A Plumbing We Will Go
Encyclopedia
A Plumbing We Will Go is the 46th short subject
starring American slapstick
comedy team the Three Stooges
. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures
between 1934 and 1959.
). Next, they try to catch some food at a pet store by fishing in an aquarium tank with a rod and reel. The same police officer sees them. They hide, and Curly punches a mannequin of a police officer. While repeating this for Moe and Larry, the real officer shows up and punches Curly. They run away and steal a plumber's van. The police officer runs after the van and gets on its trailer. Curly and Larry disconnect it, and the officer falls off. After several minutes of driving, Moe stops the car and Larry and Curly fall out. A butler approaches them and says, "HEY! I called you plumbers an hour ago!..." Curly begins to explain but notices that the police officer is coming closer. They run inside with the plumber's equipment. They are told that the leak is in the basement.
It takes a few moments for them to find the basement. When they do, they run around aimlessly at first. They find the leaky pipe, and Curly goes upstairs to shut off the water. He enters the bathroom and chases someone out. He unscrews the faucet and water comes gushing out. He unsuccessfully tries to stop it. In the basement, Moe and Larry wonder why Curly has not shut off the water. Larry goes to the front yard to turn the water off there by digging a hole to the source. Back upstairs, Curly decides to put some pipes into the wall. He is shocked when the water continues to flow. He continues connecting pipes, and eventually traps himself. He picks up a drill and starts drilling a hole in the ground. In the basement, Moe manages to fix the pipe and laughs, "Who says you need brains to be a plumber?". Shortly after, water starts falling on his head. He yells at Curly to stop and then a crash is heard.
Curly and a lot of water fall into the basement, destroying the pipe Moe had fixed. Frustrated, Moe wrings Curly's nose with the pipe wrench
. Moe tells Curly to get another pipe so they can fix it. Curly finds that a pipe is plugged up with electric wires — an electricity conduit, it turns out. So he pulls the wires out and they connect what merely "appears" to be the water line. In the process, strange things happen in the kitchen, bewildering the chef (Dudley Dickerson
). First, while Curly struggles with the wires, the light bulb fixture moves, then the wall clock which spins out of control and drops into the batter, splashing the chef in the process. When Curly connects the water pipe with the conduit, the chef switches the ceiling light on, filling the bulb with water, which breaks from the pressure. He reacts: "This house has sho' gone crazy!" When the chef switches on the stove, a spray of water emits, flooding the kitchen up. He had to go back to the kitchen dressed in a raincoat and Sou'wester cap. This classic footage would be recycled in later Stooges' shorts.
Meanwhile, in the living room, the hostess is showing the crowd her new television receiver. They tune into a broadcast coming live from Niagara Falls
, and water pours out of the television's now-broken screen. She attempts to call the plumber, but water sprays from the telephone handset
's receiver. Frustrated, she leads the guests to the garden. Larry comes back in, and Moe tells them to collect their pay. However, a man goes into the bathroom and falls into the hole Curly left there. They help him up, and they discover it is the judge who tried them earlier. They run out into the yard, and try to escape by jumping into the hole Larry dug out earlier. At a magic presentation in the garden, the magician fires a shot, predicting to present a little lady in the box. Instead, the lady screams, flees out of the box, and out come the Stooges and the pursuing police force in foot patrol and motorcycles.
.
As of 2010, A Plumbing We Will Go is the highest-rated Three Stooges film on the Internet Movie Database.
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
On trial for stealing chickens, the trio are found not guilty due to apparently insufficient evidence. However, Curly pulls out his hat and chicken feathers fly out, which he claims is merely dandruff. As they exit, they antagonize a police officer (Bud JamisonBud Jamison
Bud Jamison was an American film actor. He appeared in 450 films between 1915 and 1944.-Career:...
). Next, they try to catch some food at a pet store by fishing in an aquarium tank with a rod and reel. The same police officer sees them. They hide, and Curly punches a mannequin of a police officer. While repeating this for Moe and Larry, the real officer shows up and punches Curly. They run away and steal a plumber's van. The police officer runs after the van and gets on its trailer. Curly and Larry disconnect it, and the officer falls off. After several minutes of driving, Moe stops the car and Larry and Curly fall out. A butler approaches them and says, "HEY! I called you plumbers an hour ago!..." Curly begins to explain but notices that the police officer is coming closer. They run inside with the plumber's equipment. They are told that the leak is in the basement.
It takes a few moments for them to find the basement. When they do, they run around aimlessly at first. They find the leaky pipe, and Curly goes upstairs to shut off the water. He enters the bathroom and chases someone out. He unscrews the faucet and water comes gushing out. He unsuccessfully tries to stop it. In the basement, Moe and Larry wonder why Curly has not shut off the water. Larry goes to the front yard to turn the water off there by digging a hole to the source. Back upstairs, Curly decides to put some pipes into the wall. He is shocked when the water continues to flow. He continues connecting pipes, and eventually traps himself. He picks up a drill and starts drilling a hole in the ground. In the basement, Moe manages to fix the pipe and laughs, "Who says you need brains to be a plumber?". Shortly after, water starts falling on his head. He yells at Curly to stop and then a crash is heard.
Curly and a lot of water fall into the basement, destroying the pipe Moe had fixed. Frustrated, Moe wrings Curly's nose with the pipe wrench
Pipe wrench
The pipe wrench is an adjustable wrench used for turning soft iron pipes and fittings with a rounded surface. The design of the adjustable jaw allows it to rock in the frame, such that any forward pressure on the handle tends to pull the jaws tighter together. Teeth angled in the direction of turn...
. Moe tells Curly to get another pipe so they can fix it. Curly finds that a pipe is plugged up with electric wires — an electricity conduit, it turns out. So he pulls the wires out and they connect what merely "appears" to be the water line. In the process, strange things happen in the kitchen, bewildering the chef (Dudley Dickerson
Dudley Dickerson
Dudley Dickerson was an African American film actor. Born in Oklahoma, he appeared in nearly 160 films between 1932 and 1952, and is best remembered for his roles in several Three Stooges films.-Career:...
). First, while Curly struggles with the wires, the light bulb fixture moves, then the wall clock which spins out of control and drops into the batter, splashing the chef in the process. When Curly connects the water pipe with the conduit, the chef switches the ceiling light on, filling the bulb with water, which breaks from the pressure. He reacts: "This house has sho' gone crazy!" When the chef switches on the stove, a spray of water emits, flooding the kitchen up. He had to go back to the kitchen dressed in a raincoat and Sou'wester cap. This classic footage would be recycled in later Stooges' shorts.
Meanwhile, in the living room, the hostess is showing the crowd her new television receiver. They tune into a broadcast coming live from Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls
The Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...
, and water pours out of the television's now-broken screen. She attempts to call the plumber, but water sprays from the telephone handset
Handset
On a telephone, the handset is a device the user holds to the ear to hear the audio sound. Modern-day handsets usually contain the phone's microphone as well, but in early telephones the microphone was mounted directly on the telephone itself, which often was attached to a wall at a convenient...
's receiver. Frustrated, she leads the guests to the garden. Larry comes back in, and Moe tells them to collect their pay. However, a man goes into the bathroom and falls into the hole Curly left there. They help him up, and they discover it is the judge who tried them earlier. They run out into the yard, and try to escape by jumping into the hole Larry dug out earlier. At a magic presentation in the garden, the magician fires a shot, predicting to present a little lady in the box. Instead, the lady screams, flees out of the box, and out come the Stooges and the pursuing police force in foot patrol and motorcycles.
Reception
A Plumbing We Will Go is considered a quintessential Three Stooges film. Ranking as a consistent fan favorite, the film was also a favorite of star Curly HowardCurly Howard
Jerome Lester "Jerry" Horwitz , better known by his stage name Curly Howard, was an American comedian and vaudevillian. He is best known as a member of the American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges, along with his older brothers Moe Howard and Shemp Howard, and actor Larry Fine...
.
As of 2010, A Plumbing We Will Go is the highest-rated Three Stooges film on the Internet Movie Database.