SUMMARY: Running Time: 17:00 Min. (Black & White)
Directed by Jules White, this Three Stooges sitcom is among the handful of their 190 two-reel Columbia Pictures comedies available in a colorized format. The others are: 1936’s Disorder in the Court; 1947’s Brideless Groom and Sing a Song of Six Pants; and 1949’s Malice in the Palace.
In the afterlife, a ghostly Shemp is sent back to Earth to reform his obnoxious con artist buddies, Moe & Larry, in order to earn his ticket into Heaven. Should he fail, Shemp is informed that he had better pack some flame-resistant undies and heavy-duty sunblock for his alternate destination (and, no, it isn’t Florida). His best hope is to play pranks on his fellow Stooges to grab their undivided attention.
Ultimately, Shemp must dissuade Moe & Larry from swindling a wealthy couple for a hefty investment in their new invention: a whip cream-resistant pen. Then again, all may not be what it seems.
Moe: Moe Howard (who also has an unbilled dual role)
Larry: Larry Fine
Shemp: Shemp Howard
I. Fleceem: Vernon Dent
Mrs. DePuyster: Symona Boniface
Mr. DePuyster: Victor Travis
Spiffingham: Sam McDaniel
Miss Jones: Marti Shelton
Angelic Switchboard Operator: Judy Malcolm
REVIEW:
Describing Heavenly Daze as merely ‘gawd-awful’ is far too generous. At best, the Stooges’ ridiculous invention of a whip cream-resistant pen might have sufficed as a Curly gag in their 1930’s prime. In 1948, however, none of their dismal gags this round (especially Shemp’s pranks) are close to chuckle-worthy.
The predictable blender joke, for instance, where everyone gets repeatedly splattered, is so slowly mistimed that a tortoise should have easily side-stepped that foamy goo. Worse yet, solid character actor Sam McDaniel is reduced to a Hollywood racial caricature over-reacting in supposed ‘fear’ of Shemp’s ghostly hijinks. Beyond an insipid cop-out finish, the supposed humor of Shemp accidently setting himself on fire after falling asleep smoking a cigarette spells out this episode’s poor taste.
Considering the ‘Pearly Gates’ premise actually had potential, the Stooges would have been better off doing a lukewarm recycling job with Heavenly Daze. In a TV ‘clip show’-style scenario, Shemp’s spirit could have grimaced through a greatest-hits reel of his prior antics with Moe & Larry, playing amateur detective, trying to deduce how he got killed and/or by whom. Using reliably funny material for flashbacks, viewers might have at least enjoyed watchable Stooge mayhem.
Unfortunately, there really isn’t any doubt that Heavenly Daze rates among the worst Stooge cliché-fests during the Shemp era (1946-1955).
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 2 Stars
