John T. Ryan
We well remember hearing about this film and seeing one particular still from it; but for years, that was about it. It was found in lists of stooge filmography; where it provided us with yet another puzzling fact. It was listed as SOUP TO NUTS (FOX, 1930). FOX was a film company that was bought by Darryl F. Zanuck's upstart 20th Century Film Corporation, forming, oddly enough, the 20th CENTURY-FOX Film Corporation! But, being loyal 3 Stooges fans, we knew that their Home Studio was, is and forever be Harry Cohn's Columbia Pictures Corporation. We had been conditioned by the famous Lady Columbia's opening all their films; as well as the tack-on TV openings of "Screen Gems, Television Subsidiary of Columbia Pictures Corporation." And then, just who is this Ted Healy guy, where'd he come from? Why does he seem to boss Shemp, Larry, "Harry" and this Fred Sandborn character? And just who or what is a Fred Sandborn, anyway? Our family was lucky, as our parents, Clem Ryan (1914-1974) and his Bride, Bertha (nee Fuerst, 1917-Still going strong at 91!) were great believers in sharing all knowledge, no matter how seemingly insignificant as this. They clued us in that it originally had been "Ted Healy and His Stooges", although the Stooges broke away from the ego maniacal, tyrannical and alcoholic Healy and were fairly successful, too! SOUP TO NUTS was not only the Stooges first movie, but was an adaptation of a Rube Goldberg novel. Mr. Goldberg was arguably America's pre-eminent cartoonist; becoming famous world-wide for his intricately designed, yet singularly functioned "inventions". As cartoonists of this day were highly regarded as celebs, they often appeared in films; such as this one, in which Mr. Goldberg made an appearance as Rube Goldberg, himself! The film uses the back drop of the old Fire House. Long a favourite in literature, the movies and comic strips, the job of the Fireman has long had status as both the Heroic for what they do when applying their trade and humorous for those down time, between fires stretches (if your referring to a House located in a quiet area). Films such as LIFE OF AN American FIREMAN (Edison Co., 1903), A TITLE UNK. And believed lost Sound Serial (Universal, ca. 1931), FIREHOUSE (TV movie, Metromedia Prod./ABC, 1973), "FIREHOUSE" TV Series (Metromedia/ABC, 1974) and more recently screened projects like BACKDRAFT! (Image Films/Trilogy Entertainment/Universal Pictures, 1991) and John Travolta's LADDER 49 (Touchstone/Beacon/Casey Silver/Fantail/Buena Vista, 2004), all are good examples.On the humorous front, we had the comic strip SMOKEY STOVER by Bill Holman (Chicago Tribune-New York News Syndicate, 1935-1973). It featured Smokey, the Fire Chief Cash U. Nutt, Smokey's Cat, Spooky and the bizarre 2 wheeled Fireengine, the "Foomobile". In addition, Mr. Holman injected all manner of puns and 'unusual' occurrences such a little hitch-hiker character inquiring, "Nov shmooz kapop?"and framed wall 'licenses' reading 'Notary Sojac'! And Now, Back To SOUP TO NUTS, presented without any commercial interruptions! As for the humor of the film, which at times seems rather scarce to modern viewers, it is episodic, even so very brief and unconnected to other events in the film. In that sense there is a strong resemblance to a 3 or 4 panel comic strip. (Gee, I wonder why!) And one thing we, perhaps, forget that every picture constantly tests the waters for what is funny. It is our perspective of hind-sight, we sometime forget that even standard bits such as Stan Laurel's opposite extremes of Laughing and Crying routines, Oliver Hardy's recurring plunging head deep into the deepest puddle and Buster Keaton's "Great Stone Face" on screen, were all the results of trial & error.Though not hardly a typical Stooges film, there were embryonic signs of what would be later considered to be "Stooges' Standards". As an example of such a routine seen in this movie is their rendition of "You'll never know….", in the format of a Barber Shop Quartet. This was heard so many times in future Producer Jules White's Columbia shorts.Yeah, there's really not a lot here; and it was at one time thought to be lost. But, thanks to UCLA's Motion Picture Archives' preservation program and the formerly great American Film Classics, the world got to see it once again. And, please, Schultz, correct me if this "Old Redhead" is wrong; but I believe that AMC's telecast of ca. 1994-96, during their film preservation week, was the picture's TV Premier.Get it, if for no other reason, as an Historical Curio of both the early "Talkies", as well as the Stooges Historical movie launching pad.
tavm
Having taped this movie from AMC's Third Annual Film Preservation Festival when the subject was comedy, I was very anxious to see the film debut of The Three Stooges with Ted Healy as their original leader and Shemp Howard in the original group before quitting, allowing younger brother Curly to take his place. Written by cartoonist Rube Goldberg, who makes a cameo here, the story-about an elderly costume store owner (Charles Winninger) about to lose his place-is nothing special but has some amusing visual humor when we see some of Winninger's inventions like the complicated ways to wake up and stop a robber involving a cat and a giant boot. This and other weird gadgets are what Goldberg is famous for drawing. As for the Stooges, they play firemen who Ted hangs around with when he's not constantly arguing with his girlfriend (Frances McCoy). Legend has it that Fox studio head Winfred Sheehan wanted the Stooges without Ted, who was angered and stormed off taking the boys with him, signed to a long-term contract and that's why Shemp went out on his own after a brief split soon afterwards. So this is the only time on film he's with Healy who performs along with his brother Moe (credited as Harry) and Larry Fine, none of whom have the wild hair they became known for. The reason Sheehan may have only wanted Howard, Fine, and Howard might have been the scene where they order such bizarre things like a "ham and corn beef sandwich on white on rye" or a "baloney with whipped cream"! That and a later routine with Ted in which the boys perform "The Elevator Dance" (in which Larry stands still while Moe hand pops his mouth and Shemp rubs sandpaper together) which has "no steps to it" are the funniest parts of the movie. Nearly everything else is "eh" though there's also some entertaining xylophone playing by another comic foil named Fred Sanborn and a little kid named Billy Barty amusingly attempts to pop a balloon as he keeps somersaulting. Worth a look for Three Stooges fans and anyone interested in the early talkies.
pytkoj1
As an avid fan of silent and early talking films, I saw no harm in wanting to watch this film. I had enjoyed the Three Stooges growing up, and the opportunity to watch a film from 1930 was always welcoming to me.Never before have I been so disappointed in a film from this era. It was absolutely atrocious, and a waste of seventy minutes' time. As for what happened to the actors, I couldn't care less, not that they were doing anything anyway. Somebody should have given some care to this film. The film was not even enjoyably stupid- it was just plain foolish. To think that this 'masterpiece' was preserved makes me question whether someone really didn't just throw money away. To return to the film- do you want to be sickened, made uneasy? Then watch this awful thing! Also, Fred Sanborn- ha! what can one say save that he turns the stomach! To be somewhat fair, there was one good five minute sequence with Healy and the Stooges at a party. As for the rest, it should have rotted away.
