"Bedlam in Paradise" is OK for a Three Stooges short but it's bizarre, and part of the reason why is because it is a remake, with stock footage, of another oddball Stooge comedy titled "Heavenly Daze" (1948). As a refreshing change of pace, however, Shemp is invisible to Moe and Larry throughout most of this remake, as in the original, and it's kind of nice to see Shemp taking advantage of that.
There aren't many highlights in this particular film, but here are a couple. While in Heaven, Shemp encounters the Devil (brilliantly portrayed by Philip Van Zandt) and dances with a slinky female devil named Helen Blazes (Sylvia Lewis). Moe's and Larry's phony fountain pen invention goes haywire, splatting whipped cream onto themselves and their prospective buyers (Victor Travers and Symona Boniface); the pen itself flies into Larry's forehead and, in real life, punctures his skin!
As stated above, "Bedlam in Paradise" is weird. The premise of Shemp actually dying in the opening scene may not sit well with an audience, since virtually NOBODY dies in a Three Stooges comedy ("Crime on Their Hands" [1948] and "Pals and Gals" [1954] are exceptions). But this short (and the original) is unique in its weirdness, so just accept it for what it is and try to enjoy it.
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