD remote. This will take you to a special host segment not listed in the chapter list. However, I have found that when the host segment ends, there is a programming flaw on the DVD that takes it back to the beginning of the disc rather than picking up where it left off during the short. Bearable, but very annoying.
In spite of its flaws, this disc is a great combination of new and old humor that will keep you amused for many repeat viewings. At only about $10, it's certainly worth the price. Recommended!"
SLAPSTICK REIGNS
Michael Butts | Martinsburg, WV USA | 09/12/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"While colorization opponents may find this a sacrilegious venture, THE THREE STOOGES IN COLOR is still highly entertaining. The colorization is quite good, achieving a sometimes comic book flavor. As for the stooges, they continue to reign as the crown princes of unabashed silly slapstick. With four classic shorts and some ridiculous introductions by members of Mystery Science Theatre 3000, viewers are treated to "Brideless Groom," "Disorder in the Court," "Malace at the Palace" and "Sing a Song of Six Pants." Unfortunately, Curly is only in one of them, with the less effective Shemp trying to fill the void in the other three. Stooge vets Christine McIntyre and Vernon Dent show up and if you're a fan of the trio (as I am) you'll find yourself laughing out loud at these classic comic geniuses."