Snow White and the Three Stooges (1961)

Absolutely Brilliant!

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Why are some people so down on this movie? I saw it when I was only 7 or 8 years old and I loved it. I was already a fan of the 3 Stooges and I found this a great change from their usual slapstick. I even thought Joe DeRita was Curly Howard, they looked so much alike. What I don't understand is that often the Stooges were attacked by critics who claimed they were not funny, that all they did was hit each other in the heads. Yet for once they made a movie in which they did less hitting and played up fantasy,romance, and adventure instead. And then the critics complained that they did not do enough! It just goes to show you can't please everyone. All I can say to the people who hate the Stooges, if you don't like them then go watch something filthy on Comedy Central. I say the 3 Stooges rank right up with Laurel and Hardy as classic comedians. God bless them for bringing me so much happiness as a child!

Lavish if overlong version of the popular fairy-tale (most famously incarnated on screen via the 1937 Walt Disney animated milestone) which incorporates a skating star (whose numbers go on forever), the comic trio's brand of violent slapstick (replacing the Seven Dwarfs – though they feel constrained by the material, much like the Laurel & Hardy of THE BOHEMIAN GIRL [1936] and SWISS MISS [1938]) and saccharine songs; the familiar plot is further enlivened by an amiable ventriloquist act and numerous swashbuckling routines. It's colorful and pleasant – certainly more enjoyable than I had anticipated, and wholly undeserving of Leonard Maltin's unflattering BOMB rating – emerging, all in all, to be perfect unassuming entertainment for the festive season.Guy Rolfe and Patricia Medina convey appropriate comic-book villainy in their respective roles (each receive their just desserts in memorable fashion – but while his is particularly gruesome, hers is done in a rather clever way); burly Buddy Baer is their evil henchman who subsequently has a change of heart. Incidentally, this was the first of five belated feature films starring The Three Stooges – the others being the equally improbable THE THREE STOOGES MEET HERCULES (1962), THE THREE STOOGES IN ORBIT (1962), THE THREE STOOGES GO AROUND THE WORLD IN A DAZE (1963) and THE OUTLAWS IS COMING (1965).Frank Tashlin is said to have contributed to the film under review but, at any rate, the producers involved did have their hearts in the right place by employing director Lang (whose last effort this proved be) – having been responsible for the splendid Shirley Temple fantasy vehicle THE BLUE BIRD (1940) – and screenwriter Noel Langley – who had co-scripted the classic MGM version of THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939). By the way, this viewing of SNOW WHITE AND THE THREE STOOGES came in anticipation of my acquiring a 2-Disc collection of the comic trio's vintage shorts...

http://img292.imageshack.us/my.php?image=vlcsnap1685933in8.jpg the link is a screen shot from the movie. The guy totally looks like the burger king. I think burger king owes this guy and the 3 stooges some money. The 3 stooges look old in this movie, they did it for a paycheck, thats all. I like when the kid hits his head on the rock, great acting, and when he grows up his tights are a little disturbing as well. The acting in the movie is horrible, the stooges are not at their comic best either. It was hard to get through this movie but you have to give a shout out to the burger king, its about a minute into the movie, it made my jaw drop.

I suppose The Three Stooges were getting a little fatigued by the time they did their work in SNOW WHITE AND THE THREE STOOGES because they're less exuberant than usual, in fact you might even say their slapstick is much more restrained. But this is good because Fox never intended this to be a showcase for them--rather, it introduces Olympic Skating Champion Carol Heiss and features Edson Stroll doing a nice job as Prince Charming.Walter Lang did the directing and he's given an A budget on which a lot was obviously spent on costumes and settings, so from a strictly pictorial viewpoint the film is pleasant to look at in stunning technicolor. Gorgeous PATRICIA MEDINA has fun with her role as the wicked Queen who disguises herself as an old hag.Just to make sure Miss Heiss' ice-skating is not totally ignored, they've given her two big production numbers and both of them are skillfully filmed and performed in winter wonderland type of settings.Fans of The Stooges may be disappointed, but actually this is not a bad re-telling of the fantasy using a totally different approach. The four songs are rather unmemorable but this is merely a pleasant enough diversion for young folks.