Woman Haters

After the 3 Stooges rid themselves of the highly annoying and abusive Ted Healy,(who was killed in a drunken brawl several years later), they were signed by Harry Cohn of Columbia for a few short films. We know 192 shorts and 23 years later they were rediscovered and revered as cult heros. Their characters were much more evolved in this first entry than any of the MGM films they did, where they yielded the spotlight to Ted Healy most of the time. Once their individual characters really materialized, by 1935, they did some of their best work. The surreal quality of Woman Haters, the lively music score and memorable song: "....for you...my life, my love, my all....." makes this an interesting first entry. A very good print is on the DVD release: "Curly Classics"

Here is the very first of nearly two hundred Columbia two-reel Three Stooges short subjects which Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curley Howard made on their own, without their unfunny old straight man, Ted Healy. The results are pretty good but mixed, depending on how you approach it. For those who are not prepared, you may be taken aback by the style here: it is a musical comedy, where occasionally we'll get a Stooge or two break out into song, and every line of dialogue is spoken in rhyme. The plot line is that Moe, Larry and Curley join a misogynistic organization called "The Woman Haters", and vow not to have anything to do with females. Trouble begins to arise, however, when a woman takes after Larry and then starts to set her sights on the other Stooges as well. Not for everyone, and it's not indicative of their latter films, but taken with an open mind it's not a bad piece of work for a debut line of shorts. **1/2 out of ****

WOMAN HATERS, where it all began for The Three Stooges at Columbia, is more of an anomaly in The Three Stooges series. Officially, it is part of The Musical Novelties series, a series in which all the dialogue is spoken in rhyme and accompanied by music. Well, "novelty" is a good way to describe this short because that is exactly how I view it.

I'm glad this short exists because it gives us a different look at The Three Stooges in a musical role, and Larry in particular does a fine job (no pun intended). That said, would I be a Three Stooges fan if all 190 shorts were like this? Not exactly. Musicals aren't really my thing, and this one holds my interest simply because of three certain actors who are in it.

The rhyming dialogue gets old after a while and the Stooges really have to conform to the rhythm of the music as opposed to the rhythm they would naturally develop in later shorts, so it sounds a bit forced. I don't have much else to say with this one except I find it to be a fascinating one off.

The Three Stooges were on their way. They now had a contract at Columbia Pictures and were ready to make their mark on, not only comedy, but entertainment in general. With that Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Jerome Howard, also known as Curly, set out with director Arthur Gottlieb to make the first of over 190 short films the Stooges would make at Columbia.

This short is unlike any other Stooge short film. There are plenty of hits, slaps, pokes, and bonks. This short is different in that it is a musical novelty starring up and comer Marjorie White who, unfortunately, died in a road accident in 1935, less than a year after filming this short.

Moe, Larry, and Curly play Tom, Jim, and Jackie respectively who vow to swear off women after they join a club known as the Woman Haters. Bud Jamison, who will appear in many of the Stooge films, is the chairman, if you will, of this organization. The Stooges are initiated into the club and are off to fulfil their commitment.

After only one week, Jim tells the other two that he would have to quit that silly club. He met a girl and fell head over heels in love. The other two try and convince him that he is making a big mistake. Jim finally takes their advice and goes to break it off, but ends up marrying the girl after her father gives him so "words of encouragement".

Tom, Jim, and Jackie all meet up at the train station later that day and chaos breaks loose when each man falls for the girl in their own way.

There is a definite pattern and rhyme scheme involved in this short that makes it memorable. I have noticed that there is a lot more violence in this short then the others. But nevertheless this is one of the best from the Stooges.

WOMAN HATERS was the first of the Three Stooges shorts made for Columbia Pictures and began America's (if not the cinema comedy-loving world's) love affair with the Stooges. The short is billed as "A Musical Novelty", meaning that the entire film is spoken in rhyming dialogue. In a way, this could be thought of as the first rap music video.

WOMAN HATERS begins with a meeting of the eponymous organization when three new members wait with out. "With out what?" asks the president (Bud Jamison). We then meet the trio: Tom (Moe), Jim (Larry) and Jack (Curly). They all get initiated via eyepoke and vow to say down with any poor sap who sings "My love, my life, my all" to any dame. However, later in the day, Jim makes a "horrible" confession: He is engaged to Mary (Marjorie White). At first, he tries to back out of the marriage, until Mary's father shows Jim what happened to the last man who tried to back out of a marriage to one of his daughters.

All of the Stooges trademarks are present in WOMAN HATERS: The first eyepoke (delivered by Jamison), Curly's first "Woo-woo-woo" (after Moe bites him in the toes), the exaggerated sound effects. There's even an appearance by future Oscar winner Walter Brennan. Everything that made us fall in love with the Stooges started here. Now, watch it and enjoy, ya knuckleheads!