Kook's Tour (1970) User Reviews

A Bittersweet Happy Ending

[frankebe · 6/10 · 13 September 2009]

I did not watch this with the expectation that Larry, Moe, and Curly-Joe would be performing as The Stooges, so I wasn't so disappointed as some. In fact, although I would have liked more bumbling and funny situations, I wished that they had been LESS "Stooge" like, and showed even more warmth and camaraderie toward each other; I was GLAD that there was no hitting. (I do rather wish Moe and Larry had worn their usual hairstyles, since it made them look a little younger and funnier, but that's no big deal.)

In my opinion, Maurer did an excellent job of making a "complete" film out of the footage, in spite of Larry's incapacitation. Being a dog-lover, I was highly amused at Moose's "adventure", particularly in the water. With all three Stooges being front-and-center in the final shot, and Larry offering the last words, the movie seemed quite nicely finished, and with a good ending joke. If I'd watched the movie without reading about it ahead of time, I would not have guessed there was a problem.

If the cinematography had been truly excellent, Disney-like, I think it would have been quite a fine travelogue-hosted-by-the-Stooges (what a concept!). Or too bad it wasn't more of a Vincent Minnelli "Long, Long Trailer" kind of thing. But it wasn't. As it is, if you accept it as a sort of giant, well-made home movie, it comes off best for you.

It is indeed poignant to muse that this was IT, after which there would be no more 3 Stooges, but isn't it nice to think that they got to be all together to make one last film, and did so in America's most beautiful natural parklands. It is pleasant to think that Larry got to experience this while he could still ambulate and move about so well. They certainly seem to be happily running around out in the woods and boating through the lakes; falling down, getting wet, watching geysers and playing with the dog. We all should be so lucky to have such a great final outing amongst our best friends.

And the curtain falls, thus, sadly ending a glorious era of laughter...

[Little-Mikey · 5/10 · 2 November 2009]

The 3 Stooges are now living in retirement and are out to take it easy, even though some things do wrong, prompting Moe, always the boss to get mad. But hey, they are in retirement, so no more poking the eyes or any hair pulling.

What makes KOOK'S TOUR so maddening is that it isn't really very funny. Yet it is still an essential part of every Stooge fan's collection.

This film is, after all, the swan song of the 3 Stooges as a comedy act. The picture quality is poor because the only copy found of KOOK'S TOUR is an old 16 mm film and the color has deteriorated over time, as a grim reminder that this film is indeed something out of the distant past. It's even sadder yet when one realizes that Larry, during the filming, would suffer a stroke that would cripple him and ultimately result in his death in only 5 years.

At least one could smile at the thought that the 3 Stooges in KOOK'S TOUR are finally taking it easy and enjoying themselves in their final days as an act.

Farewell,

[QueenoftheGoons · 5/10 · 2 July 2021]

It was sad that this was their last. But hey they were on for 40 years. Moe took care of Larry & his bros and was just a salt of the earth. They don't make men like that anymore. This was cute and would have been a nice series had Moe not finally decided to throw the towel in, after Larry got sick.

Their final home movies

[23skidoo-4 · 17 July 2003]

Watching Kook's Tour on DVD is not going to stretch the capabilities of your player. The colors are washed out, and the sound is terrible. In fact, it looks and plays just like an old pre-video home movie! This actually works to the film's benefit, as the footage of the aging Three Stooges meeting fans and messing about in their favorite boat isn't too far off the type of shenanegans captured in the Stooges' real-life home movies that are also included on the DVD release.

It's hard to tell whether Kook's Tour would have made it as a series if Larry hadn't had his stroke. It is funny in places, but as Moe himself says, by this point in the game they were simply too old to do the eye-poke routines anymore. Yet for once the trio aren't stuck on some studio backlot - they're actually on location! And if a second episode had been made, it seems it would have been filmed in Japan. Once the bugs were worked out, the Three Stooges could well have provided TV with an early comedy-travel-reality TV hybrid!

Still, even in its reedited form, Kook's Tour has a fun spirit about it, and even with the padding, it makes for an interesting hour of viewing. It isn't their funniest work by any means, and Larry's fate makes it difficult for some fans to watch, but it's worth checking out at least once.

The end of an era

[drmargis · 3/10 · 19 March 2023]

This was it, the last Three Stooges film ever made. It came decades after their heyday in almost 200 Columbia shorts in the 30s and 40s, and just a few years after those shorts being rerun on television lead to a brief revival that had the Stooges staring in several feature length films. It's an essential film for Stooge fans. Unfortunately, it's not very entertaining on its own.

'Kook's Tour' follows Moe, Larry, and Curly Joe as they retire and take their RV and boat to visit the great national parks of the American Northwest. This consists mostly of Moe narrating over footage of the gorgeous natural scenery, some comedy bits where the three attempt to be outdoorsmen, and lots of scenes of them fishing.

The most obvious knock against the movie is the washed out picture quality. The footage was basically shot as a glorified home movie intended to be a pilot for a television series that would follow the same pattern, and was virtually lost and not taken care of for decades. Even by 70s film quality, the picture is hard to watch.

Beyond that, it's just not funny. The Stooges are too old by this point for their trademark physical comedy. Even the comedic dialog falls flat more often than not. There are a few bits that warrant a nostalgic chuckle, but not enough to make up for the rest of it. This is a real shame, since they missed a great opportunity to just have the old stars reminiscing about the old times amongst each other or possibly fans they encounter.

Plans for a show were cancelled when a stroke forced Larry Fine to fully retire before production was complete. Both Moe Howard and Joe DeRita would attempt Three Stooges revivals in the next few years, but none would come to fruition. Moe made some TV appearances but died in 1975, just four months after Larry. Joe DeRita retired from show business due to failing health the same year. With Moe's brothers' Curley and Shemp both long gone by then, that was the end of the Three Stooges.

It's sad to see the end of a legendary career, especially when their last effort proved unremarkable. Stooge fans should definitely seek this out. The casual viewer is unlikely to find anything of value in it, though. If you want a taste of the Stooges, find their shots from the 30s and 40s, and don't bother with 'Kook's Tour.'

A sad swan song.

[zombie2 · 2/10 · 5 March 2000]

Ever since I was a little boy, I was a big fan of the Three Stooges. I had seen every movie they ever made, except "Kook's Tour." When it was finally released on video in 1999, my jaw nearly hit the floor. Unfortunately, my hopes were too high for what I was about to see. Billed as "Their last and funniest film," the Stooges simply take a camping trip and that's about it. Larry Fine suffered a stroke and was unable to complete the filming, so Norman Maurer filled the remaining time with scenery and narration by Moe Howard. "Kook's Tour" is indeed an important piece of Stooge history, but it is not a worthwhile film.

Good for Stooge Fans

[danl57 · 9/10 · 10 January 2007]

This movie would be appreciated by Stooge fans only. The movie starts out by showing some clips of some Stooge movies, all with Curly Jo. We then see the Stooges, in full color talking about their careers and now that they are retired, they will take a vacation and enjoy the places that they have been to but couldn't enjoy because of having to perform. I have to hand it to the camera crew. There are some beautiful landscape shots that are an enjoyment to me. The Stooges travel to some state parks and fish with their dog "Moose". Larry cannot catch a fish and they are poking fun at him because of this. The Stooges use some old lines and there are just a few times that they get hit but that is more for nostalgia than any thing. I think that the funniest part of the movie is when Larry dresses up in a camouflage outfit in order to get a picture of a deer. They loose their dog so they go out to try to find him and no one can see Larry because he blends in with the scenery. Larry never does catch a fish and because of that, Larry speaks his final words on film; "I quit". Larry suffered a stroke during the filming and was unable to finish the project so Norman Maurer had to piece together this hour long film using his own hands to dub for Larry. I gave it a 9 because this film is of great value to us die hard Stooge Fans

For Stooge Aficionados Only

[bigfrankie-43464 · 3/10 · 25 December 2023]

If you are hoping for something on par with the classic early Curly shorts, you will be greatly disappointed. If you are hoping for something on par with the, generally very good, 1959-1964 features, you will still be disappointed.

However, if you want a final glimpse of The Stooges via a "home movie-type" farewell, then this is ok. As others have stated, there is a fair amount of padded footage and the film quality is not the greatest.

There are a few laughs, but not much. This is more of a novelty than an actual movie.

To view The Stooges true sawn song, watch The Outlaws is Coming, which is very good.

Good fun but needs an upgrade

[crmfghtr · 10/10 · 28 December 2011]

I actually find this movie quite fun. The purists expect these old men to be bonking and hitting like they were 30 years ago. The fact that in 1970, this team who made their first film in 1933 should make a film is in itself just amazing. Imagine Chaplin, Lloyd or Laurel and Hardy still going strong in the 1970's? The details of the film have already been posted by other reviewers. My only complaint is there is much better prints of this film, existing in 16mm in the hands of collectors. The color is more rich and the picture quality is of course much superior to Super 8.

It is also possible that the Maurer family even still has the original negative but I am not sure. Little effort was made in locating a 16mm print, one collector sold one on ebay a few years back. Perhaps someday we can see Kooks Tour as it was meant to be seen.

Historical interest only

[ftgplus4 · 3/10 · 20 January 2007]

This isn't really a Three Stooges film -- it's a travelogue that happens to feature the Stooges. As such, there isn't really much comedy in it. Nice scenery, but not much of anything funny. Moe's narration doesn't really add much -- it over-explained the jokes at times. And the long stretch focusing on Moose the dog really dragged. The almost stereotypical '60s "light comedy" soundtrack was grating at times.

But the sped-up parts were kind of funny at times. Many of the best lines were references to the Stooges now being retired. I've never cared much for Curly-Joe (not in comparison with the Howard brothers he replaced, anyway), but at least here he's no less funny than Moe and Larry get to be.

The old black & white footage at the beginning was kind of interesting. I assume this all must come from the Curly-Joe-era theatrical films (most of which I haven't seen); but whatever its origin, they managed to make it look convincingly (and appropriately) really OLD. If one didn't know better, one might think Curly-Joe had been with the Stooges for their entire long career! Which, by the way, was NOT the "50 years" they keep saying. I guess they wanted to use a nice, big, round number. "40" would have served that purpose AND it would have been accurate.

Not great, but it the LAST Stooge film ever made!!

[dvdmrp · 21 January 2002]

I didn't know what to expect when I put this in the VCR. Yes, I am a fan of the 3 Stooges, but this was made in 1970 and not even finished (Larry suffered a stroke while filming, and could not continue to do so)so what would it be like. First off, it wasn't really funny. I will admit there were some parts that got me laughing, but nowhere near the extent of an original short. Second, be prepared for a bad transfer of the movie. Some parts are a little hard to watch because of the bad film elements, but believe it or not, this is the best version that you can find. The original negative was lost, (as is described before the start of the movie) so this is the best 8mm transfer (which was very hard to come by) that they could find. 8mm doesn't age well and this was well over 30 years old, so it is going to be in bad shape. I actually had fun watching this, but I almost cried at the end, because I knew that Larry had already suffered a stroke and the the Stooges would be no more. I think that every Stooge fan should see this and cherish it, because it is a piece of stooge history, and it is somewhat funny. You'll like the fishing scenes with Larry, they are the funniest scenes in the movie! People say that Norman Maurer (Moe's son in Law) did a bad job at finishing and directing the movie, because he tried to make it longer with scenery and Moose the dog. I think that he did a good job considering that he didn't have much to work with. After all Larry was in bad shape and he couldn't just replace him, so he tried to finish the movie as best as he could. All in all the movie was fun but sad to watch. 7/10 Stooge wise 7/10 movie wise

interesting but very short on laughs - for the fans

[beauzee · 4/10 · 4 January 2015]

this film calls to mind many "swan song" finales for other great teams like Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, the Marx Brothers, etc. all disappointing but having a lot of "typical" stuff, enough to keep the viewer "going".

KOOK'S TOUR is a TOTAL curiosity...yes, conceived as a real feature, and reportedly with very nice cinematography, as the team travels North America, looking for the perfect spot to "retire". as one might expect, nothing works out...they work harder at not working! it appears that it was parceled out as connecting material for their cartoon series. since that series did have a few laughs, the flick can be considered a success! MOe made a movie cameo three years later; Larry was confined to a Nursing Home (look for a great interview on youtube from that period!); Joe D. appears to be the only fully retired Stooge > in "real" life!

Only for the most rabid of fans.

[planktonrules · 2/10 · 1 June 2019]

Originally, "Kook's Tour" was envisioned as a TV show for the Three Stooges, the project was doomed to failure for a variety of reasons. The biggest was that Larry Fine suffered a serious stroke and simply was unable to continue his career. Years later, the existing footage was combined with stock footage to make a one-hour film which was apparently sold to customers in the early days of video and Super 8 film.

The series concept consisted of the elderly Stooges taking a trip across the world...playing, essentially, themselves. Gone would be all the slapping and mayhem the Stooges were known for doing. And, in addition to Larry Fine, Moe Howard and Joe DeRita, Moose the dog goes along for the fun...if any.

What happened in this one is Moe narrating, some lovely (but washed out) footage of the nicest sites in the west (such as Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks) and a few scenes where the Stooges act stupidly (such as when trying to launch a boat). Is it funny? Not really....and it's a film that strictly is for the most devoted of fans since it's little like the Stooges' other work. Overall, an odd but not especially necessary curio.

Kook's Tour was an underwhelming last film for The Three Stooges

[tavm · 2/10 · 10 February 2018]

I first knew of this last Three Stooges production from Moe Howard's autobiography, "Moe Howard and The Three Stooges" which showed some pics of them with producer/director Norman Maurer-Moe's son-in-law. Another book called "The Stooges' Lost Episodes" reviewed it saying it was boring as travelogues usually are with some parts of the plot not making any sense. I, especially, hated the whole sequence of Larry not catching any fish which resulted in him just eating corn flakes while his fellow travelers-Moe, Curly Joe, and a dog named Moose-get to because they all caught one! There's hardly anything funny in the whole thing even with the few attempts at humor like what I just cited. There is, however, lots of beautiful nature footage but the last thing one would look for in a Stooges comedy is that! Still, if you're curious enough to watch all of the Stooges on film, Kook's Tour is at the least, worth a look. P.S. Larry's stroke during filming effectively ended his Stooge career and pretty much spelled the end of Moe's and Curly Joe's as well though Moe continued making public appearances up until his death. Both him and Larry died in 1975, Larry on January 24, Moe on May 4. Curly Joe on July 3, 1993.

Fishy Fish Story Or Sad Swan Song?

[redryan64 · 5/10 · 24 April 2015]

OKAY! ALRIGHT ALREADY! We agree that the Western United States is truly beautiful, breath-taking and magnificent. Perhaps that the production ; either was filmed there against a great tapestry of forest, mountain range, rivers and lakes was a true gift to its viewers. But real and true Three Stooges this ain't.

AS THIS WAS what would prove to be the Swan Song for the old knock-about slap-stickers was at once a reason for celebration and yet a source of decided melancholy just knowing that this was it for the trio; which ironically had 6 different members over the years and some number of imitators.

WHILE AT THE get go we know who is at the center of this 'film', we weren't exactly sure just what to expect. We were all quite familiar with the Stooges; either from their original days when the Columbia Short Subjects Department shot some 8 or 10 two reelers in a year with them as the starring role and top billing. (Okay Schultz, maybe it was an even dozen comedies per year.) That would be for the older folks, you know, like Mom & Pop.

BUT IT WAS the bulk of the fans that now came from the Post World War II Baby Boomer generation; who rekindled their popularity, bringing it to an even greater heights than ever. That would be folks like the 5 Ryan kids of Damen Avenue and my imaginary friends, Schultz and Wayne.

TO US THE powers that be at Columbia Pictures and Writer/Producer/Director Norman Maurer (Moe's real life Son-In -Law) gave us such kiddie-oriented features with titles like: HAVE ROCKET-WILL TRAVEL, THE THREE STOOGES MEET HERCULES, THE THREE STOOGES GO AROUND THE WORLD IN A DAZE and (probably the best) THE OUTLAWS IS COMING.

PERSONAL APPEARANCE TOURS and TV guest shots were on the itinerary, but the ever so resourceful Mr. Maurer came up with the idea of mixing live action introductions with the magic of limited action, colour, television animated cartoons. Presto! The series, THE NEW 3 STOOGES TV Series was born.

THAT BRINGS US down to KOOK'S TOUR; which was meant to be a pilot for a series of cross country trip stories featuring the now retired Stooges driving, boating, camping and (mostly) fishing. The project was prematurely shut down when Larry Fine was felled with a stroke. What was left was reassembled into this under hour long travelogue. (Curiously, it was just the right length to fill-up an hour, with the accompanying commercials, of course.)

AS WE'VE ALREADY stated, this is a beautifully rendered travelogue, with an ever so tiny pinch of Stooges schtick. Considering the subplots involving the scene stealing Black Labrador Retriever, 'Moose', and the troubles he has with some members of the wild fauna in the wild flora, it looks somewhat like, not a Disney movie; but rather one of those Sun-International productions like THE WILDERNESS FAMILY.

ONE PARTICULARLY SURPRISING aspect of the movie is its opening montage. While it does have some footage from their comeback features of 1959 and the early 1960's, it also has a great deal of original filmed scenes shot then (with Joe De Rita); which do a fine job in replicating the both the look and action of the Stooges' Short Subjects.

ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, this is a movie that all true Stooge-philes should reverently take time and watch, just in tribute to the "Boys"; particularly for Moe Howard and Larry Fine. For it was their lot in life to have been "Stooges" ever since 1925.

Unintentional Sadness

[Brandon Hall · 30 March 2002]

This was the last film made by The Three Stooges. The story line deals with the Stooges, long retired, going on a camping trip to relax after their long careers. My favorite scene is when Larry tries to catch the fish. Larry was always my favorite stooge which made it sad for me to watch knowing that he suffered a stroke during the filming. Knowing that, it's really hard to laugh at this. It's still a great film to watch and interesting to see the Stooges in color. Watch this, because there will never be anything like it again. A 10/10.

A sad farewell...

[puppetmaster983 · 10 July 2011]

The following isn't as much a review of the film "Kook's Tour", as it is a nod of appreciation for the Kings of Slapstick.

Kook's Tour by itself is very average. It was originally supposed to be a pilot for a new series of travelogues hosted by the retired stooges. Sadly, Larry fine suffered from a stroke, and not only was this pilot uncompleted, but the whole series was put on hold, never to be resurrected.

In this episode the stooges spend most of their time in state parks around the vicinity of Idaho. As was the case with most travelogues there is very little information, and the film is mostly comprised of shots of scenery, (waterfalls, geysers etc.).

There is very little plot offered as you should expect from a travelogue. The most... exciting part of the movie is when the stooges' dog moose escapes in one of the parks.

When all is said and done, the film isn't bad as most people say... so much as it is shabby. It seems hastily filmed, the sound and picture is washed out, and there are so few jokes, it will rarely hold most people's attention throughout the whole hour.

I however am not most people. As I said before, this review is a nod of appreciation towards the stooges. All of their work has kept me in good humor throughout most of my life. Sadly, this is the last film ever completed by the stooges. I have watched it over and over, and it proves to make me smile every time. The fact that the infamous trio had been making comedies their whole lives, and the fact that they continued to do so, even towards the end of their lives commands nothing but respect from me. As a film... 6/10. As the stooges last effort to make America laugh, 10/10.

A Truly Sad Final Film

[sloan123 · 27 April 2002]

I bought a DVD called "The Three Stooges: All Time Favorites" that had "Kook's Tour" on it. I was very excited because I knew it was the Stooges' last film, although I did know that it wasn't very good. Not very good was an understatement: it's a mess. The Stooges look pretty tired and don't seem to be having much fun, and they don't do anything that made them famous. No eye pokes. No face slaps. No "Knuckleheads". Not even any witty verbal banter. This is sad.

The Three Ex-Stooges

[slymusic · 3 December 2013]

The Stooging careers of Moe, Larry, and Curly-Joe are finally behind them, and they can now take time to relax and go sightseeing around the country. In this regard, "Kook's Tour" is an interesting Three Stooges vehicle, but remember that interesting does not necessarily mean funny. To that end, we Stooge fans might ask ourselves what in God's name producer/director Norman Maurer could have been thinking. This film, which apparently was never released to theaters (although finally released on home video in the late 1990s), is certainly not typical Three Stooges fare; the boys virtually eliminated their classic slapstick gags by the late 1960s, presumably because they were really feeling their years, hence they do look a little burned out, but they at least take time to actually poke fun at some of their old jokes! Their dog Moose (actually Maurer's dog) has a lot of life in him and may be a dog lover's treat as he manages to steal the show from the Stooges, but I personally find Moose a little annoying. The film's music score is good and witty but repetitive.

Here are a few sequences that I find to be the mild highlights of this not-too-amusing film. The prologue contains scenes from a few of the Stooges' considerably better feature films of the earlier 1960s: "The Three Stooges Meet Hercules" (1962), "The Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze" (1963), and "The Outlaws Is Coming" (1965). Curly-Joe falls off of his vacuum-motorcycle when colliding with a pitched tent (although this scene would have been funnier had it not been sped up). Larry sounds funny when he says the word "Stooge", as in this case: "We're ex-Stooges and we ought to start acting like ex-Stooges." Similarly, following Moe's paddleboat mishap, Moe's voice somehow sounds funny when he shouts to Joe, "Look out, you fat idiot!", and Joe's facial expression is amusing when he addresses Moe as "Okay, Chef Moe, if you please." A littering lady slaps Joe with her handbag. Moose spots an actual moose (or caribou) defecating on camera! Joe bumps his head on the boat's windshield.

A few final thoughts on "Kook's Tour". I think it is a bit far-fetched for Moe to admit at the beginning of the film that the Stooges never got to see the outsides of their dressing rooms; surely all the various Stooges had to have SOME time to themselves, travelling around with their families. Similarly, the prologue makes it appear as if Curly-Joe was the 3rd Stooge all along, but we Stooge fans know that this is not true. It seems that most fans do not like Curly-Joe, but I do like him; he never attempted to be the original Curly, but he brought out his own little childlike innocence to his Stooge characterization. Watching "Kook's Tour", I really feel sorry for Larry, because he sure does take it hard! To begin with, most Stooge fans who know the history are aware of the stroke he had on the set. And then, as though the stroke wasn't bad enough, I really feel that in the film Moe and Joe treat Larry unfairly with their ruling about fishing: "If you don't hook 'em, you don't eat 'em", especially since Larry DOES hook a few fish with his hat! It seems that in real life, Moe would often verbally harass Larry on the sets of their many, many Stooge films, and I'm sure that by the time "Kook's Tour" was made, Larry felt that he had had enough of it; considering his stroke, the old adage "You don't know what you've got until it's gone" can easily apply to the Stooges as they suffered tragedies throughout their careers.