Spook Louder

The 3 Stooges (no matter what the trio consisted of) were some of the most gifted actors/comedians ever to hit the silver screen and this short is all the proof I need. Related in flashback, the Stooges are travelling salesmen who are rejected by one homeowner after another until they finally come across a spooky inventor's mansion who enlists them to keep an eye on the place while he steps out. No sooner do the Stooges agree when a group of spies break in disguised as frightening spooks. Each hair-raising (and hilarious) encounter the Stooges experience tops the other and the action hits its peak with its explosive, bomb-throwing (and pie throwing) finale. Fans take note: Curly is also at his funniest in this short particularly when he takes down the morse code message (Moe: "What'd it say?" Curly: "Eh-eh-eh-eh-eh...."). Another Stooges short guaranteed to have their fans rolling in the aisles!

This Three Stooges "movie" is broken into three segments: 1 - a newspaper man goes to interview a "Professor Denkfeather," who is a "special investigator. He tells the story of the three "heroes;" 2 - The boys are seen as door-to-door salesmen, selling "reducing machines" to housewives; and 3 - the wind up at a deserted house miles away but three spies, dressed in costumes, try to scare them off.

Everyone is very odd in this film. The investigator is very weird and is the man behind the big question of "Who threw those pies?" The women that the Stooges encounter while trying to see their wares. Finally, the owner of the house where the spies are hiding outside, dressed as a skeleton, the Devil, and just some dark-clothed-hairy monster.

This is one of those episodes - as are a few others in this DVD of the same title ("Spook Louder" - in which only the last 4-6 involve what the title implies. The best comedy bit was with Curly and the balloon inadvertently attached to the back of his sport coat. The reactions on Curly's face are what help make him a comic genius.

Overall, a decent Stooges effort but not as good as advertised.

The Stooges are hired by a wacky professor to watch his mansion. He apparently is working on a death ray and is worried the Japanese* want to steal it. As soon as he leaves, all sorts of weirdness happen in the place...with someone trying to scare them off by dressing like a skeleton and more. And, oddly, throughout the film pies come flying from out of nowhere! It's all very goofy and silly...which is exactly what most Three Stooges fans love. While it is far from being an intellectual film, it does have its moments.

By the way, if you do watch this one, note the butler. He's played by Charles Middleton--the same tall guy who was Ming the Merciless in the Buck Rogers serials.

*First, the US was at war with the Germans, Japanese and Italians....so why worry just about the Japanese? Second, politically correct sorts won't like the use of the term 'Japs'...which is used repeatedly.

Spook Louder (1943)

*** (out of 4)

A reporter goes to interview Professor Dunkfeather (Lew Kelly) who tells him about two separate cases, all involving the Stooges. One involves the boys going around trying to sell weight reducing machines. The next has the boys inside a spooky house where a skeleton, a devil and another man tries to scare them.

SPOOK LOUDER isn't the greatest short in the world but there's no doubt that fans of the Stooges should enjoy what humor there is. I'd say the weakest stuff deals with the Dunkfeather character as there's really no humor to be found here. The first story contains a couple decent laughs but the highlight is certainly when the three manage to finally get a buyer only to have Curly mess it up. The majority of the laughs come from the second portion of the film as the boys are running around scared of just about everything that jumps out at them. There are some really funny moments to be found here including one where Curly keeps getting punch by someone behind a book shelf.

I recall an extremely cold February afternoon. I went over to Freddie's house to mess around and read the playboy magazines his Father has stashed away. Obviously Freddie's folks went to some party and we thought the house was ours but to our surprise Freddie's Mom at the last minute hired a baby sitter to watch his two younger siblings. The babysitter wasn't very friendly and wanted to corner the only color set in the living room. We were mad that she took over our territory so we went outside and decided to harass her. Throwing crab apples on the roof and ringing the front door bell while hiding in the adjacent bushes. Just an all out onslaught against the helpless sitter. SPOOK LOUDER is definitely my favorite of all the Three Stooges shorts. Our story begins with what appears to be a young impressionable reporter (Stanley Brown) hearing a tale about three master salesman (The Stooges) peddling a weight reduction machine to would be house wives from the lips of Professor Dunkfeather (Lew Kelly) narration. The deplorable Professor is interrupted by the inquiring hack as to what does selling a weight machine have to do with the story? Our eccentric story teller continues spinning a goofy yarn how our Three Stooges stumble upon a mansion. They meet the owner of this spacious dwelling Inventor deluxe,Mr. Graves (Theodore Lorch) as they are instantly hired as caretakers. While the inventor Mr. Graves has to travel to Washington. Foul play ensues outside unbeknownst to the three newly hires. The foils enter the house in Halloween garb and try to scare off Moe Larry and Curly. Chase scenes, balloons, prat falls and plenty of pies get thrown at crucial parts of this comedy. Just a funny collection of non- stop comedy only the Stooges could provide. Plenty of belly laughs in this unforgettable short. I grade this 8 nyuk nyuks. Who threw those pies? I threw the crab apples!