Disorder in the Court

Why Columbia Pictures chose to let this classic fall into public domain while maintaining and renewing its ownership of "Woman Haters" is truly a mystery to me.

The result of Columbia Pictures' not-so-wise logic is that this short has been appearing and reappearing on budget videos and later on budget DVD compilations, usually coupled with "Brideless Grooms" (which was pretty good) and "Malace in the Palace" (which was OK).

This comedy short is truly a classic. The slapstick is non-stop and it is impossible to say who really stole the scenes.

Was it Curly when he took the stand? ("Raise your hand, take off your hat, put your hand here") Or was it Suzanne Kaaren, with her million dollar legs? (Yes, she really had her legs insured for a million dollars.) The Stooges also show off their musical talent which translated to musical comedy. (Did the late great Spike Jones get his idea from this film?) A laugh riot for all...

Even with periods of dementia and depression, my 88-year old mother remains discriminating about which videos merit both her close attention and her laughter. Family members try to select compatible, bright-spirited films for Mom (from family situations, animal stories, musicals, comedies, and international intrigue), while weeding out offensive sex and violence. An area of trial and error has been Slapstick Comedy, which produced mixed and sometimes disappointing results -- all pies in all faces are not slam-dunk belly laughs -- or even condescending smiles. Complex, sophisticated, or subtle humor may be difficult for Mom to process at this stage in life.

Initially, she did not respond well to recent viewings of The Three Stooges -- in a lucid state, her more traditional values carry over. With earlier cultural and social restraints prevailing, she remembers the guys as silly goofs. But in current showings, she laughs openly - sometimes to a point of tears - at the zany antics of Moe, Larry, and Curly (only "Home Alone (1990)," brings out as much unrestrained laughter). It could be inferred that, when dementia erodes Mom's inhibitions of long standing, she is more relaxed and laughs easier (or, maybe she has developed a liking for The Three Stooges). Hopefully this simplistic discussion is neither insensitive nor disrepectful in suggesting that any form of happiness - free of tensions and uncertainties - is preferable to debilitating depression.

We have purchased several Three Stooges full-length and short feature DVDs, together with other slapstick comedies. "The Three Stooges Go Around The World In A Daze (1963)," a full-length parody of Jules Verne's book / Michael Todd's film, "Around The World In Eighty Days" scores high on my mother's laugh-meter; but her favorite is "Disorder In The Court (1936)," a short feature film, with Moe, Larry, and Curly at their classic best -- memorable routines of a comedy form that can only be described as, "Dear God, please don't ever let me see my children behave like that in public."

Aging is a one-way journey, often difficult; and taking The Three Stooges along with you will make it a much looser and happier ride. A slap, poke, gouge, kick, or scream from Moe, Larry, and Curly can't be all bad -- can it?

This short sets the stage for the Stooges' next 10 years of greatness. It includes a rubber head scene involving a letter press, a stunt double for Curly, a risque (for that era) dance, and some classic Stooge lines, including, "Oh, superstitious. eh?", "Take off your hat!", and, "I'm a victim of soicumstance!". Nonstop mayhem, and Bud Jamison is a riot. Finally, during a brief audience shot, Curly's and Moe's real mother and father (Mr. and Mrs. Horowitz) are sitting in their left front row!

This is one of the all-time famous Three Stooges films. It's total insanity, start-to-finish, and even though it's corny it still gets a ton of laughs even today. To me, it also demonstrates the comic genius of Curly.

All the action takes place in court and we see only one witness: Curly, of all people! He and the boys are trying to get their friend "Gail Tempest" (those who remember actress Gail Storm will appreciate this humor) out of a murder charge. "Who killed Cock Robin" is the question here.

Curly goes through his classic routine of trying to take his hat off, raise his right hand and put his left hand on the Bible all at the same time! It's almost become a classic routine. He does other things in here, too, that only Curly could pull off.

Watching this yesterday for the first time in about 20 years and probably the 10th overall, I still laughed out loud at several things, namely: What the jury looked like after the attorney says, "It is merely an attempt to influence this intelligent, broad-minded and most-intelligent jury!" (You see 12 of the dumbest-looking people you've ever seen!); Moe shooting a "tarantula" (some guy's wig) and Larry doing his Tarzan yell.

What can you say? This is The Three Stooges at the height of their hilarity.

This hilarious short comedy is one of the best-remembered Three Stooges movies, with plenty of zany slapstick and other gags that make very good use of the courtroom setting. It builds up nicely, starting with some light comedy including puns and sight gags, and it ends up in a typical Stooges free-for-all.

The story starts with Moe, Larry, and Curly being called as witnesses in a murder trial, and it adds just enough detail to the trial itself to maintain a story line in the midst of the gradually increasing chaos. Many of the props in the courtroom, from the evidence exhibits to the furniture, are used to good effect.

The setting works very well in bringing the Stooges with their free-wheeling approach to things into the courtroom with its staid, time-honored ways of doing things. It's funny in itself, and it allows for some amusing clashes, which at times also poke fun at the absurdity of some of the court system's archaic customs and terminology. It's especially enjoyable to watch the court functionaries attempting to 'swear in' Curly as a witness, a sequence that Curly pulls off especially well.

"Disorder in the Court" really has everything that you hope for in a Three Stooges comedy, and it's among their best movies.