Topic: Shivering Sherlocks (1948)

[metaldams]

http://www.threestooges.net/filmography/episode/104
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040781/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oN08Y5e-r_I

Watch SHIVERING SHERLOCKS in the link above



      It's been a while since we've seen Del Lord, not since BOOBY DUPES, which was in 1945 and twenty shorts ago.  Since then, Del Lord would show up sporadically doing the occasional non Stooge Columbia short and even graduated to features, including an early Bowery Boys entry.  All time, he is my favorite Stooge director.  The series got really strong once he entered with POP GOES THE EASEL and that starting five short run of his plus the classics he did in the late thirties and forties are the stuff of legend.  Sadly, he did show signs of slowing down quality wise towards the end, and SHIVERING SHERLOCKS is not a great way to close.

      SHIVERING SHERLOCKS is merely OK.  It has merit for Stooge fans, but it's one of those shorts that's missing that real classic gag sequence and the story is not the best.  If you're missing the former, at least give me the latter.  Oh, they attempt a classic gag sequence, recycling the oyster soup gag Curly did so brilliantly in DUTIFUL BUT DUMB.  They give the gag to Moe, who instead of acting like Moe, acts like Curly!  The squeals, the face palming, the timing, he's really trying to impersonate his brother.  Moe is great acting like Moe, and there will be later Shemp shorts where the boys are simply in a room with tools and Moe gets to be Moe.  The world is a better place for having those shorts.  Here, Moe's attempt at being Curly comes across as being misguided. 

      While I'm in bitching mode, this is one of Christine McIntyre's least satisfying roles.  She almost seems bored, which is so rare for her.  I can't blame her, there's no meat to her role.  She's simply a store owner who can't pay her bills, and she later becomes a damsel in distress.  The boys help her, but it would've been nice if they had a more fleshed out character to work with.  Think CASH AND CARRY.  Think of how something simple like the math scene or the boys giving back to the young siblings added humanity to that short.  Something like that here would've been more appropriate than the bounced check scene, which worked against the heroine they're trying to help.

      OK, enough of me being a downer, like I said, there's some merit here.  There are some nice production touches, especially the intro, which plays like a good film noir of the era.  The introduction of the boys, with Shemp's garbage line and them biting each other's feet in the trash can is one of the best intros of the boys out there.  Kenneth MacDonald and Frank Lackteen are fun to watch, and I swear they are trying to act like Karloff and Lugosi, respectively (a shame neither worked with The Three Stooges).  Angel is a bit creepy as well!  Shemp is in high spirits throughout the short, and I love watching him drop barrels from above on the bad guys.  The best part of the short, besides the intro, would have to be the lie detector scene.  Just a fun energetic scene with the boys and Vernon.  I love Larry showing his visible means of support, and the lie detector's reaction to Vernon's lodge meeting!

      Del Lord, thanks for all the laughs.

7/10

[Shemp_Diesel]

This short is interesting for me because I would say it's the one rare time where the Jules White stock footage remake is superior--the only case where I would make that statement. But--on its own merits--Sherlocks is still passable, especially if you're willing to overlook the plotholes (holes which would get filled in the remake).

The best part of Sherlocks is definitely the opening with the boys in the trash can and the later "lie detector" scene. I wonder what Vernon was really doing at 11 O' clock.   

Where this short--and its remake--tail off for me is when the stooges get to the old, deserted house. I've harped on this before & I'll bring it up again--the stooges doing "spookhouse" antics was not their strong suit. If I want to see a comedian in a haunted house, I would rather it be Lou Costello--maybe that's just me.

Oh, and I forgot to mention the good paint/coffee scene with Vernon and Shemp (this is better)...

6 out of 10...

[Paul Pain]

Metaldams summarized all my feelings in his review.  Thanks for being a pal and saving me the typing!

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

Yeah, very average.  Perfectly watchable, but let's say not a treat.  Usually, the first time they try a concept is the best and it goes downhill the more they remake it, but later Shemp spookies are better than this, notably, of course, Who Done It.  Moe's clam chowder sequence is cringe-worthy, a total embarrassment.

[Dr. Hugo Gansamacher]

Ah, yes--the "Ee-light" Café! I wonder if the word "élite" was widely pronounced that way in 1948. I don't think the word was as commonly used then as it has become in more recent decades.

As noted, there is no satisfying long sequence in this one; but there are a few good minor gags along the way:

• Police detective Vernon Dent breaking the lie detector by telling Shemp, "I was at a lodge meeting."
• Moe going through the checks signed by customers who don't pay: Larry Fine (slap!), Shemp Howard (slap!), and Moe Howard--"What are you guys looking at?" (slap!). Shemp's line scolding Larry is notable: "You've got a lot of crust, you have!"
• Stanley Blystone resolutely ordering short ribs from Larry and making sure that Larry gets the point: "SHORT RIBS!"--"Short ribs!"
• Shemp test-drinking the paint and then the coffee. "Eebeebeebeebee! This [the paint] is better!"

Edited to add: I ought also to have mentioned the bit (mentioned by Shemp_Diesel and Kopfy2013) in which the Stooges emerge from the garbage can and bite each others' feet.

[Kopfy2013]

 I debated giving this short a 7 or 8.  I went with the 8.

I was entertained and really liked Shemp in this short. In the garbage can, with the police, at lie detector, when he thought head was chomped off, his interaction with Angel. Curly was better in the kitchen though.

[Signor Spumoni]

Ah, yes--the "Ee-light" Café! I wonder if the word "élite" was widely pronounced that way in 1948. I don't think the word was as commonly used then as it has become in more recent decades.

I think the word was pronounced that way to demonstrate Shemp's lack of smarts.  The radio show, "Duffy's Tavern," used the word often because the fictional tavern's slogan was, "Where the elite meet to eat."  It was always pronounced correctly.  DT came on the air around 1940-1941, which predates this short.

[Dr. Hugo Gansamacher]

I think the word was pronounced that way to demonstrate Shemp's lack of smarts.  The radio show, "Duffy's Tavern," used the word often because the fictional tavern's slogan was, "Where the elite meet to eat."  It was always pronounced correctly.  DT came on the air around 1940-1941, which predates this short.

Thanks for the historical information. The first time (or some early time) that I saw the short, I couldn't understand what Shemp said when he named the restaurant. Then when the window with the name on it appeared, I thought: "That's not what Shemp said!" It was only on the next viewing that I figured out that he was pronouncing "élite" as "ee-light."

[Signor Spumoni]

Thanks for the historical information. The first time (or some early time) that I saw the short, I couldn't understand what Shemp said when he named the restaurant. Then when the window with the name on it appeared, I thought: "That's not what Shemp said!" It was only on the next viewing that I figured out that he was pronouncing "élite" as "ee-light."

You're welcome.  I had exactly the same experience with that word when I saw this short. 

[Signor Spumoni]

This is a small addendum to the pronunciation of "elite."  I was reading Jules Tygiel's introduction to a 1995 printing of Roy Campanella's autobiography, and saw this:  "...he found himself catching for the Baltimore Elite  (pronounced E-Light) Giants, one of the great Negro League teams of the Depression and World War II era."  Pronunciations change with time and place.  I retract my assertion that Shemp's "E-Light Cafe" pronunciation was for comedy effect only.  If I had an elite education, I would know better than that. 

[Woe-ee-Woe-Woe80]

As a kid I used to get this short mixed up with "Of Cash And Hash" and always remember being disappointed when this short came on because it didn't have the scene where the Stooges and Gladys were driving after the criminals and get blocked by a moving truck, I also thought the ending to "Hash" was far better than this song because that short had a happier, more joyful ending than this one, I also noticed that short was shown a lot less often than this short.

Overall I give this short a 6/10, definitely the weakest Shemp episode we've seen yet and I always preferred "Hash" over this one.

[Dr. Mabuse]

It's great to see footage of Del Lord and hear his voice in the kinescope of "This Is Your Life: Mack Sennett" (1954). Del shows up in a running gag that begins at the 3:38 mark and he pays tribute to Sennett at the 13:00 mark. Sennett, in turn, praises Del as "the greatest comedy director in the business."

[metaldams]

It's great to see footage of Del Lord and hear his voice in a kinescope of "This Is Your Life: Mack Sennett" (1954). Del shows up in a running gag that begins at the 3:30 mark and pays tribute to Sennett at the 12:30 mark. Sennett, in turn, praises Del as "the greatest comedy director in the business."

I’m going to watch this later this weekend, thanks for the post.

I’ve seen Keaton and Karloff’s episodes, but never Sennett’s.  Looking forward to hearing Del Lord.

[Dunrobin]

I definitely want to watch the video later, too.  I was just reading about Del Lord in The Columbia Comedy Shorts, so it will be interesting to see and hear him.

[Umbrella Sam]

It's great to see footage of Del Lord and hear his voice in this kinescope of "This Is Your Life: Mack Sennett" (1954). Del shows up in a running gag that begins at the 3:30 mark and pays tribute to Sennett at the 12:30 mark. Sennett, in turn, praises Del as "the greatest comedy director in the business."

Thanks for sharing. I remember seeing this a few years ago when it was originally uploaded to YouTube and was fascinated by all the appearances of performers from that period. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe this is Vernon Dent’s last known performance, isn’t it?

[Woe-ee-Woe-Woe80]

Del Lord's final Stooge outing remains among his lesser efforts.  "Shivering Sherlocks" looks like it could have been directed by any two-reel craftsman. Moe, Larry, Shemp and a memorable supporting cast partially succeed in redeeming a lackluster script that rehashes past glories. Unfortunately, Columbia's reduced production values fit Del like a straitjacket. Lame ending to boot. What's really sad is to see Moe imitating Curly (it won't be the last time), which makes you miss the irreplaceable Stooge all the more. Despite my criticisms, there are worse ways to spend 17 minutes.

6/10

Was never a big fan of this short either despite there being some funny moments, I actually prefer the remake "Of Cash And Hash" more because it flowed better and the ending was a major improvement, kinda sad that this was Del Lord's last Stooge outing considering his previous short "Booby Dupes" (which was filmed 3 years later) was a strong, solid effort.

[Daddy Dewdrop]

One of the better Shemp outings, IMO.  I rank it #15 (Shemp) and #66 overall.