Slippery Silks

(IMO) - The well-known team of Howard, Fine, and Howard (that's Curly, Larry, and Moe) have got to be 3 of the zaniest stooges, ever, in all of movie-comedy history, bar none.

And, here in "Slippery Silks" (among all of the insults, eye-pokes, face slaps, and belly wallops) the Three Stooges find themselves unexpectedly promoted (through the wackiest circumstances) from being artistic woodworkers to that of high-fashion designers of women's clothing.... (Well - La-de-da!)

And, of course, in this surprisingly sudden career transition you can be 100% sure that the Three Stooges are gonna cause all sorts of hilarious mayhem, and whatnot, that is guaranteed to tickle more than just your funny-bone. Oh - Yes - Indeed!

December 1936's "Slippery Silks," the Stooges perform their first pie throwing sequence. Technically, however, their first 'tossing substance in the face" routine is seen in their earlier 1935's "Pop Goes the Easel," where the boys throw sculptor's clay at everyone. In their latest incarnation, the three are carpenters designing and building unique furniture. They soon learn they've inherited a fancy dress boutique from their uncle right after they've destroyed a customer's valuable antique Chinese miniature cabinet. Once ensconced in the new boutique, they're asked to hold a fashion show where the models display the latest in Parisian fashion. Included in the presentation are a couple of dresses designed by Larry that look like cabinets. The show is interrupted by the owner of the valuable Chinese antique the Stooges had destroyed, setting off the hysterically humorous cream puff and pie fight.

Moe Howard claimed he was the only one who threw all the pastries into the actors' faces since, he bragged, he was the most accurate thrower on the set. Over 100 cream puffs were thrown, Moe recalled. But the studio ran out of pastries, so "they had to scrape every ounce of cream off the floor, along with the dirt and sawdust, to finish the short." (Possibly a slight exaggeration on Moe's part). He stated during an interview on the Mike Douglas TV show the "studio auditors claimed I had saved them tens of thousands of dollars with my accuracy in the pie throw." The elder Moe demonstrated his pie-throwing technique to Douglas and his guest Ted Knight while the audiences howled at the antics taking place before the cameras.

Slippery Silks (1936)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

The Three Stooges inherit a rich silk shop but of course they manage to screw it up. The second half of this short, taking place in the silk shop, is rather unfunny, although we're treated to another food fight. The first half has the boys in a wood shop causing all sorts of damage and this is here all the laughs are to be found. Curley falling into the nails and all the gags with the glue are among the highlights.

Now available on Columbia's 2-disc set, which features over 20 shorts, all digitally remastered and looking better than ever.

One thing I learned about watching the Stooges for decades, DON'T ask questions.

Here's why...

It all starts out with the guys working as skilled carpenters(?), assigned to a rare, antique cabinet, yes, probably worth a million bucks today! How did they land this gig? Moe and Curly literally destroy the thing (in the tradition of Laurel and Hardy) and run for their lives from the clutches of the owner, Mr. Morgan (Vernon Dent).

Luck comes knocking at their door? Their late uncle happens to leave them a fancy French boutique, worth a fortune, and the guys become overnight fashion experts. How can that be? Answer: Just roll with it.

BEST part to follow; Moe, Larry and Curly stage a fashion show with the help of Mrs. Morgan (Symona Boniface), the wife of the guy who wants to wring their necks!

Don't ask about that coincidence either. A positively insane chain of events.

I agree. This culminates with one of the wildest cream-puff fights, the sloppier the better. Moe commented many years later he had perfect aim when it came to pies, saving the studio a fortune in re-takes. Whatever the prop department put in the pies and puffs made an expensive MESS. Symona Boniface, perfect exasperated foil for the Stooges, was often compared to Margaret Dumont and her escapdes with Marx Brothers. A salute also to hot headed Vernon Dent. In a class by himself. Actress June Gittelson returns, now playing a "plump" party guest. June was becoming a fixture in the films, and we loved her.

Written by Scottish Ewart Adamson, who excelled at writing comedy short films and screenplays for decades. His screenplay is a minor masterpiece. Directed by Jack White, alias Preston Black, who must have had a blast setting this one up.

Always on Columbia dvd, remastered and released generally by decades, 30s, 40s and 50s episodes. Thanks again to METV for running these oldies Saturday nights. You make our weekends.

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 hilarious Three Stooges shorts is Slippery Silks. In this short are Vernon Dent, Symona Boniface, Eddie Laughton, William Irving, and Jack 'Tiny' Lipson. The acting by these actors especially by Dent is very good. There are many funny scenes here that I think most Three Stooges fans will love! I recommend this one!