A Plumbing We Will Go

A Plumbing We Will Go

Year: 1940

Runtime: 18 mins

Language: English

Director: Del Lord

Comedy

Fleeing the police, the trio of Stooges masquerade as plumbers and are hired to repair a leak in an elegant mansion. Their bumbling attempts intertwine the plumbing with the house’s wiring, causing water‑filled short‑circuits and a cascade of comedic destruction that leaves the estate in ruins.

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A Plumbing We Will Go (1940) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Read the complete plot breakdown of A Plumbing We Will Go (1940), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.

The three troublemakers, Larry Fine, Moe Howard, and Curly Howard, are destitute vagrants who drift through life on petty schemes and small-time larcenies. Their day in court arrives when they’re accused of chicken theft, and they are brought to trial. After a tense hearing, they receive an acquittal, leaving them free but far from out of trouble or restraint.

Fresh from the courtroom, the trio schemes to snatch a live fish from a pet shop aquarium, an idea that quickly collides with the law in the form of Officer Kelly. A lively chase erupts, pushing the Stooges to improvise once again, this time by slipping into the guise of plumbers to dodge any chance of imprisonment.

With their new identity, the Stooges land a job in a lavish residence, where wealth and opulence meet their brand of chaos. Their incompetence escalates into catastrophe as the entire plumbing system of the house falls into disarray. [Curly] becomes fixated on a supposed bathroom leak and winds up constructing an elaborate, labyrinthine network of pipes that ensnares him in his own handiwork. Meanwhile, [Larry] digs up the front lawn in a misguided quest for the water shutoff, and [Moe] along with Curly accidentally connects a water pipe to a conduit that carries electrical wires. The resulting flood soaks every electrical appliance in the mansion, turning the house into a splashy maze of equipment and frustration for the bewildered cook and the household staff.

The hostess suggests watching Niagara Falls on a newly acquired television, and the moment the scene appears on screen, a torrent erupts in the room, drenching everyone present. The homeowner returns to inspect the wreckage, unintentionally undoing much of the makeshift repair work the Stooges have labored to perform.

The plot twist lands when the homeowner is revealed to be Judge Hadley, the judge who had previously acquitted them. Realizing they’ve been trapped, the Stooges sprint to escape, pursued by the judge, his Butler, and a police force on motorcycles led by the man they tried to dodge, Officer Kelly.

What follows is a frenetic, slapstick chase that keeps the trio scrambling through rooms and streets, each attempt at a quick exit turning into another comic catastrophe. The pursuit culminates in a dizzying sequence of near-captures, narrow escapes, and a final flurry of pratfalls that leave the Stooges forever entangled in their own misadventures. Amidst the chaos, the presence of Professor Bilbo and his whimsical, magical box threads a last-note of surreal humor into the mayhem, echoing the film’s signature blend of cheeky wit and physical comedy.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:12

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Slapstick Chains of Chaos like in A Plumbing We Will Go

Comedic disasters snowball from a simple mistake into full-blown pandemonium.If you enjoyed the escalating destruction in A Plumbing We Will Go, you'll love these movies. This collection features comedies where a simple mistake triggers a hilarious cascade of disasters, leading to runaway chaos and maximum slapstick pandemonium. Find more movies with non-stop physical comedy and accidental ruin.

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Stories in this thread follow a predictable but joyous pattern: a single catalyst unleashes a torrent of physical gags. Characters, often well-intentioned but profoundly incompetent, struggle to regain control, but their efforts are the very fuel that feeds the fire of destruction. The plot is a straightforward, fast-moving vehicle for escalating visual humor.

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Inept characters on the run adopt ridiculous disguises, crashing into high society.Looking for more comedies like A Plumbing We Will Go? This list features movies where goofy fugitives use clumsy disguises to hide, leading to hilarious class clashes and social chaos. Discover similar stories of comic incompetence and law enforcement chases where the heroes are their own worst enemies.

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The narrative pattern involves characters forced into a world where they don't belong. The central conflict arises from the friction between their bumbling nature and the polished environment they've infiltrated. The humor is driven by their failure to maintain the disguise, resulting in a frantic chase as their cover spectacularly unravels.

Why These Movies?

These films share a core premise of fish-out-of-water fugitives. The grouping is defined by the specific mix of a chase plot, the tension of a disguise, and the release of physical comedy as that disguise fails. The vibe is a specific brand of frantic, lighthearted anxiety where the protagonists are endearingly incompetent.

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Characters, Settings & Themes in A Plumbing We Will Go

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