''Scheming Schemers'' is a 1956

short subject A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film or ...

directed by

Jules White Jules White (born Julius Weiss; 17 September 1900 – 30 April 1985) was an American film director and producer best known for his short-subject comedies starring The Three Stooges. Early years White began working in motion pictures in the ...

starring American

slapstick Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such as ...

comedy team

The Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short-subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical, farce, and slapstick comedy. Six total ...

(

Moe Howard Moses Harry Horwitz (June 19, 1897 – May 4, 1975), better known by his stage name Moe Howard, was an American comedian and actor. He is best known as the leader and straight man of the Three Stooges, the farce comedy team who starred in motion ...

Larry Fine Louis Feinberg (October 4, 1902 – January 24, 1975), better known by his stage name Larry Fine, was an American actor, comedian and musician. He is best known as a member of the comedy act the Three Stooges and was often called "The Middle St ...

and

Shemp Howard Shemp Howard (born Samuel Horwitz; March 11, 1895 – November 22, 1955) was an American comedian and actor. He is best known as the third Stooge in The Three Stooges, a role he played when the act began in the early 1920s (1923–1932), while i ...

). It is the 173rd entry in the series released by

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...

starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

Plot

The Stooges are novice plumbers tasked with the retrieval of a valuable ring lost within the labyrinthine confines of the drainage system at the opulent residence of the Norfleet family. Despite initial success in locating the ring, a calamitous mishap precipitated by Larry inadvertently propels the prized object back into the depths of the drain. Determined to rectify their blunder, the Stooges embark on a quest to navigate the subterranean infrastructure, endeavoring to halt the deluge wrought by the malfunctioning plumbing. Larry's misguided efforts to locate the water cutoff result in a comically futile excavation of the lawn, exacerbating the chaos within the Norfleet domicile. Shemp's intuitive deduction of the underlying issue – the obstruction of the plumbing system by electrical wires – prompts a creative yet unorthodox solution: the removal of the electrical components to facilitate the restoration of water flow. The ensuing spectacle is then characterized by an inundation of water from unexpected sources. Amidst the chaos, the theft of the prized Van Brocklin painting by party guests Mr. and Mrs. Allen further complicates the situation, escalating tensions within the Norfleet household. However, the Stooges, amidst a pie-fueled melee, emerge as unlikely heroes, successfully thwarting the art heist and reclaiming the stolen painting. Mr. Norfleet, duly impressed by their valor, elects to reward the Stooges for their valorous actions. However, the whereabouts of Shemp remain shrouded in mystery until it is revealed that he remains ensnared in the tangled labyrinth of pipes.

Cast

Credited

as Moe *

as Larry *

as Shemp (stock footage, filmed in 1949) **

Joe Palma Joe Palma (born Joseph Provenzano; March 17, 1905 – August 14, 1994) was an American film actor. Palma appeared in over 120 films between 1937 and 1968. He was well known as a supporting player for The Three Stooges and his brief tenure a ...

as Shemp (body double, filmed in 1956) *

Emil Sitka Emil Sitka (December 22, 1914January 16, 1998) was an American actor who appeared in hundreds of movies, short films, and television shows, and who is best known for his numerous appearances with The Three Stooges. He was the unofficial "last S ...

as Walter Norfleet * Kenneth MacDonald as Mr. Allen *

Christine McIntyre Christine Cecilia McIntyre (April 16, 1911 – July 8, 1984) was an American actress and singer who appeared in various films in the 1930s and 1940s. She is mainly remembered as the beautiful blonde actress who appeared in many of The Three St ...

as Mrs. Allen (stock footage, filmed in 1949) **

Connie Cezon Consuelo Lord Cezon (March 28, 1925 – February 26, 2004), known professionally as Connie Cezon, was an American film actress. She made over 30 film and television appearances between 1951 and 1964. Early years Born in Oakland, California, Ce ...

as Mrs. Allen (body double, filmed in 1956) *

Dudley Dickerson Dudley Henry Dickerson Jr. (November 27, 1906September 23, 1968) was an African-American film actor. Born in Chickasha, Oklahoma, he appeared in nearly 160 films between 1932 and 1952, and is best remembered for his roles in several Three Stoog ...

as Chef (stock footage, filmed in 1940 and 1949)

Uncredited

Symona Boniface Symona Ferner Boniface (March 5, 1894 – September 2, 1950) was an American film actress, most frequently seen in bit parts in comedy shorts, mostly at Columbia Pictures, particularly those of ''The Three Stooges''. She appeared in 120 film ...

as Mrs. Norfleet (stock footage, filmed in 1949) * Herbert Evans as Wilkes, butler (stock footage, filmed in 1949) * Helen Dickson as indignant party guest (stock footage, filmed in 1946) *

Victor Travers Victor Travers (1884 – 26 May 1948) was an English character actor of theatre and film, known for his work in many of the Three Stooges films. During his career, which began in 1938 and ended with his death in 1948, he appeared in more than ...

as sleeping party guest (stock footage, filmed in 1946) *

Al Thompson Al Thompson (September 21, 1884 – March 1, 1960) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 170 films between 1916 and 1958. Well known in the industry for performing the more difficult stunts, he kept busy as a stunt doubl ...

as party guest (stock footage, filmed in 1946) *

Judy Malcolm Judy Malcolm (Born Marguerite Westergren; December 1, 1910July 22, 1998) was an American film actress. Malcolm appeared in approximately 25 films between 1933 and 1951. Malcolm is familiar to modern viewers for her roles in several Three Stooge ...

as party guest (stock footage, filmed in 1946)

Production notes

''Scheming Schemers'' is a remake of '' Vagabond Loafers'', which in itself was a

remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same s ...

of ''

A Plumbing We Will Go ''A Plumbing We Will Go'' is a 1940 short subject directed by Del Lord starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges ( Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard). It is the 46th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starri ...

'' with former Stooge

Curly Howard Jerome Lester Horwitz (October 22, 1903 – January 18, 1952), better known by his stage name Curly Howard, was an American comedian and actor. He was a member of The Three Stooges comedy team, which also featured his elder brothers Moe and ...

; additional pie fight footage was borrowed from ''

Half-Wits Holiday ''Half-Wits Holiday'' is a 1947 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges ( Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard in his final starring role). It is the 97th entry in the series released by ...

''. This makes ''Scheming Schemers'' the only Three Stooges short to use footage from three previous short subjects. This film is also the last to contain new footage with longtime Stooges supporting actor Kenneth MacDonald.

"Fake Shemp"

Shemp Howard died in November 1955 after completing four Stooge comedies for that year. However, the Three Stooges were contractually obligated to deliver eight comedies to Columbia Pictures annually. To fulfill this requirement, producer

devised a method to produce four additional shorts "featuring Shemp" by utilizing existing footage of Howard and supplementing it with newly filmed scenes featuring

stand-in A stand-in, sometimes a lighting double, for film and television is a person who substitutes for the actor before filming, for technical purposes such as lighting and camera setup. Stand-ins are helpful in the initial processes of film and tele ...

. This technique, which involves using a body double to complete an unfinished film, has since been termed "

Fake Shemp A fake Shemp is a type of body double who appears in a film to replace another actor or person, usually when the original actor has died or is otherwise unable or unwilling to reprise their role. Their appearance is disguised using methods such ...

," a phrase popularized by producer

Sam Raimi Samuel M. Raimi ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for directing the first three films in the ''Evil Dead'' franchise (1981–present) and the ''Spider-Man'' trilogy (2002–2007). He also directed the super ...

during the production of his feature film ''

The Evil Dead ''The Evil Dead'' is a 1981 American independent film, independent supernatural horror film written and directed by Sam Raimi (in his feature directorial debut). The film stars Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor, Betsy Baker ...

''. In ''Scheming Schemers'', Joe Palma is depicted in a scene where "Shemp" appears with his back to the camera, honking the horn of the Stooges' jeep. Palma is then shown gathering several pipes, strategically obscuring his face from view. The sole line of dialogue attributed to Shemp — "Hold yer horses, will ya?" — was in fact Shemp's voice, repurposed from the soundtrack of a recent Stooge short, '' Creeps'' (originally filmed in 1947 for '' The Ghost Talks''). This new footage was filmed on January 16, 1956, six weeks after Shemp's passing.Lenburg, Jeff; Howard Maurer, Joan; Lenburg, Greg; (1982). ''The Three Stooges Scrapbook'', p. 263, Citadel Press.

References

External links

*
''Scheming Schemers'' at threestooges.net
{{The Three Stooges 1956 films 1956 comedy films The Three Stooges films American black-and-white films The Three Stooges film remakes Films directed by Jules White Columbia Pictures short films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films American comedy short films