THE THREE STOOGES GO AROUND THE WORLD IN A DAZE (1963)

 

PHENOMENALITY: *uncanny*
MYTHICITY: *poor*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *comedy*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *sociological*

I saw DAZE back in "The Day," though probably not at a first-run theater in 1963. Back then I only knew the Stooges from the movies, as I didn't see the theatrical shorts until the next decade, so I had no basis of comparison. But even if I had been exposed to the shorts, I probably still would have liked DAZE just because it moved quickly and had a fair amount of slapstick violence, however tame next to "Classic Stooges."

On viewing the film again, I still found it basically appealing in terms of offering a simple formula comedy-adventure built around an engaging premise. It just isn't really funny, and may be the least amusing of the six feature-films in which the final threesome-- Larry Fine, Moe Howard and Curly Joe DeRita-- appeared.

An opening placard apologizes to the late Jules Verne for swiping the premise of AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS, and then we meet the three dimwits in England, where they work as servants to Phileas Fogg III (Jay Sheffield). The accomplishments of Phileas's ancestor are so well known that a pair of thieves get the idea to trick the wealthy young man into duplicating his great-grandfather's feat, but with the added touch that Phileas must do so without using his fortune to buy his way. Phileas accepts roughly the same wager as his ancestor, to circumnavigate the world without using his money simply to buy a few plane trips. Naturally, his faithful servants volunteer to go along. During their trek across the globe the four guys pick up a romantic interest for Phileas (Joan Freeman) and are pursued by both police (who think Phileas robbed a British bank) and the two thieves (planning to knock off the young man so that they will never be suspected).

It's an okay romp, but it proves grating to see the rather limited Curly Joe attempting not one but two of the late Curly Howard's better routines from the shorts. The man probably did his best, but he just wasn't as charismatic or as inventive as Howard.

One of the routines from the shorts deals with Curly Joe being triggered into a manic rage whenever he hears the tune for "Pop Goes the Weasel," and this time the hairless dimwit even displays an uncanny level of strength, enough to break iron chains. In a peculiar commentary on the Asian reputation for sinister mind-control techniques, the Stooges are subjected to brainwashing by Chinese Communists. However, the three morons are so, well, moronic that they infect their three would-be brain-washers with the affliction of  "stooginess."

DAZE is probably still good G-rated entertainment for moppets, but not much more.