PICK A PECK OF PLUMBERS (1944) -- ThreeStooges.net

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Released July 23, 1944
Featuring Shemp Howard (Solo)

Columbia
17.33 min. (Short Subject)

After backing over a police motorcycle, Axel and Elmer are fined $100 and given 48 hours to come up with the money or go to jail. Knowing nothing about plumbing, they hire on as plumber's assistants and are sent to the Dinwitty estate to recover a diamond ring from a drain pipe. In due course they destroy the bathroom and switch the gas and water lines, disrupting Mrs. Dinwitty's bridge party, the maid's dinner preparation, and the gardener's lawn watering.

Avg. Rating:

[6.50/10]

Cast List

Shemp Howard
Elmer Peabody

El Brendel
Axel Swenson

John Tyrrell
Judge

Brian O'Hara
Policeman in courtroom

Al Thompson
A. Skinner

Kathryn Keys
Mrs. Dinwitty

Frank Billy Mitchell
Pinkerton

Willa Pearl Curtis
Vanilla

Heinie Conklin
Elvis

Beatrice Blinn
Bridge party guest

Judy Malcolm
Bridge party guest

Jean Murray
Bridge party guest

Joe Palma
Policeman, scene deleted

Unidentified PICK A PECK OF PLUMBERS
Court clerk

Production Crew

Jules White
Producer

Jules White
Director

Felix Adler
Story and Screenplay

Glen Gano
Director of Photography

Charles Hochberg
Film Editor

Charles Clague
Art Director

Stooge Businesses (0)

Stooge Goofs (0)

Stooge Mayhem (Avg. 0.00)

Re: PICK A PECK OF PLUMBERS
Posted 2013-05-12 19:07:59 by JWF
Edited 2014-08-31 11:06:39 by JWF

This short was more interesting than funny. As others have said, there is absolutely no chemistry between Shemp and El Brendel, and a good part of the short is them barking at each other.

Many of the gags really don't make sense in the context of this short. At least in the Stooge version, there seemed to be logic (??) behind the mayhem: Curly getting trapped in a maze of pipes, the water and electrical lines getting crossed, etc. Here, the whole house is destroyed, but no one seems to notice that anything is wrong. And what was the point of having the judge (who earlier fined them for vagrancy) come to the plumber's office, where Shemp and El had been hired as plumber? Not only didn't Shemp or El recognize him (Shemp with those coke bottle glasses at least had a reason), but they beat him up and toss him out the door, where he is never heard from again. I guess it would have been too much of a rip off of "A Plumbing We Will Go" to have him also own the house they destroyed.

Re: PICK A PECK OF PLUMBERS
Posted 2013-04-20 14:21:48 by Shemp_Diesel

I haven't watched this one in a while & that is by no accident. A poor effort for Shemp as he and the comically challenged El Brendel have zero chemistry as a team. Shemp would go on to do much better work for Columbia such as A Hit With A Miss and Mr. Noisy. Worth at least one viewing for completist purposes.

Reviewer's Rating:

(4)

Re: PICK A PECK OF PLUMBERS
Posted 2010-08-16 00:50:19 by [Deleted Member]

This is a decent effort for El Brendel and Shemp Howard. Brendel was paired with different comedians around this time since Columbia didn't really know what to do with him. There's a number of good gags, including Shemp and Brendel unknowingly manhandling John Tyrell, playing the judge. Stooge fans may enjoy this short.

Reviewer's Rating:

(8)

Re: PICK A PECK OF PLUMBERS
Posted 2003-07-27 07:08:00 by Bruckman

Some good gags in this (the hot water heater hooked up to the gas pipe provides some fine destructive slapstick including an opportunity to pelt the cast members with mashed potatoes) but there's no real teamwork between Shemp and El Brendel. Both are alternately dumb and bossy so there's neither any strong characterization for each nor any continuity from scene to scene. El bosses Shemp around in one scene, in the next he's clumsily falling down a flight of stairs. Shemp's wearing a pair of "Maha" glasses which would seem to be a setup for gags of misidentification, but not much is made out of it other than Shemp mixing up plumbing tools and auto parts. Columbia was obviously having trouble finding a comic format for Brendel: he did several solo shorts, then was paired with Harry Langdon, and here with Shemp, but he's not a physical comedian.

Reviewer's Rating:

(5)

Re: PICK A PECK OF PLUMBERS
Posted 2002-09-07 14:45:00 by metaldams

Very weak effort. It is Shemp's debut Columbia comedy short and he shares top billing with Swedish dialect comic El Brendel. They have no chemistry as a team and this short delivers few laughs

Reviewer's Rating:

(4)

Re: PICK A PECK OF PLUMBERS
Posted 2001-06-14 04:09:00 by B. Bopper

A very funny short, with some pretty funny gags. Overall, it's almost as funny as any Three Stooges short. B. Bopper - President of The Amalgamed Association of Morons, local 6 & 7/8

Reviewer's Rating:

(8)

Re: PICK A PECK OF PLUMBERS
Posted 2001-05-27 04:55:00 by shemps#1

Not a remake of A Plumbing We Will Go; actually Scheming Schemers is quite close to a remake of this one with the ring in the sink part. Shemp and a swedish guy get jobs as appentice plumbers. The only gag from A Plumbing We Will Go is the hole in the bathroom floor covered by a rug. The swedish guy is annoying, which brings my rating down.

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Working Title(s):	SUNK IN THE SINK
Prod. No.:	4018
Shooting Days:	4 days From: 1944-04-03 To: 1944-04-06

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