http://www.threestooges.net/filmography/episode/120http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042863/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1http://www.emilsitka.com/punchycowpunchers1950.htmlRead Emil Sitka's notes on PUNCHY COWPUNCHERS above
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6_9ZC5FNnQsWatch PUNCHY COWPUNCHERS in the link above
Strange reviewing one of these shorts on a Wednesday night, will be back to the weekends (and early Friday too with my new shift), next weekend, but a getaway for me is here this weekend, so this one's getting done early. Also, we hit a landmark as we are now entering the final decade of shorts, the 50's. The 50's start out lower budget with the occasional experimental short, segueing into stock footage jobs, the death of Shemp, the back of Joe Palma's head, Joe Besser, and finally, the first feature with Curly Joe. We have a lot to discuss for this decade, and I'm sure the opinions will be strong. Should be interesting!
PUNCHY COWPUNCHERS falls into the experimental category. Some experiments I love, some I hate, and this one falls in the middle leaning more towards the I like it side....but not classic. Still, interesting. First, we'll discuss the boys themselves. Really, there isn't much to say. They are beyond seasoned pros at this point and do a fine job going through mediocre material for them. A western where they get captured, have a scene at the bar, wear disguises as bartenders, feels like déjà vu all over again, as Yogi would say. My favorite bit is when they discuss the saddle at the beginning, wondering which side they'd slip off and the little gag involving a car horn sound on the saddle. Not all time great comedy, but pleasant.
Really, the comic highlights here are Jock Mahoney and especially Christine McIntyre. Jock, a Hollywood stunt double as well as actor, takes some nice pratfalls and does a wonderful job playing the handsome yet dumb cowboy. His scene with Vernon about the Calvary not being available because it was just pay day and "boys will be boys" is also gold. Very rare to see any branch of the military, even a historical one, being spoofed so soon after World War II, so I find that interesting. Christine really shines as the damsel in distress, some of the best stuff she's ever done. It's great the way she knocks out the would be rapists and comfortably decides where she's going to faint, the mini head bump version being especially funny. Sure enough, it's also Jock and Christine getting the final gag and shot, not the boys. Funny gag with Jock taking a nice pratfall and Christine showing who's going to be the boss in that relationship. A weak little woman my ass.
The majority of the short can't decide whether it wants to be a drama or comedy. The actors, every single one of them, do fine, but just aren't given much to focus on. The film really picks up with the ending montage scene that involves background music, so rare in a Columbia short. The music, montage editing, and the fact Christine and Jock get the original comedy are the experimental and even best stuff about this short. It's just a shame the writers didn't give The Three Stooges more original material and give the dramatic element some teeth.
8/10
