You've probably seen a thousand plumbing jokes in your life, but none of them land quite like the absolute demolition of a high-society mansion in A Plumbing We Will Go. Released in 1940, this short isn't just another entry in the massive Columbia Pictures catalog. It's the peak. It’s the definitive "Curly era" film that most fans point to when they want to explain why these three grown men were comedic geniuses rather than just guys who hit each other for a paycheck.
I’ve watched this short dozens of times. Every time Curly gets trapped in that maze of pipes, I find something new. It’s basically a masterclass in physical comedy that shouldn't work as well as it does. Honestly, the plot is paper-thin—the boys are ducking the cops and pretend to be plumbers to avoid getting arrested—but the execution is legendary.
The Weird Genius of the Pipe Maze
Most people remember the "piping" scene. You know the one. Curly is in the basement of a wealthy socialite's home, and he somehow manages to build a literal cage of pipes around himself. It’s absurd. It’s claustrophobic. It’s brilliant.
The technical skill involved in that sequence is actually kind of mind-blowing when you realize there were no digital effects. That was all practical rigging. Del Lord, the director, was a former Keystone Cop and a veteran of silent film chases. He knew exactly how to pace a scene so the frustration builds until it boils over. When Curly finally realizes he’s trapped in his own "workmanship," the look on his face is pure, unadulterated defeat.
Critics often talk about the Stooges as being "low-brow." I disagree. There is a specific rhythm to their violence and their failure. In A Plumbing We Will Go, the rhythm is set by the sound of clanging metal. It’s percussive. It’s almost like a dance, if the dancers were idiots with wrenches.
Why This Short Defined the Stooge Formula
By 1940, Moe, Larry, and Curly had found their stride. This was their 46th short for Columbia. They weren't just guessing anymore. They knew exactly how to play the "fish out of water" trope. Placing three "bums" into a house full of rich, stuffy people is a classic setup for a reason. It allows for a total breakdown of social order.
Take the dinner scene.
👉 See also: The Entire History of You: What Most People Get Wrong About the Grain
While Curly is destroying the basement, Moe and Larry are "fixing" the bathroom upstairs. The payoff? Water coming out of everywhere it shouldn't. Light fixtures. Chandeliers. The oven. It’s the ultimate nightmare for any homeowner, but for the audience, it’s catharsis. We’ve all dealt with a leaky faucet or a repairman who didn't know what they were doing. The Stooges just took that universal frustration and turned it up to eleven.
The Dudley Dickerson Factor
We have to talk about Dudley Dickerson. He plays the cook in the kitchen, and his reaction to the water pouring out of the stove is one of the most famous moments in Stooges history. "This house has sho' gone crazy!" he yells.
Dickerson was a comedy legend in his own right. While some of the racial stereotypes of the era are undeniably uncomfortable to modern eyes, Dickerson’s physical comedy—his "scare takes" and eye-rolls—often stole the show from the Stooges themselves. He was so good that they actually recycled his kitchen footage in several later shorts, including Vagabond Loafers and Scheming Schemers.
It’s a bit of a "Hollywood secret" that Columbia Pictures was incredibly cheap. They loved to reuse gags. But the reason they kept coming back to A Plumbing We Will Go for "inspiration" is that the original footage was perfect. You couldn't top it.
The Science of the "Water in the Chandelier" Gag
How did they actually do it?
Practical effects in the 1940s required a lot of hidden hoses and clever carpentry. To get water to pour out of a chandelier, the crew had to route plumbing through the ceiling and into the prop fixture. The actors had to hit their marks perfectly, or they’d get drenched before the camera was ready. There were no "second takes" for some of these shots because drying out the set would take hours.
✨ Don't miss: Shamea Morton and the Real Housewives of Atlanta: What Really Happened to Her Peach
The "Moe vs. The Leak" bit is another highlight. Moe tries to stop a leak by just adding more pipes, eventually leading to a convoluted mess that does absolutely nothing. It’s a perfect metaphor for bureaucracy, or honestly, my own attempts at DIY home repair.
Re-evaluating the Legacy of A Plumbing We Will Go
If you ask a casual fan to name a Stooges short, they might describe the one with the "plumbing." That’s the impact. It’s culturally sticky.
It also represents the tragic decline of Curly Howard. While he’s at his peak here, the frantic energy he put into these early 40s shorts took a massive toll on his health. You can see the sheer physicality he brings to the role—the spinning, the floor-sliding, the constant barking. It’s high-octane performance art disguised as a "two-reeler."
Interestingly, this short is actually a remake of a 1934 Sidney & Murray short called Plumbing by Post, but the Stooges version is the one that survived the test of time. Why? Because the chemistry between Moe’s aggression, Larry’s confusion, and Curly’s chaotic innocence is a lightning-in-a-bottle situation.
Common Misconceptions and Trivia
- The "Fish" Gag: Many people remember the goldfish in the pipe. That was a real goldfish (though some claim a prop was used for the more dangerous-looking stuff). It’s one of those moments that feels genuinely spontaneous.
- The Set: The mansion used was a standard Columbia backlot set. It appeared in dozens of other films, but it was never more thoroughly destroyed than it was here.
- The Ending: The boys don't "win." They never do. They end up fleeing the scene, which is the only way a Stooge short can truly end. Order is never restored; it’s just relocated.
Watching It Today: What to Look For
If you’re going back to watch A Plumbing We Will Go on a streaming service or a dusty DVD, pay attention to the background. Look at Larry. While Moe and Curly are doing the heavy lifting, Larry is often in the corner doing something completely nonsensical with a piece of pipe. His subtlety is the glue that holds the chaos together.
Also, notice the sound editing. The Stooges shorts were famous for their Foley work. Every "bonk," "ping," and "squish" was added in post-production with incredible precision. In this short, the sound of the water is almost a character itself. It hisses, it gurgles, and it mocks them.
🔗 Read more: Who is Really in the Enola Holmes 2 Cast? A Look at the Faces Behind the Mystery
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors
If you want to dive deeper into the world of 1940s slapstick, there are a few things you should actually do rather than just reading about it.
First, compare this short to its remakes. Watch Vagabond Loafers (1949) and Scheming Schemers (1956). You will see the exact same kitchen footage used again. It’s a fascinating look at how the studio system operated on a budget. You’ll see Shemp Howard (and later Joe Palma, the "Fake Shemp") trying to recreate the magic Curly brought to the original.
Second, check out the official Three Stooges website or the C3 Entertainment archives. They have high-resolution stills from the set of A Plumbing We Will Go that show the rigging behind the "pipe cage." It’s a great way to appreciate the craftsmanship that went into making the boys look like idiots.
Finally, if you're a DIY enthusiast, take this short as a cautionary tale. The "Moe Howard School of Plumbing" is a real thing in the trades—a term used for over-engineered, nonsensical pipework. Don't be a Moe. Use a licensed plumber, or at the very least, don't try to fix a leak by adding ten more valves.
The enduring popularity of this short proves that some things are universal. We all hate chores. We all feel overwhelmed by technology we don't understand. And we all, deep down, want to see a fancy dinner party ruined by a geyser of water coming out of a roasted chicken.
Next Steps for Stooge Scholars:
- Locate the "Stooge-o-meter" rankings on fan forums to see where this short lands in the top 190.
- Research Del Lord’s directing style to understand the "silent film" influence on 1940s sound shorts.
- Analyze the transition from Curly to Shemp by watching the recycled footage in Scheming Schemers.