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Termites of 1938 (1938) movie poster

Plot Summary

Termites of 1938 (1938) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
1938 · 17 mins · English
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Directed by
Del Lord
Starring
Larry Fine, Moe Howard, Curly Howard, Bud Jamison, Bess Flowers, Etta McDaniel

They’ve Got the Bug‑House Blues! The trio work as pest exterminators and are accidentally hired by a wealthy lady who needs an escort for a high‑society gala. Their blundering antics tear through the opulent mansion, turning the event into chaos and leaving the distinguished English lord, the guest of honor, thoroughly befuddled.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What happens: full plot
  3. 3 Plot questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like Termites of 1938
  6. 6 Every angle
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Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in Termites of 1938: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of Termites of 1938 (1938) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

Muriel, a high-society woman, longs to attend an esteemed dinner hosted by a well-connected acquaintance. Her husband, Arthur, opts for a fishing trip, leaving her to navigate the evening solo. To secure suitable companionship, she instructs her maid to hire escorts through the Acme Escort Service, presenting them as educated, collegiate guests. A simple miscommunication, however, results in the order being redirected to the Acme Exterminator Co., staffed by the Stooges.

The Stooges, Larry Fine and Moe Howard (with Curly in the mix), arrive at the opulent residence in formal dress, believing they have come to exterminate vermin rather than entertain a dinner party. They step into a room filled with glittering chandeliers and a carefully choreographed social ritual, and their presence instantly unsettles the guests who expect grace, not slapstick. Muriel’s plan to present herself with a touch of scholarly charm to the gathering begins to unravel as the trio misunderstands every cue and treats the evening as a public stage for their routines.

Mandy, the maid, Etta McDaniel, oversees the orchestrations of the evening and finds herself swept along by a chain of comic misunderstandings. The Stooges, unaware of their misassignment, assume their role is to keep the party free of pests while also participating in the revelry. They wander through the rooms, sampling hors d’oeuvres, and in the process, disrupt the formalities that the guests hold sacred. The guests watch in growing disbelief as the trio’s antics clash with etiquette, turning a refined affair into a comedy of errors.

After the meal, when the band plays a lively number, the Stooges seize the opportunity to perform, thinking they are just adding a little entertainment to the occasion. Instead, their improvised show goes awry, and a dangerous moment involving a saw unfolds. The tool triggers chaos, releasing rodents and sending the house into a frenzy. The guests recoil as the intruding vermin scatter, and the once-polished room becomes a playground of chaos under their unintended supervision.

Recognizing the urgency of the situation, the Stooges struggle to “do their job” and quiet the commotion, but their efforts lead to further calamities. Furniture shudders, walls creak, and Muriel is injured in the commotion that spirals out of control. The dinner party, which began as a display of upper-crust civility, devolves into a slapstick siege of mishaps, lack of restraint, and reckless improvisation, all while Muriel contemplates the social price of such chaos.

Just as the scene reaches a peak, Arthur returns wielding a gopher bomb, drawn back by the riotous ruckus. The Stooges scramble to escape in their car, misjudging the moment to depart. In a final twist of misfortune, the gopher bomb ends up in the vehicle just as they step inside, triggering a chaotic and disorderly dispersal that caps the evening in explosive, disordered fashion.

In the end, what begins as a calculated attempt to secure a dignified evening for Muriel morphs into a farce where miscommunication, unintentional mischief, and a cascade of comic disasters collide. The gathering that should have celebrated elegance instead becomes a showcase for the Stooges’ hijinks, the guests’ astonishment, and a lasting reminder that good intentions can veer spectacularly off course in the hands of improvisation and error.

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 11:11

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Plot questions answered

Termites of 1938 Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about Termites of 1938 (1938): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

How did the Stooges end up at the wrong job?

Muriel instructed her maid to hire escorts from the Acme Escort Service for a high-society dinner. However, due to a simple miscommunication, the call was redirected to Acme Exterminator Co., the pest control company. The Stooges, believing they had been called to handle a vermin problem, accepted the job and arrived at the mansion in formal attire, expecting to exterminate pests rather than serve as escorts.

Foreshadowing: The film's opening establishes Muriel's need for companionship and the faulty phone connection that sets the chain of events in motion.

  • stooges
  • miscommunication
  • escorts
  • exterminators
  • hired by mistake
Q2

Why did the Stooges think they were supposed to exterminate pests?

The Stooges worked for Acme Exterminator Co. and had been studying new methods for rodent eradication when the job came in. They had no idea it was actually a request for escorts for a dinner party. When they arrived at the opulent mansion, they simply assumed their role was to keep the premises free of pests while also participating in the gathering.

  • stooges
  • pest control
  • misunderstanding
  • vermin
Q3

What caused the rodents to be released during dinner?

After the meal, the Stooges decided to perform entertainment for the guests. During their improvised act, they used a saw, which accidentally triggered chaos and released rodents that had been hiding in the walls or structure of the mansion. The rodents scattered throughout the dining hall, sending the guests into panic.

Foreshadowing: The Stooges' decision to treat the formal dinner as a stage for their routines sets up the dangerous saw bit.

  • rodents
  • saw
  • dinner party
  • chaos
  • released
Q4

Why did Arthur return with a gopher bomb?

Arthur had left for a fishing trip but was drawn back home by the riotous noise and chaos emanating from his residence. He returned wielding a gopher bomb, apparently intending to deal with what he believed was a pest problem, or perhaps to confront whoever was causing the disturbance.

  • arthur
  • gopher bomb
  • returns
  • fishing trip
Q5

How did the gopher bomb end up in the Stooges' car?

As the Stooges scrambled to flee the chaos in their automobile, Arthur's gopher bomb ended up in the vehicle just as they were about to board. The device ignited, triggering a chaotic explosion as the car became the stage for pratfalls and misfires, turning their escape attempt into a wild, disorderly exit.

Foreshadowing: Arthur's return with the gopher bomb foreshadows its eventual involvement in the climactic explosion.

  • gopher bomb
  • car
  • explosion
  • escape
  • stooges flee
Q6

How did Muriel get injured during the chaos?

As the Stooges attempted to fix the rodent situation and continue their misguided pest control, their bumbling efforts caused further damage to the mansion. Furniture shuddered, walls creaked, and Muriel was caught in the commotion that spiraled out of control, resulting in her being injured during the upheaval.

  • muriel
  • injured
  • chaos
  • mansion damage
Q7

Why did the Stooges start performing during the dinner?

After the meal, when the band played a lively number, the Stooges interpreted this as an invitation to add entertainment to the occasion. They decided to perform, thinking they were just contributing to the festivities. Instead of graceful entertainment, they delivered their usual slapstick routines, which went awry and triggered the dangerous saw incident.

Foreshadowing: The Stooges' arrival already unsettled guests expecting refined grace, setting the stage for their inappropriate performance.

  • stooges
  • performance
  • dinner
  • music
  • entertain guests
Q8

What turned the elegant dinner into chaos?

The entire evening unraveled from the moment the Stooges arrived, believing they were exterminators rather than escorts. They misinterpreted every social cue, treating the high-society gathering as a public stage for their routines. From sampling hors d'oeuvres to disrupting formalities, their antics clashed with the refined atmosphere, escalating until the saw incident released rodents and everything devolved into slapstick disaster.

Foreshadowing: Muriel's plan to present herself with scholarly charm begins unraveling the instant the Stooges enter misunderstanding their role.

  • dinner party
  • chaos
  • high society
  • stooges
  • etiquette

Movie threads

More Movies Like Termites of 1938, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Termites of 1938 tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies where high society meets chaos like Termites of 1938

Outsiders bring hilarious anarchy to a world of refined manners and etiquette. If you liked the chaotic social satire of Termites of 1938, you'll enjoy these comedies where a fish-out-of-water scenario turns a formal gathering into a hilarious disaster. Discover similar movies featuring slapstick humor, social misunderstandings, and the joyful destruction of pompous settings.

  • slapstick
  • farcical
  • social satire
  • zany
  • chaotic
  • lighthearted
  • Tone: light, comical
  • Pacing: fast, gag-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative typically begins with a simple miscommunication that inserts ill-suited characters into a formal event or setting. The plot then escalates through a series of physical gags and social blunders, systematically dismantling the decorum of the environment for comedic effect, often culminating in a climactic scene of total chaos.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped by their core comedic premise of class clash. They share a lighthearted tone, fast pacing for gag delivery, and a focus on physical comedy and situational humor derived from the juxtaposition of two opposing social worlds.

Movies with non-stop slapstick chaos like Termites of 1938

Where one small mistake triggers an unstoppable chain reaction of hilarious disasters. Fans of the rapid-fire, escalating gags in Termites of 1938 will love these movies built on a domino effect of comedic disasters. Find similar fast-paced slapstick comedies where a simple error leads to an unstoppable chain of hilarious mishaps and chaotic physical humor.

  • slapstick
  • chaotic
  • escalating
  • farcical
  • energetic
  • non-stop
  • Tone: light, zany
  • Pacing: fast, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows a straightforward path of accelerating mishaps. A minor accident or misunderstanding occurs, and each subsequent action by the characters to contain the problem inadvertently causes a larger, more destructive event. The story is a continuous upward curve of pandemonium, prioritizing visual gags over dialogue or deep character arcs.

Why they belong together: These movies are united by their structural approach to comedy. They share a fast pacing, medium intensity from the relentless action, and a light emotional weight, ensuring the focus remains on the enjoyment of the escalating visual gags rather than any serious consequences.

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Every angle

Termites of 1938 (1938) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Termites of 1938 in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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