The Stooges are inept repairmen who undertake the task of repairing the doorbell of a sprawling residence, unaware that it serves as the clandestine headquarters for a group of Nazi agents, led by the formidable Hans. Despite their earnest efforts, the Stooges inadvertently wreak havoc within the premises, causing extensive damage to the house's infrastructure and unwittingly disrupting the city's telephone wire system.
Subsequently, Moe and Larry confront Hans and his Japanese counterpart, seizing the opportunity to impersonate prominent wartime figures Adolf Hitler and Hideki Tojo by assuming their attire. Utilizing strategic subterfuge, the Stooges assert their authority by wresting control of the hostile submarine and engineering its destruction via remote manipulation. This tactical maneuver results in the entrapment of the enemy operatives, ultimately leading to their defeat as the Stooges prevail in overpowering their adversaries.
A young Lloyd Bridges appears as "Telephone Customer #2" in one of his last uncredited roles.[1]
This is the third Stooges short where Moe plays a parody of Adolf Hitler; the first two, with Moe portraying "Moe Hailstone" as the Hitler parody role in both, were You Nazty Spy! and its sequel I'll Never Heil Again, neither of which had any connection to this short.
This entry also marked the second time Curly says the word, "sabatoogie", a mispronouncing of "sabotage"; the first time was in 1942's Loco Boy Makes Good.
Violence
They Stooge to Conga is often cited as the most violent Stooge film produced during the Curly Howard era (1934–1947)[3]DVD Talk critic Stuart Galbraith IV writes that, in its brief 15½ minutes, the film "offers several startling moments, none more gleefully sadistic as when Curly, scaling an electrical pole, within a few seconds manages to puncture the top of Moe's head, an eye, and an ear with a climbing spike, all with cringe-inducing 'ker-CHUNK' sound effects."[4] Moe also endures physical harm, including being pulled through lath and plaster, with a wooden pillar inadvertently landing on his neck. Additionally, Curly suffers various forms of abuse, including electrocution, falling from a telephone pole, severe nose twisting, and singeing via an acetylene torch.[2]
Although Columbia short subject head/director Jules White was known for utilizing extreme violence in his films, They Stooge to Conga was in fact directed by Del Lord.[3] White recalled the challenges of filming scenes involving physical harm to Moe. "We had trouble pulling Moe all the way through the wall. Since Moe was a full grown man, we weakened the wall and the wood inside and then replastered the wall."[2]
Notable violent gags
Moe and Larry attempt to enter a house simultaneously, resulting in both being thrust out by Curly wielding an anvil point.
Curly accidentally pulls a ringing phone out of a wall, hits Moe with it, and is retaliated against when Moe throws it back.
Moe is struck by a solid wooden plank crashing onto his neck while being pulled through a wall.
Moe twists Curly's nose with a tool and uses a grinding wheel to file it back into shape.
Curly accidentally impales Moe with a climbing spike on his shoe while climbing a telephone pole.
Moe burns Curly's rear end with a flame torch to motivate him to climb higher.
Curly shocks himself while straightening a wire and again while testing the connection.
Curly falls from a telephone pole after being zapped by wires, landing on Moe and Larry below.
Moe places a light bulb in one of Curly's ears, which lights up, and then bursts it with a screwdriver in the other ear.
Curly gets shocked while sliding on electrical wires, pushing him through an open window.
The Nazi spies' cook experiences an explosion when Curly manipulates the electrical wires, leading to further mishaps with a phone and a waffle iron.
Moe uses a hammer to hit Larry from behind, then thrusts it into Curly's mouth, resulting in Curly striking Moe 20 times with the hammer in rapid succession.
^ abcdSolomon, Jon (2002). The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion. Comedy III Productions, Inc. p. 221. ISBN0-9711868-0-4.
