If you look carefully, you'll see that the boys look much younger in the opening carpentry scenes than in the rest of the movie. That's because those scenes were filmed eight years earlier for the short, Pardon My Scotch.
Curly, in particular, is completely different. In the earlier stooge shorts, Curly acts more like a sissy, with a higher, more innocent voice, and he tends to keep his hands and fingers together in front of his chest. Once we hit Dizzy Detectives, though, he's much more mature and has evolved his familiar trademarks such as barking and twirling in a circle on the floor.
Another tip-off that these were two different shorts, of course, is the absolute non-sequitor involved in going from the boys being carpenters to them becoming detectives. All you need is a convenient walk-on role saying, "Your application has been accepted by the academy!"
Curly, in particular, is completely different. In the earlier stooge shorts, Curly acts more like a sissy, with a higher, more innocent voice, and he tends to keep his hands and fingers together in front of his chest. Once we hit Dizzy Detectives, though, he's much more mature and has evolved his familiar trademarks such as barking and twirling in a circle on the floor.
Another tip-off that these were two different shorts, of course, is the absolute non-sequitor involved in going from the boys being carpenters to them becoming detectives. All you need is a convenient walk-on role saying, "Your application has been accepted by the academy!"