Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de)
"Punchy Cowpunchers" is a 17-minute live action short film from 1950. It is one of the uncountable works by the Three Stooges from a point in time when Shemp had already taken over for the sick Curly. War was over, so they weren't political anymore and this one here blends in nicely with the wave of American western films from the 1950s. But it is never really memorable sadly. Even the inclusion of supporting actors that showed up in many other Stooges work could not hide how forgettable this one was. Runtime is roughly the same as always with the Stooges shorts and it is in black-and-white as usual too and has sound of course. I like Shemp more than most, so I am a bit disappointed how this one did almost nothing for me. It is one of the least funny Stooges films I have seen and maybe the reason is that the western component was almost more in the center here than the comedy. Then again, it's probably one of the biggest challenges to combine these two genres into a quality movies. Writer and director Edwards Bernds (who also worked with the Stooges on other projects and became an Oscar nominee a couple years later) was not successful here. Only worth seeing for the very biggest Stooges fans. I give it a thumbs-down as the bad guys and the girl were just as forgettable as the trio themselves.
slymusic
"Punchy Cowpunchers" is one of my two favorite Three Stooges shorts with Shemp (my other favorite is "Pest Man Wins" [1951]), and it was director Edward Bernds' personal favorite as well. Certainly it is my favorite comedy Western, with lots of action and laughs!Edward Bernds, who died in 2000 at age 94, is considered by many, including myself, to be the best director the Stooges ever worked with, and perhaps that is illustrated no better than in "Punchy Cowpunchers." In this short, the slapstick occurs at a brisk, lively pace, and Bernds is not afraid to give the supporting cast (e.g., Emil Sitka, Kenneth MacDonald, Dick Wessel, Christine McIntyre, and especially Jock Mahoney) a share of the spotlight and laughs. Of the six Stooge shorts in which Mahoney appeared, he steals the show in "Punchy Cowpunchers" as he constantly displays his stunt capabilities. His character, named Elmer, is a complete klutz as he trips and falls and uses his "aw shucks" catchphrase. His best stunt occurs at the end when he does a front flip after getting smashed in the head with a plate.Some other memorable scenes in this fine comedy involve two ongoing struggles, complete with clever background music. The first is the chase between the Stooges and the Dillon Gang (MacDonald, George Chesebro, and others) amidst a storage area in the saloon. And the second involves several members of Dillon's gang who try, one by one, to corner Elmer's girlfriend Nell (McIntyre). As each outlaw tries to grab her, she shouts, "I'm just a poor, weak woman!" After which she knocks him out with a punch to the face and then finds a comfortable place to pass out.In conclusion, "Punchy Cowpunchers" is an exceptional Three Stooges comedy with plenty of laughs for not only the Stooges but also the supporting cast.
Ericrs
This is Christine McIntyre's best stooges appearance. "I'm just a poor helpless woman!" POW! And knocks her attacker out the window. This short is also good because the bad guys are real badguys. They have brains unlike some of the other bad guys that the boys went up against in the past. You actually start worrying about the stooges and wondering if they'll get out of this one alive. Elmer's pratfalls and his "Forgot my geetar." and "I fell off my horse" lines are priceless. Oh yeah and the stooges are good too. Especially Shemp's "Your gun is empty." SMASH This one never fails to make me laugh. Definitely my favorite short.
