Dogs Is Dogs

An OUR GANG Comedy Short.

Living with their wicked stepmother, Wheezer & Dorothy discover that DOGS IS DOGS when the evil woman threatens Pete, but protects nasty Sherwood's pedigreed Nero. Things start to move fast, however, when Sherwood falls down a well & Pete is accused of killing the neighbor's chickens.

A very good little film, with equal measures of comedy & tears. It's difficult to watch Wheezer being beaten. Standout performance from the inimitable Stymie. Highlight: Stymie's ham & eggs story. That's Billy Gilbert as the crazed neighbor with the gun.

"Dogs is Dogs" isn't so much about dogs but is more a reworking of the Cinderalla story. Wheezer and Dorothy live with their evil step-mother. The step-mother beats Wheezer (and they show it!!!) and treats her own little brat like a king. What will happen to these poor little kids?!

While the ending of the film is VERY satisfying and made the rest of the film much more watchable, "Dogs is Dogs" is still a rather unsavory and disturbing film. As I mentioned above, the step-mom beats poor Wheezer and it looks pretty realistic! There also is a nasty guy (Billy Gilbert) with a shotgun who is trying to kill Pete the Pup!!! What was wrong with the writers in this one?!?! Was it written by the Marquis de Sade?! As a result of the very dark story elements, it is not a particularly good short. The only bright spot, other than the ending, is Wheezer's acting--which (thankfully) had improved since his earlier films.

"Dogs Is Dogs", despite the (appropriately selected title) says a lot about dogs, and how so many children love them. Pete the Pup, much a part of the Our Gang Comedy scene, was loved by Wheezer, but his step brother Spud did not appreciate such love between kid and dog. Spud loved his OWN pooch Nero more; when Nero devoured one of a neighbor's chickens, Spud blamed poor Pete, whom Mr. Brown tried to shoot dead! The cop stopped that but Pete had no license, so ended up in the dog pound. Dorothy and Wheezer's aunt, their father's sister, saw how upset Wheezer was, as their stepmother refused the $2 for Pete's license, but their aunt paid it. (Lyle Tayo, playing the aunt, was in numerous Our Gang shorts, sometimes as a nice lady, as in this episode, in others as a dasmal-dame mother, like "Readin' and Writin'", even as a disagreeable old crone, as the headmistress in "Mush and Milk".) This Our-Ganger did not start out well, as Wheezer was spanked unjustly by the stepmother, as if she regarded spanking as the best punishment in the world (which it is NOT)! Yet it had a happy ending, when Wheezer and Dorothy were taken under care of their aunt, who would look after them until Daddy got well, and moved out of the home of the stepmother and stepbrother. Indeed, I had just two years ago an experience reminiscent of this episode, when I moved from cramped apartment to much roomier and more convenient one; I said good-by to neighbors at former apartment building, and felt slight twinge; by same token, Wheezer was a bit sad at moving away from Stymie, a pal living nearby, but he tagged along. So, it ended well, and is eloquent of what dogs mean to kids

With Jackie Cooper, Wheezer was both cute and funny. When Jackie Cooper left, there appeared to be a void of humor that would only be filled back up again with the arrival of Kendall "Breezy Brisbane" McComas in "Readin' and Writin'" and Spanky McFarland in "Free Eats". If you are only looking for sentiment and pathos in The Little Rascals, look no further than this two reeler. If you are looking for hilarity and comedy, then there are other Little Rascals Episodes to explore with the likes of Jackie Cooper, Spanky, Stymey, Dickie Moore, Buckwheat, Alfalfa, and adults Edgar Kennedy, Clarence Wilson, Emerson Treacy, Gay Seabrook, and Johnny Arthur.

DOGS IS DOGS is a terrific comedy, and a bit on the sentimental side. It truly reflects the Depression era as Wheezer and Dorothy are forced to live with their evil stepmother or face life on the streets, as most of their other pals seem to be doing. To make matters worse their stepmom wants to get rid of Pete the dog, because its their dog --and he's suspected of killing a neighbor's chickens.

What a mess these kids are in and Wheezer gets the brunt of the punishment. Additionally, Stymie is fun to watch as the kid with a plan to save the day. The acting is spot on; they do a remarkable job with their roles and are quite convincing in some dramatic scenes. Billy Gilbert plays Mr. Brown, a hot headed neighbor (with a big mouth!) who is out to shoot Pete. Long time Hal Roach character actress Lyle Tayo to the rescue as Wheezer and Dorothy's "real" aunt (and who has a nice car).

The ending is the best one ever, Hal Roach style. Billy getting splattered with eggs is a blast.

Note, the scene where Wheezer gets a whoopin' from his stepmom (Blanche Payson) was cut out for years due to the brutality. Later restored around 2001 remastered prints, but still tough to watch.

Payson, before turning to acting, was a cop in San Francisco and REALLY looked the part!

Written by HM Walker, who wrote the classic silent film, SAFETY LAST for Harold Lloyd. And yes, Stymie, always has the best lines.

What us kids grew up on back in the day, and still watching. Amen. Look for the Little Rascals/Our Gang dvd box set of short films. Thank you to METV for bringing these oldies back to life for new fans.