Of the many comedy teams that have experienced enormous success over the last 100 years, few have attained the levels of enduring popularity of The Three Stooges. Larry, Curly, Moe, Shemp, Joe, and Curly Joe (yes, I know that's more than three - be patient and I'll explain) are, arguably, more successful now, 32 years since the last Stooges film, than ever they were in their heyday. There are no real statistics to back up this claim, but remember that much of their catalogue is available on DVD, VHS and in television re-runs. This has ensured, and sustained, a wider audience than just cinema-goers, and it is logical to assume that their popularity is at least as strong as it was.

Like the Marx Brothers, The Three Stooges started out as a stage act, at a time when filmmaking was in its infancy. Vaudeville was the launch pad for many such acts, and the first recognised Three Stooges line-up was born in 1925, consisting of Moe Howard, his brother Shemp, and Larry Fine. Their comedy routines were the stuff that audiences of the time lapped up far more than we do now - slapstick. Pies in faces, stepping in buckets, stepping on rakes, smacks by swinging doors, workmen with planks of wood, and of course the Three Stooges trademark, physical violence, abound. It is unlikely that The Three Stooges would be as successful had they been trying to establish their routine today, and most parents would be appalled at the eye-poking, slapping, punching, kicks up the backside, getting hit by hammers, swinging doors, and my favourite, the ol' double slap.

The line-up changed several times over the fifty or so years of Stooge nonsense. The original line-up included Moe's brother, Shemp, who was soon replaced by another Howard brother, Jerome (Curly). Shemp later replaced Curly after he suffered a major stroke and although he attempted a comeback, and even worked on one short film, rapidly failing health denied him a real comeback. Shemp Howard died in 1955 and was replaced by Joe Besser. In 1958, Besser left the act to be replaced by "Curly" Joe De Rita. More feature films followed, but Larry suffered a stroke whilst filming, Kook's Tour in 1970. Moe and Curly Joe toyed with the idea of yet another replacement, but it never happened. The most recent Stooge, Curly Joe, created the short-lived New Three Stooges, and died in 1993.

In their time, The Three Stooges made feature films, and over 250 short films, each lasting 15 to 20 minutes. They were originally screened in cinemas before the main feature. They all have two things in common; they were all based on the same formula, and they all featured Larry and Moe. They were even turned into a cartoon series in 1965, but even then very little changed. As with all things popular, the end finally came. Curly died in 1952 from another massive stroke, Larry died in early 1975, also from a stroke, and Moe died several months later of lung cancer. Thankfully, there has been no attempt to cash in on their enduring popularity by resurrecting the idea or the name, and substituting three lame pulp-stars of the day, such as a Backstreet Boy, a failed Popstar, and - say, Macaulay Culkin. Having now mentioned this atrocious idea, it is probably only a matter of time before some fat, greedy, studio executive, thinks, "Yes, we can make a buck from this." Let's pray that it never happens.

Trivia: Larry Fine never appeared in a film that didn't also star Moe. Curly, Moe, and Shemp had two other brothers who never entered showbiz. Larry was an accomplished violin player.

The Three Stooges Volume 3 features 12 short films, all presented in the aspect ratio 1.33:1 (full frame) and all are black and white. As these shorts were filmed between 50 and 70 years ago, no one could possibly expect pristine quality images, and believe me, these are anything but pristine. The 12 shorts vary in the presence of the following, and are only watchable because it's this or nothing. Scratches, dirt, blobs, white lines, black lines, circles, flashes and every other imaginable mark and the occasional jump, plague each short film. As said, the age and quality of the source tape is almost completely to blame, so there is little point in complaining, and the cost of remastering them is probably not justified. It boils down to this; either watch them as they are, or don't.

Like the video, there are a number of expected quality issues with the audio. Firstly, all are presented in Dolby Digital 1.0. It is an unexceptional transfer, but the majority of the time it is clear. Audio synch does not appear to be a problem, and all bonks on the head, slaps, hammer blows, ear and nose twisting sound effects come through clearly. There is a noticeable amount of hiss in some of the films, and some crackles and pops (no Rice Bubbles jokes please) affect virtually all of them. As each is mono, there is no work for anything other than the centre speaker, or the front speakers if your system is configured that way. In some ways, the video and audio quality is a reminder of how much the history of cinema has evolved.

There is only one extra included, and that is a short Biography of each of the best known Three Stooges; Larry, Curly, and Moe. These are all text screens, easy to read, but unaccompanied by audio.

If you have ever seen any of The Three Stooges' work, on television, VHS, or other DVD releases, then you know what to expect. Sound effects-laden slapstick, a pretty dame in distress who for reasons best known only to her, wants to marry Curly, lots of silliness and simulated pain. These kings of slapstick will keep you amused for ages, as long as it's your thing. The audio and video quality is pretty dismal, but at around 15 minutes each, it's not demanding viewing. With each short running about 15 minutes, this is a great DVD to throw on when there is only 20 minutes before your favourite television program is due to start. The 12 shorts last 189 minutes in total (the cover says 240 minutes), but each can be selected individually) and is good value.