The Three Stooges: Greatest Hits and Rarities

“Greatest Hits”? That's a stretch, unless you happen to be an ardent Shemp or Curly Joe fan; the fact is that most guys (taking for granted here that men love the Stooges and chicks hate ‘em) think the nyuk-nyukleheads' best lineup was Larry, Moe and Curly, a trio that's woefully under-represented here. Indeed, of the four shorts contained in this package, only “Disorder in the Court” features those three; not coincidentally, it's also the only one deserving of the “classic” tag, with the Stooges' masterful timing and slapstick routines in full effect. As for the rarities, well, the majority of this material, which includes a 1950 TV appearance and a couple of shorts from the ‘30s, would have been better off left unseen; it's mostly of very poor technical quality (grainy, washed-out visuals and awful sound), and of dubious interest to anyone other than Stooges completists and lovers of old time comedians like Ed Wynn and Ben Turpin. Recommended for ardent fans only, and very optional elsewhere. (S. Graham)