This was a rather hysterical 1935 Three Stooges short:
(Short # 9 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges)
A Wellington boot is how I shake all my alcoholic drinks.
This short wasn’t lacking for excitement. The opening few minutes featured the Stooges as carpenters, causing havoc while attempting to install a door in a speakeasy about to become a legitimate joint, as it’s 1933 in the film’s universe… meaning Prohibition will end tomorrow and alcohol will become legal for public consumption again. Footage from that opening was reused for 1943’s Dizzy Detectives. It will be many weeks down the road but eventually there’s a time late in the Stooge run where not only were shorts remade, footage from the past would be used again. Anyhow, great gags occur, including the appearance of Moe almost having his face sawed off by an electric saw.
The owner of the drugstore/speakeasy is required to leave so the Stooges are there alone. A customer walks in and demands booze, so their solution was to mix random caustic chemicals in a boot and call it “scotch.” The customer loves the powerful concoction and has connections, so the trio attend a society party. Great Depression audiences likely loved Moe, Larry, & Curly thumbing their noses (or, poking the eyes) of the rich folk, and their next several shorts would exploit this. There are homages to both Harpo Marx and Chaplin.
There were plenty of laughs, creative moments, and the trio dressed as Scottish men, doing a “Highland dance.” It was a treat viewing the uncouth leads in such a “proper” setting, horrifying the prim individuals and offending the baritone singer attempting his act. A fancy dinner is absolutely wrecked, resulting in a memorable finale. Heck, Moe suffered broken ribs after a pratfall, yet was able to finish the scene before being rushed to the hospital. Pros, they always were.
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