OKAY! ALRIGHT ALREADY! We agree that the Western United States is truly beautiful, breath-taking and magnificent. Perhaps that the production ; either was filmed there against a great tapestry of forest, mountain range, rivers and lakes was a true gift to its viewers. But real and true Three Stooges this ain't.
AS THIS WAS what would prove to be the Swan Song for the old knock-about slap-stickers was at once a reason for celebration and yet a source of decided melancholy just knowing that this was it for the trio; which ironically had 6 different members over the years and some number of imitators.
WHILE AT THE get go we know who is at the center of this 'film', we weren't exactly sure just what to expect. We were all quite familiar with the Stooges; either from their original days when the Columbia Short Subjects Department shot some 8 or 10 two reelers in a year with them as the starring role and top billing. (Okay Schultz, maybe it was an even dozen comedies per year.) That would be for the older folks, you know, like Mom & Pop.
BUT IT WAS the bulk of the fans that now came from the Post World War II Baby Boomer generation; who rekindled their popularity, bringing it to an even greater heights than ever. That would be folks like the 5 Ryan kids of Damen Avenue and my imaginary friends, Schultz and Wayne.
TO US THE powers that be at Columbia Pictures and Writer/Producer/Director Norman Maurer (Moe's real life Son-In -Law) gave us such kiddie-oriented features with titles like: HAVE ROCKET-WILL TRAVEL, THE THREE STOOGES MEET HERCULES, THE THREE STOOGES GO AROUND THE WORLD IN A DAZE and (probably the best) THE OUTLAWS IS COMING.
PERSONAL APPEARANCE TOURS and TV guest shots were on the itinerary, but the ever so resourceful Mr. Maurer came up with the idea of mixing live action introductions with the magic of limited action, colour, television animated cartoons. Presto! The series, THE NEW 3 STOOGES TV Series was born.
THAT BRINGS US down to KOOK'S TOUR; which was meant to be a pilot for a series of cross country trip stories featuring the now retired Stooges driving, boating, camping and (mostly) fishing. The project was prematurely shut down when Larry Fine was felled with a stroke. What was left was reassembled into this under hour long travelogue. (Curiously, it was just the right length to fill-up an hour, with the accompanying commercials, of course.)
AS WE'VE ALREADY stated, this is a beautifully rendered travelogue, with an ever so tiny pinch of Stooges schtick. Considering the subplots involving the scene stealing Black Labrador Retriever, 'Moose', and the troubles he has with some members of the wild fauna in the wild flora, it looks somewhat like, not a Disney movie; but rather one of those Sun-International productions like THE WILDERNESS FAMILY.
ONE PARTICULARLY SURPRISING aspect of the movie is its opening montage. While it does have some footage from their comeback features of 1959 and the early 1960's, it also has a great deal of original filmed scenes shot then (with Joe De Rita); which do a fine job in replicating the both the look and action of the Stooges' Short Subjects.
ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, this is a movie that all true Stooge-philes should reverently take time and watch, just in tribute to the "Boys"; particularly for Moe Howard and Larry Fine. For it was their lot in life to have been "Stooges" ever since 1925.
AS THIS WAS what would prove to be the Swan Song for the old knock-about slap-stickers was at once a reason for celebration and yet a source of decided melancholy just knowing that this was it for the trio; which ironically had 6 different members over the years and some number of imitators.
WHILE AT THE get go we know who is at the center of this 'film', we weren't exactly sure just what to expect. We were all quite familiar with the Stooges; either from their original days when the Columbia Short Subjects Department shot some 8 or 10 two reelers in a year with them as the starring role and top billing. (Okay Schultz, maybe it was an even dozen comedies per year.) That would be for the older folks, you know, like Mom & Pop.
BUT IT WAS the bulk of the fans that now came from the Post World War II Baby Boomer generation; who rekindled their popularity, bringing it to an even greater heights than ever. That would be folks like the 5 Ryan kids of Damen Avenue and my imaginary friends, Schultz and Wayne.
TO US THE powers that be at Columbia Pictures and Writer/Producer/Director Norman Maurer (Moe's real life Son-In -Law) gave us such kiddie-oriented features with titles like: HAVE ROCKET-WILL TRAVEL, THE THREE STOOGES MEET HERCULES, THE THREE STOOGES GO AROUND THE WORLD IN A DAZE and (probably the best) THE OUTLAWS IS COMING.
PERSONAL APPEARANCE TOURS and TV guest shots were on the itinerary, but the ever so resourceful Mr. Maurer came up with the idea of mixing live action introductions with the magic of limited action, colour, television animated cartoons. Presto! The series, THE NEW 3 STOOGES TV Series was born.
THAT BRINGS US down to KOOK'S TOUR; which was meant to be a pilot for a series of cross country trip stories featuring the now retired Stooges driving, boating, camping and (mostly) fishing. The project was prematurely shut down when Larry Fine was felled with a stroke. What was left was reassembled into this under hour long travelogue. (Curiously, it was just the right length to fill-up an hour, with the accompanying commercials, of course.)
AS WE'VE ALREADY stated, this is a beautifully rendered travelogue, with an ever so tiny pinch of Stooges schtick. Considering the subplots involving the scene stealing Black Labrador Retriever, 'Moose', and the troubles he has with some members of the wild fauna in the wild flora, it looks somewhat like, not a Disney movie; but rather one of those Sun-International productions like THE WILDERNESS FAMILY.
ONE PARTICULARLY SURPRISING aspect of the movie is its opening montage. While it does have some footage from their comeback features of 1959 and the early 1960's, it also has a great deal of original filmed scenes shot then (with Joe De Rita); which do a fine job in replicating the both the look and action of the Stooges' Short Subjects.
ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, this is a movie that all true Stooge-philes should reverently take time and watch, just in tribute to the "Boys"; particularly for Moe Howard and Larry Fine. For it was their lot in life to have been "Stooges" ever since 1925.