It might have taken a really long time for Columbia to finally issue Stooge shorts on DVD properly, in a way that fans wanted (chronologically and in black and white), but in the end the extremely long wait was worth it. I know some people initially feared this set might not sell as optimally as it could have five or seven years ago, when the Stooges were last regularly shown on television and thus in the minds of more people, but it appears those fears were unfounded. These shorts have never looked better; it's a huge upgrade in quality from the old VHS collections and the prints used on a lot of the older DVDs. The only short whose quality isn't a big improvement is 'Whoops, I'm an Indian!' (which isn't one of my favorites anyway). For some reason, the print used is darker than the nice one used when it was issued on DVD before. Though apart from that, the set is perfect. They even used a complete print of 'Three Little Beers,' so much better than the previous DVD version that had a brief section of footage missing.

While I'm sure it is painful on one's wallet if one has already bought all of the previous "themed" discs and now has to start all over again, the extra money is really worth it. This two-disc set provides a LOT more shorts per buck than any of the previous discs did, in mostly all pristine quality, and finally with a "play all" option, something most of the other discs didn't have. Eight of the twenty-one shorts have never been issued on DVD before. I also love how the discs are stored in individual thin boxes instead of stacked overlapping one another or just in one regular-sized DVD box. It would have been great had there been some bonus material, but I agree that they're probably saving it for the later sets that will cover the later Shemp era and the Joe Besser era, to help to up their sales potential.

This very early Stooge era isn't quite my favorite because they hadn't really fully establised their screen characters, screen relationship, or the specific type of comedy they wanted to concentrate on (all of the ingredients are there, but just not brought to perfection just yet), but I do love a lot of these shorts. In spite of the fact that this is a bit before their classic era really started, there's a sort of charm and magic in watching the chaotic freewheeling spirit of something like 'Pop Goes the Easel' or 'Three Little Pigskins.' The only short on here I dislike is 'Restless Knights,' which I'd consider one of the worst shorts of the Curly era. They only got better and better as they went along. Hopefully future sets won't be long in coming and we won't have to wait another five-plus years for the second volume.

Ever since I was a child, I can remember laughing until my side hurt at the antics of Moe, Larry, and Curly. However, until just recently, the only ways to relive those hilarious moments were through short syndication stints on AMC and SpikeTV. Sure, a zillion DVD sets of the Stooges have been produced in the last couple decades, but none in the format that TV fans want...season-by-season (or, in the Stooges' case, year-by-year, as "seasons" hadn't even been thought of yet!). With the release of this DVD volume, though, the Stooges can finally be enjoyed in their purest form...one after another of pure hilarity!

Though it is a bit difficult to describe the antics of the Three Stooges, suffice it to say that they defined the genre of "slapstick" comedy. Mostly, the Stooges' shorts (each "episode" runs about 15-17 minutes in length) see the Stooges as down-on-their-luck Depression-era bums looking to do anything (sports, work, marriage, etc.) to make a buck. Of course, because they are so inept at working as a team, hilarity ensues! The Stooges were also masters of physical comedy (by far the best that has ever graced the Silver Screen of television), and their crazy slaps, punches, and manic routines will have you marveling at their physical talents as actors.

I mainly bought this set to reminisce by myself, but my younger (10 years old) sister also took a liking to them, and thus we started watching them together on a regular basis. She loves the silliness of Curly, the cluelessness of Larry, and how Moe always concocts the schemes but mostly ends up on the receiving end of the chaos!

To conclude, the Three Stooges are a comedy team that will never die, but came quite close to fading into obscurity before these DVD's were released. Now, however, you (and your family members) can appreciate their comedic genius for years to come!

Will you be buying Volume II after this purchase? As Curly would say: "Soitenly"!

Many positive things that have been written about this set, and I concur: we've been waiting for this for years. The quality of the prints are excellent. The films are hilarious. I could also cite a few negatives which have been mentioned: no DVD extras, no interviews, no commentary, no background material. Just great comedy.

I wish they would have included at least the Ted Healy-era shorts - Nertsery Rhymes, Beer and Pretzels, Hello Pop!, Plane Nuts, and The Big Idea - as well as Curly's "Roast Beef and Movies," and perhaps some bits from the MGM feature films in which the Stooges briefly appeared - Broadway to Hollywood, Myrt and Marge, etc. - not because these are the greatest films, but because this is the closest we'll get to a historic overview of the Stooges' work. And make no mistake about it, these guys are nothing less than comedy gods, and their work is worthy of study.

Let's face it, many of us have seen most of these films countless times. As I grew up they were repeated over and over again, in the afternoon for kids and late at night for adults, for years and years.

What is to be gained by watching them in release order? You get to see the Stooges evolve, to see greatness emerge from, frankly, mediocrity. You get to see comic timing and momentous rhythm gradually engulf the slaps, pokes and silly noises. You see the Stooges go from being the lost kids of Ted Healy to their own fully developed and immortal personas.

As this collection draws to a close, if you appreciate the Stooges at all, you will cheer. You will find yourself giggling and clapping, for Curly -- who taunts us in the beginning with his quiet demeanor and jerky movements -- Curly, who will become the most fondly remembered comedians of all time -- the full Curly has arrived.

Good quality

I had my greatest and first exposure to the comedy of The Three Stooges when I was in elementary school. They were on every morning before school as part of Icky Twerp's Slam Bang Theatre on KTVT in Ft. Worth, Tx back in the 1960's. After I grew up, I was often told by men that as a woman it was unnatural that I "got" the Stooges. However, I've always thought they were the best at modern slapstick and - maybe just a little - they are the reason I understand men so well. Every now and then men like to get together, put on their Viking hats, slog some ale, sing manly songs, and behave in a completely uncivilized but relatively harmless manner. This is the basis of the Stooges' act.

Basically, the humor of the Stooges has a two-pronged approach. In the foreground, their humor just consists of good old-fashioned slapstick. However, in the background, there is a bit of sly social commentary going on. Like the Marx Bros., they behave so outrageously and incompetently that anyone should be able to see that they shouldn't have the positions they claim to have - as doctors in "Men in Black", as filmmakers in "Movie Maniacs", as artists in "Pop Goes the Easel", or as exterminators in "Ants in the Pantry". However, the society types that surround them would rather remain safe in their pretentiousness than step out and call attention to themselves and say "These guys don't know what they're talking about!". To do so might upset the entire social order. Thus the Stooges are given a free hand to run amok until they destroy everything. THEN everyone complains. In that sense, it seems like society hasn't changed in the 75 years since the Stooges first formed their act.

These early shorts are among my favorites. The oldest short, "Woman Haters", is different from all the others in that everyone sings or rhymes their part. You'll also notice a couple of supporting players that may be familiar - Lucille Ball shows up in 1934's "Three Little Pigskins" and Walter Brennan in "Restless Knights" and "Woman Haters". The audio and video are of the highest quality. I couldn't see any of the wires that enabled the stunts as other viewers claim to have seen, but then at 50 my eyesight isn't what it once was plus I'm viewing on a standard sized TV. The only bad thing I can say about this set is that it has absolutely no extras. Since Columbia provided commentary on Buster Keaton's much less feted DVD set of shorts, you'd think that the studio's busiest comedians of the 30's and 40's would warrant something along those lines. However, I still highly recommend the set and hope that more Stooges DVD sets are forthcoming.