Comic anger, writ large
Buster Keaton didn’t like them (although he wound up working for them), but I love The Three Stooges. No, they do not deliver the comic existentialism of the master or of his disciple (Samuel Beckett). But for comic menace and anarchy, no one tops the Stooges. (And surely, anyone who has had to deal with an unruly child can sympathize with Moe’s handling of Curly.)
If you’re in LA, next weekend’s your opportunity to see the Stooges at their biggest: on a big screen. Their act was built on the stage, which means their malevolence was delivered the old-fashioned way: in person, and minus special effects. Technology has given the film industry innumerable new toys, but it has also taken away the pleasure of knowing that Keaton could break his neck (as he once did), that Harold Lloyd was indeed hanging from a clock (and lost part of his hand in a filmed explosion), and that when Moe misjudged, Larry did get his eyes poked. Comedy is attached to pain; visceral thrills are associated with danger. I don’t want performers getting hurt, but it’s hard to muster much concern or astonishment when CGI replaces human beings.
November 16th, 2007 at 5:33 am
The appeal of the Stooges is that they were re-born in every film. While their internal relations remained constant, their relationship to their surroundings changed constantly; they might be musicians, brick-layers, painters, plumbers or whatever the situation required them to be from film to film. It gave them a sort of mythical stature, like gods reawakened in each century.
As to the problem with CGI effects vs actual stunts, my main problem is with sword-fight movies. The obviously-enhanced duels these days don’t hold a candle, much less a rapier, to the splendidly choreographed and edited battles in things like MARK OF ZORRO, PRISONER OF ZENDA or SCARAMOUCHE.
November 17th, 2007 at 9:03 pm
Speaking of physical comedy, I watched TROUBLE IN STORE (1953) on Turner Classic Movies earlier this month. It stars Norman Wisdom, ably supported by Margaret Rutherford. All this month TCM is having guest hosts who select movies to be shown. The guest that evening was Alfred Molina who, chatting with regular host Robert Osborne, mentioned that Wisdom was quite a big star in England but never made it over here.
Anyway, Wisdom performed some impressive physical moves. Not dangerous, but he did get banged around a bit. He also co-stars in one of my favorite movies, THE NIGHT THEY RAIDED MINSKY’S, in which he plays a burlesque comic and performs some convincing pratfalls.
It’s amazing what some comedians can do with their bodies. I’ve seen Irwin’s previoius shows on the small screen, and loved both IN REGARD OF FLIGHT and AS SEEN ON TV. (Remember those, Lee?) To see him live would be a treat and I hope to go with Lee on the Philadelphia pilgramage.