(Streamed via Beta Max TV)
In 1946, Curly Howard suffered a stroke and had to step down as a member of The Three Stooges. He was replaced by his brother, Shemp, who had already been with the team in their early days. During his solo career, Shemp appeared in bit parts and minor roles (notably alongside Abbott and Costello a few times). Ghost Crazy was the second of third movies in which he was teamed up with Billy Gilbert and Maxie Rosenbloom as sort of a poverty row version of the Stooges.
Howard and Gilbert star as a pair of carnival workers in desperate need of a vacation. On their way to another town, they happen upon a carload of hitchhikers (including a lummox of a chauffeur, played by Rosenbloom) and give them a lift. Their destination: A house that is possibly haunted.
I’ve sat through a lot of lame ghost-themed comedies from the ‘40s directed by William “One Shot” Beaudine, but this one might be the all-time worst. Although it sports a brief sixty-two-minute running time, I’m sure you’ll be drifting off to dreamland long before the end credits appear. Much of the problem has to do with the subpar material Gilbert, Howard, and Rosenbloom have to work with. Even then, I’m not sure they could’ve made audiences roar with laughter as there isn’t any chemistry between them. Their shenanigans aren’t funny in the least and only become more tired as the film wears on.
It’s a shame because the opening carnival scene (which contains the only laugh in the film) holds promise. The ghost scene is kind of decent too, although it’s a long wait for very little. Even the time-honored scene of a man in a gorilla costume running into a real gorilla falls flat this time out. Luckily for Shemp, he only had to make one more of these things before heading off to better pastures with the Stooges.
AKA: Crazy Knights. AKA: Murder in the Family.
No comments:
Post a Comment