Big Ears

Big Ears
Big Ears
Directed by	Robert F. McGowan
Written by	H. M. Walker
Produced by	Robert F. McGowan; Hal Roach
Cinematography	Art Lloyd
Edited by	Richard C. Currier
Music by	Leroy Shield ; Marvin Hatley
Distributed by	MGM
Release date	August 29, 1931;
Running time	20' 47"
Country	United States
Language	English

Last updated May 08, 2024

Big Ears is a 1931 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan.^[1] It was the 108th Our Gang short to be released.^[2]

Plot

Wheezer's mother and father continue to fight in an unconvincing and thoroughly hammy fashion over many different silly things, such as the coffee being too cold or the toast being burned. Wheezer overhears his father telling his mother that he is getting her a divorce. Not knowing what a divorce is, Wheezer tells Stymie, Dorothy, and Sherwood. They speculate on what a divorce means, at one point deciding it might be something good. Then Donald tells the gang what a divorce is, and people start sobbing. He even tells Wheezer that he will have no father anymore. His mother might either remarry and give him a stepfather and states that his step father beats him regularly. He also says that maybe his mother will throw him into an orphanage and not want him anymore.

Wheezer is frightened so he concocts a plot to make himself abominably sick so that his parents will come together out of concern from him. Wheezer visits a bathroom and his friends pour all the medicine in the medicine cabinet down his throat to make him ill, along with amounts of lard. He indeed gets sick and his plan presumably works. His parents kiss and make up and promise to never fight again and that they love Wheezer very much.

Notes

Big Ears marked a turnover with Allen Hoskins, Mary Ann Jackson, Norman Chaney, and Shirley Jean Rickert all leaving the gang. Jackie Cooper left shortly before the last episode, Fly My Kite . This left Bobby Hutchins as the only full-time Our Ganger left from the silent film era. A few fill-in recurring kids were also left from the silent era and the "Jackie Cooper era". Mary Ann's brother Dickie would remain for another two years as a recurring character. It also marked the first episode for Sherwood Bailey, who would have a featured role a few months later in Dogs is Dogs .
Big Ears was removed from the syndicated Little Rascals television package in 1971 primarily due to its depiction of a dangerous misuse of prescription drugs. Unlike most other episodes, this film was never available on home video until 1995, when it was released on VHS tape.

Cast

The Gang

Bobby Hutchins as Wheezer
Matthew Beard as Stymie
Sherwood Bailey as Spud
Dorothy DeBorba as Dorothy
Donald Haines as Donald
Pete the Pup as Himself

Additional cast

Johnnie Mae Beard as Stymie's mother
Ann Christy as Wheezer's mother
Gordon Douglas as Orderly
Creighton Hale as Wheezer's father
Wilfred Lucas as Doctor
Dickie Jackson as Kid at hospital (scene deleted)

Related Research Articles

Robert E. Hutchins was an American child actor who was a regular in the Our Gang short subjects series from 1927 to 1933. A native of Tacoma, Washington, he was given the nickname of Wheezer after running around the studios on his first day so much that he began to wheeze.

The Our Gang personnel page is a listing of the significant cast and crew from the Our Gang short subjects film series, originally created and produced by Hal Roach which ran in movie theaters from 1922 to 1944.

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<i>Our Gang</i> American series of comedy short films

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References

↑ Ratliff, Ben (2012). "Big Ears". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved September 20, 2008.
↑ Maltin, Leonard; Bann, Richard W. (1977). Our Gang: The Life and Times of the Little Rascals. Crown Publishers. pp. 131–132. Retrieved March 3, 2024.

External links

Big Ears at IMDb

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[NY_Times-1] Ratliff, Ben (2012). "Big Ears". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved September 20, 2008.

[2] Maltin, Leonard; Bann, Richard W. (1977). Our Gang: The Life and Times of the Little Rascals. Crown Publishers. pp. 131–132. Retrieved March 3, 2024.

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