The Three Stooges in “Healthy, Wealthy, and Dumb
© Sony Pictures

Mania Grade: A-
DVD TV Series: The Three Stooges Collection Vol. 2 1937 - 1939
Rating: Unrated
Starring: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard
Written By: Various
Directed By: Jules White, Del Lord
Distributor: Sony Pictures
Original Years of Release: 1937 - 1939
Extras: None

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The Three Stooges Collection Vol. 2 1937 - 1939

Sony has released the second volume of chronological Three Stooges shorts covering the years 1937 – 1938. The second volume is just as good as the first if not better. While it may not have hit as many home runs as the first volume, it has a higher batting average due to its overall consistency. The 24 shorts have been digitally remastered and look fantastic. It’s clear that in the shorts in this collection, the Stooges were now at their peak. Their timing was impeccable and their physical comedy was at its zenith.

The set gets off to a flying start with “Grips, Grunts, and Groans”. The Stooges are on the run from the cops and hideout in a gym. They become quick pals with a wrestler named Bustoff but just before the championship match, the Stooges knock Bustoff out cold and Curly has to take his place. One of many Stooges shorts that involved wrestling or boxing; the Stooges were all big sports fans.

“Goofs and Saddles” is another old West short with the Stooges playing spies for the U.S. Calvary, “Buffalo Billious”, “Wild Bill Hiccup”, and “Just Plain Bill”. 

In “Healthy, Wealthy, and Dumb” Curly wins a radio contest worth $50,000. The boys decide to live it up in a posh hotel only to discover that after taxes they only get $4.85. Includes the classic exchange as Curly is told by the Concierge that “This bed goes back to Henry the 8^th” to which Curly replies, That's nuthin'. We had a bed that went back to Sears Roebuck the 3rd." Now that’s gold.

One of the true Stooges classics that can more than hold its weight next to shorts such as “Pop goes the Easel” and “Hoi Polloi” is “Violent is the Word For Curly”. Here the Stooges are gas station attendants who end up at Mildew College, mistaken for three famous professors. This short includes the Stooges famous alphabet song.

In what will become a recurring gag of Curly going crazy at the sight, sound, or smell of something, this time the object is tassels that drives him nuts in “Tassels in the Air”. The Stooges are Janitors mistaken for interior decorators who proceed to destroy the ritzy home of the woman who hired them. More than Curly going crazy, this short was another theme the Stooges loved where the regular guy gets to stick it to the wealthy. As so many of these shorts were made during the Great Depression, it’s clear to see on which side the Stooges stood. They never missed an opportunity to lob a few well-placed barbs, not to mention pies, at high society types. 

While known so much for their physical comedy and violence, these shorts display how wonderfully funny the Stooges dialog was as well. Sometimes you can find yourself so caught up in the physical comedy that you might miss some of the one-liners and innuendo that took place. It’s the kind of thing that you start catching as you get older and see the shorts multiple times and truly makes you appreciate their comedic genius. The only downer to the sets is that there are not extras. It would have been great to have commentary on some of the shorts by film historians or perhaps family members. A complete list of shorts is below: