In the Big Idea (1934), this time, the beginning title card says, Ted Healy and His Three Stooges (Howard, Fine and Howard), complete with Bonnie Bonnel. Their final short together. After this film, the Three Stooges took off, on their own and the rest is history. The Three Stooges were on their way to Columbia Pictures, for their famous, 25 year, career run, in the cinemas. They had to finish this fifth installment, of a five film contract with Healy and MGM. They didn't wait for the film's release and never looked back too. Moe, Larry and Curly were ready to take off. If you look close, it does look, like the Stooges are bidding farewell to Healy. Ted is an idea guy, who's company is disrupted by different kinds of crazy people, popping in and out of the office. The Stooges just come in, every now and then and do the classic spray bottle bit, but this time, with different wind instruments, shooting water all over Healy. It's not the greatest swan-song, for the last bow in a series of films and looks every bit like a farewell.
Just like the other four MGM shorts, the Big Idea (1934), is full blown vaudeville, with the girls, gags and jokes. They also have the dancing numbers, that were lifted from other movies and used as stock footage, to fill out the episode, in-between the stuff with Healy and the boys. It was just a way to recycle and repurpose footage, instead of spending huge budgets on these films. It didn't impact the quality of these films though. They do have a certain charm, as much as, being artifacts of film history. The Big Idea (1934), at least, has different sets, camera angles and creates a story of sorts, compared to the other four shorts. Three other dudes, in the Big Idea (1934), are filmed doing an Amos & Andy radio show scene, for no reason. One of the guys does a Bing Crosby impersonation, albeit with a comedic lilt. These performers, also looked like, they were inserted into this film too, from other movies' stock footage. Whatever can be said about Moe, Larry and Curly, during their theatrical tun with Ted Healy, these film artifacts were good, strong precursors to great things to come.
5.7 (D MyGrade) = 6 IMDB.
Just like the other four MGM shorts, the Big Idea (1934), is full blown vaudeville, with the girls, gags and jokes. They also have the dancing numbers, that were lifted from other movies and used as stock footage, to fill out the episode, in-between the stuff with Healy and the boys. It was just a way to recycle and repurpose footage, instead of spending huge budgets on these films. It didn't impact the quality of these films though. They do have a certain charm, as much as, being artifacts of film history. The Big Idea (1934), at least, has different sets, camera angles and creates a story of sorts, compared to the other four shorts. Three other dudes, in the Big Idea (1934), are filmed doing an Amos & Andy radio show scene, for no reason. One of the guys does a Bing Crosby impersonation, albeit with a comedic lilt. These performers, also looked like, they were inserted into this film too, from other movies' stock footage. Whatever can be said about Moe, Larry and Curly, during their theatrical tun with Ted Healy, these film artifacts were good, strong precursors to great things to come.
5.7 (D MyGrade) = 6 IMDB.