I can't really get nostalgic about The Three Stooges because I'm too young and I haven't seen every Buster Keaton or Harold Lloyd film just yet. But let me just say that the last time Sony issued a sizeable anthology of the comic trio's early works, a two-disc collection spanning the years 1934-1936, I was there with a review. And having first experienced them in my childhood, it was so uplifting, my head hit the ceiling. Rightfully dubbed as "fan requested," these hopefully continuing series of Stooges shorts offered up chronologically-arranged and amazingly restored editions of theatrically-released comedies both familiar to those who followed them through their scatterbrained home video history ("Disorder in the Court" is definitely the one true mainstay) and never having been issued before ("Horses' Collars," which is a shame because of the immortal line "Moe! Larry! The cheese!").

Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard were Vaudeville-trained comics who had an undeniable family dynamic when presented on camera: Moe is the abusive stepfather, Curly the giddy manchild and Larry's somehow stuck in the middle and often times the most sensible, just like most mothers. They usually started out their comedies as layabouts or vagabonds, forced into situations where they could demonstrate their lowbrow comic charms and often times make fun of convention and class. These absurd adventures, peppered with corny jokes and physical slapstick, seem to have been developed to the point of mad science. Among the many famous fans would have to be Quentin Tarantino (of course, a Shemp-era short turns up in Pulp Fiction), Mel Brooks (I'm sure Young Frankenstein showed their meshugeh influence), Sam Raimi (Evil Dead II! Soitenly!), and even Mel Gibson (he introduced Michael Fleming's "official and authorized" Stooges biography before things got mies).

Let's just bring it down to the basic observation I've come to make: The Three Stooges influence is unavoidable. Whenever I see a pratfall or a pie fight, I think of them. I can't even think of a derby hat without ducking. Anytime I'm forced to watch a really bad comedy (especially anything made by the terrible twosome behind Meet the Spartans), I block the offending movie out my mind and replay a reel of five random Stooges shorts. The great cliché is that The Three Stooges is merely a guy thing, but there's no doubt that women likely testify to settling for lesser things as much as men (forget Michael Bay, why do Aaron & Jason get to keep making movies?). At 24 years old, I will testify without shame that I think of The Three Stooges as hilarious and their shorts as essential early examples of manic physical comedy and wordplay.

THE THREE STOOGES COLLECTION: VOLUME TWO, 1937-1939, released on May 27, 2008, continues the non-themed grouping of The Three Stooges earliest comedies, with a third volume coming on August 26 of this year. At a sale price of $19.99 on Amazon.com, it's wise buy compared to other Stooges shorts: you get two discs and 24 complete short films that run under 20 minutes each, all of which have never looked better presented and some of them debuting on home video for the first time. Let's get into the content now:

DISC ONE:
"Grips, Grunts and Groans" (Jan. 13, 1937)
The Stooges run away from the police after being caught hitching a ride in a boxcar and end up at Hangover Athletic Club. Curly gets to be a sparring partner for money, but the trainers of boozehound boxer Ivan Bustoff (Harrison Greene) hire the Stooges for a more punch drunk task. Moe, Larry and Curly are assigned to keep Bustoff sober for an upcoming fight in the hopes of getting $200. In a twist borrowed from "Punch Drunks," Curly's violent reaction to Wild Hyacinth perfume comes in handy when the task gets out of hand. The first Stooges short to feature the Stooges attempting to evade trouble only to run around in circles. Untied shoe gags and cold-conking dumbbells provide dutiful amusement, but alcoholism is mined for some really interesting comedy. Directed by Preston Black, aka Jack White (not Jack White III, of course).

Moe: "Listen, Bustoff...you can't drink that! That's alcohol!"
Bustoff: "No, that's not alcohol. That's just a little tequila, vodka and cognac."
Curly: "Oh, that's different. Go ahead."

"Dizzy Doctors" (Mar. 19, 1937)
Los Arms Hospital makes a return appearance in this riotous effort directed by Del Lord. Forced into getting jobs by their workaday wives, the three sleepyhead layabouts wind up salesman for Brighto, a miracle drug the Stooges hawk as car polish. Given their inevitable last chance scenario, the Stooges hide in an ambulance and end up at Los Arms, where closet door gags and traffic violations committed by wheelchair-bound patients are just what the doctor ordered. Naturally, the Stooges find a PR system and offer their own broadcast:

Moe: This broadcast comes to you through the courtesy of Brighto and its six delicious flavors: chocolate, vanilla, cranberry, strawberry...
Curly: And raspberry. [Moe whacks him] Ow! It's still raspberry! [Moe whacks him again] Ow!
Moe: Now keep quiet or I'll sock you again.

"Three Dumb Clucks" (Apr. 17, 1937)
Directed once again by Del Lord and written by Clyde Bruckman, who also contributed to Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd and Laurel & Hardy. The title is a play on the movie Three Smart Girls. This is an intriguing little episode wherein the Stooges break out of prison after a letter from their mother warning about their oil-striking, none-the-wiser daddy being married to a scheming blonde named Daisy (Lucille Lund). Curly Howard plays both himself and the mutton-chopped dad, and all four numbskulls have to evade a murder plot with whatever wits they possess. Curly himself suffered for his art after a plank of wood ripped open his scalp during an elevator gag.

Moe: [to Larry whilst in jail] "It's a good thing they've got an electric chair in this building. Otherwise, I'd kill ya!"

"Back to the Woods" (May 14, 1937)
"Shutteth Up!" The Three Ruffians are banished from Merrie Olde England and make their way to Plymouth Rock. The trio help out the hungry colonizers when the Indians charge for hunting ground usage. The Stooges go hunting only to run afoul of the stereotypical savages when they mistake their headdresses for turkeys, and soon poor Larry ends up captured and tied to a tree. A tree branch catapult is the perfect method for the Stooges to launch a variety of odd weapons against the Indians, from rocks to a hornet's nest. This was the last Preston Black directorial effort, and it's no slouch, featuring a variety of gags ranging from chiming metal balls to a bold reference to the Works Progress Administration. The high point is a hilarious music box dance sequence involving the Stooges and three potential dates, Hope, Grace and Charity.

"Goofs and Saddles" (Jul. 2, 1937)
Wild Bill Hiccup (Moe), Buffalo Bilious (Curly), and Just Plain Bill (Larry) are cavalry scouts assigned by General Muster to trail cattle rustler Longhorn Pete (Stanley Blystone). The Stooges discover him and his gang in Sleepy Gulch, but a dog and a coat give them away as they hide out in moveable bushes. They catch up with Pete for a poker game, but their attempt to warn Muster fails because of a Pete's pet pigeon. It all culminates in an immortal shootout involving a meat grinder and several rounds of automatic weapon bullets. Moe isn't as abusive as usual in this short, but there's still plenty of diversion, although this is the one episode that seems to disappoint many a Stooge aficionado. I wasn't. Del Lord directed.

"Cash and Carry" (Sept. 3, 1937)
Three prospectors come back home to the city dump and find a veritable gold mine in the junk pile. Alas, it's a secret bank that a young woman ha s hidden in the hopes of collecting enough money, $500 exactly, to give her a crippled younger brother a leg operation. The $62 they collected is eventually swindled by a couple of rubes who offer up a treasure map that conveniently happens to be located near the bank. The Stooges become populist heroes in this sentimental but slap-happy installment, directed by Lord and written by Bruckman and and Elwood Ullman, and the ending involves an encounter with FDR. Jimmy is played by Sonny Bupp, who starred as the young Charles Foster Kane in some movie directed by a guy named Welles. Since this short is making its DVD debut, let's start the fireworks.

Moe: [after an accidental hit from Curly] "Remind me to kill you later."
Curly: [searching his pockets] "I'll make a note of it...I ain't got a pencil!"
Moe: "Well, I changed my mind. I'm gonna do it now!" [SLAP!]

"Playing the Ponies" (Oct. 15, 1937)
Like many of these shorts, this Charles Lamont-helmed effort was only previously available colorized in a package called "Goofs on the Loose." Not anymore. The Stooges run a restaurant called the Flounder Inn, and their bad taste sensations aren't winning them any regular customers. The Stooges accept a bet involving a racehorse called Thunderbolt, an old nag who perks up after Curly feeds it some chili pepperinos he mistakes for peanuts. Instead of a mechanical rabbit, Thunderbolt has to chase a pail of water. Moe takes quite a licking at several occasions during this episode. I believe this is the first Stooges short wherein a live dog is mistaken for a main ingredient in the sausages.

Grifter #1: "Never mind that hot dog. Get me a couple of eggs on toast."
Moe: [to Curly offscreen] "Adam and Eve on a raft!"
Grifter #1: "Scramble those eggs."
Moe: [to Curly offscreen] "Wreck 'em!"

"The Sitter-Downers" (Nov. 26, 1937)
June Gittelson, Marcia Healy and Betty Mack play sweethearts Flora Bell, Cora Bell and Dora Bell. After 100 attempts at proposals shot down by their father, the boys stage a sit-down strike in the name of love. Curly even has his own picket sign: "This place unfair to Union suitors." The strike wins the three beaus countless supporters, including those who give them a vacant lot and plenty of house-building tools. Naturally, the three still want to sit down on the job until their girlfriends demand action. Curly ends up burning the plans, and the rest is mayhem on the order of Buster Keaton, whose Our House was an undeniable influence here. Del Lord directed this and the remaining shorts on this DVD except for two.

"Termites of 1938" (Jan. 7, 1938) A woman is looking for an escort to a high society party, but her illiterate black maid looks up the wrong number. Instead of Acme Escort Service, the Acme Exterminating Services are called up. The bug-busting Stooges once again give the hoi polloi the classless kick-in-the-crotch they deserve, especially at the dinner table, but the gags aren't as memorably fast-paced as in the similar "Ants in the Pantry." Still, there's the immortal "replacement gag" involving a cello and a hacksaw, the use of corncob holders as fancy silverware and an anarchic disinfesting finale that ends with stray gopher bombs.

"Wee Wee Monsieur" (Feb. 18, 1938)
Painter Curly, sculptor Moe and musician Larry are eight months behind in their rent as they hole themselves up in a French hotel. They escape, but looking to go back to America, they instead enlist themselves in the French Foreign Legion Army. Vernon Dent and Bud Jamison, two reliable Stooges foils, co-star as the silly soldiers fail their task to safeguard Captain Gorgonzola and make an attempt to rescue him in order to escape the firing squad. Highlights in this episode include "The Lollipop Song," the trio disguised as Santa Claus in front of the gate watcher and a belly dance/fight sequence.

Larry: "If we were back in America, at least we could join the WPA."
Curly: "Or the YWCA."

"Tassels in the Air" (Apr. 1, 1938)
Charley Chase, formerly associated with Hal Roach, directed this and the upcoming "Violent Is the Word for Curly." The Stooges are janitors, but Larry and Curly prefer playing paint bucket chess. Once again, Curly goes into a frenzy at the sight of...tassels, his only relief is to be tickled on the chin with a paintbrush. A contrivance involving Pig Latin causes Moe to be mistaken for an interior designer, and the trio are approached by Mrs. Smirch (Bess Flowers) to redecorate her house. This is a different type of funny compared to the other shorts, more reliant on wordplay and small visual gags that are all quite funny, especially the Pig Latin lesson Moe gives to Curly and a "bulls-eye" ending.

"Healthy, Wealthy and Dumb" (May 20, 1938)
If you watched Ren & Stimpy as a kid, you'll recognize the story almost immediately: naïve Curly hopes to win prize money penning a product jingle. Curly is busy writing about Stick-Fast Glue, which is mistaken for pancake syrup by everyone but Larry, when he wins first place and $50,000 in another commercial contest for Coffin Nail Cigarettes. They make it to fortune at last, but expect plenty of gold-digging girlies, mischievous monkeys, Henry VIII-busting, outlandish costumes, three-part harmony greetings, and champagne coming out of ears. In other words: good times! Laurel & Hardy regular James C. Morton stars as manager of the Hotel Costa Plente, with Lucille Lund and Bud Jamison returning.

"Violent Is the Word for Curly" (Jul. 2, 1938)
Mildew College for Girls is in desperate need of athletic funding, but they must first welcome European professors Finestein, Frankfurter and Von Stupor. The teachers stop of at the service station manned by our intrepid trio, and idiot luck soon finds them switching places. Super service, spit-roasting and alphabet swinging ensue. Now from the top:

"B-A-bay, B-E-bee
B-I-bicky-bi, B-O bo
Bicky-bi bo, B-U bu, bicky bi bo bu..."

DISC TWO:
"Three Missing Links" (Jul. 29)
The Stooges go from working maintenance at Super Terrific Productions to starring in a jungle adventure alongside starlet Mirabel Mirabel (Jane Hamilton) set in Darkest Africa. And all it took was Curly doing his spastic spinning trick to convince James C. Morton's B.O. Bottswaddle he was "the missing link" and his two buddies genuine Neanderthals. Curly buys some "love candy" from a man-eating medicine man named Dr. Ba Loni Salumi. The trek to Africa soon leads to encounters with both lions and real gorillas. I was on the floor before Curly, and even though I didn't return there, I was laughing heartily at the mayhem throughout. Curly whines, screams, barks, and laughs his heart out, often in the space of one scene. Jules White produced and directed from a Searle Kramer script.

"Mutts to You" (Oct. 11, 1938)
The Stooges are dog groomers with a conveyor belt cleaning contraption that no doubt resembles something from Our Gang, no surprise given Charley Chase directed this. Curly even gives manicures to Dalmatians: "You know you've got pretty paws, but you shouldn't bite your nails." The trio encounter what they think is an abandoned baby at the front of a house, and they make it to the police station after the mother (Bess Flowers) has reported the child stolen. The trio return to their apartment first with a bag of groceries and cause Vernon Dent's landlord considerable grief. Another first-time DVD release.

"Flat Foot Stooges" (Dec. 5, 1938)
The first Stooges short to use "Three Blind Mice" as its introductory song as opposed to the previous "Listen to the Mockingbird." This Charley Chase effort harks back to "False Alarms," with the Stooges playing firemen. Crooked salesman Mr. Reardon (Dick Curtis) intends to start a fire in the Stooges' own department by placing a keg of gunpowder in their engine, but a spilled trail of it is consumed by a duck, thus finishing the job after the little quacker lays an egg. The Stooges are too slow to realize the fire until it finally engulfs the station, and they have to save the chief's daughter (Lola Jensen) from grave danger.

"Three Little Sew and Sews" (Jan. 6. 1939)
Another short making its DVD debut, the Stooges are naval tailors who steal some uniforms and head ashore with Curly impersonating an admiral. In a hilarious twist of fate, Curly gets to order the arrest of Moe and Larry after they attack him. More unfortunately, Admiral Curly is tricked into stealing a submarine by a pair of spies (Phyllis Barry and Harry Semels). Released prior to the start of WWII, this outrageously funny farce makes use of lit cigars, loose sofa springs and goofy miniature special effects. The ending is a blast, as well. Del Lord directed this short and the following three.

"We Want Our Mummy" (Feb. 24, 1939)
Professor Tuttle goes missing after searching for the lost tomb of King Rootentooten, and the Three Stooges are detectives who take a taxi down to Cairo to find him. Curly is psyched because his uncle was, naturally, a Cairo-practor. Naturally, they are not warned about the Curse of King Rutentuten, and a mirage involving an ocean soon leads the three of them to the hidden passage where the professor, his kidnappers and old King Rutentuten himself preside. Plenty of gags and guffaws, with telescopes bonking heads, anchors being weighed and some classic Curly comedy, including his encounter with Queen Hotsytotsy. Here's to another short finally making its inaugural appearance on DVD.

"A Ducking They Did Go" (Apr. 7, 1939)
"To the hunt! To the hunt!" The Stooges become salesman for the Canvas Back Duck Club, which is really just a big scheme. The Stooges still manage to sell all of the memberships to the mayor, a police chief and the entire department. When an old man named with a lantern ("Paul Revere!") turns up warning that there haven't been any ducks in a long time, the trio employ decoys and the old man's own stable of live quackers in a damned if they do, damned if they don't situation. Watch for the hilarious shotgun boating scene, Curly's Pied Piper march and plenty more good stuff.

"Yes, We Have No Bonanza" (May 19, 1939)
The Stooges star as singing waiters in an Old West saloon run by a bank robber named Maxey (Dick Curtis) who are sensitive to the plight of their three lovely coworkers, played by Jean Carmen, Lola Jensen and Suzanne "Gail Tempest" Kaaren. The trio decide to become prospectors in the hopes of raising enough money to pay off their father's debt and become their husbands. The trio end up uncovering a jackpot in Maxey's stolen earnings. An amusing nod to Shakespeare, some funny song-and-dance sequences and a cigar store horseback chase make this one a breezy delight.

"Saved by the Belle" (Jun. 30, 1939)
The Stooges are salesman living in the South American town of Valeska, a tropical place occasionally shaken up by earthquakes. They are arrested under suspicion of being spies after the general reads a note saying "No money until you get rid of present wardrobe." A beautiful revolutionary's girlfriend named Rita (Carmen LaRoux) helps break them out of jail with the promise of work for leader/lover/landlord Singapore Joe (LeRoy Mason). Likely the weakest effort in the set because of an anti-climax as well as a dud gag involving a parrot. Still, this is another welcome DVD debut and the last of the great Charley Chase's directorial efforts; he died of a heart attack on June 20, 1940.

"Calling All Curs" (Aug. 25, 1939)
The Stooges are zany veterinarians who are currently taking care of Garçon, the prized poodle of socialite Mrs. Bedford (Isabelle LaMal). A couple of dognappers (Lynton Brent, Cy Schindell) pretend to be reporters and steal her pooch. The hapless pet doctors try to pass off another dog as Garçon, but they have no choice but to locate Mrs. Bedford's dog and bring the thieves to justice. The set peaks early with a dog's breakfast banquet wherein Curly barks at his milk bone sandwich only to have another dog respond, as well as a hilarious intercom gag between Moe and Curly. Jules White directed this and the remaining shorts on the set.

"Oily to Bed, Oily to Rise" (Oct. 6, 1939)
The Stooges are tramps who get a job sawing wood, but when that fails miserably, all they can do is wish in one hand and...well, by golly, just have Curly wish for something, and the Stooges get it. This helps out when the Stooges stop at the house of poor Widow Jenkins, who just gave the deed away to a couple of flimflammers looking for "oil property." There's plenty of action, physical comedy and whimsy in this two-reeler, also making its long-overdue DVD debut. Watch for the immortal shot of stage oil hitting Moe in the eye. James Craig plays one of them, and another Citizen Kane actor, Dorothy Comingore, has a bit part as one of the Widow's daughters.

"Three Sappy People" (Dec. 1, 1939)
Sherry Rumford (Lorna Gray), the impetuous trophy wife of J. Rumsford Rumford (Don Beddoe), arrives late to her own party and freaks out her guests by driving her car into the study. A suitable case for treatment, Mr. Rumsford seeks the clinical help of Drs. Ziller, Zeller and Zoller, but instead gets the three impersonators. Sherry takes a liking to the dopey doctors, who proceed to wreak havoc in typical fashion. Just like "Slippery Silks," which closed the previous package, the set rounds out with a joyous pastry fight that was infamous because lead actress Gray nearly choked on a piece of cake that struck her right in the mouth.

The shorts are all presented in 1.33:1 full frame and have been mastered in high definition from the finest available elements. Sometimes later-generation replacements can be detected as are skipped frames, but for the most part, this was rarely the case. Contrast levels and detail have never looked better, with occasional graininess and print defects never once became obtrusive. Compression artifacts and edge enhancement posed no trouble. The result is another handsome, never-before-better video presentation that almost gets five stars for the effort. The audio is a bit less reliable, but still mostly decent given it's Dolby Digital Mono. Earlier presentations hissed and popped a bit too much, but there is no real static save for the occasional background hum. I noticed on "Yes, We Have No Bonanza" a skip in the soundtrack during a line of dialogue from Curly. Other than that, the track has enough fidelity as is afforded for its age, with audible dialogue and effects. The music lacks much presence, yet still has clarity. No subtitles or alternate audio tracks, but there is closed captioning. Disc two offers previews for three colorized Ray Harryhausen films and the special edition of Meatballs, both forced and menu-activated.

Movie grade: 4.5 stars.
Video grade: 4.5 stars.
Audio grade: 3.5 stars.
Extras grade: Zero.
Final grade: Four stars on average, factoring out the extras. The Three Stooges were on a roll between 1937 and 1939, and at a very good price, this makes an excellent companion piece to the already essential first volume. I can't wait for collection number three. Nyuks to you all, and thanks for reading.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up to Age 4