The Sitter Downers

The Three Stooges has always been some of the many actors that I have loved. I love just about every one of the shorts that they have made. I love all six of the Stooges (Curly, Shemp, Moe, Larry, Joe, and Curly Joe)! All of the shorts are hilarious and also star many other great actors and actresses which a lot of them was in many of the shorts! In My opinion The Three Stooges is some of the greatest actors ever and is the all time funniest comedy team!

One of the most unique Three Stooges shorts is The Sitter-Downers. In this short are James C. Morton, Bert Young, June Gittelson, Marcia Healy, with Betty Mack and Robert McKenzie. The acting by these actors are good especially by Morton. There are many funny scenes here that I think most Three Stooges fans will love! In My opinion this one of the most different Three Stooges shorts. I strongly recommend this one!

Sitter Downers, The (1937)

** (out of 4)

The Three Stooges want to marry their loved ones but their father refuses because, well, because they're the Stooges. The boys refuse to leave his house until he gives permission, which eventually makes the national news and soon letters from across the country are coming to them. The father finally gives his okay and the group decide to take one of the letter's offer of a new house. The only catch is that they have to build it themselves. This was an extremely bland short for the trio because of some rather lazy writing, which constantly goes for the routine joke instead of trying anything new or original. The first half of the short works the best as we get a few minor laughs mainly with the girl's father who at one point accidentally gets beat up by the boys. The second half is just rather bland as we get the boys trying to build the house but end up fighting amongst each other more. The reaction to girls have to their fighting is boring and things really don't pick up until the very end when the house is done.

I saw this with another Stooges short, "Violent is the Word for Curly." By the late 30's they were trying all sorts of forms. "Curly" was based on the Marx brothers form. This is based on a famous Keaton gag.

The three marry sisters (drawing lots), and get a house kit that they assemble incompetently.

There's a Laurel and Hardy precedent and before that the famous Keaton "One Week." That's hilarious and clever. This isn't, except for having stooge women.

Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.

"Corabelle," "Florabell" and and "Dorabell".....where else but in a Three Stooges flick would hear those names? Where else would three guys ask, for the 100th time, "Will you marry us," and get a reply, "Oh, this is so sudden."

Of the girls, the plump "Corabelle" (Betty Mack) is the best. When she hugs you, start counting the broken ribs! She played the "heavy" in a number of Three Stooges shorts and was always funny.

The boys need permission from the girls' father before they will agree to marriage. "Mr.Bell," played by James C. Morton, is adamant in saying "No!" I recognized Morton's gruff voice. He, too, was in a number of Three Stooges shorts including the famous "Disorder In The Court"

This story gets ludicrous fast as the boys go on a sit-down strike until the old man gives in.....and it gets national attention in the newspapers!!! "Persistent Lovers Win Nation's Sympathy As Gifts Pour In" blares one headline. Are you kidding me? It must have been a slow time for news.

Anyway, it gets wilder and wilder as the boys get married (drawing names out of hat) and then try to build a house. There are some classic slapstick scenes in here, such as with Curly and the cement. It's total insanity.....just the way we Three Stooges fans like it.

This isn't there best short but its funny. The stooges get married and go on a honeymoon but first they have to build a house. The funniest part was when Moe was chasing Larry around and Curly was smoothing cement and Moe and Larry kept running through it.