I Can Hardly Wait
Encyclopedia
"I Can Hardly Wait" is the 73rd 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.
The boys situate themselves for bed in a conveniently placed three-tiered bunk bed
. Curly naturally receives the top bunk and his ascent thereto is not without mishap. During the night, Moe unsuccessfully tries to alleviate Curly's pain but is unable to do so. While Curly does finally fall asleep, we are introduced into his dreams where he is still whining on about his current state of affairs. His persistent moaning and complaining about his toothache finally aggravate the other two into action. His fear of dentists leaves the Stooges with precious few options, leaving them to improvise their own brand of home dentistry techniques. These techniques include trying to extract the tooth with a fishing pole and line, tying the tooth to the doorknob and violently closing it, tying the tooth to a ceiling light fixture and jumping from a ladder, and lastly, firecrackers.
At their wits' end, Curly is taken off by Moe to the dentist, Dr. Tug (Lew Davis
), who admits to being a butcher
as an earlier profession. He then calls Curly and Moe in the room where patients get checked up, but a belligerent Curly makes the check-up difficult. Dr. Tug is exhausted from wrestling with Curly, so he asks his partner Dr. Yank (Bud Jamison
) to complete the extraction. However, Moe tries to placate Curly's fears about dentistry by laying in the chair and simulating the procedure just as Yank, unaware who the actual patient is, enters the office and knocks Moe out cold with ether in a rag and pulls HIS tooth instead despite Curly's protests. Yank hands the extracted tooth to Curly and, upon learning that Curly is the real patient, runs out of the room. Moe awakens and finds Curly holding the tooth. This understandably angers him to no end and he takes it out on Curly, who attempts to defend himself. This flailing action in the dream translates to similar action in his sleep, causing him to fall through the entire bunk bed, causing it to collapse in a heap, on top of his two sleeping compatriots. This, in classic Moe fashion, angers him once again and he gives Curly a solid slug to the jaw. This dislodges the problem tooth and all is well. The boys fall asleep where they lie amongst the bed cushions and splintered wood.
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, who are defense workers, prepare a late night meal of a single slice of ham, an egg, and coffee. Moe and Larry share the food, and Curly gets the bone and the eggshell. While eating, Curly breaks his tooth while attempting to eat the hambone, resulting in a major toothache. Moe suggests he simply get some sleep, and in the morning the toothache will be gone.The boys situate themselves for bed in a conveniently placed three-tiered bunk bed
Bunk bed
A bunk bed is a type of bed in which one bed frame is stacked on top of another. The nature of bunk beds allows two people to sleep in the same room while maximizing available floor space...
. Curly naturally receives the top bunk and his ascent thereto is not without mishap. During the night, Moe unsuccessfully tries to alleviate Curly's pain but is unable to do so. While Curly does finally fall asleep, we are introduced into his dreams where he is still whining on about his current state of affairs. His persistent moaning and complaining about his toothache finally aggravate the other two into action. His fear of dentists leaves the Stooges with precious few options, leaving them to improvise their own brand of home dentistry techniques. These techniques include trying to extract the tooth with a fishing pole and line, tying the tooth to the doorknob and violently closing it, tying the tooth to a ceiling light fixture and jumping from a ladder, and lastly, firecrackers.
Lew Davis
Lew Davis was an American film actor. He appeared in over 75 films between 1916 and 1948.-Career:Davis appeared in his first film in 1916. He began to achieve fame after arriving at Columbia Pictures, appearing several Three Stooges shorts including Slippery Silks, Dizzy Doctors and Three Little...
), who admits to being a butcher
Butcher
A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat or any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat, poultry, fish and shellfish for sale in retail or wholesale food establishments...
as an earlier profession. He then calls Curly and Moe in the room where patients get checked up, but a belligerent Curly makes the check-up difficult. Dr. Tug is exhausted from wrestling with Curly, so he asks his partner Dr. Yank (Bud Jamison
Bud Jamison
Bud Jamison was an American film actor. He appeared in 450 films between 1915 and 1944.-Career:...
) to complete the extraction. However, Moe tries to placate Curly's fears about dentistry by laying in the chair and simulating the procedure just as Yank, unaware who the actual patient is, enters the office and knocks Moe out cold with ether in a rag and pulls HIS tooth instead despite Curly's protests. Yank hands the extracted tooth to Curly and, upon learning that Curly is the real patient, runs out of the room. Moe awakens and finds Curly holding the tooth. This understandably angers him to no end and he takes it out on Curly, who attempts to defend himself. This flailing action in the dream translates to similar action in his sleep, causing him to fall through the entire bunk bed, causing it to collapse in a heap, on top of his two sleeping compatriots. This, in classic Moe fashion, angers him once again and he gives Curly a solid slug to the jaw. This dislodges the problem tooth and all is well. The boys fall asleep where they lie amongst the bed cushions and splintered wood.
Goofs
- When Moe is checking out Curly's toothache, strings that move the wrapping around Curly's head can be seen.
- When Moe is in the dentist, Dr. Yank's chair, he is supposed to be under anesthesia. Yet Moe opens his mouth just before Dr. Yank is about to extract his tooth.
- As the dentist is pulling Moe's tooth out, the film cuts to a close of up Curly splashing a glass of water on himself to keep from fainting. Each time it cuts back to the dentist and Moe, Curly is dry, but when it cuts back to a close-up of Curly, his coat is wet from the water.