| Tricky Dicks | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Jules White |
| Produced by | Jules White |
| Written by | Felix Adler Jack White |
| Starring | Moe Howard Larry Fine Shemp Howard Benny Rubin Connie Cezon Ferris Taylor Phil Arnold Murray Alper Suzanne Ridgeway |
| Cinematography | William P. Whitley |
| Editing by | Edwin H. Bryant |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) | May 7, 1953 |
| Running time | 15' 50" |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Tricky Dicks is the 147th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.
The Stooges are detectives who have nearly mastered the game of Gin Rummy. Their police chief B. A. Copper (Ferris Taylor) has just about had it with their goofing off, and demands that they find the murderer of Slug McGurk within 24 hours. Right from the start, the trio have Chopper (Phil Arnold), a prisoner who attempts to confess to the crime. Unfortunately, the eloquent wording of his confession ("I am the culprit who perpetrated this heinous incident!") confuses the simple-minded Stooges, who insist he is avoiding the question. Frustrated, the Stooges throw Chopper back in a jail cell.
The next man they bring up is a witness, an organ grinder with a monkey named Antonio Zucchini Salami Gorgonzola dePizza (Benny Rubin). The witness begins to download his information to the Stooges, but his Italian looks do not match the English cockney accent that comes out of his mouth.
Next, Shemp takes a call regarding a dismissed bootlegging charge, stating "The D.A. says we can't make a case out of 11 bottles" (!). Just when all seems lost Larry returns with Chopper who says he wants to confess to the murder. However, while taking down his confession, the real killer finally shows up (Murray Alper). Upset that Chopper is going to take the credit of the murder away from him, he pulls out a gun and starts shooting everything in site. The Stooges take cover, and are trapped in their office until dePizza's monkey drops several bowling balls on the killer's head, knocking him cold. Unfortunately, Shemp was shot several times by the killer. While Moe gives Shemp a drink to help with the pain, he tells Larry to call an ambulance for Shemp, who replies "No, call a plumber." and suddenly starts leaking water from the bullet holes. Moe and Larry then shrug and decide to take a shower instead.