The Great Film Discussion

[ymymeatemup]

HOOK AND LADDER (1932)

Things I like:
Spanky. Or as Stymie calls him, The Little Punk. He's the main comedy relief in this short (though Stymie has his moments as well), and makes himself a general nuisance whenever he can. The running gag involving the worm medicine works much better with Spanky than it did with Mildred Kornman six years earlier.
The Fire Wagon. One of the outstanding vehicles in series history, virtually matching the one from "Bear Shooters" when it comes to side-to-side motion.
The Fire. Perhaps it's the fact that these scenes are imprinted in my mind from childhood, but I've always enjoyed watching Stymie drop the explosives out the window of the barn, and especially get a kick out of the huge flame that he has to keep avoiding. It's amazing that a child actor, even in 1932, would be put so close to fire this way. Presumably, the studio kept the situation safe, but I think we can assume that we're not going to see anything like this in modern times (especially when CGI is so readily available). It's also kind of funny that the firemen at the end of the film readily commend the children for putting out the fire, as though the good deed outweighs the tremendous danger they put themselves in.
Motor Avenue. It's not too often that we get such a good look at the Gang's neighborhood during the talkie era. There's a sense of realism to this footage that we never get in later studio-bound episodes.

Things I don't like:
The Post Dubbing. I can't think of another Our Gang short that has nearly as much post-dubbing on the soundtrack as this one. Unfortunately, since most of the cast is made up of children, the results are pretty sloppy.
Pretty Much Nothing Else. This film doesn't strike me as one of the great Our Gang episodes - in fact, it pales next to "The Fourth Alarm," from which it borrows heavily - but almost everything is pleasantly amusing. Somehow, this episode seems more similar to the silent era than most of the other talkies, perhaps because the opening sequence has a similar feel to much earlier episodes, giving us time to visit with the kids before anything resembling a plot kicks in. The fact that the soundtrack is mostly populated by the non-Shield tunes from the late silent era also reinforces this impression.

Grade: B

[ymymeatemup]

THE MYSTERIOUS MYSTERY! (1924)

Things I like:
The Opening Sequence. The entire portion in which the boys wear disguises and follow Charles Bachman around and trap him in their basement has to be just about the funniest opening sequence of any of these early films. The disguises are all inspired, the torture device used on Bachman is wince-inducingly hysterical, and the giant magnifying glass used by Mickey at the beginning of the film is just the kind of offbeat detail that kept this series fresh over the years.
Jackie Condon. He was always at his best when he was given something a bit different to do. Considering the degree to which he endears himself to his two kidnappers, I'd have to think that they'd never let any real harm come to our favorite prankster, even if their boss says otherwise.
The Aerial Chase. Even though the special effects are extremely primitive, there's a lot of suspense and humor during the last part of the film. It's a bit ridiculous to see Joe wing-walking, but the whole sequence seems to exist within its own absurd rules. And I can't think of a better example of the pigtails-standing-up-on-Farina's-head gag.

Things I don't like:
Pretty Much Nothing. Despite a few technical imperfections, this is one of the outstanding Our Gang shorts of its era. There's plenty of humor and excitement, and the opening sequence provides its own story instead of simply introducing us to the kids.

Grade: A+

[arno]

Talk about primitive special effects, check out the prop man on the right of the photo.

[RJH]

Joy Scouts (1939) - The gang (without Darla) sees a Boy Scout troop gathering featuring camp craft, and despite warnings from the troop leader, decide they can do a better job camping themselves. They hike to Geyser Springs Campground and naturally encounter all sorts of problems. They pitch their tent over a geyser hole, Alfalfa fails at cooking at constantly gets smoke in his face, and Buckwheat and Porky catch an amzing variety of junk before landing a big fish. Spanky soons ruins that by pouring an absurd amount of salt on when he and Alfalfa try to cook that. It starts to rain, and they take refuge in their tent, which soon is sent into the air with the more important characters (Leonard and Mickey are left out) hanging onto the tent pole. They drift a while and make a soft landing in poison ivy (Alfalfa's landing wasn't so soft seince he landed on the sign). The boys take off for home and meet the Boy Scout Troop, who administer first aid after Spanky admits they were wrong to attempt camping.

This short had some respectability until the last minute with the encounter with the troop, which just really ruins this. It is awful to hear Spanky admit to the scoutmaster that the gang shouldn't have tried camping, and they'll wait until they're older. This goes completely against the gang's established history. It would have been much better if the short ended with them running away from the campground, perhaps chased by a skunk, a bear, or a swarm of bees as in other films. The troop gathering at the beginning is also too long, leaving less time for the gang's antics. It is natural to compare this with "The First Round-Up," which was really good. One reason the earlier film was so good was Spanky and Scotty proving their competence at camping compared to the older boys, and now five years later Spanky has turned dumb. The positives include the wild assortment of junk Buckwheat and Porky catch, including a tire inner tube, a picture, and an accordian before landing their "whale," and Leonard gets some attention, eating a flapjack made with popcorn he spilled into the batter and then jumping around. Whenever Alflfa moves from one side of the campfire to another, the smoke follows him within seconds. The special effects aren't all that special, but that is understandable given budgets at the time. Unfortunately the short finishes on that unbearably preachy tone, which is what the viewer tends to remember. I believe this short is the one that could be the most improved, say one to two letter grades, by just eliminating the last minute.

[RJH]

The Kid from Borneo (1933) - Dickie, Dorothy, and Spanky's Uncle George is in town promoting a circus sideshow act featuring Bumbo, the Wild Man from Borneo. The kids see a flyer with Bumbo's picture and conclude he's their uncle, who does not get along with their father. Since their dad won't let George visit, their mother tells the children to visit the show. The giant is decribed as having the mind of a 7-year-old and is generally harmless except he gets agitated when he sees candy, whereupon he utters the phrase "Yum, yum, eat 'em up!" The siblings meet the rest of the gang and convince them to see Uncle George. They go to the exhibit believing the pictures depict Uncle George, and when they see Bumbo, the wildman spots Stymie's candy and the chase is on. The gang runs to Spanky's house and tries to hide. Spanky arrives later, and soon is confronted by Bumbo in the kitchen. Afraid he's about to be eaten, Spanky offers Bumbo everything in the icebox. As Spanky gets away, Stymie winds up in a long chase throughout the house. Spanky eventually gets the upper hand by shooting off fireworks at Bumbo, who takes refuge in an upstairs bedroom. Spanky's parents return home one at a time, and Spanky tells them where "Uncle George" is. First Spanky's mother is shocked and jumps out the window, and then his father, who has promised to punch George ih the head if he shows up, quickly finds he is in more than he bargained for and gets thrown out the window. Another firework from Spanky sends Bumbo out as well, and the three adults run away.

If one isn't bothered by the lack of political correctness one finds a near non-stop run of amusing gags. It begins with the absurdity of the children believing Bumbo is their uncle, and they are helped along in this belief by the description of him being the black sheep of the family. Stymie notes that his horns make him look more like a goat. The standout scene is Spanky and Bumbo in the kitchen, with Spanky desperately trying to figure out how to save his life. He comes up with what may be the best line in the whole series: "I don't think I"ll taste so good. Mom says I'm spoiled." Stymie wins the honor of checking up on Spanky with a rigged box of black balls offered by Dickie, and his chase scene has the same music as the one in "Fish Hooky." One thing I didn't care for was Bumbo chasing the kids with a knife after they distract Bumbo enough for Stymie to get away. Spanky's parents are also good in this with their vastly different opinions on the mother's real brother. Definitely among the most memorable films of the series.

No Noise (1923) - Mickey is in the hospital to have his tonsils removed, but he would much rather play football with the gang. He gives the nurses who are trying to give him castor oil a very hard time, but things look better when the gang visits him. They get some food, and then they try playing football in the halls. They commander a gurney and end up in an operating room, with Mary getting left behind. Jackie gives Farina an x-ray and discovers that he's been eating lots of objects like pins and tacks. They decide to operate and give him laughing gas. Of course the whole gang has to sample that, and they are soon in hysterics. Then Ernie touches some electrodes and gets shocked. When the other boys try to help they all get shocked holding hands. A doctor finally finds them and kicks them out, but they take the place of other boys in an attempt to get more ice cream. This doesn't work, and the doctors and nurses scare them with large knives and saws and a bottle of castor oil. A doctor gives them crazy diagnoses, and they run away again, causing lots of havoc. Ernie in particular has an encounter with a skeleton, and a skull falls on Joe's head. Eventually they get caught and thrown out again, but due to extra physical activity Mickey has to take more castor oil.

My print is in bad shape and missing a lot, but this film is clearly energetic and enjoyable. Mickey's antics in his battles to avoid castor oil, and then his joy when he sees the gang has come to visit, are very good. The gang works very well as a unit. and this time causes mayhem in a different setting, the hospital instead of the more typical mansions and hotels. X-rays were pretty new at the time, and using one to reveal the contents of Farina's stomach is an excellent use of it. The large medical instruments and the resulting terrified expressions are a nice touch. I just wonder where Mary was during much of the fun. All in all, this is kind of thing that the gang was all about.

[ymymeatemup]

JOY SCOUTS (1939)

Things I like:
Not Much. Some of the gags in this film are a bit unique, most notably the Gang's tent being built right over a geyser, or the pile of junk fished out of the river by Porky and Buckwheat. Somehow, though, even the best ideas seem half-baked in their presentation. Other gags are the usual sort of thing seen in old comedies, such as the popcorn in the flapjacks, which isn't helped by the obvious fakery as Leonard is made to bounce into the air. There is one thing that's always puzzled me about that tent, incidentally, and I keep wondering if there's some obvious explanation that I'm simply not seeing. I speak of that moment of backwards footage in which Spanky raises up the tent and Mickey magically rises up from a reclining position. Is there supposed to be a rope tied around his foot so that the raising of the tent pulls him up? Or was MGM just getting all avant garde on us?

Things I don't like:
The Opening Sequence. Edward Cahn debuts as the new series director, and already we're given a preview of what's in store for the next few years. I can't think of any earlier moment in this series that took this much of a risk of actually teaching me something. If there's one thing I don't like in any comedy, it's the feeling that my mind is being improved.
The Acting. Particularly Spanky and Alfalfa, who both shout their dialogue throughout the film. Also of note is Alf's brief moment of singing, which is kind of hard to distinguish from his dialogue.
The Closing Sequence.  Lesson learned and driven into our heads with a staple gun.  Brought to you by the folks who put the "B" in "subtle."

Grade: D

[ymymeatemup]

THE KID FROM BORNEO (1933)

Things I like:
The Chase. This was my favorite "Little Rascals" episode when I was very small, so it was quite dismaying a few years later when the show returned to our local station and "The Kid From Borneo" was no longer in the rotation. When Maltin & Bann released their book in the late '70s, they gave the short a glowing review, and I became even more frustrated by its absence on television. Finally, with the advent of VHS, I got to revisit this long lost favorite, and realized it wasn't quite the laughfest that I remembered. However, from the moment the Wild Man starts chasing the kids until they arrive at the house, the film moves at a zany, breakneck pace, and I'm sure this is probably what made me laugh the most when I was little. It's still a great scene.
The Misunderstanding. Now that I'm accustomed to NOT thinking this is the greatest of Our Gang shorts, I find it easier to enjoy. My expectations aren't so high. And I particularly appreciate the uniqueness of having the kids mistake the Wild Man for their Uncle George. It's the kind of gag that you couldn't do these days, since it relies on the characters being of different races, but it's an entirely understandable error on the part of the kids. Their mistaken notion that he wants to 'eatemup' is also pretty amusing, and I remember making this mistake myself when I first saw the film. An elder sibling had to point out to me that it was the candy Bumbo wanted.
The Finale. It's always fun to see the kids overtake the bad guy, even though Bumbo is more of a good guy, but mostly I appreciate that the pace picks up again at this point. And once Spanky starts shooting off those flares, we enter into one of the great final gags of the series.
Spanky. He has the funniest lines and sounds really cute when he laughs. Aside from Bumbo, he's the star of this episode.

Things I don't like:
The Slow Parts. The entire short is played for laughs, and every scene has some funny stuff in it. However, I have a problem with the sheer number of items Spanky takes out of the icebox. It's basically the same gag over and over again.
The Mentality Of A Child. I guess it must have been easy back then for average Americans to make this assumption about people who lived in tribes on tropical islands, but it's a bit hard to take these days. Of course, without this premise, there would be no "Kid From Borneo" at all, and the film is strong enough to justify its own existence.

Grade: B+

[RJH]

Kiddie Kure (1940) - The gang hits a baseball through a window of the house of wealthy hypochondriac Mr. Morton, who has just convinced his doctor to write a prescription for stronger medication. As the doctor is leaving, he tells Mrs. Morton that adopting a child or two might be a good idea to keep her husband active. Mr. Morton overhears this from the top of the stairs, and he devises a plan when his wife lets the gang into the house and tells them to forget about the broken window. He lets the gang stay because of their honesty, but conspires with the Butler Evans to act crazy, mess up the house, and scare the kids. This should convince Mrs. Morton that having kids around the house is a bad idea. The men trash some of the rooms, and then the gang wants to leave but Alfalfa's baby twin brothers are missing. Things come to a head when the gang thinks Morton is trying to poison Froggy. Froggy throws the drink at Morton, who then orders Evans to round up the kids and throw them out. There is a long chase which ends when Alfalfa finds the toddlers eating Morton's pills. Morton calls for his doctor, who admits the pills are just hamless flavored sugar pills. Morton then realizes he is not really sick at all and claims he is cured.

This is among the best from the 1940s. It is kind of unusual because most of the comedic moments are driven by the adults, Morton and Evans, who give fine performances. This goes back to a theme that once was more common: that of an older person made to feel better and younger by interacting with the kids. There is a scene where Spanky goes through several gesticulations trying to tell Froggy that he's about to be poisoned without having Morton hear him. An unusual aspect in this is that it is the adults who trash a mansion, although "Second Childhood" was similar. I found that better due to the greater involvment of the gang and the personal relationships developed with the elderly woman. "Kiddie Kure" remindas me that the later set of kids is too well-behaved most of the time. The action is pretty continuous. A drawback is that Darla and Buckwheat don't do much specific, mainly running around with the gang but not saying much. This closes with Froggy's line about his voice only sounds the way he does when he talks.

[ymymeatemup]

NO NOISE (1923)

Things I like:
The Setting. On the laundry list of inappropriate places to set loose a gang of mischievous kids, a hospital is a pretty inspired choice. There's plenty of amusing highlights in this sequence, especially the cartoonish x-ray taken of Farina's abdomen, and the chain reaction electrocution. The laughing gas also provides a charming moment showing all six boys laughing uproariously.
The Big Scare & The Big Chase. The biggest highlight in the whole short involves the doctors and nurses putting a good scare into the boys, brandishing various forms of cutlery, and making up the worst possible diagnoses and treatments for them. This is followed by a long sequence in which the boys are chased throughout the hospital, encountering the kinds of frights usually seen in the various 'haunted' episodes of this series.
The Castor Oil. It was repeated more famously in "Free Wheeling," but the scenes with Mickey's nurse work well in this short, especially since the last scene finds Mickey right back in the same predicament.
Farina's Cap. Perhaps the funniest visual gag in the film happens when Farina's cap pops off his head, and his hair puffs out to huge proportions.
The Football Gear. Also of note is the assortment of odds and ends that make up the padding on the Gang's football 'uniforms,' most notably the hot water bottle doubling as Joe's noseguard.

Things I don't like:
The Chloroform. Usually it's alcohol that leads to the slow-motion gags in this series, but this time it's chloroform, and it's just as dull as ever. And in the category of "things I never noticed before," when Farina comes through the door and it swings shut, the cat actually gets momentarily caught in it - in slow motion, of course.
Pretty Much Nothing Else. Consistent with most of the other episodes from this period, this one is entertaining from beginning to end, with very few flaws.

Grade: A

[RJH]

A Lad an' a Lamp (1932) - Someone reads the story of Aladdin's Lamp to the gang, so they collect all the lamps they can get hold of and rub them hoping their wishes will be granted. After many attempts with no success and an interruption by some workers using dynamite nearby, Stymie's wish for a watermelon is apparently granted when a grocer rolls one down the sidewalk toward him. While the gang is eating the melon, a bully comes by, scoffs at their story, and takes the melon for himself. This is witnessed by a magician whose adult audience doesn't believe in magic, but children are another matter. The magician throws a smoke bomb from a window, jumps down and claims to be the genius of the lamp, and scares the bully off. Now believing the lamp Stymie rubbed is for real, Spanky wishes that Stymie's little brother Cotton was a monkey. Another loud noise scares Cotton away, and he is apparently replaced by a chimpanzee from the magician's troupe. The chimp coincidentally is dressed like Cotton, so all the youngsters believe he has really been changed. Soon the monkey runs off, kisses a diner worker and scares him and his girlfriend off, and then makes a mess of the diner, taking orders from Spanky and bringing him some of his requests. Eventually the chimp runs off and creaters havoc on a street. Stymie stops a policeman from shooting the chimp perched on a pole, but then the real Cotton and Spanky are seen with their stomachs grossly inflated.

This had the potential to be a good story with the kids believing in the magic lamp, but two of the wishes gut this. Wishes like not having to take a bath every week and that Saturday and Christmas were the only days of the week are good. The magician tricking the kids into believing in magic is a nice touch. But then Stymie has to wish for a watermelon, modified after some prompting to a big watermelon, and then Spanky repeatedly wishes for Cotton to be a monkey. Spanky even says all Cotton needs is a tail. The scene with just Spanky and the chimp at the diner is very long, and then the monkey running amok in the street doesn't strike me as very funny. I'd rather the rest of the gang wasn't absent from so much of the film. Then the cop trying to shoot the chimp is utterly reckless, with a missed shot from that angle possibly landing anywhere. Near the beginning, Wheezer gets his only signficant part with an awkward and fragile lamp that is obvious is going to be broken when he says he'll get in trouble if it does. The film ends badly as Cotton starts to cry after bumping bellies with Spanky. Overall this could have been good with some better choices, but as it is it is among my least favorites form the era.

Noisy Noises (1929) - Joe has a toothache but must tend to his baby brother Rupert and contend with the middle brother Wheezer. Joe is charged with getting Rupert to sleep, but every time Joe comes close, there is some disturbance, such as Wheezer going after bugs with a hammer and apartment neighbors playing loud music. When the gang dressed as a marching band comes by, Joe invites them up to help Rupert to sleep, but they get the same results. Joe's mother eventually comes home and gives Joe a dollar to give to a dentist to have the sore tooth pulled. The gang convinces Joe to save the money by pulling the tooth themselves. Joe is convinced after seeing Jay R come from the dentist in pain, going to the effort to change the dentist's sign from "Painless Dentist" to "Pain Dentist." The gang gets Joe to tie a string around the tooth and ties the other end to Pete's collar. Farina throws a ball for Pete to chase, but Joe runs after the dog to avoid what he thinks will be the pain of having the tooth pulled in this manner. Then Wheezer knocks Rupert's carriage loose, and it rolls downhill a long way. When Joe sees this, he doesn't notice Pete giving chase and pulling the tooth, and then the gang is off chasing Rupert on his wild ride. When they catch up, the dollar bill has fallen out of Joe's pocket. Wheezer grabs it just before some random older kid gets there. The older kid offers to buy the bill for a penny, and Wheezer accepts. The gang then runs after the kid, with Joe losing his pants he had trouble keeping up during the chase.

This film splits neatly into two parts, and I like the second much better than the first. Hearing the baby cry alomst constantly is not that amusing to me, even if it is a silent film. It isn't awful, but it runs a very long time. I find the sequence with the pulling of the tooth much more entertaining.There is Joe's reaction to Jay after he tells Joe about his encounter with the dentist. Then there is Joe with the string in his mouth running after Pete for a while. The final part is the familiar staple of the wild ride but this time with the baby carriage in traffic, with many close calls and causing some accidents, like one car falling front-first into a construction hole and ending up perpendicular to the ground. One ususual thing about this film is that Joe lives in an apartment building. Usually all the kids live in houses, and "Good Cheer" is the only one I can think of offhand where they don't (orphanages don't count). They get left behind when the band goes up to Joe's apartment, and hang around for Wheezer for a bit. Overall a respectable film, just not exceptional.

[myhomeo]

Re: 'The Kid From Borneo.' Really, the most unpleasant part of the short for me was when Dickie cons Stymie with the 'black ball' trick. Because, y'know, if one of them has to die, it might as well be the colored kid, right? Dear heavens...

Then when Bumbo is chasing him, he yells for Dickie to save him. One hopes Dickie felt like a total $%#$@ when that happened...

[ymymeatemup]

KIDDIE KURE (1940)

Things I like:
The Fact That It's A Comedy. Not that the humor in this short is anything great, but the MGM shorts had, by this time, become what we think of as the MGM shorts: that is, most of them were semi-educational, moralistic, badly acted just-for-kids fare, with an occasional floor show thrown in. And they would only get worse. This film, on the other hand, is generally entertaining, if a bit implausible and underwhelming.
Froggy's Voice. This gimmick obviously couldn't be the source of the series' humor for much longer, having already been the punchline in "Waldo's Last Stand." After this, Froggy spoke with his trick voice and everybody treated it as normal. In this film, though, it becomes part of the story a couple of times, and adds something novel to the proceedings.

Things I don't like:
The Acting. Or, to be specific, the 'child acting.' Or, to be more specific, Alfalfa. He had, for some years, been a pale shadow of his former self, having lost any sense of cuteness and becoming the most obnoxious kid in the series. By this time, every word out of his mouth was accompanied by the look of somebody who was in the middle of soiling himself. The other kids don't fare much better in this film - in fact, this is one of the rare occasions where Mickey actually looks good by comparison.
The Ol' Switcheroo. Leave it to MGM to present the Our Gang kids as upstanding little citizens, while the adults get into all the mischief. In the old days, when the kids were set loose in wealthy surroundings, it was as though a tornado had come through the house. Now, the grown-ups have to do all of this for them, while the kids look on in constant bewilderment.

Grade: C-

[ymymeatemup]

A LAD AN' A LAMP (1932)

Things I like:
The Magician. The opening of this film is fairly strong, with the kids rubbing various lamps, trying to summon a genie. When the magician makes an appearance in front of them as the genie of the lamp and scares off Donald Haines, it's one of the more satisfying moments in series history.
The Look On Spanky's Face. I speak, of course, of the moment when Spanky realizes he's changed Cotton into a monkey (or so the kids think). In fact, Spanky is quite enjoyable throughout the film, particularly in the scene at the lunch wagon. Without Spanky's infectious laughter, and a couple of quality one-liners, this would have simply been another tired example of chimp humor.
The Music. The one constant that saves an otherwise mediocre outing, it's played throughout the short and is typically light and breezy.

Things I don't like:
"All He Needs Is A Tail."  This wince-inducing line sums up the general style of humor in this short. It's a good thing that the racial jokes in this series tended to be clumped into specific films while being more sparse in others. In addition to Cotton and Stymie serving as the focus of much of the humor, there's also a black couple at the lunch counter that get scared off by the chimp. At least Stymie has a few good lines along the way.
The Chimp. Once the lunch counter scene is over, we basically wind up with another 'drunken chimp' finale, with the results being a bit less impressive than in "Monkey Business." In the long run, we end up with arguably the weakest episode of the "Dickie Moore season."

Grade: C

[rarefilms]

When I bought the German 2-DVD set with most of the silent MGM Our Gang films from 1927-1929 a few years ago, I thought the soundtrack to "Noisy Noises" was the original Vitaphone soundtrack. I thought that because, what other films could they have taken that music from? I asked Richard Bann in March 2012, who worked on these films, whether they used the original Vitaphone music track. He replied by saying: "I cannot locate my file on NOISY NOISES which would contain the confirmation of my memory, which is that the track we used was the original Vitaphone score." It seems that they used music from the Beau Hunks Orchestra for any films that didn't have the original music track. It's worth buying if you can play PAL DVDs even though there is something wrong with each of these editions one way or another! I can review each film on the set if anybody wants to know about them.

Robin.

[ymymeatemup]

NOISY NOISES (1929)

Things I like:
The Sound Effects. I already liked this episode quite a lot before I ever heard the original soundtrack, but it's even better with it. This wasn't the first (silent) Our Gang with sound, but it seems to be the first to really take full advantage of the new technology - that is, until the studio actually started making talkies. The film is liberally peppered with sound effects, from hammer hits as Wheezer hunts for bugs, to Rupert's laughter, to Pete whinnying like a horse as the monkey rides him. The most notable use of sound, though, accompanies the cacophonous musical moments. In addition to the Gang's assortment of noise makers, we're treated to three different people rehearsing in the building: first a man practicing his bass fiddle, then a man practicing his tuba, and most notably of all, a woman being given a voice lesson. It's also worth mentioning that, while not perfect, the sound effects are generally well-synched with the action.
Rupert. Normally, I can't tolerate crying babies in film comedies, but somehow I have no problem at all with Rupert. Perhaps the biggest reason for this is the fact that it's a silent film, and the soundtrack mercifully omits any sounds of crying. He also seems to, at least at times, be crying simply to make Joe miserable. I also find it hard not to like any toddler that gets as much enjoyment out of carreening recklessly down the road in a baby carriage as this kid does.
The Trip To The Dentist. I love the way the kids skip down the sidewalk and do cartwheels while gleefully following Joe to the dentist.

Things I don't like:
Pretty Much Nothing. I really can't think of a single thing to mention here. Even without the accompanying disc, this gag-heavy short is loads of fun.

Grade: A