The Old Wallop

In case you are wondering HOW folks could review this lost film, it's because it's NO LONGER LOST and can be found on YouTube.

The plot to "The Old Wallop" really makes no sense at all and is a pretty bad one compared to most of the silent Our Gang comedies. It seems that Jackie's baby brother, Wheezer, is a homicidal maniac and loves punching people in the face. As for the parents, they think it's cute and allow him to viciously attack Jackie. Not surprisingly, the kid spares no one and throughout the film he punches several other kids as well as adults.

Who thought this was a funny gimmick for a comedy?! Instead of laughing, I was rather horrified to watch Wheezer act like a little monster...and his parents enjoying this! Huh??!! Fortunately, after a while they abandon the punching plot...but they replace it with the kids playing around a highrise being built and it's pretty horrifying as well! I think this sort of thing worked much better with adults, such as Laurel & Hardy in "Liberty" and Harold Lloyd in "Safety Last". With kids, however, it just felt rather wrong. Now I know they really DIDN'T endanger the kids....but it sure seemed that way. It just makes you think they don't make 'em like they used to....and in this case that's not such a bad thing! A frightful film that lacks the humor to make it work....and one that could have remained lost if you ask me.

Several times a year I have to begin one of these reviews by noting that the movie I am reviewing, despite insistence by some noted authority to the contrary, is available, has been available for some time and with any luck will be available for the foreseeable future. In this particular case, you can look at this one on YouTube, with a fine score compiled from Leroy Shield cues. A copy of the movie turned up in the 1970s on a French show-at-home version (in a 9.5 mm. format), missing the first minute and the English language titles. However, since Roach filed a cutting continuity with the Library of Congress for copyright purposes, a fan found it perfectly feasible to recreate the original titles and make the result available. So go take a look, even though people are still going to insist that there ain't no such animal as The Old Wallop.

It's a typically fine example of Our Gang from the period. In this one, Wheezer has a leading role. He is still a baby at this point, but he likes to hit people on the nose, and his folks encourage him to do so. This takes up the first half. The second half involves the Gang wandering off (as they frequently did) and climbing atop a construction site while the builders have gone to lunch (which happened less frequently, but still...). This sort of thrill comedy was a well-run standard at Roach, and it's fine to see the kids get in on the gag.