SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 20:00 Min. (Black & White)
In 1933, MGM released Beer and Pretzels, as the second of its comedy short series starring Ted Healy, the future Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine, & Jerry “Curly” Howard), and Healy’s off-screen girlfriend, Bonnie Bonnell. The plot is meant to loosely spoof Healy’s real-life reputation as a ‘ladies’ man.’ Jack Cummings directs The Stooges’ first two-reel comedy, with original music written by Al Goodhart & lyricist Gus Kahn.
Ted’s incessant womanizing costs them the quartet their gig as performers at the Happy Hour variety theater. Hence, the unemployed Stooges press their leader into getting them all jobs as waiters at a swanky nightclub. The club’s glamorous singer becomes the latest of Ted’s would-be romantic conquests.
Mayhem ensues, as Ted and his hapless buddies harass the clientele while inviting themselves into the club’s featured entertainment. An ironic finish awaits the gang, as Ted can’t seem to keep his promises.
Ted: Ted Healy
Moe: Moe Howard
Larry: Larry Fine
Curly: Jerry “Curly” Howard
Nightclub Singer (Bonny Latour): Bonnie Bonnell
Singing Bartenders: The Three Ambassadors (Jack Smith, Martin Sperzel, & Al Teeter)
Theatre Manager: Ed Brophy
Nightclub Manager: Fred Malatesta
Tap Dancing Trio: Uncredited
Undercover Cop: Uncredited
Nightclub Patrons: Uncredited
REVIEW:
Great premise, lackluster execution. Wasting the Stooges in unfunny gags, Beer and Pretzels is definitely a swing and a miss. Despite the film’s welcome sprinkles of old Hollywood charm, what’s obvious is how superfluous a smooth-talking Healy is to the Stooges.
Looking remarkably youthful, the Stooges merely hint at the legendary slapstick material they would unleash (without Healy) at Columbia Pictures only a few years later. With perpetual straight man Healy setting up most of their cues here, the Stooges try their thankless best to make him look good. Frankly, given this uninspired script, it’s all for naught.
From start to finish, neither Healy nor the Stooges conjure up anything remotely hilarious – i.e. smacking each other with a palm to the forehead isn’t worth a chuckle. Even a big fight scene is just that – a barroom brawl that sets up the final scene and nothing more.
The finish saves the film’s best potential gag for last; invariably, what ought to have been an outrageous Groucho Marx-style visual twist becomes a weakly low-key cop-out. It’s really no wonder that Beer and Pretzels utterly fails to exploit the fun opportunity it has on tap.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 3 Stars
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