A Screenful Of Knuckleheads!

Stop! Look! and Laugh! A 1960! Must! See!

Some names that meant much fifty years ago could not be more forgotten now: Paul Winchell, Officer Joe Bolton, The Marquis Chimps, but not, of course, The Three Stooges, who remain, whatever the argument over merit, a best known comic team of all. Moe, Larry, and Joe De Rita sought a restraining order to block Columbiarelease of Stop! Look!, and Laugh! on basis it would queer their planned feature for 20th Fox, Snow White and The Three Stooges. The order was granted in July, 1960, then dissolved weeks later after further hearing, issue largely moot as Stop! Look!, and Laugh! opened on twenty Los Angeles screens during the interim. Variety referred to the team's "lolli-popularity" among tricycle trade and "thriftily spliced together ... old shorts," none of this a knock on Columbia, as trades encouraged family fare to take onus off adult-theme The Apartment, Elmer Gantry and such that made parents wonder if theatres were still safe haven for youngsters.

The "Original" Stooges are touted large, kids aware from TV views that Curly-featured shorts were funniest of the lot. Nice to see Charley Chase and other past vets receive fresh onscreen credit, Chase having directed several of the old excerpts. Someone clearly took care to minimize eye-pokes and slapping among the boys, rougher stuff left off as it had been in recent feature Have Rocket --- Will Travel, with latter-day Stooges. Music is added to the truncated oldies, a distraction not welcome. Winchell and the TV gang were to some extent regional lures, a cameo from "Officer Joe Bolton" meaningless outside New York markets where he hosted WPIX Stooge runs (unless Joe was syndicated and I missed him). Winchell had at least some network exposure here/there, so his tiltings with Jerry Mahoney and Knucklehead Smiff, even if filched off Edgar Bergen's act, came welcome to moppetry in attendance. Winchell assumes parental role vis a vis the dummies; he even burps Jerry at one point. The Marquis Chimps have one skit, a too long one based on Cinderella. Their act was strictly a snooze, but one of them merits Stop, Look's fade by taking a pie in the face. Would the ASPCA sit still for that today?