Today we conclude an extended focus on Jules White's Columbia Shorts Department with a tribute to director Edward Bernds.
Finishing this extended plunge into the slapstick of The Shorts Department, the spotlight shines on the guy who cranked out numerous Three Stooges shorts in the latter 1940's and early 1950's, longtime Columbia Studio soundman Edward Bernds.
Chicago-born Edward Bernds was a pioneering soundman who, after working with Frank Capra and Howard Hawks, would become a prolific director of silver screen comedies, television series and psychotronic B-films. He lived to be 95 and thus gave numerous interviews.
Mr. Bernds had the unenviable task of directing Three Stooges comedies when Curly Howard's health was rapidly declining in the mid-1940's.
He did a remarkable job working around the NYUK NYUK NYUK king's health issues and getting Curly's last great comedy performances on film.
He also did a stellar job handling the comedy team's transition from Curly to Shemp.
Greg Hilbrich's historical overview of The Shorts Department adds: "In 1944, Edward Bernds, a sound mixer at Columbia since the shorts department's beginnings, began writing scripts for the shorts, only later to find himself in the director's chair. Bernds is responsible for some of the finest two-reel comedies Columbia made."
His Columbia comedy short subjects featured unusual choices of headliners. For example, Billie Burke, ubiquitous character actress known for, among numerous parts, Glinda The Good Witch from The Wizard Of Oz, starred in Columbia 2-reelers. While Billie remains the least likely to headline a Three Stooges style knockabout comedy, it happened!
Ex-pugilists Max Baer and "Slapsie Maxie" Rosenbloom swapped taking punches in the ring for Moe Howard style mega-slaps in the movies!
Edward Bernds directed several short subjects starring character actor and cartoon voice artist Sterling Holloway.
Harry Von Zell, radio star and subsequent cast member on The Burns & Allen Show, headlined Columbia comedy shorts.
The slapstick team of Gus Schilling & Richard Lane made a series of very funny and very over-the-top comedy shorts in the Three Stooges knockabout school.
Future Stooges Joe Besser and Joe De Rita and also starred in 2-reelers directed by Edward Bernds at Columbia.
After leaving the Columbia Shorts Department in 1952, Edward Bernds directed films for Allied Artists, including The Bowery Boys Meet The Monsters, starring Huntz Hall, Leo Gorcey and Guy In A Gorilla Suit.
Edward Bernds' extended career in movies and TV included psychotronic B-films.
Including the classic SPACE X-7!
Hard not to love a guy who directed Queen Of Outer Space!
For more about Bernds and the Columbia Shorts Department, read Archives West collection of Edward Bernds papers and the McFarland Classics book The Columbia Comedy Shorts: Two-Reel Hollywood Film Comedies, 1933-1958 by Ted Okuda and Edward Watz.
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