Flying Saucer Daffy

The real irony is this: Joe Besser was a top notch comedian, in other situations away from the Stooges. He had a definite track record for being very funny and clever. Moe and Larry and Shemp had actually known him or at least of him for many years and liked his work. So what on Earth was going on when he joined the troop as the "third stooge"? Obviously, nothing. In most of these "late Stooge" era shorts, more often than not, the boys are pitted against each other or Joe against the other two and this is not accurate Stooge etiquette. "One for all, all for one, every man for himself", to quote Curly from "Restless Knights". One thing about a good comedy team, Laurel & Hardy, Abbott & Costello, The Marx Brothers, no matter how much they all try to take advantage of each other or slap each other around, when the chips are actually down, they stick together and come to each other's aid. In this particular one, none of that happens. It's almost like watching a dog fight as one tries to cheat the others or be mean and nasty, and not for comedic effect either. One might assume that there was something behind the scenes going on here, art imitates life. Maybe there really was hence why Besser did not stay very long with Moe and Larry. Just look at the history of the other teams and tell me I'm wrong.

This is it folks. The Three Stooges episode that inspired the hit T.V. series, The X-Files. Well actually, I'm not sure. But don't take Chris Carter's word that it didn't, you can't trust that guy. It's all conspiracies, all lies! Anyways, this before-its-time episode features the boys trying to get a picture of a flying saucer so they can sell it and become rich. This episode has everything The X-Files episodes have: mistaken identities, cover-ups, backstabs, government agents, it has it all. So is there a connection between this episode and Chris Carter's brain child? Don't trust anyone. The truth is out there...

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!

This is a very good Three Stooges short with Joe! What is bad about it? Its hilarious in My opinion and Emil Sitka was good. The dialog and communication between the Stooges was really good especially the scenes with just Moe and Larry. Flying Saucer Daffy is a good one to watch and is one of most different Three Stooges shorts that was filmed.

I know many people don't think much of Joe as a stooge, but this short is certainly his best, and I think one of the better stooge shorts overall! The story line is one of the few that has an honest beginning, middle, and end. We all know that many of the stooge endings were pretty lame--either it was the boys running away, or being shot at, or they just ended--bang--without a finish to the story. The story elements all make sense here.

On top of that, there's a scene of genuine pathos where Joe gets thrown out of the house for something that wasn't his fault. The looks of dejection and rejection on his face and in his body language tug at your heartstrings. I've seen all 190 of the stooge shorts and can't remember a similar moment.

But my favorite moment is when he's with the two alien females. Many Joe shorts have risqué and suggestive elements not seen in the Curly and Shemp shorts. Joe is giving the girls the once-over (twice-over?) and says, "Say, do you mind if I take a picture of your... spaceship?" Just before he says "spaceship," his eyes alight onto--and then immediately leave--their impressive bosoms.

I also love the moment when he's picking up his camping gear and then has it all fall out of his bag as he leaves. And lest we not forget the flick has a fair quota of stooge stomach banging, head-knocking, and dumb stuff like Larry pulling a tarp full of cans on top of his head and Moe trying to light his cigar but lighting his nose instead.

All in all, an overlooked short that leaves one satisfied.

Like the Stooge film before this one, "Sweet and Hot", this movie falls into place along with "Cuckoo on a Choo Choo" and "He Cooked His Goose"/"Triple Crossed". If you want a vintage-style 3-Stooges movie, don't watch ANY of these films. They are all something different.

Can you BLAME them for trying SOMETHING different a FEW times out of 190? And at this point, they really were not "The 3 Stooges" any more, and we all knew it. So, give them a break for a little experimenting!

And AS something different, take this as a Joe Besser trifle, with Moe and Larry as supporting actors, and it's a perfectly odd, interesting and entertaining short subject to spring on an audience before the feature film. Joe, Moe and Larry (as opposed to "The 3 Stooges") take on the Cinderella story and do a convincing job of it; and it's about as creepy as you'd ever want. Joe has many risqué lines, his acting is really quite good, and for once the meanness behind Moe and Larry makes good sense. (Did you not ever notice that when Moe is not beating up on Curly, Larry is always happy to do it?) The movie doesn't last long, but it's long enough to tie all the ends together. My only criticism is that I think the ending, starting where Joe gets "mad", could have been more imaginative and, at the very end, a little funnier and cuter.

If you want to see Moe and Larry in something REALLY different, watch this film. If you want to see The Three Stooges, you now have 186 other Stooges shorts at your fingertips, thanks to Sony.