slymusic
"Punchy Cowpunchers" is one of my two favorite Three Stooges shorts with Shemp (my other favorite is "Pest Man Wins" [1951]), and it was director Edward Bernds' personal favorite as well. Certainly it is my favorite comedy Western, with lots of action and laughs!Edward Bernds, who died in 2000 at age 94, is considered by many, including myself, to be the best director the Stooges ever worked with, and perhaps that is illustrated no better than in "Punchy Cowpunchers." In this short, the slapstick occurs at a brisk, lively pace, and Bernds is not afraid to give the supporting cast (e.g., Emil Sitka, Kenneth MacDonald, Dick Wessel, Christine McIntyre, and especially Jock Mahoney) a share of the spotlight and laughs. Of the six Stooge shorts in which Mahoney appeared, he steals the show in "Punchy Cowpunchers" as he constantly displays his stunt capabilities. His character, named Elmer, is a complete klutz as he trips and falls and uses his "aw shucks" catchphrase. His best stunt occurs at the end when he does a front flip after getting smashed in the head with a plate.Some other memorable scenes in this fine comedy involve two ongoing struggles, complete with clever background music. The first is the chase between the Stooges and the Dillon Gang (MacDonald, George Chesebro, and others) amidst a storage area in the saloon. And the second involves several members of Dillon's gang who try, one by one, to corner Elmer's girlfriend Nell (McIntyre). As each outlaw tries to grab her, she shouts, "I'm just a poor, weak woman!" After which she knocks him out with a punch to the face and then finds a comfortable place to pass out.In conclusion, "Punchy Cowpunchers" is an exceptional Three Stooges comedy with plenty of laughs for not only the Stooges but also the supporting cast.
Ericrs
This is Christine McIntyre's best stooges appearance. "I'm just a poor helpless woman!" POW! And knocks her attacker out the window. This short is also good because the bad guys are real badguys. They have brains unlike some of the other bad guys that the boys went up against in the past. You actually start worrying about the stooges and wondering if they'll get out of this one alive. Elmer's pratfalls and his "Forgot my geetar." and "I fell off my horse" lines are priceless. Oh yeah and the stooges are good too. Especially Shemp's "Your gun is empty." SMASH This one never fails to make me laugh. Definitely my favorite short.