| Pardon My Clutch | |
| Director: | Edward Bernds |
| Starring: | Moe Howard Larry Fine Shemp Howard Matt McHugh Wanda Perry George Lloyd Stanley Blystone Alyn Lockwood Doria Revier Emil Sitka |
| Cinematography: | Allen G. Siegler |
| Editing: | Henry DeMond |
| Producer: | Hugh McCollum |
| Distributor: | Columbia Pictures |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
Pardon My Clutch is a 1948 short subject directed by Edward Bernds starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Shemp Howard). It is the 105th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.
Shemp's toothache prompts the Stooges' acquaintance, Claude, to offer medical advice, which they misinterpret. Following the extraction of Shemp's tooth, Claude proposes a camping trip for relaxation.
Lacking transportation, Claude sells them a faulty car. The trio encounters various challenges, including a flat tire and an altercation with a gas station attendant. Eventually, they attract the attention of a car collector willing to pay a premium for the vehicle. Upon learning of this, Claude hastily refunds the Stooges' money and sells the car to the collector. However, Claude's actions lead to his mistaken apprehension by men from the local asylum.
Pardon My Clutch was filmed on May 19–21, 1947;[1] it would be remade in 1955 as Wham-Bam-Slam!, using ample stock footage.[2] Both films borrow plot elements from the Laurel and Hardy shorts Perfect Day (1929) and Them Thar Hills (1934).[3]
This is the second of three Stooge shorts with the words "pardon my" in the title. The first was Pardon My Scotch (1935).
Shemp is unable to convince the gas station attendant that the tire he is removing from the tire display actually came off his car and rolled into the gas station by accident. This was a stock routine that had been used in prior comedies. It had been performed by Joe Murphy and Bud Jamison in I'm the Sheriff (1927) and Edgar Kennedy and Charlie Hall in Slightly at Sea (1940).[2]
A different variation of "Three Blind Mice" introductory theme is used in this entry. This version would be used again for Crime on Their Hands and The Ghost Talks.[2]
(As the Three Stooges head out to pack their car:)