Disturbing yet enthralling

Go in cold, and you're likely to emerge with your blood boiling. This has to be seen to be believed.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

"Shot in the Frontier" is a black-and-white sound cartoon from over 60 years ago. The year is 1954 and Curly Howard was dead already being replaced by Shemp, also in this one here. The film runs for 16 minutes exactly, so is really short for Stooges standards. I read that this is a parody of the famous film "High Noon", but I have not seen that one, so I can't say too much about parallels or differences. There's girls in here and villains, which is frequently the case for Stooges short films. Jules White and Felix Adler made this one, also as usual. Making a funny western movie is really a big challenge as these two genres don't go too well with one another and I cannot say they succeeded here. Larry had some more jokes as usual this time and it's fine to see him get the attention. Still overall, not one of the best Stooges short films and I give it a thumbs down. The only thing somewhat funny were the grave inscriptions.

"Shot in the Frontier" is a clever Three Stooges comedy Western in which Larry, Shemp, and Moe do battle with a trio of outlaws, dressed in black, known as the Noonans. The showdown features fine musical accompaniment uncommon in Stooge shorts, and I like the guitar-playing cowpoke played by Emmett Lynn: "You're the flame within my heart that keeps a-burnin'..." There are a few moments during the showdown that I especially like. In a nice long shot, the Stooges and the Noonans unknowingly pass by each other on the deserted street. The Noonan brother played by Joe Palma proves especially hard to pin down as Larry tosses a rifle at his head and Shemp does his hilarious fighter's dance, only to receive the first punch.In the 1950s, the Three Stooges were forced to make shorts that used stock footage from their previous shorts in order to save money, and I'm sure it was not fun. "Shot in the Frontier", however, is a complete original, making it refreshing.

The Three Stooges play a triple version of Gary Cooper's role in this "High Noon" parody. In this version, the guy who plays and sings "Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling" is visible, and he gets his guitar smashed over his head for his efforts (and rightly so). In retaliation, he pulls out a miniature ukulele and continues to grate Moe's nerves. This short is not among the Stooges' best; it's just too silly.

This short has the most basic plot ever, and the fighting throughout this short drags on and gets tiring after a while. Also, Moe's wrath seems to be extremely limited in this short, another strike against it. The fighting does have funny moments which helps, but not enough.Grade: D+