How High Is Up?

"How High Is Up?" is another explosively funny Three Stooges short. Moe, Larry, and Curly find themselves working on the 97th floor of a not yet completed skyscraper that's currently under construction. Ineptitude and slapstick follow. Big, big, big laughs in this one.

How High is Up? (1940)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

This Three Stooges short isn't one of their best but I think it's the perfect example of how talented Moe, Larry and Curly were and how they could take average material and make it better. It starts off with the three sleeping under their car until they end up floating down the street and nearly getting killed. To avoid a police officer they duck into a construction job where they're assigned the 97th story and of course they end up destroying it. HOW HIGH IS UP? isn't the greatest short out there and you can tell by some of the jokes, which never really work even though it's obvious the boys are doing their best with it. The scene has Curly wearing a sweater, which gets stuck on him so Moe and Larry must try and get him out of it. This sequence goes on for quite a bit and while we never get that really big laugh we at least get smiles because it really does seem as Moe and Larry are earning their money. The second part of the short deals with the construction stuff. We've seen countless occupations for the boys and usually they end up making a mess of things so that routine isn't really anything new year. As you'd expect, jokes range from the boys getting hurt using the tools and being up on the 97th story you know we're going to get some jokes where the boys almost fall off. All three are in fine form and they make more out of the material than most comedians would have.

(*Curly quote*) - "Did you see where I landed!?"

Without even a moments notice - The ever-adaptable Stooges make a U-Turn and immediately switch careers from being incompetent "Minute Menders" (at a nickle-a-hole) to that of being 3 of the best riveters who ever riveted a rivet.

Now high up on the 97th floor of a skyscraper still in its early phase of construction - We find Curly frantically dealing (as best he can) with his deep-rooted acrophobia (a fear of heights). While Moe (right on cue) dishes out the face slaps, eye-pokes, and insults as only he could possibly deliver them.

All-in-all - I'd definitely say that (without a doubt) 1940's "How High Is Up?" ranks right up there as being the Three Stooges engaging in some of their better moments of classic slapstick comedy from yesteryear. (Nyuck! Nyuck! Nyuck!)

'How High Is Up?' is not my favorite Three Stooges short but it is a nice entry. Moe, Larry and Curly are the 'Minute Menders', they repair anything. They sleep under their own car, which leads to the first nice moment. When they really go to work no one will hire them so Larry punches holes in lunch boxes of workmen hoping they will hire them. Of course they get caught and when they are trying to get away they accidentally sign up for some work on 97th floor of a building that is still under construction. Especially Curly has some trouble with the height.

Although the start of this short is terrific and the ending on the building is very good too, the middle part is a little too slow. Fortunately once they are on that building there are enough laughs again and that makes this comedy short worth watching.

Larry, Curly, and Moe are the Minute Menders using scams to get by. They look for small jobs working out of their slap-dashed truck. They sleep under their truck at night. They get jobs as riveters on the 97th floor on a construction site.

This one is not for people with vertigo. It's fun but it leaves me with butterflies in my stomach. It's a little exciting which is an interesting addition to a Three Stooges short. It has a bit of Harold Lloyd feel. It's good fun with some thrills.