Nertsery Rhymes

MGM, ever thrifty, did something slightly unusual with this short. Mixed in between Ted Healy (as a top-hatted "daddy") and his Stooges (guess who?), not to mention a shapely fairy princess, we see two color segments recylced from earlier MGM films. One is the "Woman in the Shoe" number from "Lord Byron of Broadway," and another is a number entitled "A Girl, a Fan and a Fella," which is a number that was cut from either "The Hollywood Revue of 1929" or "March of Time." The first number fits in much better with the "bedtime story" theme, and features slick dancing, but the second number (which is actually shown first) has a quirky, Erte-like elegance about it that demands attention. MGM would do something similar later with "Roast Beef and Movies," with Curly Howard, but not to the same whacked charm-effect. Try it, and get an interesting idea of early Technicolor music.

This is the film debut of Curly Howard. A very important moment in film history. At this time, they were known as "Howard, Fine and Howard". It's interesting seeing these old Ted Healy-Stooges shorts, because you can see what Moe did, after they split from Healy. When the boys went on their own, Moe took his character from these films and merged it with Healy's character, in essence becoming the leader of the trio. The two-color film process they used for Nertsery Rhymes (1933), does enhance it. It was part of a five film series, called the Colortone Musical Revues for MGM. This film is very vaudeville, with the singing, dancing, comedy and a lot of girls, in this pre-code era short subject. This includes, series regular, Bonnie Bonnell. She ended up being in all of their MGM shorts with Healy. These films were mostly geared towards adults in 1933.

I was impressed with the sets they had built on the stages, used in the film. They had impressive set designs for the dancing acts. The singing, jokes and over-all choreography, are pretty good for 1933. It was clear the boys didn't need Healy, because he seems almost pointless to the story, even though his character is the one, that guides the direction of the events, happening in Nertsery Rhymes (1933). He is Papa to the three kids, who resemble full grown men, who won't go to sleep without a bedtime story. Enter the singing, dancing, comedy and the girls, in dreamlike sequences, that go by on the screen. This is not a bad film for the debut of Curly Howard in the cinemas. I found the two-tone version on YouTube. It is an interesting piece of cinema art, that was the first of five at MGM studios. Its place in film history, makes it a strong film. It's hard to believe Nertsery Rhymes (1933) and the legend, known as the Three Stooges, is over 90 years old now.

7.1 (C MyGrade) = 7 IMDB.

What I'm reviewing is historical for this is the first M-G-M short film that featured Ted Healy and his Stooges (Moe, Larry, and Curly). It's also the first of many appearances with them of a now-forgotten female player named Bonnie Bonnell-credited as Bonny here-who at the time was dating Healy. Ted plays the "father" of the boys as Howard, Fine, and Howard keep asking for a bedtime story while Healy keeps trying to sneak out at night for a drink. Quite fascinating seeing this early version of this now-iconic act what with all the shenanigans and in two-strip Technicolor, to boot! Doesn't make a whole lot of sense especially when a couple of musical numbers from other pictures are shoehorned in. And this Bonnie lady seems to be from another planet when she performs. Still, I laughed plenty when I watched this-having seen the Stooges segments previously on Leonard Maltin's "The Lost Stooges" VHS tape-again on YouTube. So on that note, I recommend Nertsery Rhymes for any Stooges completists out there.

From their earliest career period when they were still part of Ted Healy's act, this short subject Nertsery Rhymes is a chance to see the Three Stooges in color on the screen. Although Nertsery Rhymes is in bad need of restoration and the color is pretty washed out, still seeing Moe, Larry, and Curly in all shades of the rainbow is something.

The guys play three precocious lads who father Ted Healy is trying to put to sleep so he and Bonny Bonell can go out to a beer joint. Note they don't say speakeasy as it looks like happy days have arrived and Prohibition is gone.

The fantasy musical numbers are nothing to write home about. But nice to see Moe, Larry, and Curly in their salad days even in washed out color.

It always amuses me that some people are so dismissive of Healy. Usually the reason is profound ignorance of his career and the early career of his Stooges. He's the guy who created them, who came up with the routines. And the Stooges didn't dump him, as stated by the clueless reviewer above. MGM offered Healy a solo contract and he took it. At the same time he helped the Stooges start an independent career. The only dispute was who should retain the copyright for the name. Healy, as the guy who came up with it, thought it should be him and he was in the right. The Stooges never lost their love and respect for Ted, even though the law suit became acrimonious at times. Moe was utterly distraught on hearing of Healy's death (he wasn't murdered by Beery BTW, that's another exploded myth).

This short is one of my favorites, it shows just how well Healy and his Stooges worked together and the color is an added bonus. The musical clips are great too. Some people today are just incapable of appreciating the early talkies.