# First appearance of the "zany hallway" scene **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 29, 2012, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-appearance-of-the-zany-hallway-scene/611036 "2012-01-29T00:28:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2012, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-appearance-of-the-zany-hallway-scene/611036/1 "2012-01-29T00:28:49Z")
You know what I’m talking about. A group of protagonists are being chased by a group of antagonists. They all wind up in a hallway with a row of doors on each side, and random characters come out of random doors and go into other random doors. There’s usually some wacky 60’s song playing at the time. Off the top of my head I know I’ve seen it on South Park, Family Guy, and probably dozens of times on Scooby Doo. How many times has this scene been done? Has it been done in lave action? Who was the first to do it? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2012, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-appearance-of-the-zany-hallway-scene/611036/2 "2012-01-29T00:29:46Z")
Reminds me of Benny Hill, but I doubt if he was the first. Live action: see _Noises Off._ ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2012, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-appearance-of-the-zany-hallway-scene/611036/3 "2012-01-29T00:32:13Z")
TVtropes cites it in a Buster Keaton movie and in the Little Rascals shorts [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ScoobyDoobyDoors](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ScoobyDoobyDoors) ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2012, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-appearance-of-the-zany-hallway-scene/611036/4 "2012-01-29T01:32:53Z")
Feydeau’s farces, perhaps? It’s slightly different in Feydeau, in that it’s usually in the second act where various characters are on the verge of being caught in a compromising situation that isn’t what it appears to be. As a result, the wife opens door #1 just as the husband has slammed door #2, which causes the maid to open door #3 just in time to catch a glimpse of the wife. The big difference is that in the situation you cite from cartoons, there is little or no effort to keep it real - i.e. John Lennon and Ringo go out into the hallway and walk into a door, at which point various inanimate objects scurry from room to room, not always coming out of the door of the room that they went into. Scooby and Shaggy open door #1 and the mummy opens door #2. When the mummy crosses the hallway and opens door #1, Scooby and Shaggy peek out of door #3. In Feydeau, you never come out a different door without some logical explanation. I’m just suggesting that this idea may have its roots in French farce. ETA - Even earlier - Beaumarchais in Marriage of Figaro, where the Count is certain he has caught Rosina in flagrante with Cherubin… ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2012, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-appearance-of-the-zany-hallway-scene/611036/5 "2012-01-29T02:02:12Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > TVtropes cites it in a Buster Keaton movie and in the Little Rascals shorts [Scooby-Dooby Doors - TV Tropes](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ScoobyDoobyDoors) Thanks! That’s exactlywhat I was looking for. _Noises Off_ was not what I was asking about, but it is kind of a variation on that. In a way, sort of. I love that movie! ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2012, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-appearance-of-the-zany-hallway-scene/611036/6 "2012-01-29T18:59:46Z")
_Doctor Who_ did it once, featuring the Doctor, Rose, a monster, and another guy who was just watching it happen. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2012, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-appearance-of-the-zany-hallway-scene/611036/7 "2012-01-29T21:20:56Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Thanks! That’s exactlywhat I was looking for. You’re welcome. ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2012, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-appearance-of-the-zany-hallway-scene/611036/8 "2012-01-30T12:24:18Z")
Just for fun - the automotive equivalent to the zany hallway: [Chase scene from _The Pink Panther_](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rnf4v5mqHes)