Shiver My Timbers

One of the most wildly creative early sound comedy shorts OUR GANG ever turned out, next to CHOO CHOO. Thanks to director Robert McGowan, who knew how to bring out the best in child actors. He was a favorite director of producer Hal Roach.

The gang skips school and heads over to the shipyards to hear the exaggerated sea tales of captain Billy Gilbert. You can tell Gilbert played this one for laughs and had a blast with the kids. Angry Miss Crabtree (June Marlowe) enters the picture and wants everybody back in class. So she and the captain strike a little deal...

When the gang returns to stow away on his ship, Gilbert and his crew try to scare the kids silly by pretending to be killer pirates -- also holding Miss Crabtree hostage. Surprise! The gang does the unexpected and "declares war" on the crew, faking them out and dumping barrels on their heads! A must see, and a bit like a Laurel and Hardy skit.

Applause for Billy Gilbert all the way, the greatest ham actor of 'em all. Some fun scenes for Stymie, who has the best lines, also Wheezer and Dorothy DeBorba wearing large earrings? Look for Pete, the dog, wearing a pirate hat and holding a daggar in his mouth!

Unforgettable material, and June Marlowe has never looked so beautiful. There are no production notes, but the shipyard scenes may have been filmed at Long Beach, CA. Get the dvd box set for this Classic, and remastered. Thanks METV for running this gemstone.

The 1931-32 release season of the "Our Gang/Little Rascals" was a transitional season for several reasons. First, Jackie Cooper, the Gang star of the 1930-31 releases, left the Roach studio for MGM. Chubby Chaney and Mary Ann Jackson, two other Gang stalwarts, also left the series. For a time, until Spanky McFarland joined the cast, the slack was taken up by Wheezer Hutchins and Stymie Beard.

The first short of the '31-'32 release season starring Hutchins and Beard, "Big Ears," was a misfire. "Shiver My Timbers," however, puts the series back on track and is one of the funniest Rascals films of this era. Character actor Billy Gilbert is blustering, hammy, and terrifically funny as the sea dog that enjoys telling the Gang pirate stories. The only problem is that the children are constantly late for school, and Miss Crabtree, the teacher, complains to him. Gilbert and Miss Crabtree hatch a scheme to make the gang disinterested in becoming pirates. The Gang dress up as pirates and arrive late that night at Gilbert's scow to set sail, only to be frightened left and right by the "bullying" pirates! Will they set out to sea, or go back to school?

Some of the funniest dialogue of any Rascals film appears in "Timbers." In one memorable scene, Gilbert is barking orders to his men. When he asks two of them, "What are ya doin' over there?" they reply, "We don't know, Captain!" Gilbert replies, "Oh, ya don't know, huh?" and pretends to beat the tar out of them! Other memorable lines are exchanged between Gilbert and Stymie. Longtime Roach writer Beanie Walker is to be credited for much of the witty dialogue of this period.

Funny throughout - a definite laugh romp! 10 out of 10.

This Hal Roach comedy short, Shiver My Timbers, is the one hundred ninth in the "Our Gang/Little Rascals" series and the twenty-first talkie. In this one, Billy Gilbert is regaling the gang with stories of his adventures to the consternation of Miss Crabtree since the kids always miss her classes as a result. When she confronts Gilbert of this, he resolves to scare them of their desire to become pirates. I'll stop there and just say this was one of the most funny of the series especially when Gilbert really turns on the florid villainy in his performance! And Stymie, as always, steals the show with his wisecracks. By the way, his sister-Carlena Beard-is part of the gang here. After the too-serious subject matter dealt with in Big Ears, Shiver My Timbers takes the 180-degree approach to great hilarity! So that's definitely a recommendation. P.S. Among the crew is one Charles Oelze who was responsible for many of the outlandish props in the series. He's the one in glasses who scares Stymie.

"Shiver My Timbers" is another fine illustration of the Our Gangers' propensity for playing hooky. In this one, Billy Gilbert is luring them away from school, by telling them windjammer stories. Miss Crabtree is understandably peeved, telling them that they were playing truant for the last time. She first wanted to report their behavior to the Gang's parents, who would have punished them severely. However, there came a change in plans. The Gang that very night got an opportunity to sign on as pirates, and were treated to psychological brutalities by the crew, to make the whole thing scary, to get them to change their minds. It did not work out as the crew expected, thanks to the resourcefulness of the kids. Indeed, there was no evidence that the Gang repented and went back to school; nevertheless, their getting a taste of pirate life was a fitting punishment. Quite enjoyable, all in all.

Fondly remembered short in the wonderful "Our Gang" series. Ask any fan of these films which is their favorite, and chances are this will be in at least the top five, if not the the #1 spot. The great character actor Billy Gilbert--a mainstay of Hal Roach's "stock company" and memorable in so many Laurel & Hardy shorts--shines as a crusty but kind-hearted sea captain who loves telling the kids seafaring tales, but finds that his stories are causing them to neglect their schoolwork. He and the gang's teacher, Miss Crabtree (how come none of my teachers ever looked as hot as Miss Crabtree?), cook up a scheme to have "pirates" kidnap the kids and their teacher in order to teach them a lesson, but their plan winds up with some unintended results. Very well directed, cleverly written and very, very funny, with Gilbert and the kids working great together. Don't miss this one.