Snow White and the Three Stooges

If you, like most of the critics, were expecting to see a comedy, forget it! The Stooges, in their only color film, tried to do it straight and I think they succeeded. They were starting to get a bit older at this time, and I think they wanted to show the world that they could act and carry off a beautiful fairy tale. Sure, there are some funny spots... but this is an adventure, with romance and fantasy thrown in for good measure. Carol Heiss and Patricia Medina are excellent as Snow White and the Queen/Witch. Nice wide screen photography, FX, and action. THIS IS A GOOD FILM!

''Snow White And The Three Stooges'' was the most lavish film the famous comedy team was ever associated with. (not counting their brief cameo appearance in ''It's A Mad,Mad Mad Mad World''). Released in 1961, ''Snow White'' had a budget of 3.5 million dollars. Originally, director Frank Tashlin, who had directed Jerry Lewis in the fairy tale farce ''Cinderfella'' was set to helm the film. However, when production got underway in late 1960, he had been replaced by famed director Walter Lang, known for the many musicals he made during ''Hollywood's ''Golden Age''.In fact, ''Snow White'' was his last film. Somehow, 20th Century-Fox, who were then in serious trouble after a series of expensive duds (and pouring tons of money into the fiasco ''Cleopatra'') gave the OK for the 3-plus million dollar budget, which was originally set at a mere $750,000. The star of the film was Olympic skating champion Carol Heiss. She was 20 years old at the time and had won her Gold Medal the year before. In fact, ''Snow White'' was always intended as a vehicle for her skating talents, with the Stooges aboard merely as support. Cast in the dual role of the Wicked Queen and the Witch she turned into was veteran leading lady Patricia Medina, who had recently married the actor Joseph Cotten. Edson Stroll, a virtual unknown, played Prince Charming, while British character player Guy Rolfe (beating out Martin Landau) was the evil Count Oga, henchman to the Queen.Also present were Blossom Rock, sister of Jeanette MacDonald, who would gain fame later as ''Grandmama'' on the ''Addams Family'' TV series, as the Prince's onetime Nurse, and Herbie Faye as the Head Cook.And look for veteran ''codger'' Burt Mustin (''Detective Story'') cast as a disgruntled spectator in the ''Medicine Show'' sequence. The plot is basically the same as the Grimm fairy tale, with the skating sequences added to showcase Carol Heiss' talents on ice. The Stooges are substitutes for the vacationing Seven Dwarfs, and are ultimately responsible for uniting Snow White with her Prince. He has grown up with the Stooges, who have a traveling medicine show, and he becomes part of the act after they rescue him from an assassination attempt engineered by the Queen. ''Snow White And The Three Stooges'' has long been reviled by critics, fans of the Stooges and even the Stooges themselves, who felt cheated by the rather subordinate roles they play. When it was released in the summer of 1961, it proved yet another flop for the beleaguered studio. It is, however, a wonderful fantasy with fine performances by Carol Heiss, who made a lovely Snow White in what was both her film debut and her swan song, the beautiful Patricia Medina (as the Wicked Queen) who conveyed the evil in her character without overdoing it, Guy Rolfe, as sinister a villain as one could wish for, and Edson Stroll, a ''charming'' Prince of whom little was heard from since, outside of a part in the ''Mchale's Navy'' TV series. He and Ms. Heiss have a few songs together (though both are dubbed) and have good chemistry in their romantic scenes. Ms. Heiss sings courtesy of Lawrence Welk's ''Champagne Lady'' Norma Zimmer. Stroll's ''ghost voice'' was none other than Bill Lee, who dubbed for, among others, Christopher Plummer, in ''The Sound Of Music. The voice he uses in his ventriloquist act is that of Mel Blanc (''Bugs Bunny''). As for the Stooges, they are fine in their parts, and prove they can be touching as well. The CinemaScope production is truly beautiful. with sets and costumes in gorgeous color, which convey the perfect fairy tale mood, as well as establishing where a good deal of the budget went. The music score by Lyn Murray, and the songs by Harry Harris and Earl Brent are delightful as well. Two of them, (''Snow White And The Three Stooges'' and a number by the Stooges themselves ''Looking For People Looking For Fun'') were sadly deleted from the final cut, though the latter tune can be heard on the Columbia soundtrack album, and the former on a 45 backed with the title tune, ''A Place Called Happiness''. Although the film was also criticized for toning down the Stooges antics, there is, after all, little room for all-out slapstick in a fantasy of this kind without destroying the mood. There is a brief pie-throwing scene, of course. But though it's better appreciated by fans of fantasy than Stoogephiles, the film is successful as a lavish and satisfying adaptation of a classic fairy tale, and no apologies need be made for it.

This movie has been slammed by disappointed fans of the 3 Stooges for good reason! However, with all things considered, this movie set out what it was meant to do. It put Carol Heiss in the limelight, focusing more on her incredible skills as a champion ice skater and a little less on her not-so-incredible skills as an actress.

This movie was standard matinée material in 1962. It was meant to be shown in movie theaters full of children.

Considering that the movie was made in a time when the PTA was a very powerful force to reckon with, the 3 Stooges wisely limited their slapstick routine, though not entirely. Moe is still the boss. Larry and Curly-Joe still get in the way. There was still some fun slapstick and some pie-in-the-face comic mayhem, though there are no poking in the eyes.

In an early scene, the 3 Stooges are trying to sell their product, called "Yuk". An old spectator in the crowd, heckles the Stooges, calling them "frauds". Was that old spectator played by Lou Archer? (Lou Archer played "Good Time Charlie" in the 1935 Stooge short, UNCIVAL WARRIORS.)

The movie showed promise in the beginning. An introduction with the story book, its pages turning with the Stooges showing up in the wrong time, much to the irritation of the narrator, leads the viewer to believe that this is the makings of a "fractured fairy tale". Sad to say, this was not the case.

This is not a 3 Stooges movie to be shown at any Stooge Filmfest. In spite of all this, I must give this movie a High Six after all, this film was intended to entertain a younger audience, which it did!

The movie trailer for this movie (an added feature on the DVD) accurately described the movie with promises of lots of ice skating, swashbuckling sword fights, love & romance, and (of course) the 3 Stooges.

It would seem that I agree with about half of the other reviewers of this film. It HAS been unfairly blasted by Stooges fans because the emphasis is on the fantasy and not on the slapstick humour of the much-beloved trio. Personally, although I enjoyed their antics as a child, I was never a fan of the Stooges and would never put them in the same class as Abbott and Costello, for example. Nevertheless, they prove in this film that they are not bad actors at all. The sets and opulent costumes boost this film considerably, as do the presence of the very dark, traditional elements of European folklore, and I think this movie would have been a GREAT fantasy film if there had been seven dwarfs in it! I would agree that Carol Heiss is not a very good actress, but the character of Snow White does not call for the use of great thespian skills. I think that Patricia Medina makes this movie: she is gorgeous and exudes delicious villainy as the Queen/Witch. She was the major draw for me when I watched this film as a child. Guy Rolfe, as Count Oga, is also very effective, and the siege on the castle well-mounted. Fantasy film fans are bound to like this better than Stooges fans.

Though nothing as memorable as the musical score from Walt Disney's animated Snow White comes out of this film, this children's story has one thing the other doesn't have. Well three things actually.

Instead of seven dwarfs to serve her exiled majesty in the forest, Snow White has Moe, Larry, and Curly Joe at her beck and call. Snow White And The Three Stooges was a film especially designed to make Olympic ice skating star Carol Heiss, the Sonia Henie for a new generation. It didn't quite work out that way for Heiss who got to show her stuff on the ice through an imaginary dream ice ballet. You can also plainly see that other than some establishing shots during that sequence it's not her less ice talented cast members in the ballet with her.

Of course the Three Stooges are up to their usual monkeyshines. In those last years of feature films with Curly Joe, it was a kinder and gentler Moe slapping the other two around. I well remember in the late Fifties when WPIX started running those old Stooge shorts from Columbia there were many complaints about how violent they were, that little kids were imitating Moe doing all kinds of nasty things to their littler brothers and sisters. I think Columbia had them tone it down a bit in those last years.

Edson Stroll who later served on the PT-73 with Ernest Borgnine and the rest of that crew in McHale's Navy makes a stalwart Prince Charming. And Patricia Medina and Guy Rolfe as the villains are feasting on all the scenery available, but it's those kind of parts and they both look very happy. As for Carol Heiss as Snow White, she was a great figure skater and might have in a few more films become competent as an actress as Sonia Henie did. But she preferred the ice to the soundstage and probably was happier for it.

Snow White And The Three Stooges is a nice charming filmed fairy tale and it's for Stooge fans of all ages.