Similar to Curly's last years, most of Volume Eight features a sick Shemp. The most notable of the Shemp shorts is "For Crimin' Out Loud," which features the last footage of Shemp before his death. This is common for most of the films featuring Shemp; he looks sick. It's even more disturbing when new footage is spliced in with older stuff. You know something is wrong and it's unsettling to watch.
In the summer of 1955, Shemp died of a heart attack, leading to a Shemp stand-in and reuse of previously shot footage. As a result, a number of 32-shorts included in the collection are either reworked plotlines, or at least feature gags stripped from previous films. "Rumpus is the Harem" is a remake of "Malice in the Palace," and one of the first films shot after Shemp's death. Of all the Stooges shorts I've reviewed, this one stands out as one of the more special. It was the very first Stooges short I remember seeing and one that isn't shown very often. It was a great surprise to see it pop up.
After the death of Shemp, Moe refused to let the act die and approached vaudeville star Joe DeRita about joining the group. Due to a contract dispute, DeRita wasn't able to join, leading to the hiring of Joe Besser. Besser finished out the Stooges' contract before Columbia pulled the plug. Although the "Curly vs. Shemp" argument is one of the better-known Stooges arguments, Besser also became a controversial figure. I'm clearly in the "dislike" camp, and Volume Eight did nothing to make me a supporter.
Unlike the previous two "third Stooges," Besser's persona is a one trick pony. He's the sissy of the group and probably the most delicate of the Stooges. With Besser around, all you're likely to get is a bunch of whining alongside a massively reduced number of slapstick physical violence, a Stooge trademark. The lack of pratfalls is, in some part, due to Moe and Larry's age, but also a part of Besser's contract. He could be hit, but not that hard (at least for a while). Besser is also one of the few Stooges to actually hit Moe back.
When it comes to Besser shorts, most aren't particularly funny, but still have a place in any Stooge collection. A majority of the films are just remakes of classic Stooges films. "Oil's Well That Ends Well" is a remake of "Oily to Bed, Oily to Rise," only not as funny. Then there's "Pies and Guys," a retooling of "Half-Wits Holiday." It's not that Besser is horrible, but his one-note act doesn't work when trying to reprise classic Curly roles.
The Three Stooges Collection: Volume Eight: 1955 - 1959 is one for completionists and that's about it.
