History Main / ChimneyEntry

* In ''Film/TheSantaClause'', with houses that didn't have chimneys or fireplaces, but rather heating vents and pipes, Tim Allen's character as Santa would enter the house through there and a fireplace would magically appear in the room where he landed in.

* In a ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' cartoon where Sylvester the Cat is the protective father of a baby mouse, a cat tries to enter into the house pretending to be Santa Claus, only it's the wrong time of the year, so Sylvester sends a balloon up the chimney stack with a stick of dynamite attached to it and blows the cat up through the stack and away from the house.

* In ''Film/{{Gremlins}}'', Kate's father tried to surprise his family this way one Christmas. Unfortunately, he broke his neck and died in the process.

Sometimes, characters like to make a dramatic entrance, and the front door can be seen as rather boring and ordinary. Or it's because the front door is locked and there seems to be no other way in. Anyway, the decision is made to climb onto the roof and come down the chimney.

Sometimes, characters like to make a dramatic entrance, and the front door can be seen as rather boring and ordinary. Entering through the chimney might look like they're trying to channel SantaClaus but it's clear that delivering pleasant gifts to children is the last thing they want to do.

This method can be used as a RuleOfCool. Just watching the shocked and concerned looks of the characters inside the building as they hear the sounds of the ceiling creaking and watching ash drip out of the chimney mouth, followed by a [[SmokeOut cloud of smoke]] engulfing the room as the enemy appears through the ashes is enough to make any character seem badass.

However, this trope can also be PlayedForLaughs. If a character is unfamiliar with how a house works, they might enter it like this. Expect them to receive a "ThereWasADoor" reaction by the house residents and they might react with "I didn't know" or "I couldn't find it." This often leaves the entire room in AshFace and coughing violently as the oblivious enterer dusts themselves off.

* Ron Weasley and his family enter the Dursley house like this in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire'', which makes Harry point out that they could've entered the house normally to not raise suspicion in the neighbourhood.

* In ''Discworld/{{Hogfather}}'' Mr. Teatime enters Lord Downey's office via connected fireplace flues, despite protective grid installed in the top of chimney. Later in the novel [[TheGrimReaper Death]], who is [[SubbingForSanta subbing for Hogfather]], reluctantly uses the traditionally chimney entry route, [[LampsahdeHanging despite arguing]] with Albert that it's completely unnecessary for him.

* In ''Discworld/Hogfather'' Mr. Teatime enters Lord Downey's office via connected fireplace flues, despite protective grid installed in the top of chimney. Later in the novel [[TheGrimReaper Death]], who is [[SubbingForSanta subbing for Hogfather]], reluctantly uses the traditionally chimney entry route, [[LampsahdeHanging despite arguing]] with Albert that it's completely unnecessary for him.

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11536013/16/Hyperemesis-gravidarum Hyperemesis Gravidarum]]'' by Creator/AAPessimal, two teenage student Assassins are caught in an upstairs room by a gang of killers who are attacking the house and who are battering down their bedroom door. They are stuck for a way to escape. Until one of the house goblins leads them down the chimneystack to the living room, where other members of the family are mounting a fierce defence.

[[quoteright:330:[[Literature/TheThreeLittlePigs http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wolf_chimney.jpg]]]]

However, this trope can also be played for laughs. If a character is unfamiliar with how a house works, they might enter it like this. Expect them to receive a "ThereWasADoor" reaction by the house residents and they might react with "I didn't know" or "I couldn't find it." When PlayedForLaughs, this often leaves the entire room in AshFace and coughing violently as the oblivious enterer dusts themselves off.

However, this trope can be used for comedy. If a character is unfamiliar with how a house works, they might enter it like this. Expect them to receive a "ThereWasADoor" reaction by the house residents and they might react with "I didn't know" or "I couldn't find it." When PlayedForLaughs, this often leaves the entire room in AshFace and coughing violently as the oblivious enterer dusts themselves off.

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* In ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E13HearthsWarmingEve "Hearth's Warming Eve"]], Chancellor Puddinghead enters her own house via the chimney. Partly because the front door is snowed in, and partly because she's [[CloudCuckoolander strange like that.]]
-->'''Smart Cookie:''' Wouldn't it have been easier to use the door, Chancellor?
-->'''Puddinghead:''' Maybe for you, Smart Cookie. But ''I'' am a chancellor. I was elected because I know how to think outside the box. Which means I can also think ''inside the chimney''. Can you think inside a chimney?

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* In the days of Victorian Britain, children were made to clean out chimneys for the rich and often got stuck up there, making them sometimes enter the room at random like this when they eventually dislodged themselves. Due to child labor laws over the years, this was later abolished due to this, as well as health and safety.

[[quoteright:330:[[Literature/ThreeLittlePigs http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wolf_chimney.jpg]]]]

* Some adaptations of the ''Literature/ThreeLittlePigs'' have the Wolf terrorizing the third pig in the brick house and trying to enter his house like this, unintentionally falling into a cauldron full of boiling water that the pig had left at the bottom for him.

DontTryThisAtHome kids. [[SchmuckBait Or anyone, for that matter]].

->''Then he ducked down the chimney, a bit absurd, but if [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario]] could do it, then so could the Nerd.''

[[quoteright:230:[[WesternAnimation/HowTheGrinchStoleChristmas http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/grinch_chimney.jpg]]]]

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This method can be used as a RuleOfCool. Just watching the shocked and concerned looks of the characters inside the building as they hear the sounds of the ceiling creaking and watching ash drip out of the chimney mouth, followed by a [[SmokeOut cloud of smoke]] engulfing the room as the enemy appears through the ashes is enough to make any character seem BadAss.

* ''Disney/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'': After Milo comes home one night to find the mysterious Helga in his house, she claims to have gotten in through the chimney, [[BeautyIsNeverTarnished yet her expensive furs aren't the slightest bit dirty]].

* ''Film/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas'': During his SantaClaus impersonation, the first time Jack Skellington delivers presents he's shown going down the house's chimney.

* The many chimney sweeps in the rooftop scene of ''Disney/MaryPoppins'' seem to have no trouble leaping into and popping out of London's chimneys, culminating in a soot-tracking parade through the Banks' living room.

* Some adaptations of the ''Literature/ThreeLittlePigs'' has the Wolf terrorizing the third pig in the brick house and trying to enter his house like this, unintentionally falling into a cauldron full of boiling water that the pig had left at the bottom for him.

* ''Series/OneThousandWaysToDie'' has as one of its AssholeVictim casualties an insane ex-girlfriend that kept stalking his boyfriend and his new beau, and that tried to get into the man's house via the chimney while they were away on vacation in order to live in and (probably) eventually catch them when they returned. Unfortunately she got stuck on said chimney and died of dehydration... and the corpse was found by the lovebirds when they came back home and turned on the chimney, setting the corpse on fire.
* ''Series/DoctorWho'': In ''[[Recap/DoctorWho2010CSAChristmasCarol A Christmas Carol]]'', the Doctor chooses a Chimney Entry because his [=TARDIS=] happened to have landed on the roof, and the temptation was just too much.