The Great Film Discussion

[ymymeatemup]

RUSHIN' BALLET (1937)

Things I like:
Alfalfa. Once he gets into the wig and ballet costume, we're treated to one of his best performances (as well as one of the all-time classic lines of the series). His dancing routine with the two bullies both requires and achieves a level of comic acting from all three participants that shouldn't be possible with people this age. The closeups while he's being spun around are a nice bonus, too.
Butch & Woim. As if it wasn't enough that they're their usual thuggish selves, they also take part in the ballet - and while they're a bit rough around the edges, the results are still humorously effective.
Buckwheat: God Of Marbles. Considering his absolute mastery of the laws of physics, I'm a little puzzled that Buckwheat couldn't deal with the two bullies himself. Surely he could have dispatched the both of them with one carefully-aimed shot. However, if this had actually happened, we wouldn't have been treated to his virtually unintelligible airing of grievances to Spanky and Alfalfa. Kudos to Porky, too, for giving Buckwheat a run for his money in the toddler-talk competition.
Kathryn Sheldon. Her role as the stuck-up and harried ballet instructor was the perfect casting choice.

Things I don't like:
Pretty Much Nothing. Unless I were to nitpick, I couldn't find anything to complain about here. Director Gordon Douglas had recently hit his stride with this series, and it would be nearly a year before things would start to go downhill.

Grade: A

[ymymeatemup]

SCHOOL'S OUT (1930)

Things I like:
The Premise. It makes perfect sense, after "Teacher's Pet" and Jackie Cooper's introduction to his new teacher, that the sequel would bring us to the last day of the school year, with Jackie trying to make sure that Miss Crabtree will still be around the following year. And the teacher's brother being mistaken for a would-be suitor sets the stage for the most admirable stretch of flat-out lying to ever come out of these kids.
The Car Ride. Arguably the strongest part of the film, as the kids not only provide much humor with their naive ideas about marriage, but a lot of heart as well - especially from lead boy Jackie, whose entreaty to Miss Crabtree that she wait until he grows up to get married comes across very genuinely.
The Corny Jokes. I speak, of course, of the barrage of snappy answers the kids give to Miss Crabtree during their oral quiz. The results are a bit hit-and-miss, but mostly hits, with bench warmers Buddy McDonald and Douglas Greer having rare moments in the sun.
Mary Ann. Her icy demeanor towards Creighton Hale never fails to crack me up.
The Music. The editing of the incidental music is a bit sloppy, but it definitely enhances the viewing experience.

Things I don't like:
Not Much. As was the norm during this period, there are a lot of loose ends and sloppy editing in this short, as well as some rather limited acting chops from at least one of the adults involved (no prize for guessing who!). But these technical shortcomings always seem to be outweighed by a consistent spirit of fun and an overload of nostalgia. I wonder, though, how much better this episode could have been if the premise had been fleshed out enough to take up the entire short. As much as I enjoy the one-liners during the quiz, the story does grind to a halt during this scene.

Grade: A-

[mtw12055]

Spook-Spoofing (1928) - The Gang makes superstitious Farina believe that he's killed Harry. The other kids send Farina to bury Harry at the local cemetery, where they plan to put a scare into him. But they get scared themselves when a solar eclipse hits.

I always used to focus on the negatives of this short - namely the harsh treatment Farina gets from the others. He's almost treated like an outsider.

But after viewing again with fresh eyes, I can say that this is a very funny entry.

First off, the idea itself is crazy, and Farina's top notch performance really makes it work. At only seven years old, Farina proves to be just as a good of a physical comedian as Chaplin, Keaton, or Lloyd.

My favorite gag in the film is easily when Farina tries to carry Harry's body to the graveyard - little realizing that Harry is actually walking right behind him.

Once the Gang enter the graveyard, we get the usual array of creative gadgets, used here to frighten poor Farina. There are fun visual bits throughout, notably the horn "HONK."

The solar eclipse thing may be a bit far fetched, but, eh, I'm willing to go with it.

The comedy builds to a quick pace, as everything going on in the graveyard gets sillier and sillier. Jay rides around on a pig (and slips off in every shot used), Jackie gets his trousers caught on a tree branch, balloons with creepy faces drawn on them fly around, Farina gives his fellow Rascals some good conks on the head... the list goes on.

Yes, this time around the Gang gets a much deserved comeuppance for their treatment of Farina. This helps make the comedy work better than in a film like "Election Day."

The film closes on a great visual bit - the kids rush out of the graveyard so quickly that a giant cloud of smoke follows them. This same gag would be reused in "Election Day" and in Laurel and Hardy's "Way Out West."

This was one of two Our Gang three-reelers, the other being "Small Talk."

Jean Darling is noticeably absent, though she does appear in at least one publicity still from production.

Joining the principal cast is Bobby Dean, who was reportedly hired to eventually replace Joe Cobb. Odd, since he doesn't look any smaller than Joe.

Reed Heustis fills in for Beanie Walker as the title writer. His style is different from Walker's, noticeably less sarcastic and without much of a word fetish. But it still works quite well. Reed also deserves credit for the line, "I'm cold an' clammy!"

Director: Bob McGowan.
Cast: Farina, Wheezer, Joe Cobb, Jackie Condon, Mildred Kornman, Jay R. Smith, Harry Spear, Bobby Dean, Charles Bachman, Charley Lloyd, Pete the Pup.

[tboneator64]

May 24, 2016 20:25:56 GMT -5 mtw12055 said:

Spook-Spoofing (1928) - The Gang makes superstitious Farina believe that he's killed Harry. The other kids send Farina to bury Harry at the local cemetery, where they plan to put a scare into him. But they get scared themselves when a solar eclipse hits.

I always used to focus on the negatives of this short - namely the harsh treatment Farina gets from the others. He's almost treated like an outsider.

But after viewing again with fresh eyes, I can say that this is a very funny entry.

First off, the idea itself is crazy, and Farina's top notch performance really makes it work. At only seven years old, Farina proves to be just as a good of a physical comedian as Chaplin, Keaton, or Lloyd.

My favorite gag in the film is easily when Farina tries to carry Harry's body to the graveyard - little realizing that Harry is actually walking right behind him.

Once the Gang enter the graveyard, we get the usual array of creative gadgets, used here to frighten poor Farina. There are fun visual bits throughout, notably the horn "HONK."

The solar eclipse thing may be a bit far fetched, but, eh, I'm willing to go with it.

The comedy builds to a quick pace, as everything going on in the graveyard gets sillier and sillier. Jay rides around on a pig (and slips off in every shot used), Jackie gets his trousers caught on a tree branch, balloons with creepy faces drawn on them fly around, Farina gives his fellow Rascals some good conks on the head... the list goes on.

Yes, this time around the Gang gets a much deserved comeuppance for their treatment of Farina. This helps make the comedy work better than in a film like "Election Day."

The film closes on a great visual bit - the kids rush out of the graveyard so quickly that a giant cloud of smoke follows them. This same gag would be reused in "Election Day" and in Laurel and Hardy's "Way Out West."

This was one of two Our Gang three-reelers, the other being "Small Talk."

Jean Darling is noticeably absent, though she does appear in at least one publicity still from production.

Joining the principal cast is Bobby Dean, who was reportedly hired to eventually replace Joe Cobb. Odd, since he doesn't look any smaller than Joe.

Reed Heustis fills in for Beanie Walker as the title writer. His style is different from Walker's, noticeably less sarcastic and without much of a word fetish. But it still works quite well. Reed also deserves credit for the line, "I'm cold an' clammy!"

Those are some great observations of this 'Our Gang' gem!

For me, they serve as a reminder that it's sometimes useful to try viewing these films with a colorless lense.  Without disregarding the more obvious racist aspects that sometimes permeate the films of yesterday and today, in my opinion, it's also important to note that in particular, a lead comedian's (Which Farina clearly was within this short!) mistreatment within a film often has little or nothing to do with race!

I agree that Farina is quite good in this.  That kid could act! 

CHEERS! 

[RJH]

Second Childhood (1936) - The gang's toy airplane flies through the window of a crotchety lady on her 65th birthday and breaks a cheap vase. When Spanky goes in to retrieve the airplane, the lady tells him he'll have to come up with 75 cents to replace the vase, or he won't get the plane back. He tells the gang the news, and the lady, who they soon call Grandma, appears, and they make a deal where the gang will fix up the yard to pay for the vase. Grandms becomes won over by the kids but hides it. After mowing the lawn when Spanky and Alfalfa have trouble pushing the lawnmower, she and Alfalfa get in an argument about singing and soon they are singing at the piano with her playing. Grandma gets snapped by Spanky's slingshot, and once she gets the hang of it, uses it to smash all her pill bottles. Next she puts on roller skates and causes quite a bit of damage to her house, but she is having the time of her life. The film concludes with Grandma and the gang jumping into a fountain.

This is quite enjoyable throughout. Grandma is a wonderful character and has lots of great lines, such as informing her staff that she'll stay sick as long as she wants to, and completing Spanky's description of her, that she is now an old ... crab. Dickie DeNuet gets one of his largest roles, coaxing Grandma to say "please." Darla is blonde in this, and like Buckwheat and Porky have small parts in this. Darla picks flowers and Buckwheat and Porky, watering plants, battle a hose that is uncooperative when Grandma's rocking chair rocks over it. The highlight is Grandma's glee in shooing her pill bottles with the slingshot, getting the last one by looking in a mirror Annie Oakley style. (She does better than Alfalfa in "Fishy Tales.") The theme of the gang winning over an elderly character and making them feel young again over the frantic objections of their servants is a winning one, and was also used to good effect in "Tire Trouble." One thing I wish they would have done is not sing just the chorus of "Oh Susanna" over and over. I would have had them sing some of the verses to get to the line "The buckwheat cake was in her mouth," which is where I heard the word "buckwheat" for the first time. This minor point does not detract very much from this cheerful film.

[ymymeatemup]

SPOOK-SPOOFING (1928)

Things I like:
Harry Plays Dead. This has to be one of the two or three best uses this series ever got out of Harry Spear. He captures the "cold and clammy" quality of a corpse so well that it's easy to imagine why Farina is so convinced. Speaking of Farina: His attempt to transport the corpse to the local graveyard stands as the highlight of the short, especially in light of the acting chops he displays during his encounter with the cop.
Jay R. Smith. A novel idea, having Jay play the undertaker's son, as it gives him a sort of Addams Family quality that's unique for this series. (Actually, it makes me kinda wish they had a recurring player with this type of persona.) His knowledge of hexes and corpses and the local graveyard certainly comes in handy for propelling the story forward. Highlights include taking Farina's "coffin measurements" and passing himself off as the graveyard witch.

Things I don't like:
Not Much. The gags during the long graveyard sequence are rapid fire and numerous, though somewhat repetitious and of varying quality. The main strength of this part of the film is its sheer sense of fun, which is enough to overcome any of its minor flaws. It is a bit frustrating anytime one Gang member is the victim of the other members' pranks, since we're used to seeing a sense of camaraderie among the kids, but this bothers me only during the scene with the trick rifle. The more elaborate prank involving Harry's death is way too clever to complain about.

Grade: B+

[RJH]

Shiver My Timbers (1931) - The sea captain is telling tall tales about adventures with pirates to the gang, which keeps them from attending school, except for Dorothy who rats them out. Miss Crabtree comes to the dock to voice her complaints to the captain, who comes up with a scheme to scare the kids into never wanting anything to do with the sea again. That night, the gang boards the ship, only to find the captain has become a tyrant and rather abusive of his crew. The gang isn't allowed to leave, and the captain and crew proceed to terrorize the kids, including simulating a typhoon and dressing as pirates and capturing the ship. Miss Crabtree shows up onboard, explaining that she was kidnapped for being too mean to the gang. The gang is convinced that they want off of the ship and will never play hooky again, when they decide they have to defend Miss Crabtree from the pirates. They are remarkably successful, mainly with Stymie rolling heavy objects off the roof and Wheezer hitting the crew on their heads.

This is far-fetched, with the captain not realizing his tales occur doing school hours and Miss Crabtree going along with his crazy scheme, but Billy Gilbert gives such a great performance as the blustery captain it doesn't matter. The ship is a nice setting for a change of pace, and the gang shows up in pirate costumes. Stymie has a lot good lines mixing up words like "veal cutlass." The crew has a ball chasing and scaring the kids. I'd prefer it they skipped the reference to dark meat, and it's odd that Dorothy joins the gang at night. She wasn't even there when the captain made the offer to take the gang to sea, so how would she find out? Pete has several good moments in this, and shows up with a pirate hat and a knife in his mouth. The theme of the adults teaching the kids a lesson isn't my favorite, but this works better than any of the MGM efforts with the gang fighting back in the end.

"Didn't I tell you to weigh the anchor?" "I did." "Well, what did it weigh?" "I forgot." "You forgot?! Take that!" Pow!

Stage Fright (1923) - A con man comes into town, convincing people to raise money for the poor Trombonians, who don't really exist. A townswoman, Fawn Ochletree, decides to write a play set in ancient Rome and starring the gang to raise the money. The play is intended to be serious, but during the performance the audience frequently erupts in laughter as everything goes wrong. Actors appear from the wrong side, Nero's (Joe's) throne tips over, the kids get tired since it's past their bedtime, Joe's face gets paint on it, scenery falls over, and a girl named Irma tries to recite "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" repeatedly at her mother's insistence. When a cow is uncooperative, Jackie ties some fireworks to its tail, and soon a whole box goes off, sending the audience scattering.

The first part of this film is chopped up and missing a lot. It appears the gang is trying to cook potatoes, and then harasses a fruit vendor, but too much is missing to make much sense of it. Fortunately that part can be ignored, as the rest more than makes up for it. The play is outstanding, being an incessant comedy of errors. Richard Daniels is great as the harried stage manager, being unable to close the curtain properly, and later falling over in a horse costume, and then having a prop wall fall on him with him passing through a window after being grazed by the edge. It reminded me of the famous Buster Keaton stunt where the front side of a house falls over him in a big windstorm, but he emerges unscathed as he passes through an open second-floor window. I looked it up, and that was from "Steamboat Bill Jr." which came five years after "Stage Fright." Could that have been the inspiration? In one of Little Irma's attempts to recite, Fawn Ochletree removes her from the stage by pulling the carpet on which Irma is standing. The rehearsal wasn't all that smooth either, with Jack and Mickey more interested in fighting than acting and Mary playing with her wig with very long black hair. When the show is over, Irma tries one more time to recite and forgets what comes after the second word, earning the gang's derision.

[mtw12055]

Forgot to add that at one point in "Stage Fright," Joe smears black paint on his face to form a fake beard. He then proudly proclaims, "Look, I'm a ZITS!" As mentioned in the review for "Baby Clothes," "ZITS" was a game that the Our Gang kids used to play whenever they took the bus to location shoots. They'd look out the window for any man with a beard, and would holler, "ZITS! ZITS!"

[ymymeatemup]

SECOND CHILDHOOD (1936)

Things I like:
Zeffie Tilbury. This is one of those rare instances where an adult upstages the Our Gang kids. She delivers virtually every line convincingly, and does so while transforming from a crabby old recluse that doesn't want to admit that she secretly likes these little intruders, to an unabashed 'best friend' to the kids.
The Servants. Especially Sidney Bracey, who provides a heavy dose of comical indignity in the face of his rebellious employer and her newly-found pals.
Spanky. Perhaps it's the influence of such high-quality acting from the adults, but Spanky is particularly good in the scene where he attempts to retrieve his airplane.
Most Everything Else. Of course, Dickie De Nuet deserves a special shout-out as the boy who teaches Grandma some manners. Spanky and Alfalfa, however, teach her how to live again, and her genuine affection for these two is undeniable. It's unusual, too, since we don't normally see this kind of heartwarming interaction during this latter period of the series.

Things I don't like:
Not Much. Aside from some rather strained script-writing - for instance, the scene where they keep stopping and starting the song comes across as a bit contrived and overly cute - there's not much to complain about with this episode.

Grade: A-

[RJH]

Shivering Shakespeare (1930) - Mrs. Funston Evergreen Kennedy puts on a Shakespeare play starring the gang. She quickly becomes a nervous wreck as everything goes wrong. The kids forget most of their lines and frequently improvise. Scenery and props fall apart, usually revealing Kennedy the Cop in one of several roles. Then the actors get hit by eggs from some older kids who were kicked out of the play, and then they start throwing pies when they run out of eggs A pie hits Chubby, his return throw hits someone else, and soon everyone is throwing pies at everyone. Finally the entire gang is armed with pies, and get Kennedy's permission to bombard his wife.

Quite a coincidence for this to be reviewed right after "Stage Fright," of which this is a remake. "Shivering Shakespeare has several good moments. Farina's fight with and being chased by the lion stands out, and his and Mary Ann's frustration with Mrs. Kennedy correcting their lines. The improvised lines are pretty much all good. Edgar Kennedy is good in all his roles, as are all the gang members. The downside is that a few jokes are repeated over and over, causing lots of starts and stops. A kid will forget a line, and Mrs. Kennedy has to whisper it. Then a kid says something and gets hit with an egg, and the action stops. Chubby writes his lines on his toga when he is wearing it inside-out, so after he puts it on correctly he has to lift it, showing his underwear, to read his lines. I found the play in "Stage Fright" more enjoyable because the action is continuous, with different gags all the time. The repeated gag with Irma in that is okay because she gets removed from the stage in a different manner each time. Then there's the final pie fight, which I don't care for much. The best parts of that are Chubby hitting his mother and final barrage on Mrs. Kennedy. Before that, some of the tosses are shown in slow motion and others aren't, for an unsettling effect. Other questions: why weren't the egg throwers evicted immediately after the first egg, and why would anyone be selling pies at the show? Also, how did Chubby manage to get a pie to throw the first time, since he was on stage and the pies were in the back of the theater? Or how did the whole gang manage to get unthrown pies at the end, since they were also all on the stage?

[tboneator64]

Jun 14, 2016 19:51:10 GMT -5 RJH said:

Shivering Shakespeare (1930) - Mrs. Funston Evergreen Kennedy puts on a Shakespeare play starring the gang. She quickly becomes a nervous wreck as everything goes wrong. The kids forget most of their lines and frequently improvise. Scenery and props fall apart, usually revealing Kennedy the Cop in one of several roles. Then the actors get hit by eggs from some older kids who were kicked out of the play, and then they start throwing pies when they run out of eggs A pie hits Chubby, his return throw hits someone else, and soon everyone is throwing pies at everyone. Finally the entire gang is armed with pies, and get Kennedy's permission to bombard his wife.

Quite a coincidence for this to be reviewed right after "Stage Fright," of which this is a remake. "Shivering Shakespeare has several good moments. Farina's fight with and being chased by the lion stands out, and his and Mary Ann's frustration with Mrs. Kennedy correcting their lines. The improvised lines are pretty much all good. Edgar Kennedy is good in all his roles, as are all the gang members. The downside is that a few jokes are repeated over and over, causing lots of starts and stops. A kid will forget a line, and Mrs. Kennedy has to whisper it. Then a kid says something and gets hit with an egg, and the action stops. Chubby writes his lines on his toga when he is wearing it inside-out, so after he puts it on correctly he has to lift it, showing his underwear, to read his lines. I found the play in "Stage Fright" more enjoyable because the action is continuous, with different gags all the time. The repeated gag with Irma in that is okay because she gets removed from the stage in a different manner each time. Then there's the final pie fight, which I don't care for much. The best parts of that are Chubby hitting his mother and final barrage on Mrs. Kennedy. Before that, some of the tosses are shown in slow motion and others aren't, for an unsettling effect. Other questions: why weren't the egg throwers evicted immediately after the first egg, and why would anyone be selling pies at the show? Also, how did Chubby manage to get a pie to throw the first time, since he was on stage and the pies were in the back of the theater? Or how did the whole gang manage to get unthrown pies at the end, since they were also all on the stage?

The selling of Pies at the show does seem rather an incongruity, only present as the setup for a big gag payoff.  In my opinion, the results aren't entirely successful, although this may owe more to the creakiness that was still present at this early stage of talking pictures.  Perhaps, some musical underscoring might have been of some benefit, here!

[tboneator64]

Jun 15, 2016 0:50:36 GMT -5 tboneator64 said:

Jun 14, 2016 19:51:10 GMT -5 RJH said:

Shivering Shakespeare (1930) - Mrs. Funston Evergreen Kennedy puts on a Shakespeare play starring the gang. She quickly becomes a nervous wreck as everything goes wrong. The kids forget most of their lines and frequently improvise. Scenery and props fall apart, usually revealing Kennedy the Cop in one of several roles. Then the actors get hit by eggs from some older kids who were kicked out of the play, and then they start throwing pies when they run out of eggs A pie hits Chubby, his return throw hits someone else, and soon everyone is throwing pies at everyone. Finally the entire gang is armed with pies, and get Kennedy's permission to bombard his wife.

Quite a coincidence for this to be reviewed right after "Stage Fright," of which this is a remake. "Shivering Shakespeare has several good moments. Farina's fight with and being chased by the lion stands out, and his and Mary Ann's frustration with Mrs. Kennedy correcting their lines. The improvised lines are pretty much all good. Edgar Kennedy is good in all his roles, as are all the gang members. The downside is that a few jokes are repeated over and over, causing lots of starts and stops. A kid will forget a line, and Mrs. Kennedy has to whisper it. Then a kid says something and gets hit with an egg, and the action stops. Chubby writes his lines on his toga when he is wearing it inside-out, so after he puts it on correctly he has to lift it, showing his underwear, to read his lines. I found the play in "Stage Fright" more enjoyable because the action is continuous, with different gags all the time. The repeated gag with Irma in that is okay because she gets removed from the stage in a different manner each time. Then there's the final pie fight, which I don't care for much. The best parts of that are Chubby hitting his mother and final barrage on Mrs. Kennedy. Before that, some of the tosses are shown in slow motion and others aren't, for an unsettling effect. Other questions: why weren't the egg throwers evicted immediately after the first egg, and why would anyone be selling pies at the show? Also, how did Chubby manage to get a pie to throw the first time, since he was on stage and the pies were in the back of the theater? Or how did the whole gang manage to get unthrown pies at the end, since they were also all on the stage?

The selling of Pies at the show does seem rather an incongruity, only present as the setup for a big gag payoff.  In my opinion, the results aren't entirely successful, although this may owe more to the creakiness that was still present at this early stage of talking pictures.  Perhaps, some musical underscoring might have been of some benefit here, although it was a bit too soon for that!

CHEERS! 

[ymymeatemup]

SHIVER MY TIMBERS (1931)

Things I like:
Billy Gilbert. In what is arguably the most perfect piece of casting in the history of this series, Gilbert blusters and bellows his way through every scene, almost making us forget that it's all a ruse to fool the kids into being respectable citizens. Luckily, this was done in an era when traumatizing little children was actually good for them, and not the life-altering practice that it is today. Or at least that's what Hollywood has taught me.
Stymie. He's in peak form here, tossing off wisecracks at every opportunity. I'm not sure which is funnier: Stymie's "flock of polar bearers," or the wince it inspires on Gilbert's face.
Charlie Oelze. In one of the more inspired bits of casting, the head of the property department dons the most hideous of the pirate costumes and practically steals the show.

Things I don't like:
Not Much. The scene with Miss Crabtree and Dorothy in the schoolroom is one of the most badly acted in any episode, but it's so brief that it hardly matters. Mostly what we're treated to is a laughfest that's so brimming over with good fun that it's easy to overlook the fact that the kids are being taught a lesson - especially since the Gang gets the upper hand in the end. It's also nice to occasionally see the Gang in a different setting, as we do here.

Grade: A-

[ymymeatemup]

STAGE FRIGHT (1923)

Things I like:
Various Minor Things. Ernie and Farina's native dance; Mickey and Jack's ongoing battle (particularly as they're upending all the chairs in the hall); the sheer fun had by the spectators (who would obviously have had a lot less fun if the show had not been a disaster); the way the audience gets caught up in the contagious yawning; little Irma, or more accurately, her mother (one of the more overbearing stage parents to turn up in this series); Beanie Walker's inter-titles (which are actually better than his usual high standard); the partially-hidden marching soldiers; William Gillespie as the visiting con man; Joe Cobb as Nero. It's difficult to point out any major highlights in this short, but these type of minor bright spots are dotted thoughout, producing a generally fun spirit that transcends the rather hit-and-miss nature of the gags.

Things I don't like:
Nothing Major. The "hot potato" introduction seems like one of the less inspired openings in the series, but it's fairly short in the available print, and might well have come across better when the titles were still intact. Mickey's adventure at the fruit stand works a bit better, and is at least mildly amusing. Even though these early scenes are nothing special, they do place the action outdoors, something sorely needed in a short that spends so much of its time in the town hall.

Grade: B+

[RJH]

Shrimps for a Day (1934) - The gang are all orphans in a house run by the evil Crutches but owned by Mr. Wade, who invites them to a party at his estate. Spanky is almost left behind for backtalking to Mr. Crutch, but sneaks onto the top of the bus. At the party one of the kids finds a magic lamp, and Mr. Wade's daughter Mary wishes that she and her boyfriend Dick were children again. The wish comes true, and they put on kid-sized clothes and join the party. When it's time to go, Crutch assumes Mary and Dick are two of the orphans and forces them back to the orphanage, where they see how the Crutches mistreat the children, taking away their presents and new clothes Mr. Wade gave them and forcing castor oil on them for no reason. With Spanky's help, Dick escapes, makes it back to the Wade estate and finds the lamp, wishes himself big again, and gets Mr. Wade to go to the orphanage and rescue Mary. Mary and Dick tell Mr. Wade that the Crutches run the orphanage like a jail. Seeing the lamp, Spanky wishes Crutch was small so Spanky can beat him up.

A lot of suspension of disbelief is required, but the performances by Clarence Wilson as Mr. Crutch and Spanky are excellent, as well as the Brasnos as the kid versions of Dick and Mary. The common theme of an orphanage run by evil people is present, and here there is a lot of satisfaction of the evildoers being found out. The bus to transport the kids looks like a paddy wagon with its chain link door. Parts I don't care for are putting Buckwheat in a dress, the black guy getting scared of Dick as a youngster covered in a sheet when he is dropped from a window, and Stymie doing nothing the whole film. There is a time issue, where a bus is required to transport the children between the orphanage and the Wade estate, yet Dick covers that distance on foot in the dark ridiculously quickly, as little time has elapsed at the orphanage. Mary and Dick should have run in different directions so Crutch couldn't catch them both, and one of them should have recovered the lamp. But if they displayed that much brainpower there wouldn't have been much of a story. Better to ignore these and appreciate the fine performances.

The Sun Down Limited (1924) - The gang is playing in the railyards since their parents told them to stay out of danger. Mickey and Joe hop on an unattended train, start it, and lose control, running over Farina back and forth several times. Farina is unscathed as he lies back with his foot stuck in the tracks every time the train comes by. Still, the gang is thrown out, and they encounter Toughy running his own small train and giving Mary and a friend rides. He won't let the gang play with them, and tells them to build their own train - which they do. The gang's train is much more impressive than Toughy's, and it attracts Mary, her friend, and lots of neighborhood children. The gang takes on various train-related jobs, and ride along an abandoned oval until Toughy and his friend sabotage it. First they push a piano crate on the tracks, causing a derailment, and then they pull the tracks up, which sends the Sun Down Limited into town. The train goes through some buildings and streets, miraculously avoiding collision with traffic, until it overturns and careens down a hill.

This has lots of elements that made the series great. The gang imitates a grown-up business, and does a remarkable job at it, paying attention to lots of detail. Mickey and Joe designate themselves as engineers, Jackie is the ticket taker, and Farina a porter, who makes up for some of the rough stuff he endures by tickling feet that stick out of the berths of a sleeper car with a feather duster. There is also a mail drop, with someone grabbing a bag of mail on the fly. There is the rivalry of Mickey and Toughy trying to win over Mary and friend (maybe Ivadell Carter). The sabotage efforts are clever, and then there is the wild ride the whole gang gets to go on. This one is unique in that instead of the usual car run amok, a five-car train is running out of control through the city streets as well as through a blacksmith's shop. It may be hard to believe that the train could be powered by a single dog on a treadmill chasing a cat (forward or reverse), but that doesn't detract at all from the excitement. And the whole short is filmed outside.