Who Done It?

The radio announces that The Phantom Gang has stuck once again. Wealthy Mr. Goodrich fears being next and calls upon the Alert Detective Agency which consists of Larry, Moe, and Shemp. Goodrich's niece, his butler, and monstrous goon Nikko are actually part of the Phantom Gang. They knock him out and take him captive to take his money. Then the Stooges show up.

The setup is a little clunky. I'm not sure the Stooges should be tied up or that The Phantom Gang makes sense. Being tied up leads to one functional joke but the start could be much smarter. Why would The Phantom Gang give a warning to Goodrich? I do have to say that this is probably the best Shemp so far. I like the drink switcheroo turning into a Curly bit. I like picture bit. This is basically a Scooby mystery if it's all Shaggy and Scooby.

This is my second favorite of the Three Stooges episodes I've seen! In this episode Moe, Larry, and Shemp play inept detectives who are sent to protect Mr. Goodrich, a millionaire who been prusued and kidnapped by thugs. Along the way, they go to the millionaire's mansion and get into the most hilarious situations one could imagine in the Three Stooges episode. One funny part was when the millionaire's evil niece drugged Shemp! LOL!

The best part was Shemp and his 'trusty shovel' bit. I always crack up when I see it! Since I didn't have this one on video, I was really thrilled and amazed when I saw "Who Done It" in the "Classic" movie section where the other Stooge videos were! So, if you're a Shemp fan like I am, this Stooge episode is really worth seeing as well as it is worth your time! I give it 4 1/2 stars!

What can you say about this one? One of the all-time greats and in my top 5 of Shemp films. Every stooge is on top of his game here and Shemp & Christine McIntyre make a fabulous duo. Their on screen chemistry is amazing.

The detective themed episodes with Shemp were almost always classics and this is the best. Highlights include Shemp's camera that gets distracted by Christine's finer assets (the niece is nice), Larry's smile at the camera, the poisoning scene, the chase from the goon and of course the "light to dark" fight sequence at the end. This short is stooge heaven.

Definitely one of the best Shemp short films you can come by.

An ultra-nervous old man, "Mr. Goodrich," terrorized by the news that a gang is stalking the city and prominent citizens are disappearing, really panics when someone throws a rock through his window with a message tied to it, saying "You will be next!"

He calls the detective agency wondering where are the guys he asked for earlier. Of course, it's the Stooges, who couldn't respond because had come into the office, robbed them and tied them up. Some detectives! The moment poor Mr. Goodrich hangs up the phone and says, "I feel safer already," a monster-type goon named "Nico" appears out of a secret panel in the room and chokes him unconscious. We next find out that his trusted employees are anything but that. Now these crooks have to deal with the "detectives" that are coming by the house for Mr. Goodrich.

Some of the gags, like Moe and Larry's wrinkles, are getting a bit old, but some of them will provoke laughs if I see them 100 times. I always laugh at Shemp trying to be a flirt, as he does here with Mr. Goodrich's niece, in a classic routine with a long, accordion-like camera lens. The act he puts on when he's poisoned is always funny, too. Shemp was so good that I didn't mind he was taking the great Curly's place.

Larry, Moe, Curly/Shemp were always great in the chase scenes, in which monsters or crooks or both are chasing them around a house. That's the last six minutes in here. At times, such as this film,

"Who Done It?" contains many surefire laughs and gags. It is not only one of the best Stooges films with Shemp, it is one of the finest short comedies Columbia produced. Director Bernds originally wrote the screenplay in 1946 for the Stooges, but when Curly Howard suffered a career-ending stroke, it was tailored for the Columbia comedy team of Schilling and Lane (their version was released as "Pardon My Terror.") It obviously was too good for the Stooges to pass up, and it was finally filmed by the Stooges at the end of 1947.

Old Man Goodrich calls ace detectives Shemp, Larry, and Moe out of fear that he will be murdered. When they arrive at his home, Goodrich has disappeared, and his niece and assorted goons try to get rid of the Stooges. Will they find Goodrich and bring the niece and goons to justice?

Shemp is particularly funny in this film. His reactions after being given a mickey by Christine McIntyre are superb; he gives his trademark sound (eeeb-eeeb-eeeb) and Miss McIntyre is noticeably trying not to laugh! Other funny scenes: the close-up of Moe's mug looking through the camera lens; and the in-the-dark fight with all cast members involved.

Nikko the goon (played by Duke York) is one of the most unusual looking characters ever portrayed in a Stooges film. With his kinked hair, he could almost pass for a Stooge, if he didn't tower over everyone else! "Who Done It?" is a gem among the Stooges films with Shemp. Even die-hard Curly fans will enjoy this one! A true Stooge classic. 9 out of 10.