Shivering Sherlocks

Shivering Sherlocks
Shivering Sherlocks
	File:ShiveringSherlocksTITLE.jpg
Directed by	Del Lord
Written by	Del Lord; Elwood Ullman
Produced by	Hugh McCollum; Jules White
Starring	Moe Howard; Larry Fine; Shemp Howard; Vernon Dent; Christine McIntyre; Kenneth MacDonald; Frank Lackteen; Duke York; Stanley Blystone; Cy Schindell; Joe Palma
Cinematography	Allen G. Siegler
Edited by	Henry DeMond
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release dates	January 8, 1948
Running time	17' 17"
Country	United States
Language	English

Shivering Sherlocks is the 104th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.

Plot

The Stooges are believed to be bank robbers who have just robbed an armored car. The fact they are discovered hiding in a garbage can in an alley near the crime scene does not help their claims of innocence very much. They are taken to the police station, where Captain Mullens accuses them of the robbery but the Stooges fail the lie detector test (they fail on account of they break the machine) and their guilt cannot be proven. While on the "hot seat" (as Larry calls it), they do tell one lie — that they work at the Elite Café. However, the beautiful and soft hearted café owner Gladys Harmon(Christine McIntyre) has no problem vouching for the boys as she is having her own problems particularly finding good help. As well, most of the bad cheques Gladys has been stuck with are on account of the Stooges whose appetites are not matched by as big a wallet. Out of embarrassment over their actions and a desire to repay Gladys, the Stooges volunteer to work for free.

While working in the cafe and nearly destroying it with their cooking skills, Captain Mullens comes in and the Stooges convince him they are innocent when they identify "Lefty" Loomis (Kenneth MacDonald) as the mastermind of the robbery from a mug shot.

One day, Gladys receives a letter from the lawyer handling her father's estate which states that someone is interested in purchasing her family's old country homestead for $1,000. While Gladys is delighted and plans to accept so she can use the money to get out of debt, the boys smell a rat and insist in accompanying Gladys to the home to inspect it and make sure she is not being swindled. After a long drive at night they reach the decrepit old house, and start to think maybe Gladys is getting a good deal. It just so happens that the house is being used as a hideout by the actual crooks the police had confused the Stooges for. They try to get in the front door, but it is bolted from the inside and the key will not work. The Stooges fan out to find a way in or something to open the door with. The crooks, delighted that the only real witnesses to the robbery have shown up for them to eliminate, aim a shotgun barrel outside a peephole and prepare to fire. Shemp thinks the gun barrel is a piece of pipe and tries to grab it, ensuing in a tug-of-war with the criminals. When the "pipe" vanishes, Shemp panicks and calls for Moe. While the Stooges are distracted, Gladys is kidnapped by the crooks and spirited inside the house as bait to lure the Stooges into a trap. Moe and Shemp return to the front door but can find no trace of the missing Gladys Harmon and call out for her. The front door opens and Larry emerges with a crowbar, which Moe then promptly smacks him with as the Stooges enter in search of Gladys.

Lefty then sends Angel, a mutated human resembling an ogre (Duke York) to deal with the Stooges, telling his partner that "he'll do a nice quiet job." On his way to find the Stooges, Angel enters the storage room in the back of the house where Gladys is being held prisoner. Securely tied up in a heavy armchair with thick ropes and tightly detective gagged, Gladys is struggling and squirming to free herself when she hears Angel behind her and on seeing his frightening appearance, frantically tries to squirm out of her ropes and call out for help. Angel raises his machete and prepares to execute Gladys whose muffled whimpering is barely audible, but before Angel can strike he hears the Stooges and leaves to hunt them down thus temporarily sparing Gladys' life. Once in the hallway there ensues a classic Stooges chase scene as Angel tries to slice the Stooges to pieces with his large machete, and the other crooks attempt to gun the Stooges down. In the end, the Stooges manage to capture the crooks for the police (who arrive in the nick of time) and save Gladys.

Notes

Shivering Sherlocks was reworked in 1955 as Of Cash and Hash, using ample recycled footage.
This was the final film directed by long-time Stooge director Del Lord.

Plot

Notes

Further reading