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| "For dignity and humanity!" |
Brother can you spare me a digress?
This Three Stooges short is a near perfect leaping off point to the wonderful world of Stoogery. Men in Black offers a view of what to expect of them at the top of their crisply precise form - also, you'll be getting in on the proverbial ground floor, since we see on display here the births of some very classic gags:
the first of which is the Stooges charging into or out of an office door with an unfortunate and ill-fated full length plate-glass window, slamming and shattering it behind them. Here, we're given the punch-line of the glassier seeing the boys coming, and after the several previous breakings he's had to repair - sends it to shards himself. Thus winning the day. Sorta.
the first of which is the Stooges charging into or out of an office door with an unfortunate and ill-fated full length plate-glass window, slamming and shattering it behind them. Here, we're given the punch-line of the glassier seeing the boys coming, and after the several previous breakings he's had to repair - sends it to shards himself. Thus winning the day. Sorta.
Also we are privy to the first Stooges liquid concoction. In this case 'medicine' artisan crafted by random pours of who-knows-what liquids all containing gibberish names. The gibberish names bit is also used when the boys pass along surgical equipment to one another. The effect here is a sealed off world, delineating and pointing out even more, their otherness. They are othering themselves, though. Thus winning the day. Sorta.
"Calling Doctor Howard, Doctor Fine, Doctor Howard." I'm unsure, and perhaps a kind reader might enlighten me, as to whether or not this is the first or an early run at this gag. Nevertheless, in this rendition, the boys get so fed up that it ends with them all emptying their handguns into it, as it lies on the floor of the hospital, quivering. "For dignity and humanity," is repeated here once again, this time in the context of a greater, hidden just beneath the slap-stick, meaning. Power to the people, not to machinery. Kill your TV! might well be derived, as well.
As an interesting aside and further dalliance into Second Amendment, Curly's famous comedic gate is simply yet ingeniously him covering up a lifelong limp. When he was a young man of twelve - prior to the Curly, and possibly even Babe moniker, the young Jerome Horwitz accidentally shot himself in his foot while cleaning a rifle. Older brother Moe got him to a hospital in time to thwart a tragedy, but Curly never had the necessary procedure to correct it, even when he had the funds to do so. He was fearful of the procedure.
The Look! Great, big, giant, green canaries! skit is a true classic which, alone, would elevate a sub-par short from the depths of sup-pardom. This, however is no sub-par offering. This, sirs, ranks up there with the best. Not 'mere' slap-stick, but satirical as well, Men in Black takes on the then recent Clark Gable release, the very naughty indeed, Men in White.
It bears noting that the crisp precise outcome of this production I mentioned prior is not relegated to the narrow scope of eye-pokes and nose twistings. It is seen in the dialogue, as well - namely with the Betty Boop voiced nurse. Also notable to this short's language is its laid back yet brisk almost predecessor type traits to the jive that lay just around the corner and a few years down. As a matter of fact, the opening theme is a jazz-influenced style melody that was used in only one other Stooge-romp, Punch Drunks.
I'd scream all day for you, dear reader, to watch and re-watch this short gem. Unfortunately,
"I lost my voice asking for a raise."
Final Grade: A
Final Grade: A