Bear Shooters

The Our Gang and friends go bear shooting but run into gorilla and criminals on the run. These short films were often showed before a film presentation. Jackie Cooper is adorable. As somebody who grew up watching the Little Rascals in syndication. The kid actors here and in others always seemed to have more fun and adventure. For the Our Gang, Hollywood came of age even during the Great Depression. The Little Rascals traveled a little bit before the overdevelopment of the soon to be metropolis of Los Angeles. Hollywood was still a small town during the Our Gang days. These short films with Little Rascals are always memorable. The kids in these shorts always try to act like adults.

This Hal Roach comedy short, Bear Shooters, is the ninety-eighth in the "Our Gang/Little Rascals" series and the tenth talkie. In this one, Spud can't go on a hunting trip with Jackie, Farina, and Chubby because he has to watch little brother Wheezer who has coughing jags. He tries to palm him off to sister Mary Ann who only agrees if she's allowed to go on the trip. So off they all go into the woods...I liked the gag of Wheezer accidentally getting Limburger cheese spread on him by Chubby and some of the reaction shots that entailed but otherwise, I thought this was one of the more underwhelming shorts in the series. The climax involving what happens at the end wasn't as hilarious as I had hoped so on that note, Bear Shooters is worth a look at least once.

An OUR GANG Comedy Short.

Wanting to become BEAR SHOOTERS, the Gang goes camping. Unfortunately, they settle on a spot occupied by a criminal hideout...

A very funny little film. Highlights: the `gorilla'; Chubby's limburger cheese. How would you like to grease Wheezer?

Bear Shooters (1930)

*** (out of 4)

The gang decides to go campy and once out there they run into a crazed gorilla who they mistake for a bear. What the gang doesn't know is that they're camping on a criminal's hideout. This is certainly one of the better films from this early period and one that thankfully added a music score to help move things along. There are countless funny scenes here with all the children really getting to shine at one point or another. Perhaps I'm just a sucker for movies with gorillas as I've yet to figure out why so many older films featured them but I thought the ending had some hilarious moments. When the kids capture the "bear" and start shooting him with everything they can get their hands on, this comes off very funny. Another great gag is Chubby and his limburger cheese that he greases Wheezer with. Farina also has a nice little scene where he's fishing and Pete might steal the show with his reaction to the cheese.

Typical Little Rascals short that relies on the cuteness of its stars to disguise the weakness of its humour. This time they find themselves terrorised by a poacher disguised as a gorilla when they go hunting. Dire stuff.