For a long time before Joe DeRita joined the Three Stooges and adopted the moniker "Curly Joe," he worked solo. Between 1946 and 1948, while the Three Stooges made shorts at Columbia, Joe had his own comedy series at the same studio. SLAPPILY MARRIED was the first one.
It's fascinating to see DeRita in this short. Still a fairly young man in his thirties, he has a full head of hair which is often disheveled for humorous effect. Although stocky, Joe's considerably thinner than he was as "Curly Joe." Because of his youth and relative svelteness, DeRita engages in a lot more physical slapstick than he did as a Stooge, proving himself adept in this field. To his benefit, the slapstick, as directed by Edward Bernds, is smoothly executed and avoids the tasteless excesses that marred some of the other Columbia comedy shorts.
Nevertheless, Joe DeRita comes off as a unremarkable comedian. He's too colorless to project any pizazz. Joe's blandness is all the more evident when one realizes his character is reminiscent of Lou Costello, a bumbling, childlike patsy with a streak of brashness. The charm and vulnerability that made Costello so endearing is largely absent in DeRita.
Despite DeRita's lack of charisma, SLAPPILY MARRIED is an entertaining and amusing short. The scenario isn't much- Joe's wife thinks he's involved with another woman and he tries to win her back, but it effortlessly sails thanks to Bernds' adroit direction. It is also enhanced by a fine supporting cast, particularly Christine McIntyre, Dorothy Granger, and Dick Wessel. Talented casts seem to be a hallmark of Columbia shorts, bringing some spirit to these films even when the material was under par. This film is worth seeking out as an example of a good non-Stooge Columbia short even if in this case, the supporting cast outshines the star.
It's fascinating to see DeRita in this short. Still a fairly young man in his thirties, he has a full head of hair which is often disheveled for humorous effect. Although stocky, Joe's considerably thinner than he was as "Curly Joe." Because of his youth and relative svelteness, DeRita engages in a lot more physical slapstick than he did as a Stooge, proving himself adept in this field. To his benefit, the slapstick, as directed by Edward Bernds, is smoothly executed and avoids the tasteless excesses that marred some of the other Columbia comedy shorts.
Nevertheless, Joe DeRita comes off as a unremarkable comedian. He's too colorless to project any pizazz. Joe's blandness is all the more evident when one realizes his character is reminiscent of Lou Costello, a bumbling, childlike patsy with a streak of brashness. The charm and vulnerability that made Costello so endearing is largely absent in DeRita.
Despite DeRita's lack of charisma, SLAPPILY MARRIED is an entertaining and amusing short. The scenario isn't much- Joe's wife thinks he's involved with another woman and he tries to win her back, but it effortlessly sails thanks to Bernds' adroit direction. It is also enhanced by a fine supporting cast, particularly Christine McIntyre, Dorothy Granger, and Dick Wessel. Talented casts seem to be a hallmark of Columbia shorts, bringing some spirit to these films even when the material was under par. This film is worth seeking out as an example of a good non-Stooge Columbia short even if in this case, the supporting cast outshines the star.