http://www.threestooges.net/filmography/episode/275http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0141728/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yfnNjqbHyP0Watch PICK A PECK OF PLUMBERS in the link above
Let's see how this solo Stooge thing works, though PICK A PECK OF PLUMBERS is not exactly solo, as Shemp is teamed with El Brendel. El Brendel was a Columbia shorts comedian for almost ten years, going back and forth in solo films or being thrown in hastily assembled teams with comedians like Shemp and Harry Langdon. He never really caught on, and it's easy to see why. El Brendel's entire schtick was that he spoke in a Swedish dialect, yet he did nothing funny, showed no other signs of uniqueness, and wasn't a particularly gifted physical comedian based on what I've seen. Contrast him to Shemp, who does a wonderful near sighted routine, gets a nice little shaving gag, and gets a moment alone throwing items in a box and tripping in the process. El Brendel doesn't have moments like this, just a one horse dialect comedian. As far as him being teamed with Shemp? No chemistry. There are points in the short where the two yell at each other, and I find myself cheering Shemp on instead of wishing to see them work together. Not exactly good comedy team chemistry.
Other than what's mentioned above, even Shemp is given little to do. I guess Columbia was still trying to figure out how to use his talents. Fortunately, later solo shorts are much better as far as that goes. The film itself is good for all the great plumbing gags that involve electrical pipes turning into water pipes and everyone getting wet. This was also done in A PLUMBING WE WILL GO, but with a huge difference. In this short, all we remember are the gags themselves towards the second reel, the comedians themselves leave little impression. In A PLUMBING WE WILL GO, we remember Curly with the maze of pipes, we remember Moe and Larry's interactions, we remember Dudley. Here? Just a lot of wet gags that could have been done by anyone. The main comedians are barely present. Entertaining, but not a great showcase for the comedians.
Fortunately, things get better for Shemp, and we'll see less of El Brendel in the future. A good gag film towards the end, basically.
6/10