Violent Is the Word for Curly

The Stooges work as attendants at the Acme Service Station, delivering their trademark inept service. Their mistakes trigger a chain of mishaps that culminate in the destruction of a chauffeured Packard owned by three elderly German passengers.

Panicked after the wreck, they flee the scene in an ice cream truck, taking the German passengers' luggage with them. What starts as a quick getaway spirals into a chaotic cross-country misadventure.

Hours of aimless driving leave them stranded when they run out of gas. Moe and Larry discover Curly frozen solid inside the truck and attempt an improvised thawing method, which backfires and burns him.

Curly, thawed or cooled, slips into a nearby lake to cool off, dragging Moe and Larry along. The mishap compounds their trouble and foreshadows the chaos to come.

While rummaging through abandoned suitcases for dry clothes, the Stooges unintentionally don the attire of the three incoming Mildew College professors. They now resemble Teutonic academics rather than service station attendants.

Arriving at Mildew College, they are mistaken for the new Teutonic professors. They are introduced to the student body, and Moe starts performing Swingin' the Alphabet with Larry and Curly joining in, initially seeming competent before it veers into a jazzy, offbeat rendition.

The real Teutonic professors arrive during lunch, exposing the Stooges' true identities. Mrs. Catsby, furious, demands that the impostors leave Mildew College.

To salvage their position, the Stooges propose demonstrating athletic prowess to win Mrs. Catsby over. They prepare to show off their (supposed) talents, hoping to secure support for Mildew College's athletic fund.

The scheming professors sabotage the basketball, sabotaging the demonstration. This act triggers a chaotic, tense finale as the event spirals out of control.

The tampering leads to an explosive finale in the gym, heightening the chaos and threatening to ruin the day. The Stooges scramble to regain control amid flying equipment and confused spectators.

In the climax, the Stooges outwit the professors and apprehend them, foiling their plot and restoring order. The impostors are exposed in front of the student body and faculty.

With the professors thwarted, Mrs. Catsby finally approves the athletic fund, granting Mildew College the financial support it sought. The Stooges celebrate their narrow but decisive victory.