UPC 025493226799

Much has been made of Moe, Larry and Curly – and rightly so – but Shemp Howard was a comic master too often overlooked, with a solo career that far outshone that of the other Stooges. Apart from costarring in many classic Three Stooges shorts, Shemp appeared opposite such fellow comic legends as W.C. Fields, Ed Wynn, Bert Lahr, and Abbott & Costello, as well as such luminaries as John Barrymore, William Powell, Jack Haley, and The Andrews Sisters.

This long-overdue 2-disc spotlight on Shemp – one of the first and one of the last Stooges and brother of Moe and Curly Howard – contains two early ‘30s solo Shemp shorts; a trio of Shemp’s Three Stooges shorts; a live TV Camel Comedy Caravan with Shemp, Larry, and Moe; the complete 1942 feature Private Buckaroo, starring Shemp and The Andrews Sisters; the 1949 feature Africa Screams, starring Abbott & Costello and Shemp - and more, including outtakes from Africa Screams and sequences from the 1935 drama Convention Girl, in which Shemp plays it straight as a smalltime hood!

But the real treasure is a remarkable, revealing, and very intimate look at Shemp Howard’s life and career featuring exclusive interviews with Shemp’s daughter-in-law, Geri Howard Greenbaum; Geri’s sister, Diane Silvers; and Shemp’s granddaughter, Jill Howard Ullo. These touching, humorous and fascinating firsthand reminiscences are supplemented by rare, never-before-seen home movies, personal photos, and priceless memorabilia from Geri, Jill, and Shemp’s second granddaughter (and namesake), Sandie Howard Isaac. A well-deserved salute that is a must for fans of the Three Stooges and classic comedy!

Disc One

Henry the Ache (1934) – Bert Lahr (THE WIZARD OF OZ) is King Henry in a parody of the then-current Charles Laughton film, with Shemp as one of his lackeys. (17:12)

Knife of the Party (1934) –Shemp is the leader of a different group of Stooges (four instead of three) who have to work at a hotel to pay their bill. (20:00)

Convention Girl (1935) – Sequences from a rare drama starring Rose Hobart (DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE), in which Schemp plays a straight role – a small-time hood who resorts to extortion and attempted murder! (10:00)

Private Buckaroo (1942) – Shemp is an Army drill sergeant, Dick Foran (THE MUMMY’S HAND) is a new recruit, and The Andrews Sisters provide musical accompaniment in this wartime delight. (68:10)

Africa Screams (1949) – Shemp and future Stooge, Joe Besser, provide strong support in this jungle-themed Abbott & Costello classic (including outtakes!). (80:00)

Disc Two

The Brideless Groom (1947) – Moe and Larry help Shemp get married immediately so he won’t lose out on his inheritance. Hold hands, you lovebirds! (16:35)

Sing a Song of Six Pants (1947) – Shemp, Moe and Larry have "pressing business" in a dry-cleaning store but get mixed up with bank robbers. (16:53)

Malice in the Palace (1949) – Shemp, Moe and Larry are restaurateurs who run off to a faraway land in search of the Rootin Tootin Diamond. (15:42)

Camel Comedy Caravan (1950) – A rare, live kinescope with Shemp, Moe and Larry as TV executives (!) who harass Ed Wynn on his television show. (28:07)

Bonus:

Remembering Shemp - An intimate look at Shemp Howard’s life and career featuring exclusive interviews with Shemp’s daughter-in-law, Geri Howard Greenbaum; Geri’s sister, Diane Silvers; and Shemp’s granddaughter, Jill Howard Ullo. These touching reminiscences are supplemented by rare, never-before-seen home movies, personal photos, and priceless memorabilia. (approx. 45 mins.)