- "The piano must go up!"
- — The segment's catchphrase
Going Up! is a short film that was seen in the VeggieTales episode Sumo of the Opera. It is done in the style of Laurel & Hardy mixed with the Three Stooges.
Plot
Mr. Nezzer is delivering a piano that is needed at Madame Blueberry's mansion. His three workers, Larry, Jerry, and Mr. Lunt want to sit in the front of the truck, but Mr. Nezzer tells them they cannot sit with him.
The three discover the place is at a very high staircase. They manage to get there with no trouble, but then the piano rolls down all the way back to the bottom. Jerry decides to quit, but the other two decide to continue on. Just as they are carrying the heavy piano, Mr. Lunt gets distracted when he sees a penny on the staircase. This causes Larry to roll backwards, almost landing both him and the piano at the fountain. While that was happening, Jerry and Mr. Lunt use the penny to buy some ice cream for themselves. Larry, not pleased, decides to carry the piano by himself with it on his back.
Tired, but triumphant, Larry manages to carry the piano up to the door entrance. Madame Blueberry is happy that her piano is delivered and calls Larry her hero, making Larry proud, but also blushed. Downstairs, the other two are sleeping, and Mr. Nezzer is not pleased that his workers are slacking the job. However, Larry comes down with a kiss on his right cheek. Jerry and Mr. Lunt are shocked, but Nezzer just remained stoic, and told Larry that he can sit in the front with him since he has done his job. While Larry is proud and gets to sit in the front, the other two still sit in the back.
Character
- Larry
- Mr. Lunt
- Jerry Gourd
- Mr. Nezzer
- Scooter
- Madame Blueberry
Fun Facts
Trivia
- Mike Nawrocki stated they originally wanted in a true way how it was done in the silent film era, where it was black and white and only music playing. But they decided to keep it in color, have sound effects, and have the French Peas narrating in the final version.
- However, they included the black and white version without sounds as a DVD feature.
- This is first time Mr. Lunt is seen without a mustache.
- According to an interview with Jim Lewis, his pitch of the story was going to have dialogue and wasn't a parody of the Three Stooges.
- The interior of Blueberry's mansion is the same as Butterbun's.
- The sound effects of the piano were done by Adam Frick, as he dropped his girlfriend's piano to record the sounds.
Remarks
- Madame Blueberry's design here looks more like from her debut appearance rather than her current look.
- There is no way four people can fit in the truck's cab anyway.
Real-World References
- The short film's plot is similar to the Laurel and Hardy short "The Music Box", which is the only short in their career to have an Academy reward.
- Larry, Jerry, and Mr. Lunt's costumes are references to the Three Stooges, Curly Joe, Larry, and Moe. Even though Mr. Lunt is Moe, Larry has Moe's personality in this short.
- The music playing in the ice cream truck is "Pop Goes the Weasel".
Fast Forward
- The beginning part of the truck going on the hill would be used later in a future Silly Song.
- This short was featured on Lessons from the Sock Drawer years after originally being featured on Sumo of the Opera.
- This, along with Schoolhouse Polka, was featured on the TV version of "Bully Trouble".
Gallery
