If one is looking for the TRUE story of The Three Stooges, one should read either the rare book "Moe Howard and the Three Stooges" or the more recent and easily available "The Complete Three Stooges Filmography." Or even Wikipedia The Three Stooges, you'll get the truth. This film relies heavily on anecdotal stories, and suffers from an over simplification of their story. This is a case where the real story is far more interesting than what is seen here.
For instance, in the sequence where Jerome Howard shaves his head, in real life he did it of his own free will after being turned down initially by Ted Healy. Ted complained of Jerry not being right for them, so he left, and within an hour had shaved his face and head, and immediately created a new impression on their boss Healy. Jerry said "Don't I look girly?" to which Ted Healy thought was Curly, and the name stuck. In this film, Curly is basically forced into it by Larry and Moe, who have, in the film, already broken off from Ted Healy. Incidentally, the film skips over their film work with Healy at MGM.
Even how they get signed by Columbia is pure fabrication. The truth was far more interesting, where both Moe and Larry had signed two separate contracts on the same day. Columbia happened to get to Moe before Universal got to Larry. And when The Three Stooges join Columbia in the film (1934), Harry Cohn says that Buster Keaton is working for him, but that didn't happen until 1939. And the pathos re: Curly is pretty heavy, even making him fall down while during "Half Wits Holiday" (1947), when in fact he had a serious stroke off stage before the final pie fight was filmed.
However, if one could stomach pass such failing of fact for fiction, this film is pretty entertaining, and for someone who knows next to nothing about the Stooges, this may be factual enough for them. The performances are decent. Michael Chiklis's Curly is pretty decent and fun to watch. Paul Ben-Victor is also charismatic enough being the protagonist of a film. It's odd to see how Evan Handler's Larry is running around with his Stooge character's hair while out in public. Doubt Larry Fine walked around with his hair like a porcupine.
It goes through the story quickly, and with good comic moments. The reenactments are okay, but nothing could replace the real thing. The moments of them on stage are better because they can't be compared to the real Stooges. The framework is decent, cutting back and forth to an older Moe Howard dealing with his new life, and the coming revival.
Overall, enjoy it for what it is: a TV biopic. It's about a great story that should be told more often.
For instance, in the sequence where Jerome Howard shaves his head, in real life he did it of his own free will after being turned down initially by Ted Healy. Ted complained of Jerry not being right for them, so he left, and within an hour had shaved his face and head, and immediately created a new impression on their boss Healy. Jerry said "Don't I look girly?" to which Ted Healy thought was Curly, and the name stuck. In this film, Curly is basically forced into it by Larry and Moe, who have, in the film, already broken off from Ted Healy. Incidentally, the film skips over their film work with Healy at MGM.
Even how they get signed by Columbia is pure fabrication. The truth was far more interesting, where both Moe and Larry had signed two separate contracts on the same day. Columbia happened to get to Moe before Universal got to Larry. And when The Three Stooges join Columbia in the film (1934), Harry Cohn says that Buster Keaton is working for him, but that didn't happen until 1939. And the pathos re: Curly is pretty heavy, even making him fall down while during "Half Wits Holiday" (1947), when in fact he had a serious stroke off stage before the final pie fight was filmed.
However, if one could stomach pass such failing of fact for fiction, this film is pretty entertaining, and for someone who knows next to nothing about the Stooges, this may be factual enough for them. The performances are decent. Michael Chiklis's Curly is pretty decent and fun to watch. Paul Ben-Victor is also charismatic enough being the protagonist of a film. It's odd to see how Evan Handler's Larry is running around with his Stooge character's hair while out in public. Doubt Larry Fine walked around with his hair like a porcupine.
It goes through the story quickly, and with good comic moments. The reenactments are okay, but nothing could replace the real thing. The moments of them on stage are better because they can't be compared to the real Stooges. The framework is decent, cutting back and forth to an older Moe Howard dealing with his new life, and the coming revival.
Overall, enjoy it for what it is: a TV biopic. It's about a great story that should be told more often.