Leonard Maltin narrates this bland retelling of the Three Stooges' early films at MGM with Ted Healy. Included are clips from "Nertsery Rhymes", "Beer and Pretzels", "Roast Beef and Movies", "Dancing Lady", "Hollywood Party", and others. Among the actors who appear are Joan Crawford, Edna May Oliver and Bonnie Bonnell. Films of the Stooges' stage act with Healy are also included.
Serious fans of the Stooges have already seen the films in their entirety, so this compilation serves as an early history of the group. The Stooges appear to be rather restrained, and Healy's acting is more annoying than funny in this documentary. The film won't make you laugh out loud like the Stooges' later shorts will, but it's fairly interesting. Some of the clips are pretty labored and only have scattered laughs, so there are long dead stretches in this film, mostly due to Healy. It's not much compared to the Stooges' later shorts at Columbia, but on its own terms, fairly interesting.
Serious fans of the Stooges have already seen the films in their entirety, so this compilation serves as an early history of the group. The Stooges appear to be rather restrained, and Healy's acting is more annoying than funny in this documentary. The film won't make you laugh out loud like the Stooges' later shorts will, but it's fairly interesting. Some of the clips are pretty labored and only have scattered laughs, so there are long dead stretches in this film, mostly due to Healy. It's not much compared to the Stooges' later shorts at Columbia, but on its own terms, fairly interesting.
