8mm Forum: Columbia Silent Stooges

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Topic: Columbia Silent Stooges

Brad Kimball
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1171
From: Highland Mills, NY USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted May 28, 2011 01:06 AM

I've always hated the black-boxed sub-titles that Columbia applied to their silent Stooges titles. They're so damned intrusive and often don't even come close to what is really being said. The 'Curly' short "Cash & Carry" has always been a favorite and I remember wishing Columbia had issued a sound version. Same thing with "Idle Roomers" and the 'Shemp" title "Spooks". The sub-titles are so awful it's painful.

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Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005

posted May 28, 2011 01:14 PM

I agree Brad.

By the way, I happen to have a 3D copy of "Spooks" on standard 8mm. The #D effect is fading (due to it being on eastman stock) but some of it is still pretty good. I especially like how at the beginning, it has the original start, with Larry walking much closer to the screen than the other two, giving us a greast 3D effect.

The curious thing about the reel is that it is a 100ft reel, which seems to be comprised of two different copies, interspliced together in thier original order. I'm sure that Doug Meltzer could verify, but I think that there were two 3D issued of this on 50ft, and whoever this collector was, he simply spliced the two together. Any verification on that, Doug?

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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

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Douglas Meltzer
Moderator

Posts: 4554
From: New York, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted May 28, 2011 01:38 PM

Brad,

Some of the early Ken releases also had the black background for the subtitles. It does help during the scenes where there are white titles on a light background.

Osi,

You are right!

My Standard 8mm copies of the 3D Stooges also have enough color so that the effect still works.

Doug

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I think there's room for just one more film.....

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Brad Kimball
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1171
From: Highland Mills, NY USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted May 30, 2011 07:41 PM

So "Tails Of Terror" is also from "Spooks"? I assumed it was from "If A Body Meets A Body" with Curly being that he's represented in the graphic. I knew "Body" wasn't originally shot in 3D, but figured Columbia adapted it for 3D for the home movie release. The fact that Curly is in the graphic doesn't always mean anything. Curly and Shemp are on many of the silent edition boxes when we all know they are not even in the film the box is for like "Pardon My Scotch". The graphic on my box is a still from "Feulin' Around".

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Tony Stucchio
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 625
From: New Jersey
Registered: Dec 2005

posted May 31, 2011 07:26 PM

Looking through old catalogs, I noticed that Blackhawk was the only one who identified whether a short was with Curly or Shemp.
On the channel guide for programming my DVR, my cable company lists every Stooges short as starring Moe Howard and Larry Fine. They also don't list the year, so you really have to know the titles to find out if it is a Curly or a Shemp.

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Brad Kimball
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1171
From: Highland Mills, NY USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted June 03, 2011 08:50 AM

It is strange that Columbia's catalog never noted "Curly" or "Shemp" titles. It did note release dates for the sound versions which helped. Do the scenes in "Spooks" and "Tails Of Terror" at least run in proper order or is it a big hodge-podge?

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Herb Finn
Junior
Posts: 12
From: Boston, MA, USA
Registered: Jan 2012

posted April 29, 2012 01:25 AM

Has anyone ever put together a list of THREE STOOGES Columbia home movie silent versions along with length/format?

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Douglas Meltzer
Moderator

Posts: 4554
From: New York, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted April 29, 2012 09:54 PM

Herb,

Take a look at this list from a few years back.

Doug

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I think there's room for just one more film.....

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Herb Finn
Junior
Posts: 12
From: Boston, MA, USA
Registered: Jan 2012

posted May 14, 2012 12:27 PM

Thanks

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