Open Season for Saps (1944) User Reviews

Shemp Was No Slouch

[Lilcount · 7/10 · 19 January 2017]

It's easy to forget that of the three Horwitz brothers, Shemp was the only one who had his own film series, besides holding his own in features with the likes of W. C. Fields. Here he's starring in a remake of Charley Chase's first Columbia short, "The Great Hooter." He carries it off with flying colors.

Shemp is a henpecked husband who would rather spend time with his lodge buddies than with his wife. He takes his wife to a hotel, where he runs in to a lodge buddy, Harry Barris, Bing Crosby's old partner and composer of "Mississippi Mud." Harry, it seems, is being blackmailed by Christine McIntyre. Shemp offers to help, but his flirting with Christine is cut short by the appearance of her jealous, hot-tempered husband, George Lewis.

There are lots of gags, a brief song by Miss McIntyre, and a surprise finish. This wouldn't be the last time Shemp would remake a Charley Chase film, but it's likely one of the better ones. (I like this more than "Mr. Noisy," Shemp's remake of Chase's superb "The Heckler.")

Recommended.

Always At Columbia

[boblipton · 6/10 · 9 June 2019]

Early Cantrell is annoyed when husband Shemp Howard comes in at 5 in the morning after his lodge meeting. He tries to placate her by taking her on a vacation. He runs into Harry Barris, who is being blackmailed by Christine McIntyre. Shemp agrees to help him out, despite Miss McIntyre having her own jealous, violent fiance.

It's a pretty good Columbia short, with some nice gags amid the usually random violence that director Jules White favored. Also, Miss McIntyre strums a guitar and sings a few bars of a song; it's always a pleasure to hear her trained, operatic soprano in action.

I'm not fond of many of Jules White's shorts, since I fond them repetitive and violent, but this ranks among the best of them.

Not a lot of depth or laughs from this one.

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 10 June 2018]

There really is minimal plot in "Open Season for Saps" and this makes it a second (or third) rate Shemp Howard short. The story begins with Shemp returning home to his wife from a meeting of his club, the Hoot Owls...which just elected him their leader. The wife is sick of his always going to meetings and she tells him he must give up her or the club. He agrees to quit the club...but soon is chasing a pretty neighbor...so much for his commitment to his wife. Soon, the neighbor's jealous boyfriend is chasing Shemp...trying to kill him. And, when the wife discovers what Shemp's been up to, she joins in and tries to beat the snot out of Shemp.

The short comes off like a film the Three Stooges refused to do so they passed it on to Shemp. Not much plot...just folks trying to stab each other, throw fruit and not much else.