# Zany, madcap chase scenes in the same hallway through many, many doors **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 18, 2008, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zany-madcap-chase-scenes-in-the-same-hallway-through-many-many-doors/477784 "2008-12-18T18:54:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zany-madcap-chase-scenes-in-the-same-hallway-through-many-many-doors/477784/1 "2008-12-18T18:54:25Z")
How many instances can we come up with “the scene”? You’ve seen it a hundred times - a static long shot of a hallway with multiple doors facing each other. One or more folks are being chased by opponents. They chase each other through one door, to emerge through another, then another, then another. Popular in cartoons, but there are live action examples. Here’s an example of one such chase in this [Snoopy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDBAbtyeH9c&feature=related) cartoon. It starts about at 5:58 minutes into the clip. (I couldn’t find a shorter clip that just _cut to the chase_ _Ba-dump bump!_) This is such a standard trope, that I can’t believe it doesn’t have a name for it. Anybody know what this is called? How old is this gimmick? Was it originally a cartoon trope or did it originate in live-action movies (I wouldn’t be surprised to know the Three Stooges or Oliver & Hardy did at one time or another.) ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zany-madcap-chase-scenes-in-the-same-hallway-through-many-many-doors/477784/2 "2008-12-18T19:02:17Z")
[Scooby Dooby Doors](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ScoobyDoobyDoors). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zany-madcap-chase-scenes-in-the-same-hallway-through-many-many-doors/477784/3 "2008-12-18T19:04:07Z")
Know often as [Scooby Doo Doors](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ScoobyDoobyDoors), it’s been around. The earliest use listed here is 1931 in a “Flip the Frog” cartoon. A search on Wikipedia comes up with a claim that the Three Stooges used it, with no cite. beat ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zany-madcap-chase-scenes-in-the-same-hallway-through-many-many-doors/477784/4 "2008-12-18T19:25:18Z")
Exorcist II? (The night nurse big scissor scene) ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zany-madcap-chase-scenes-in-the-same-hallway-through-many-many-doors/477784/5 "2008-12-18T19:40:02Z")
It’s not a chase, but there’s a scene like this in _Yellow Submarine_ when Old Fred follows Ringo into a hallway lined with doors where they gather the other Beatles. Everytime they enter a door, the hallway fills with monsters and assorted surrealistic objects darting in and out of the doors. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zany-madcap-chase-scenes-in-the-same-hallway-through-many-many-doors/477784/6 "2008-12-18T19:49:48Z")
Isn’t that pretty much the whole length of _Noises Off_? ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zany-madcap-chase-scenes-in-the-same-hallway-through-many-many-doors/477784/7 "2008-12-18T21:23:12Z")
I once heard a show described as a typical French farce: six actors, five doors and everyone ends up in their underwear. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zany-madcap-chase-scenes-in-the-same-hallway-through-many-many-doors/477784/8 "2008-12-18T21:38:00Z")
This doors thing was a recurring trope in _Benny Hill_, I think. With comical clarinet music in the background. ---
**Author:** ![SirRay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@SirRay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirRay)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zany-madcap-chase-scenes-in-the-same-hallway-through-many-many-doors/477784/9 "2008-12-18T21:40:07Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > A search on Wikipedia comes up with a claim that the Three Stooges used it, with no cite. Heh, the Three Stooges used it a lot in their shorts (often using recycled footage) - one example was ‘For Crimin’ Out Loud’, but there were many more. A slightly different example (no criminal intent involved) was ‘A Merry Mix-up’, where three sets of ‘identical’ triplet Stooges (9 stooge ‘brothers’ all together) run in and out of the doors of a Nightclub hallway, confusing the heck of a frustrated waiter (well, he had a cleaver, so maybe some criminal intent was involved) 😛 . ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zany-madcap-chase-scenes-in-the-same-hallway-through-many-many-doors/477784/10 "2008-12-18T22:16:11Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Exorcist II? (The night nurse big scissor scene) I am never going to be able to see that scene the same way again. Conversely, I will never be able to see a Scooby Doo cartoon using this bit without imagining Shaggy getting beheaded… ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zany-madcap-chase-scenes-in-the-same-hallway-through-many-many-doors/477784/11 "2008-12-18T22:25:57Z")
> [@The New and Improved Superman](#): > > I am never going to be able to see that scene the same way again. > > Conversely, I will never be able to see a Scooby Doo cartoon using this bit without imagining Shaggy getting beheaded… My work here is done, then! ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zany-madcap-chase-scenes-in-the-same-hallway-through-many-many-doors/477784/12 "2008-12-18T23:23:07Z")
It’s still used, including in one episode of _Teen Titans! GO!_ ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zany-madcap-chase-scenes-in-the-same-hallway-through-many-many-doors/477784/13 "2008-12-18T23:40:05Z")
Jackie Chan’s “Mr. Nice Guy” had one. It takes place in a construction site so there’s no roof (camera can follow the action from overhead) and it’s high off the ground so eventually someone has to open a door and start to charge through before realizing they’re about to leap into thin air. Here you go, starting at ~3:30. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDXUB-iJTwM) ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zany-madcap-chase-scenes-in-the-same-hallway-through-many-many-doors/477784/14 "2008-12-19T00:16:24Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > This doors thing was a recurring trope in _Benny Hill_, I think. With comical clarinet music in the background. Saxophone, actually. The tune is called _[Yakkity Sax](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gpc5_3B5xdk&NR=1)_. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zany-madcap-chase-scenes-in-the-same-hallway-through-many-many-doors/477784/15 "2008-12-19T04:21:33Z")
I know for sure that Bugs Bunny did it with Elmer. Was it Rabbit of Seville? ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zany-madcap-chase-scenes-in-the-same-hallway-through-many-many-doors/477784/16 "2008-12-19T05:53:19Z")
[Doctor Who](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zw_RHXEZEgE) ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zany-madcap-chase-scenes-in-the-same-hallway-through-many-many-doors/477784/17 "2008-12-19T06:34:27Z")
There was one in the South Park episode “Cartman Joins NAMBLA.” ---
**Author:** ![SunSandSuffering](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@SunSandSuffering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunSandSuffering)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zany-madcap-chase-scenes-in-the-same-hallway-through-many-many-doors/477784/18 "2008-12-19T09:40:13Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Exorcist II? (The night nurse big scissor scene) Nitpick: Exorcist 3 Legion actually - [http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=zH8ynu0jRvY](http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=zH8ynu0jRvY) ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zany-madcap-chase-scenes-in-the-same-hallway-through-many-many-doors/477784/19 "2008-12-19T12:59:55Z")
> [@SunSandSuffering](#): > > Nitpick: Exorcist 3 Legion actually - [http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=zH8ynu0jRvY](http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=zH8ynu0jRvY) Dammit. I KNEW I was going to cite the wrong sequel! Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zany-madcap-chase-scenes-in-the-same-hallway-through-many-many-doors/477784/20 "2008-12-19T13:10:48Z")
It has been (too) many years, but I would swear the Monkees did it in at least one episode. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zany-madcap-chase-scenes-in-the-same-hallway-through-many-many-doors/477784.md?page=2)