Boobs in the Woods

Andy Clyde is stuck running the switchboard in the middle of a music shop where people are trying out the drums and running vocal exercises. Even worse, Shemp Howard is his mooching brother-in-law who gets Andy fired so they can go on a vacation.

Andy and Shemp co-starred in three Columbia shorts and this is more a Shemp short with Andy as his stooge. Andy's slow pace isn't terribly well suited to Shemp's pacing, but he spent many years working for Sennett as a second banana and acquits himself well. As a result it comes down to whether you enjoy Shemp's high-pressure obnoxiousness and the combination of the cheap effects of Jules White's unit in this period and Shemp aren't to my taste. He's fine as a second banana in features, but not here.

Still, if you like Shemp, you'll like this.

In the 1940s, Shemp worked with Columbia Pictures--first with short films where they tried pairing him with various actors (such as Andy Clyde and Ed Brendel), then with some solo films and, finally, when he rejoined the Three Stooges. It seems that back in the Vaudeville days, Shemp was a member of the act but quit to go off on his own and he was replaced by his younger brother, Jerry (re-named Curly for the films).

"Boobs in the Woods" is one of several shorts which paired Andy Clyde and Shemp Howard...and Clyde received top billing. Oddly, while Andy plays a guy named Andy, Shemp plays Gus....though he almost always played a guy named Shemp.

Gus is Andy's annoying brother-in-law. He gets Andy fired from his job and then moves in with him and his wife...making his life miserable. The misery got even worse when the trio end up going on vacation. Again and again, when Andy has encounters with cops and park rangers, Gus manages to make matters worse!

Overall, this is an enjoyable short because watching an innocent man destroyed by his obnoxious brother-in-law is pretty funny in and of itself. Sure, you feels sorry for Andy...but seeing him miserable is pretty enjoyable as well.