Who Done It?

The radio announces that The Phantom Gang has stuck once again. Wealthy Mr. Goodrich fears being next and calls upon the Alert Detective Agency which consists of Larry, Moe, and Shemp. Goodrich's niece, his butler, and monstrous goon Nikko are actually part of the Phantom Gang. They knock him out and take him captive to take his money. Then the Stooges show up.

The setup is a little clunky. I'm not sure the Stooges should be tied up or that The Phantom Gang makes sense. Being tied up leads to one functional joke but the start could be much smarter. Why would The Phantom Gang give a warning to Goodrich? I do have to say that this is probably the best Shemp so far. I like the drink switcheroo turning into a Curly bit. I like picture bit. This is basically a Scooby mystery if it's all Shaggy and Scooby.

This is my second favorite of the Three Stooges episodes I've seen! In this episode Moe, Larry, and Shemp play inept detectives who are sent to protect Mr. Goodrich, a millionaire who been prusued and kidnapped by thugs. Along the way, they go to the millionaire's mansion and get into the most hilarious situations one could imagine in the Three Stooges episode. One funny part was when the millionaire's evil niece drugged Shemp! LOL!

The best part was Shemp and his 'trusty shovel' bit. I always crack up when I see it! Since I didn't have this one on video, I was really thrilled and amazed when I saw "Who Done It" in the "Classic" movie section where the other Stooge videos were! So, if you're a Shemp fan like I am, this Stooge episode is really worth seeing as well as it is worth your time! I give it 4 1/2 stars!

This is apparently one of Shemp's first shorts with the Stooges. (This excludes his much earlier vaudeville years with the team). But the threesome's comedic timing is at its honed best here. Aside from the intense slapstick scenes, there are others more subtle, but just as funny. Watch Larry when Shemp asks him to look at the camera for a snapshot. Or watch the real object prompting Moe's exclamation, "Oh...highly polished mahogany!"

Emil Sitka is at his bewildered goofiest. And the goon may look scary, but he's somehow funny. He seems as frustrated and perplexed with the Stooges as are "regular" people in other shorts.

For Shemp aficionados, this is a must have episode. It won't disappoint.

"Who Done It?" contains many surefire laughs and gags. It is not only one of the best Stooges films with Shemp, it is one of the finest short comedies Columbia produced. Director Bernds originally wrote the screenplay in 1946 for the Stooges, but when Curly Howard suffered a career-ending stroke, it was tailored for the Columbia comedy team of Schilling and Lane (their version was released as "Pardon My Terror.") It obviously was too good for the Stooges to pass up, and it was finally filmed by the Stooges at the end of 1947.

Old Man Goodrich calls ace detectives Shemp, Larry, and Moe out of fear that he will be murdered. When they arrive at his home, Goodrich has disappeared, and his niece and assorted goons try to get rid of the Stooges. Will they find Goodrich and bring the niece and goons to justice?

Shemp is particularly funny in this film. His reactions after being given a mickey by Christine McIntyre are superb; he gives his trademark sound (eeeb-eeeb-eeeb) and Miss McIntyre is noticeably trying not to laugh! Other funny scenes: the close-up of Moe's mug looking through the camera lens; and the in-the-dark fight with all cast members involved.

Nikko the goon (played by Duke York) is one of the most unusual looking characters ever portrayed in a Stooges film. With his kinked hair, he could almost pass for a Stooge, if he didn't tower over everyone else! "Who Done It?" is a gem among the Stooges films with Shemp. Even die-hard Curly fans will enjoy this one! A true Stooge classic. 9 out of 10.

I was jumping like crazy when the video store called me to let me know that this movie "Who Done It" was in. I'm happy I didn't get a speeding ticket as I was racing there to pick it up.

I have just about all the dialogue and scenes memorized and I laugh constantly from the nuttiness of this movie plus all its characters.

One thing that really gets me is the beautiful women that work in these shorts. In this case I'm talking about Christine McIntyre. I think she has been in maybe twenty plus movies with the Three Stooges and has played a myriad of different characters. A very accomplished actress.

The next thing that gets me is the character "The Goon". I always wonder where do they pick these guys up from. You know full well that our heroes, the Three Stooges will always find some way to defeat these monsters. Until they do, it's funny just watching the Stooges just trying to avoid him.

As far as I am concerned, this is one of the better, if not one of the best Three Stooges shorts!