The trio are firemen at Engine Company No. 1, a venerable institution reliant on horse-drawn fire engines. A conflict emerges when a dubious salesman, Mr. Reardon, attempts to persuade Fire Chief Kelly of the obsolescence of horse-powered engines, only to face rejection. Undeterred, Reardon resorts to nefarious means, sabotaging the firehouse through arson.
During his clandestine act, Reardon inadvertently triggers a chain of events culminating in an accidental explosion. The presence of a leaking can of gunpowder, coupled with the unwitting intervention of a duck, catalyzes the conflagration that engulfs the station. As chaos unfolds, the chief's daughter becomes embroiled in the turmoil, sustaining unconsciousness in the ensuing melee.
Amidst this chaos, the Stooges, having unwittingly diverted the firehorses to a Turkish bath, are ill-prepared to respond to the fire alarm. Their belated realization of the blaze's origin within their own station prompts a frantic race against time. Despite their initial missteps, the trio manages to mobilize, arriving in the nick of time to rescue the chief's daughter from the inferno, thus averting a catastrophic outcome.
A rarity among Stooge shorts, the boys are shown reciting dialogue incorrectly on several occasions, a result of director Charley Chase's rushed directing style. Chase rarely stopped for retakes in an effort to finish a film ahead of schedule.[2]
When Larry slides down the fire pole and is accidentally punched by Moe, he calls himself a "victim of circumstance". This marks the first time a Stooge other than Curly says the line.
Flat Foot Stooges marks the first usage of "Three Blind Mice" as the Stooges' title theme. However, this was not put to permanent use until We Want Our Mummy.
^ abcSolomon, Jon. (2002) The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion, p. 129; Comedy III Productions, Inc., ISBN0-9711868-0-4
