Stop! Look! And Laugh! Blu-ray Review: Controversial Three Stooges Movie Returns

1960’s Stop! Look! And Laugh! is an oddity among Three Stooges releases. A compilation film, it took classic shorts from the Stooges and interlaced them with a story featuring ventriloquist Paul Winchell and a novelty monkey act called The Marquis Chimps. It’s odd, doesn’t quite all gel together, but it does feature some hilarious, if reused, shorts. Now the Stop! Look! And Laugh Blu-ray allows fans to revisit the movie in high definition.

“It’s a Three Stooges buffet that will satisfy every appetite! Get ready to sink your teeth into a feature-length compilation of clips from your favorite Three Stooges shorts. Stop! Look! And Laugh(1960) was compiled by producer/director Jules White, who has edited together some of the funniest Three Stooges clips featuring Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Curly Howard. Introduced by Paul Winchell and his dummy Jerry Mahoney, these classic clips include bits from such favorites as A Plumbing We Will Go, Micro-Phonies, and How High Is Up. Also featured are the Marquis Chimps starring in a hilarious rendition of the Cinderella story,” says the synopsis.

The film was embroiled in controversy upon its release, as the Three Stooges weren’t consulted on the film’s production. This led to a lawsuit that was later settled. There are 11 stooges featured here, and the best of the bunch are Violent Is the Word for Curly, Micro-Phonies, A Plumbing We Will Go, and Half-Wits Holiday. Those are some of the Stooges’ best works, and it’s a fun introduction if you’re a newcomer. I wasn’t familiar with Winchell’s work, but he’s actually very funny in this and does a good job of making the framing device a worthwhile watch.

The Stop! Look! And Laugh! Blu-ray looks good but not great, as it doesn’t look like it’s been fully restored for this. But compared to the old DVD release, this is certainly the best-looking and sounding version. There’s also English and Spanish subtitles available.

As far as bonus features go, this is a very minimal release. There are no bonus shorts or any retrospective pieces. There is the theatrical trailer, though, which is better than nothing. But otherwise this is as bare-bones as it gets.

Stop! Look! And Laugh! Blu-ray Review: Final Verdict

For newcomers or those looking to add an oddity to their Three Stooges collection, Stop! Look! And Laugh! is a fun watch. It features some great shorts, and the new connecting footage is far from the disaster it could’ve been. While it’s a bare-bones release, the film has aged well despite its controversial origins.

Disclosure: ComingSoon received product from the distributor for our Stop! Look! And Laugh! Blu-ray review.

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