How High Is Up?
How High is Up? is a 1940 short subject directed by Del Lord starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard). It is the 48th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.
| How High Is Up? | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Del Lord |
| Produced by | Del Lord Hugh McCollum |
| Written by | Elwood Ullman |
| Starring | Moe Howard Larry Fine Curly Howard Vernon Dent Cy Schindell Duke York Bert Young Bruce Bennett Edmund Cobb |
| Cinematography | Allen G. Siegler |
| Edited by | Art Seid |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 16:26 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot
The Stooges are menders who drum up business at a construction site by poking holes on the bottom of the workers' lunch boxes, then offering to repair the holes. When their ruse is discovered, they are chased onto the site and blend in with a crowd of men seeking employment. Curly states that they are "the best riveters that ever riveted," and the hiring workman (Edmund Cobb) sends them to work on the 97th floor, despite Curly's debilitating fear of heights.
While riveting, Larry also heats sausage for Moe and Curly. The foreman discovers Larry, who proceeds to toss Curly an actual rivet, who claims, "It's a weenie, but it's kind of tough." Curly later uses a hard hat with a screwhead to engage the rivets while Moe drills them. The Stooges do a lousy job riveting and part of the building collapses when head foreman Mr. Blake (Vernon Dent) leans against a beam. He and several men chase the Stooges, who escape by parachuting off the building and landing in their wagon below, with the chute tarp now covering it, and drive off. Just as the scene fades out, the sound of an off screen collision is heard.
Production notes
Filming for How High is Up? was completed May 7–11, 1940.[1] The aerial shots of the scene, straight down from the building the Stooges are working on, are from the then newly built Empire State Building in New York City.[2]
The sweater removal scene is considered one of the finest examples of the Stooges' tendencies to use unorthodox methods to get the simplest job done. Since Moe and Larry cannot pull the sweater off of Curly, they figure the only way to do so is through the use of tools, such as mallets, chisels, and eventually a pair of scissors.[2] Larry can be seen breaking character and laughing, particularly when Curly yells, "Don't mind me, don't mind me!!"[2]
References
- Pauley, Jim (2012). The Three Stooges Hollywood Filming Locations. Solana Beach, California: Santa Monica Press, LLC. p. 147. ISBN 9781595800701.
- Solomon, Jon (2002). The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion. Glendale, California: Comedy III Productions, Inc. pp. 174–175. ISBN 0-9711868-0-4.
