classicsoncall I caught my fair share of Three Stooges shorts as a kid but never a full length film. Curiously, the trio doesn't really operate as a trio here, as Moe Howard goes by the name of Shorty Williams, and lures Curly and Larry into his prospecting scheme as a way for them to escape the law. The backdrop of a Western film was probably a way of getting the boys into cowboy outfits and astride some horses but the story could have left that element out and still arrive at the same conclusion, which was to get their various supporting players hired by a Broadway producer just trying to get some rest and relaxation while on vacation. With a host of musical numbers, the picture gets some mileage out of a handful of performers like the Hoosier Hotshots and the Cappy Barra Boys. They didn't sound particularly talented to me, but the number that won over producer Trove (Tim Ryan) featured one of the members on a makeshift instrument that brought to mind Smiley Burnette in one of the Durango Kid flicks. A couple of pretty young ladies were also on hand, but the idea that singer June McGuire (Mary Beth Hughes) would fall for an older homely guy like Moe, er Shorty, was beyond my ability to comprehend.

mrb1980 By 1945 the Three Stooges had a successful formula: they unwittingly saved the day, solved someone else's problem, or rescued damsels in distress. Along the way they were usually beaten up by the bad guys, abused by ugly women, and inadvertently caused all kinds of mayhem. Moe was the stubborn, violent leader, Larry played the straight man, and Curly was the clown. The formula didn't vary too much, and many of their 1930s and 1940s short subjects were outrageously funny."Rockin in the Rockies" doesn't use the Stooges formula. Moe appears as a straight man, with Larry and Curly as a team. It just doesn't work very well. The scene is a western ranch somewhere, with lots of musical acts thrown in. There's very little Stooges-type humor in the film, and the boys just don't have their usual dynamic energy. Larry in particular looks way out of place in his role.I suppose a big fan of the Stooges would enjoy this movie just for historical purposes, but others may be really disappointed. The film's not nearly as bad as "Snow White and the Three Stooges", but then almost no films are that bad.

Michael Morrison Moe Howard actually plays a non-stooge: "Shorty" Williams, a ranch foreman, but one who really wants to be a prospector.He does a good job, too.This movie is a must for Stooges fans, if only because it is not typical, but it is so unusual it's a must for any movie fan.Besides, Mary Beth Hughes is in it. Someone with whom I was not familiar, Gladys Blake, but whose lovely legs make her very watchable, played her performing partner, Betty. She didn't act long, but had many gigs.Most of the plot is to give excuses for musical numbers, and some of the numbers are pretty good, especially "Wahoo." Though Ken Trietsch was a guest on a TV show I directed, I hadn't realized the Hoosier Hotshots had been so active in movies. They actually had a lot of talent, as both musicians and actors. This film was a revelation.Some of the alleged comedy was done poorly, and can't be called good slapstick. Probably the director should be blamed.Still, this is a lot of fun, is a must for Stooges fans, a must for movie historians, a must for fans of Western Swing and for -- a term I think I coined -- Midwestern Swing, and a good time for anyone just looking for pleasant fun.

princebuster82 I gave this a four purely out of its historical context. It was considered lost for many years until it popped up out of the blue on Showtime in the early nineties.Moe is the straight man and Larry and Curly act as a duo. Spade Cooley has a couple of numbers. I guess it had something to do with working on a ranch. I'm not quite sure because the plot was so minimal nothing really sticks in my memory. I vaguely remember it being a western musical comedy. Even the Stooge's seem to be going through the motions. Overall there's nothing much really to recommend here.If you're not a Stooge fan then don't bother. If you are a Stooge fan, then stick with the shorts.