Shemp Cocktail: A Toast To The Original Stooge

Buy This Item Shemp Cocktail: A Toast To The Original Stooge by Passport  Available from Amazon  $14.99  on 10-4-2008     Much has been made of Moe, Larry and Curly – and rightly so – but Shemp Howard was a comic master too often overlooked, with a solo career that far outshone that of the other Stooges. Apart from costarring in many classic Three Stooges shorts, Shemp appeared opposite such fellow comic legends as W.C. Fields, Ed Wynn, Bert Lahr, and Abbott & Costello, as well as such luminaries as John Barrymore, William Powell, Jack Haley, and The Andrews Sisters. <P> This long-overdue 2-disc spotlight on Shemp – one of the first and one of the last Stooges and brother of Moe and Curly Howard – contains two early ‘30s solo Shemp shorts; a trio of Shemp’s Three Stooges shorts; a live TV Camel Comedy Caravan with Shemp, Larry, and Moe; the complete 1942 feature Private Buckaroo, starring Shemp and The Andrews Sisters; the 1949 feature Africa Screams, starring Abbott & Costello and Shemp - and more, including outtakes from Africa Screams and sequences from the 1935 drama Convention Girl, in which Shemp plays it straight as a smalltime hood! <P> But the real treasure is a remarkable, revealing, and very intimate look at Shemp Howard’s life and career featuring exclusive interviews with Shemp’s daughter-in-law, Geri Howard Greenbaum; Geri’s sister, Diane Silvers; and Shemp’s granddaughter, Jill Howard Ullo. These touching, humorous and fascinating firsthand reminiscences are supplemented by rare, never-before-seen home movies, personal photos, and priceless memorabilia from Geri, Jill, and Shemp’s second granddaughter (and namesake), Sandie Howard Isaac. A well-deserved salute that is a must for fans of the Three Stooges and classic comedy! <P> Disc One <P> Henry the Ache (1934) – Bert Lahr (THE WIZARD OF OZ) is King Henry in a parody of the then-current Charles Laughton film, with Shemp as one of his lackeys. (17:12) <P> Knife of the Party (1934) –Shemp is the leader of a different group of Stooges (four instead of three) who have to work at a hotel to pay their bill. (20:00) <P> Convention Girl (1935) – Sequences from a rare drama starring Rose Hobart (DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE), in which Schemp plays a straight role – a small-time hood who resorts to extortion and attempted murder! (10:00) <P> Private Buckaroo (1942) – Shemp is an Army drill sergeant, Dick Foran (THE MUMMY’S HAND) is a new recruit, and The Andrews Sisters provide musical accompaniment in this wartime delight. (68:10) <P> Africa Screams (1949) – Shemp and future Stooge, Joe Besser, provide strong support in this jungle-themed Abbott & Costello classic (including outtakes!). (80:00) <P> Disc Two <P> The Brideless Groom (1947) – Moe and Larry help Shemp get married immediately so he won’t lose out on his inheritance. Hold hands, you lovebirds! (16:35) <P> Sing a Song of Six Pants (1947) – Shemp, Moe and Larry have "pressing business" in a dry-cleaning store but get mixed up with bank robbers. (16:53) <P> Malice in the Palace (1949) – Shemp, Moe and Larry are restaurateurs who run off to a faraway land in search of the Rootin Tootin Diamond. (15:42) <P> Camel Comedy Caravan (1950) – A rare, live kinescope with Shemp, Moe and Larry as TV executives (!) who harass Ed Wynn on his television show. (28:07) <P> Bonus: <P> Remembering Shemp - An intimate look at Shemp Howard’s life and career featuring exclusive interviews with Shemp’s daughter-in-law, Geri Howard Greenbaum; Geri’s sister, Diane Silvers; and Shemp’s granddaughter, Jill Howard Ullo. These touching reminiscences are supplemented by rare, never-before-seen home movies, personal photos, and priceless memorabilia. (approx. 45 mins.) Reader Reviews Shemp Howard (Samuel Horowitz) was an original member of the comedic vaudeville troupe known as (among other names) "Ted Healy & his Southern Gentlemen," along with his brother Moe (Moses) and later Larry Fine (Louis Fienberg). In this early incarnation, Healy was the leader who slapped the others around. Eventually the trio split with Healy, Shemp went to Hollywood and his brother Curly (Jerome) joined with Moe and Larry to continue touring vaudeville as a trio. Throughout the 1930s, Shemp had a considerable solo film career at Warner's, RKO, MGM, and Monogram. During this time he co-starred as Knobby Walsh in the Joe Palooka series. Later, at Universal, Shemp appeared in the comedy classics "Buck Privates" (Abbott & Costello) and "The Bank Dick" (WC Fields). SHEMP COCKTAIL is comprised of features ("Africa Screams" and "Private Buckaroo") and Three Stooges shorts that are all widely circulated public domain material. "Henry the Ache," "Knife of the Party" and the excerpts of "Convention Girl" are much rarer and thus of especial interest to collectors. This twin-DVD set's manufacturer, PASSPORT VIDEO, has in the past superimposed a faint watermark on-screen at all times. Also, they've heavily filtered audio, much to the detriment of clarity. Whether these failings have been positively addressed in their new product remains to be seen. Slapstick fans are sure to love THE THREE STOOGES COLLECTION, Volume One. This outstanding quality package presents the boys' first 19 COLUMBIA shorts in chronological order. . Parenthetical numbers preceding titles are 1 to 10 viewer poll ratings found at a film resource website DISC ONE-- (4.1) Henry the Ache (1934) - Bert Lahr/Janet Reade/Monte Collins/Shemp Howard (4.9) The Knife of the Party (1934) - Lillian Miles/Jack Good/Shemp Howard and his Stooges (7.7) (excerpts from) Convention Girl (1935) - Rose Hobart/Herbert Rawlinson/Shemp Howard (5.3) Private Buckaroo (1942) - The Andrews Sisters/Dick Foran/Joe E. Lewis/Shemp Howard/Harry James/Donald O'Connor/Huntz Hall (6.2) Africa Screams (1949) - Bud Abbott/Lou Costello/Clyde Beatty/Frank Buck/Max Baer/Buddy Baer/Hilary Brooke/Shemp Howard/Joe Besser DISC TWO-- (7.0) Brideless Groom (1947) - Three Stooges/Christine McIntyre/Emil Sitka (7.0) Sing a Song of Six Pants (1947) - Three Stooges/Virginia Hunter/Vernon Dent/Jules White (announcer on radio) (6.9) Malice in the Palace (1949) - Three Stooges/George J. Lewis/Vernon Dent (???) Camel Comedy Caravan (TV-1950) - Ed Wynn/The Three Stooges BONUS-- Remembering Shemp - (Interviews with Howard family members)

Shemp Cocktail: A Toast To The Original Stooge Available from Amazon Price: $14.99 Updated on 10-4-2008.

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