Oil's Well That Ends Well

Oil's Well That Ends Well
	;
Release Date	December 4, 1958
Directed by	Jules White
Written by	Felix Adler
Produced by	Jules White
Preceded by	Flying Saucer Daffy
Followed by	Triple Crossed

Oil's Well That Ends Well is the 188th 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.

Cast[]

Moe Howard
Larry Fine
Joe Besser

Plot[]

The Stooges have lost their jobs. Adding insult to injury, they received a letter from Dad with the news that he requires surgery. To help pay for the operation, the father suggests the boys search for uranium on his mining property. The boys locate the uranium, but run afoul of a load of dynamite. Then, when they are trying to fix the water pump, it starts gushing oil. Joe tries to cork it by sitting on it, but he is sent flying into the air. When he wishes it would stop, it does, much to Moe and Larry's dismay. Joe manages to get the oil started again, and boys are in the dough.

Quotes[]

[Joe calls out for Moe to catch a batch of dynamite he has thrown to him. Moe and Larry barely notice and catch the dynamite at the last second]

Moe: [angrily] If that dynamite hit the rocks, we'd have all been blown to pieces!

Joe: Huh? [gets up and walks over to Moe] What did you say?

Moe: [hotly] I said you’re a nitwit imbecile!

Joe: [sweetly] Flattery will get you no place!

Joe: Hey, Moe, I was just thinkin'...

Moe: Every time you think, you weaken the nation! Now shut up and sit down like I told ya!

Notes[]

Though technically a reworking of Oily to Bed, Oily to Rise, none of the original plot is featured in this short. In addition, the only recycled footage utilized in Oil's Well That Ends Well is the shot of Curly Howard riding the oil gusher up into the sky. In addition, the concept of Joe wishing for things that come true was borrowed from Oily to Bed, Oily to Rise.
Oil's Well That Ends Well is one of two Stooges films that does not have a supporting cast. The other is 1950's Self-Made Maids.
The title is a pun of "all's well that ends well".
This short contains a rare instance where the Stooges break the "fourth wall", and directly address the camera audience. Joe, after being chastised by Moe and is told to sit down, turns around to the camera and mouths "I hate him!" to the audience before walking off-screen.

Video[]

The Three Stooges

Woman Haters I Punch Drunks I Men in Black I Three Little Pigskins I Horses' Collars I Restless Knights I Pop Goes the Easel I Uncivil Warriors I Pardon My Scotch I Hoi Polloi I Three Little Beers I Ants in the Pantry I Movie Maniacs I Half Shot Shooters I Disorder in the Court I A Pain in the Pullman I False Alarms I Whoops, I'm an Indian! I Slippery Silks I Grips, Grunts and Groans I Dizzy Doctors I Three Dumb Clucks I Back to the Woods I Goofs and Saddles I Cash and Carry I Playing the Ponies I The Sitter Downers I Termites of 1938 I Wee Wee Monsieur I Tassels in the Air I Healthy, Wealthy and Dumb I Violent Is the Word for Curly I Three Missing Links I Mutts to You I Flat Foot Stooges I Three Little Sew and Sews I We Want Our Mummy I A Ducking They Did Go I Yes, We Have No Bonanza I Saved By the Belle I Calling All Curs I Oily to Bed, Oily to Rise I Three Sappy People I You Nazty Spy! I Rockin' Thru the Rockies I A Plumbing We Will Go I Nutty But Nice I How High Is Up? I From Nurse to Worse I No Census, No Feeling I Cookoo Cavaliers I Boobs in Arms I So Long Mr. Chumps I Dutiful But Dumb I All the World's a Stooge I I'll Never Heil Again I An Ache in Every Stake I In the Sweet Pie and Pie I Some More of Samoa I Loco Boy Makes Good I Cactus Makes Perfect I What's the Matador? I Matri-Phony I Three Smart Saps I Even as IOU I Sock-a-Bye Baby I They Stooge to Conga I Dizzy Detectives I Spook Louder I Back From the Front I Three Little Twirps I Higher Than a Kite I I Can Hardly Wait I Dizzy Pilots I Phony Express I A Gem of a Jam I Crash Goes the Hash I Busy Buddies I The Yoke's On Me I Idle Roomers I Gents Without Cents I No Dough Boys I Three Pests in a Mess I Booby Dupes I Idiots Deluxe I If a Body Meets a Body I Micro-Phonies I Beer Barrel Polecats I A Bird in the Head I Uncivil War Birds I The Three Troubledoers I Monkey Businessmen I Three Loan Wolves I G.I. Wanna Home I Rhythm and Weep I Three Little Pirates I Half-Wits Holiday I Fright Night I Out West I Hold That Lion! I Brideless Groom I Sing a Song of Six Pants I All Gummed Up I Shivering Sherlocks I Pardon My Clutch I Squareheads of the Round Table I Fiddlers Three I The Hot Scots I Heavenly Daze I I'm a Monkey's Uncle I Mummy's Dummies I Crime on Their Hands I The Ghost Talks I Who Done It? I Hokus Pokus I Fuelin' Around I Malice in the Palace I Vagabond Loafers I Dunked in the Deep I Punchy Cowpunchers I Hugs and Mugs I Dopey Dicks I Love at First Bite I Self-Made Maids I Three Hams on Rye I Studio Stoops I Slaphappy Sleuths I A Snitch in Time I Three Arabian Nuts I Baby Sitters Jitters I Don't Throw That Knife I Scrambled Brains I Merry Mavericks I The Tooth Will Out I Hula-La-La I Pest Man Wins I A Missed Fortune I Listen, Judge I Corny Casanovas I He Cooked His Goose I Gents in a Jam I Three Dark Horses I Cuckoo on a Choo Choo I Up in Daisy's Penthouse I Booty and the Beast I Loose Loot I Tricky Dicks I Spooks! I Pardon My Backfire I Rip, Sew and Stitch I Bubble Trouble I Goof on the Roof I Income Tax Sappy I Musty Musketeers I Pals and Gals I Knutzy Knights I Shot in the Frontier I Scotched in Scotland I Fling in the Ring I Of Cash and Hash I Gypped in the Penthouse I Bedlam in Paradise I Stone Age Romeos I Wham-Bam-Slam! I Hot Ice I Blunder Boys I Husbands Beware I Creeps I Flagpole Jitters I For Crimin' Out Loud I Rumpus in the Harem I Hot Stuff I Scheming Schemers I Commotion on the Ocean I Hoofs and Goofs I Muscle Up a Little Closer I A Merry Mix Up I Space Ship Sappy I Guns a Poppin! I Horsing Around I Rusty Romeos I Outer Space Jitters I Quiz Whizz I Fifi Blows Her Top I Pies and Guys I Sweet and Hot I Flying Saucer Daffy I Oil's Well That Ends Well I Triple Crossed I Sappy Bull Fighters