They played hard and fast with the facts, but I've got no problem with that. What I do have a problem with is all the schmaltz. I'm talking here about corny lines and ham acting, the epitome of the latter being the Carnera character's "Do you know what it's like to be hungry?" soliloquy. Laughable. The musical score was annoying. Why do so many movies these days use tepid strings arrangements? The movie was interesting enough, but still, it was formulaic and uninspired. The characters were shallow, especially Max Baer's, which was really a caricature. I had the feeling they shot this thing in a week and a half, just to get it over with. I had to cringe when Primo proposes to his sweetheart after beating Jack Sharkey for the championship. Ludicrous. They should have stuck a tad bit more to the facts regarding Primo's handlers, and forgone all that schmaltz! To this day, questions linger over Carnera's career, especially as to which of his fights were fixed (if indeed they were) and which weren't (if indeed they weren't). The man in real life was abused by his handlers and his life as a boxer was a lonely one, but you wouldn't know it from this schmaltzy film. They could have explored this aspect of Carnera's life a bit more. Furthermore, Carnera had a full and interesting life after his boxing career ended, and they could have explored this more as well. Instead, Carnera gets short shrift here by his depiction as a one-dimensional character. Okay, one-and-a-half, he gets to throw a couple of tantrums here and there. Yeesh!
Reviews
21 Reviews
Hokus Pokus
(1949)
"You are now in Sing Sing!"
30 April 2007
Classic. Our opening shot of the Stooges has them snoring in harmony. Soon, Moe attempts Morse Code on Shemp's head, which differs from a steam pipe only in that a steam pipe hasn't got ears! Shemp, performing the Australian crawl on the living room floor, gets grappled by fisherman Moe. All this, and the Stooges haven't even gotten warmed up yet. Things really get going when they start shaving each other. Moe shouts football signals and they execute some tricky plays here (Shemp: "Your face is too sharp!"). Larry takes the opportunity to disengage himself from a huge tuft of chest hair while we learn that Shemp's tongue makes a natural razor strop. The refrigerator keeps the hot towels piping hot while Moe sneezes Schlemiel #8 talcum powder all over the place (and we know where Woody Allen in "Annie Hall" got that bit from, don't we?). We see Moe apply his sixteen-parts-lard-to-one-part-egg formula for cooking breakfast while Shemp loses a battle with a folding table, thus keeping Mary (the "hopeless cripple") waiting for her nice cold pancakes smothered in vinegar. Yes, so far so good, but then . . . enter Vernon Dent! Here, Shemp "gets tough" with Vernon, and this bit is the highlight of the film. The scene then shifts to the Great Svengarlic, who stealthily observes Shemp hypnotize Moe into thinking he is in New York, Los Angeles, and then Sing Sing (whereupon Moe grabs the rungs of a chair back, thus simulating jail cell bars). Another great highlight of the film ensues after Larry observes that Shemp's attempts to extricate Moe from Sing Sing have been met with utter futility. The film's climax is breathtaking. I wonder how Svengarlic's agent was able to get a permit to allow three guys to dance on a flagpole several stories above a city sidewalk, and so quickly, too? Of course, such trivial details matter for naught in a Stooges short. We see that justice prevails in the end, but the scheming Mary, although defeated, has the last say, namely, the famous three-tone NBC gong as played out on the Stooges' heads, courtesy of the large ball that was attached to the end of the flagpole. All in all, a must-see for all you saps!
Pardon My Clutch
(1948)
Shemp is ailing again. What to do? Go camping!
13 March 2007
This is not the most memorable of the Stooges' shorts, but it's still a Stooges' short, and therefore worthy of consideration (and certainly worth watching too). There are some lags, such as when the Stooges set up camp in their living room as a "dry run" for their impending camping trip. Of course, once again Shemp is ailing, so good old Cousin Claud is called onto the scene (the guy's a certified quack, but what the hell?, he works cheap). I have to wonder at the inordinate number of times Shemp had to play an ailing character in these shorts; could it be all the negative karma so generated that caused Shemp's early death in real life? If you believe in stuff like that, you most certainly would have to wonder. By the way, there is one good bit during the "living room camping" scene; it involves Larry shouting to Moe, "Foither! Foither!," and getting a crossbeam shoved into his face for his effort. Claud is annoying as hell, so when he gets stuck at the end of the film (with the Columbus), good feelings ensue. There's also the tiresome "You idiot, I meant skip taking the pills, not skip rope!" gag thrown in, but the service station scene (with the confusion over the ownership of a certain tire) more than makes up for it. The very best of the film occurs at the very end: first you have Shemp saying, "Wait, I'm hungry too!", and then you have Larry saying, "Well, what's wrong with that?". I'm telling you, those precious seconds at the very end are more than worth sitting through the first twenty minutes! And, all seriousness aside, those twenty minutes aren't really all that bad, really they're not! Watch this flick!
Gents in a Jam
(1952)
You take her . . . You got her . . . YOU WORM!
14 April 2006
This is another brilliant Shemp short, topped off by Emil Sitka's delightful performance. The boys are in a fix: broke again and facing eviction. Worse yet, Shemp and Larry are petrified of the landlady, Mrs. MacGruder. Moe has a great scene when he soliloquizes on his mastery over women. He shows his true colors when Mrs. Battleaxe, oops, I mean Mrs. MacGruder, comes on the scene (and you must check out Shemp and Larry when this happens). Sitka portrays Shemp's wealthy Uncle Phineas, and an air of mystery is imparted when the landlady repeats out loud, "Phineas Bowman" in an obvious tone of recognition. Then, of course, we have the jealous-husband-beautiful-wife subplot (thankfully, plots never matter where the Stooges are concerned). Rocky Duggan, the strongest man in the world, performs his service to humanity by asking people if they have any phone books they would like torn in half. He would have little to do here in the Virgin Islands; our phone books aren't that thick, and that's even with the British Virgin Islands thrown in. Nonetheless, I wouldn't want to get on his bad side, which is exactly what the Sttoges do through no fault of their own. Except for the scene when Rocky throttles Shemp's double, it is Emil Sitka who inadvertently takes the brunt of Rocky's wrath. Emil truly shines here. But if I were Uncle Phineas, I'd think twice about marrying a woman with the most devastating right cross in history. Rocky's still spitting out his teeth.
Heavenly Daze
(1948)
Old fishmonger, old skunkbait!
12 March 2006
I had no idea the afterlife was so highly organized. Why, they've got trains that actually stick to schedule and tons of clerical workers. Luckily for Shemp, his Uncle Mortimer (who looks an awfully lot like Moe) occupies an important bureaucratic position, so he's able to cut Shemp a deal. Here we also learn that male angels, when sexually excited by shapely female angels, react by bringing their wings up over their shoulders. Apparently, however, this act is strictly a faux pas, judging from Uncle Mortimer's reaction to Shemp's excitability. We also learn that in the afterlife, we are bound to have run-ins with very small, yet very spiteful, rain clouds. These clouds are pretty hard, are suspended by strings, and dispense their rain through two small holes near their center. Shemp must catch the train to Earth, where he is given the daunting task of reforming Moe and Larry, whom we first meet in the office of lawyer I. Fleecum (apparently after he split from his erstwhile partners Cheatham and Howe), portrayed by the great Vernon Dent. Here, Vernon does what no self-respecting shyster would do---he tells the truth, by admitting to Larry and Moe that he has ripped them off blind. I like Larry's line here, "Mind if we breathe?" Shemp, being unseen and unheard, begins reforming Larry and Moe by slapping Moe as a payback for the years of abuse he suffered at Moe's hands (sounds effective to me). Then Larry and Moe go through the trouble of renting a posh apartment, even with a sporty butler, just to run a scam on a wealthy couple. And, yes, it's the old fountain-pen-that-writes-under-whipped-cream scam. Here's what I don't understand: when Moe sets up the pen, paper, and cream in the automatic mixer, why is the paper blank? Moe even admits to Larry that the pen is not likely to write! Wouldn't an experienced scam artist place a sheet of paper that already has fountain pen squiggles all over it, to fool the DePuysters into thinking that the pen really wrote under whipped cream? Thankfully, this is a Stooges short, so things like technical details and plot aren't really important. The best scene is the opening of the second reel. Here we see Moe and Larry in their opulent digs, where Larry gives Moe a greeting popular with society's upper crust, "I say, old fishmonger, old skunkbait!," whereupon Moe shows his bourgeois leanings by clobbering Larry for putting on airs. Then Spiffington the butler says "Thank yawww," which precipitates Moe and Larry engaging in brilliant ripostes of "Thank yawws," until Moe tires of the game and slaps Larry silly. It's worth seeing this short just for this scene alone, so don't be a schmoe: see this short!
Scrambled Brains
(1951)
Roll over, Kafka, you've got company.
11 March 2006
Even back in the 1950's, socialized medicine was an issue, especially psychiatric medicine. Here we have poor Shemp, institutionalized in a sanitarium, and Moe and Larry are forced to withdraw him because they can no longer afford the hospitalization. Ah, the pathos! Apparently though, they can still afford Shemp's medication, as we see him popping pills like crazy in the opening reel. Whether this medicine has side effects, or is just plain ineffective, we don't know, but we do know Shemp hallucinates like mad. He imagines Babe London, his nurse, as a shapely blonde. Of course Babe, blacked-out teeth and all, is no dummy. She's not about to let a great catch like Shemp get away, hallucinations or not. Just the same, it's best she's not in the scene when Shemp imagines he's grown two extra hands whilst pounding away a lively jazz tune on a piano. By the way, the look on Shemp's face, just before realizing he has four hands, is priceless. It doesn't last, though. He goes into utter hysterics, pounding Larry's and Moe's heads while ranting like a lunatic. Yeesh! The best part of the short is when Vernon Dent, bedecked in a ten gallon hat, interacts with the Stooges in the usual way, in a phone booth, no less. He's Babe's father who has arrived in town for the impending nuptials. The final scene gives us round two of the Vernon Dent-Stooges fracas, where we see that Babe inherited her strong and independent will from her great uncle Jack when she grabs Shemp out of the fracas, hoists him over her shoulder, and hums the wedding march. She may not be much for looks, but she knows what she wants and she takes it! I know there's an allegory here in all this, but I haven't figured it out yet. Do you want a deep, complicated, thought-provoking Stooges short? Brother, this is it.
The Hot Scots
(1948)
Hi Lorna, how ya Doone?
10 March 2006
Oh, brother, what a great short. The Stooges are turned loose in the United Kingdom, where they talk themselves into positions as gardeners in Scotland Yard, of all places---all they had to do was to prove they weren't gentlemen! Moe delivers a great double whack to Larry's and Shemp's skulls with the handle of a garden rake. The Stooges end up in a Scottish castle, regaled in kilts. If I ever make it up to Scotland, I would like to try out Ted Lorch's great line, "The E-r-r-r-r-r-el will see ye noo!" Now tell me Shemp wasn't one of the greatest comedians of all time. Christine McIntyre delivers such an obvious set-up line (when asked her name she says "Perhaps ye've heard it, 'tis Lorna Doone!"), so that Shemp's response is utterly predictable, and yet, he absolutely slayed me with it. In fact, all three Stooges are at their best in this short. See it, and I don't care which side of the MacMason MacDixon line you have to come from to do it!
Shivering Sherlocks
(1948)
Angel . . . Strangers in the house!
10 March 2006
The tone is set early on. Cy Schindell, as a cop: "Who's in that can?" Voice from within (unmistakably Shemp's): "Just garbage!" Can't three guys enjoy their Saturday night out stuffed in a garbage can without being hassled by The Man? Thus the poor Stooges become the prime suspects for an armed robbery. Actually, that's a good thing, otherwise we wouldn't see the Stooges trip up police captain Vernon Dent on his own polygraph! Lodge meeting, huh? Yeah, sure, Vernon! Makes you wonder what debauchery he was really up to. The best delivery of a line in this short has to be Shemp's "Boy, you got a lotta crust!" when Larry is discovered to have run up a huge tab at the Elite Cafe. Thankfully, Christine McIntyre is in this short, too, as Gladys, the proprietor of the café. It's also good to see Kenneth MacDonald. The scene where he says, "Angel . . . Strangers in the house" is priceless. I may have said too much already, so get out there and see this short!
Income Tax Sappy
(1954)
He might want a little mustard.
10 March 2006
Larry prepares a foot long hot dog for Moe. He slathers it with a liter of mustard and says to himself, "and I knoooooooow he's gonna like that!". As he takes the hot dog to serve to Moe, he grabs the jar of mustard as he reminds himself, "He might want a little mustard!" Welcome to "Income Tax Sappy," where cheating on their income tax has made the Stooges into millionaires (the national economy must have been very strong in the early 1950's). The IRS, of course, gets wise. They send over Benny Rubin in a phony beard and a phonier German accent, and the sting operation is on. Shemp displays his ardent love for mashed potatoes and gravy ("I looooooooves gravy!") by shoveling copious quantities of each onto his dickey, which amuses the maid. The jig is up for the Stooges right after Herr Rubin gets the predictable face full of those very same mashed potatoes and gravy. It's good to see Vernon Dent as one of the T-men who come after the Stooges. All in all, there's food fighting, mayhem, and a good dose of Moe handing out the physical abuse to Shemp and Larry. Alas, if only Shemp had not claimed those 14 bartenders as dependents on his W-1040.
Three Dark Horses
(1952)
"How stupid can three guys be?"
27 December 2005
So asks Ben Weldon, in the days before he met Superman. Ben's the guy with carpet dirt smeared all over his face and with his toupee, saturated with glue, stuck on top of his head. And the Stooges are stupid? The great Kenneth MacDonald, as "Slick" Bill Wick, lets out a chuckle: he's found his pigeons. But not so fast! The Stooges get wise to Hammond Egger's crooked ways and switch allegiance to Able Lamb Stewer, a byproduct of early cloning experiments carried out with Dolly the Sheep's ancestors (and Stewer's likeness on his campaign posters will bear me out on this). Anyway, Slick Bill is not amused, and extreme violence and mayhem ensues. That's the plot, but as in all Stooges shorts, it's tertiary, not even secondary. The first reel is classic Stooges: they're janitors, and therefore allegoric to the proletariat masses, who, as irony would have it, get screwed by the very politicians they vote into office. But Slick Bill, the campaign manager, needs mindless yes-men to vote as they are told at the upcoming convention. Now, I've already described what happens to Ben Weldon, Slick's assistant. This alone should serve as a warning: do not underestimate the Stooges. Anyway, the second reel of the short starts out in sheer surrealism. The Stooges wreak havoc unto themselves in what can only be described as a political convention of three. I'll just say here that Shemp forever won my heart with his very short "two-hour week" speech, superlative even to Moe's brilliant paean to political bombast. I'll also say that the treatment endured by Slick Bill and Ben Weldon in the Stooges' bathtub is not for the faint of heart. Remember the effect "Psycho" had on shower-takers? Well, I've never again taken a bath since first seeing "Three Dark Horses"! But if you're smart, or politically inclined (mutually exclusive events), this short film is a must-see.
Sing a Song of Six Pants
(1947)
Teddy Hoosevelt? Thomas Hedison?
27 December 2005
No, you knuckleheads! That's Terry Horgan! He was here! Yes, there's a lot to like in this brilliant short. Where can I begin? Moe cooking pancakes on a steam press? Shemp keeping a pair of trousers in a window shade? How about Shemp reading with his lips as he peruses the Sunday funnies---this, of course, interspersed with fits of convulsive laughter, along with the requisite "hee-bee-bees" thrown in. Then there's Shemp reaching down a trouser leg and snatching a 50 dollar bill from Moe's hand, thinking he's found another fifty, whence follows a bit of comedic brilliance: you know what Moe's going to do (justifiably so), but it kills you nonetheless. How about that set-up to the film's climax: Terry Horgan and his henchmen stroll into the shop in disguise (phony beards) and deliver that immortal line, "We-would-like-our-suits-cleaned-and-pressed-while-we-wait," in a ridiculously overplayed staccato. Even the Stooges' suspicions are aroused by that! And the great Shemp almost gets away by putting on one of the phony beards himself. Then there's Cy Schindling getting the steam press treatment. There's even Vernon Dent, as if the film didn't have enough! Check out Shemp's reaction when Vernon threatens him with "I ought to run you in!" There's Larry wondering if he's hallucinating whether the "Pip Boys'" mannequins are coming to life, before shoving Terry Hargan's trousers in Vernon Dent's face with the imperative, "Smell the ocean!" Oh, brother, I could go on and on . . . The pace is breakneck, the timing sublime. Even time-worn gags, when interjected, come off great, thanks mostly to the Stooges' formidable talents. I can't recommend this Stooges short strongly enough. So I won't. Watch it when you have the chance.
Self Made Maids
(1950)
Minimalism!
24 September 2005
Give the Stooges credit: they weren't afraid to experiment. Imagine, portraying their own girlfriends! They did a clever job, and did not have to rely on camera trickery (Columbia's shorts department would not have provided them with sufficient funds to do so, anyway). The Stooges did a little "mix'n'match," but to be honest, I can't remember who was paired with whom. Let's see, was Moe Shempetta's boyfriend? Well, anyway, the Stooges weren't exactly attractive women, but they did have a sort of home-spun innocent charm. Now there's a triple marriage I would have absolutely loved to see. Too bad the ladies' old man is dead set against it, and perhaps you can't blame the guy. Now I love Moe, but three roles were just too many. I think Vernon Dent would have been great as the girls' father, but, what the hell, Moe still works. I think after this short was made, the world witnessed a spate of occurrences where prospective bridegrooms tickled their intended spouses' father into submission to procure his permission to marry his daughter. This was about 1950, right? Remember that famous case in Tunisia? Those Stooges, they were innovators, years ahead of their time. Just watch this surreal film, and you will agree.
Mummy's Dummies
(1948)
Painless Papyrus
24 September 2005
Great short. Who would have thought that ancient Egypt was plagued with unscrupulous used chariot salesmen? And here we have the Stooges, three of the best in the business. They even bamboozle the head of the Royal Palace Guards out of a considerable number of "sheckels" with the old "original paint" line! Of course, back then it was probably still a fresh scam. They even have Shemp get into disguise and act as a shill to drive up the price. Hilarious indeed, but alas, they picked the wrong guy to rip off. They end up arrested and are dragged to court before King Rootintootin himself, the rightfully beloved Vernon Dent. As good luck will have it, Rootintootin is suffering from a toothache. Shemp, a.k.a. "Painless Papyrus," always carries around with him his "delicate instruments," which comprise 2 pairs of pliers, a hammer, two chisels, a Phillips Head screwdriver, a bit-and-brace, and some extra bits. Well, what did you expect in ancient Egypt, Novocaine? Of course, Shemp must put on the pair of spectacles he carries around for his delicate work, and we see first-hand that optometry in ancient Egypt was still quite primitive. Couldn't those Egyptians get anything right? No matter: somehow, through sheer serendipity, the Stooges cure Rootintootin, and are rewarded with positions as "royal chambermaids". Then we see that ancient Egypt, despite all its shortcomings, was a highly advanced political state, since the head tax collector, the rightfully revered Phil Van Zandt, has been ripping the royal treasury off blind. Now, that sure makes me feel at home. So what happens? Do the Stooges save the day again for old Rootintootin? And what about Rootintootin's unmarried daughter? Could this be Shemp's chance to marry into royalty? Will Moe be best man? Hey, don't listen to a poor slob like me. Get out there and see this remarkable short for yourself! You won't be disappointed.
Husbands Beware
(1956)
What could have been . . .
10 April 2005
If you watched this short without prior knowledge of its having incorporated footage from an earlier short, you would still notice a distinct lack of flow after the first scene. They would have been better off without any earlier footage at all. Moe and Larry marry Shemp's "sisters," but as soon as the vows are exchanged, the brides immediately turn into monsters intent on brow-beating their poor husbands into submission. Soon after that, we cut to Shemp Howard, Professor of Voice. Now we see Moe back to his usual domineering, violent self, which seems utterly incongruous in the face of the henpecking he withstood in the opening scene. It's like seeing two completely different shorts mistakenly spliced together. The hasty "ending" doesn't help matters either. They should have just developed the first scene more---they could have had a decent film extolling the virtues of bachelorhood.
The Tooth Will Out
(1951)
Go West!
10 April 2005
Another great Stooges short. The boys serendipitously find themselves enrolled in Dental School after escaping their former employer's wrath (Emil Sitka with an Italian accent demoniacally swinging a cleaver---Shemp's high-sign warning to Moe: "George Washint'n! George Washint'n!"). Moe displays his keen mathematical acumen by taking the three-for-$25 option for their tuitions. Shemp falls head over heels for Vernon Dent's comely albeit enormously buck-toothed assistant, Margie Liszt, whose great uncle Franz had composed Hungarian Rhapsody Number 5 with this particular Stooges short in mind. And no wonder: where else will you ever see the Stooges sing in harmony, led by a ridiculously over-sized set of dentures? But Vernon Dent has the best line in the film when he implores the newly graduated (by default) Stooges to get as far away from his establishment as possible: "Go West! Go West!" Oh, if Horace Greeley could only have lived long enough to see this short! Of course he would have been about 150 years old, but why nitpick? The last scene, when Shemp has finally hung his shingle and set up shop, portends the future, for by inference Moe and Larry are his dental hygienists! It's never explained why Shemp gets to be the dentist, but you'll see right away that Moe and Larry knew what they were doing all along. The pace in this magnificent short never lets up, and Shemp, as usual, is brilliant. This one's a must-see.
Gypped in the Penthouse
(1955)
"Home on the Farm"
25 October 2003
OK, so "Gypped" is not one of the Stooges' better shorts. So what? It's still damned good! I particularly loved Shemp's takeoff on Liberace, when he sang "Home on the Farm" (to the tune of "Home on the Range"). I also enjoyed Larry's strong role in this short. I thought perhaps Moe came across a bit too heavy-handedly in the penthouse scenes, but he was great in the woman-haters' club scene. Speaking of which, Emil Sitka was immense in that scene. I still love this short!
Shot in the Frontier
(1954)
High Noon Parody
4 September 2003
The Three Stooges play a triple version of Gary Cooper's role in this "High Noon" parody. In this version, the guy who plays and sings "Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling" is visible, and he gets his guitar smashed over his head for his efforts (and rightly so). In retaliation, he pulls out a miniature ukulele and continues to grate Moe's nerves. This short is not among the Stooges' best; it's just too silly.
Stooges sing "Oh, Elaine"
30 August 2003
One of the Stooges' very best shorts. Their roles as troubadours affords them ample opportunity to show off their singing and dancing talents. They serenade Princess Elaine on Cedric the Blacksmith's behalf with their immortal rendition of "Oh Elaine," sung to the tune of the Sextet from Lucia. Later on they do some soft-shoe in knights' armor while "Swannee River" plays on a medieval radio. In the beginning of the short, they receive a classic triple-slap in the face for singing "Oh...we...stuck our little tootsies in the water... ." There are plenty of gags, right up to the end when Shemp gets a face full of mashed fruit, "Well, fruit salad, what do you know?" Great performances from all three!
Brideless Groom
(1947)
Shemp the Great.
12 April 2002
The entire civilized world by now knows that this is where Emil Sitka says his immortal "Hold hands, you lovebirds." But Shemp Howard, Professor of Music, steals the show. Watch him tutoring Dee Green as she fractures the "Voices of Spring." Watch Shemp as he shaves by a mirror suspended from the ceiling by a string. Watch him as he gets walloped by Christine McIntyre. Watch him, and you will laugh and learn. Moe is no slouch either. Watch him as he attempts to induce a woman to sit on a bear trap. Larry, as usual, is the Zen master of reaction. All in all, one of the very best Stooge shorts. You won't find one weak moment.
Blunder Boys
(1955)
Routine 81-C
23 November 2001
This Stooges short is unique. First of all, the Stooges do not go by their real names (Moe, Larry, Shemp), but rather by Dragnet-inspired monikers Farraday, Tarraday, and any of several holidays (for Shemp's character) ranging from St. Patrick's Day to New Year's Day. In one sequence, the Stooges liken themselves to the anatomy of the human hand---Larry is metaphorically the middle finger. The two seconds or so of film where Larry displays his representative digit were blacked out by a Boston television station---Hence Larry was "banned in Boston," although his "gesture" was in no way obscene! The highlight of the film, however, has to be Routine 81-C, which Moe commands Larry and Shemp to prepare for and carry out. Unwillingly, but resignedly, Larry and Shemp do just that---Moe holds out two fingers of each outstretched hand, and Larry and Shemp run into Moe's fingers, thereby giving themselves eye-pokes. I have seen Routine 81-C countless times, and have died laughing every one of them.
The Thing with Two Heads
(1972)
The head of a dying white bigot (Ray Milland) is transplanted onto the body of a black convict on death row (Rosey Grier).*
17 August 1998
The Thing with Two Heads is a remarkable movie. The plot is, in a word, ludicrous. Ray Milland is nothing short of brilliant, and Rosey Grier holds his own. As far as I know, the movie was shot without going over the budget. One infers that Milland and Grier were able to keep straight faces during the shooting; this alone stands as testament to their professionalism as actors. The aforementioned plot is reason enough to watch this movie, which, despite understandably high expectations, will not disappoint. I rarely watch a movie more than once. The Thing with Two Heads is an exception. It's hard to say what I like best about the movie. The interchanges between Milland and Grier are humorous; they would almost qualify as banter. The special effects are unpretentious, even sublime. The movie may seem dated (it becomes quickly obvious that the shooting took place in the early 70's), but this only adds to its charm. I recommend its viewing highly.
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