Kook's Tour

Kook's Tour is a 1970 comedy film that features the iconic comedy troupe, The Three Stooges, consisting of members Joe DeRita, Larry Fine, and Moe Howard. DeRita, Fine and Howard, after spending several decades in cinema and television, present this unusual combination of cinema and reality television in their final screen outing.

Kook's Tour primarily functions as a pseudo-documentary interspersed with comedic sketches and antics that the Stooges are known for and loved by millions. Directed by longtime Stooges collaborator Norman Maurer, the film displays a considerable departure from their usual slapstick comedy films and short subjects. Instead, Kook's Tour focused on presenting the Stooges, albeit in-character, touring across various locations across the United States, allowing for a different kind of comedic and situational humor.

In the film, the Stooges (Moe, Larry, and Joe), now retired from their traditional comedic antics, embark on a journey across various parts of the United States. The purpose of this tour is to experience and explore what the country has to offer beyond the confines of a film studio. The storyline creatively uses this premise to weave in their spontaneous comedic reactions to various real-world situations.

Throughout the course of their travel, the group partakes in activities such as fishing, hunting, and camping, resulting in a series of amusing scenarios that blend the real and the scripted. The unscripted humor that ensues from their interactions with their surroundings and the common populace forms the primary crux of the movie. The production crew films the Stooges' reactions to their experiences, which range from childish awe to comedic confusion, keeping the audience engaged and entertained throughout the film.

Each comedian was allowed the space to shine individually while retaining the group dynamics that made them a hit. Moe Howard continues to portray the aggressive leader of the group, Larry Fine displays his characteristic nervous confusion while Joe DeRita brings his unique sense of comedy as the third stooge. The film paints these off-screen personalities tackling real-life locations in character and reimagining everyday experiences, allowing for fresh humorous scenarios.

As a departure from their typical chaos-driven style, the Stooges delve into observational humor in Kook's Tour. It emphasizes the gags arising from their interactions with a world they seem hilariously unfit to be a part of. Equally, a highlight of the film is how it provides its audience with a glimpse of the United States, specifically its backcountry, from the eyes of these beloved knuckleheads.

Kook's Tour captures moments of genuine camaraderie between the three beloved comedians. Their chemistry is palpable, as they continue to navigate their journey, leaving the audience with several humorous moments and heartening instances of their friendship. For die-hard fans of The Three Stooges, it's like a nostalgic road journey, cherishing the performers behind the arduously performed visual gags, slapsticks, and physical humor.

Although it marked the final screen appearance of the iconic comedic trio, it presented an opportunity to view the Stooges through a new lens. Kook's Tour combines the spontaneity of unscripted television with the humor of scripted comedy—a remarkable venture that successfully entertained the fans of The Three Stooges and comedy aficionados as a whole.

While Kook's Tour provides an abundance of comedy and laughs, it also offers a fitting and heartfelt swansong to the careers of Joe DeRita, Larry Fine, and Moe Howard, solidifying their legacy as The Three Stooges—one of the most influential comedy teams in the history of cinema and television. It assures fans that, even away from the theatrics of Hollywood, their gift for comedy would always find a way to the surface, underlining their inherent comedic talent and their ability to evolve forms of humor.