Wiggle Your Ears

Wiggle Your Ears is a cute film from the later Our Gang silent period. It stars Harry Spear as the boy who can wiggle his ears, much to the delight of Mary Ann Jackson who is in love with him. However, when Harry spots pretty Jean Darling, he ditches Mary and refuses to wiggle her ears for her anymore since he has a new girl. Mary vows to get him back, going to such lengths as dressing up as a flapper to win his love.

Wiggle Your Ears is a great film with only a few comedic elements in it. It is not terribly funny; it is more sad than anything. One sympathizes with the sweet Mary Ann who takes so much abuse from Harry, one wonders why she even likes him. The style is unusual and artistic; the film is shot mostly in close up.

This is a really strange, but thought provoking film. Here, beloved Mary literally lets Harry Spear kick her behind, spend her money on him, and forces her to push his kiddie car, all so that she could get the occasional joy of watching Harry "Wiggle His Ears." Armchair Freudians and double-entendre fans will quickly get the "joke" here. He quickly dumps Mary for pintsized blonde bombshell Jean Darling. What happens? You'll see.

This is all quite strange and unsettling on a number of counts. It's difficult to accept as comedy a scene where a little girl like Mary is being kicked in the buttocks and abused in other ways by Harry. Farina gives Mary advice on how to "Win your man and be a flapper." The sight of Mary in tight clothes and heavy makeup is REALLY creepy, not to mention the very idea of kids being used to satirize adult sexual relationships. However, the film works as a conversation piece and would especially play well if shown to a college classroom to discuss gender issues. That aside, it leaves a pretty foul aftertaste and fortunately, the Gang producers stuck to the kid's stuff in the future.

This Hal Roach comedy short, Wiggle Your Ears, is the eighty-fourth in the "Our Gang/Little Rascals" series. Harry treats Mary like dirt but she tolerates it because she loves it when he wiggles his ears. Joe has a massive crush on her and is determined to do what Harry does. When Jean arrives on the scene, Harry drops Mary like a hot potato. I'll stop there and just say this was quite a fascinating OG entry since it not only spoofs love relationships among adults from a kid's point of view but also does it in mostly tight close-ups! I thought it was very funny but I can also see why Leonard Maltin and Richard W. Bann saw some pathos in it, particularly when Mary is seen being sad by herself. This "love business" aspect among children didn't get explored too often in "Our Gang" comedies, at least until much later in the series' run when there would be a plethora of them involving Alfalfa/Darla/Butch and Waldo. Incidentally, the late silent period seems to be the only time in the series history to have two girls as regular "Our Gang" members as opposed to before or since when it is usually just one. So on that note, I recommend Wiggle Your Ears. P.S. I totally agree with Joe's saying, "Un-disguted love is a terrible thing!"