Movie spotlight
Three Pests in a Mess
The stooges are three inventors trying to a get a patent on their preposterous fly catching invention. When they learn they'll have to catch 100,000 flies to earn enough to get a patent, some crooks overhear and think the boys are the $100,000 sweepstakes winners. When the crooks give chase, the stooges hide in a sporting goods store where Curly shoots a dummy, which they mistake for a real person. The boys decide to bury the "body" in a pet cemetery, but the cemetery owner arrives from a costume party with his partners, all dressed as spooks, and they proceed to scare the devil out of the stooges.
Insights
Plot Summary
The Three Stooges are incompetent plumbers who are called to fix a leak in a mansion. They create more chaos than they solve, leading to a series of slapstick mishaps. The plumbers' attempts to fix the plumbing escalate into a full-blown disaster, involving flying furniture and escalating mayhem.
Critical Reception
As a short film from the Three Stooges' prolific output, 'Three Pests in a Mess' is generally regarded as a typical example of their signature slapstick humor. While not always singled out as their best, it provides the expected dose of physical comedy and witty banter that fans of the trio have come to enjoy. Audiences at the time likely appreciated the familiar antics and escapism offered by the short.
What Reviewers Say
Reliable slapstick comedy from the Stooges.
Features the signature physical gags and rapid-fire pacing.
A solid, if unspectacular, entry in their short film library.
Google audience: Information on specific Google user reviews for this short film is not readily available.
Fun Fact
This short film is notable for featuring a scene where Curly Howard, while attempting to fix a pipe, accidentally sprays himself with water from a nearby fountain, a gag that was improvised by Curly himself.
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