A Ducking They Did Go is the 38th short subject

Short subject

A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all...

 starring American slapstick

Slapstick

Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which may exceed the boundaries of common sense.- Origins :The phrase comes from the batacchio or bataccio — called the 'slap stick' in English — a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte...

 comedy team the Three Stooges

Three Stooges

The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy act of the early to mid–20th century best known for their numerous short subject films. Their hallmark was physical farce and extreme slapstick. In films, the Stooges were commonly known by their first names: "Moe, Larry, and Curly" and "Moe,...

. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures

Columbia Pictures

Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...

 between 1934 and 1959.

Plot

The Stooges are once again unemployed. After an unsuccessful attempt to steal a watermelon from a deliveryman (Cy Schindell

Cy Schindell

Seymour "Cy" Schindell was an American actor who appeared in 37 Three Stooges short subjects, mostly as a heavy.-Career:...

), which lands them in trouble with a cop (William Irving

William Irving (actor)

William Irving was a German-born American film actor. He appeared in 174 films between 1916 and 1941. Irving died of a heart attack on Christmas Day, 1943.-Selected filmography:* Whose Baby?...

), the boys wind up at the offices of the Canvas Back Duck Club. The club, run by conmen Blackie (Lynton Brent

Lynton Brent

Lynton Brent was an American film actor. He appeared in over 240 films between 1930 and 1950.Brent is best known for his prolific work with Columbia Pictures in the Three Stooges short subjects such as A Ducking They Did Go and From Nurse to WorseIn addition to his film career, Brent also wrote a...

) and Doyle (Wheaton Chambers) needs some salesmen and the trio have no trouble getting the job because, unbeknownst to them, the whole thing is a scam. Dressed in duck-hunting gear, Larry, Moe, and Curly invade the police station and barge right into the office of the police chief (Bud Jamison

Bud Jamison

Bud Jamison was an American film actor. He appeared in 450 films between 1915 and 1944.-Career:...

). The Stooges somehow convince him, the mayor, and the entire police department to join up.
By the time the group arrives at the lodge, the "club owners" are long gone, and an old man assures them that there are no ducks to be found. In a panic, Moe and Larry try to solve this dilemma by hurling rubber decoys over the pond. Curly arrives at last with a large flock of ducks (à la the Pied Piper of Hamelin) and leads them into the water. Eventually, the old man shows up ranting that he owns all the ducks that were shot, the cops realize they have been swindled and point their guns at the Stooges, who flee the scene.