Plane Nuts

Through the years, I've seen stills and miscellaneous data about this one, and I thought it was "lost", but came upon it in a Stooges video package a few days ago. This is not the stereotypical "3 Stooges", but Howard, Fine & Howard doing pure vaudeville on film! The slapstick is primitive and crude with no added sound effects, the acting is purely stage wooden. But the pleasant highlight of the film is the excellent pre-Busby Berkely choreography done by the Albertina Rasch Dancers who take up the bulk of the film's length. For purposes of comparison with the Stooges comedies we all know, the three on stage with Ted Healy and Bonny Bonnell (Ted's 1st wife) gives us a glimpse of their beginnings. Even with Healy slapping them around, (not funny but rather cruel), we can see their individual characters beginning to form.

For anyone interested in what the Stooges looked like before the Columbia shorts, this is one to watch! Catch it if you can, you'll be pleasantly surprised.