Tiny Troubles

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Tiny Troubles
Poster - Tiny Troubles 01.jpg
Directed by George Sidney
Written by Hal Law
Robert A. McGowan
Produced by Jack Chertok
Starring George McFarland
Carl Switzer
Darla Hood
Eugene Lee
Billie Thomas
Jerry Maren
Edward Marazoni
Jimmy Marazoni
Barbara Bedford
Fred Kelsey
Cinematography Alfred Gilks
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • February 18, 1939 (1939-02-18)
Running time
10:18
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Tiny Troubles is a 1939 Our Gang short comedy film directed by George Sidney. It was the 176th Our Gang short (177th episode, 88th talking short, 89th talking episode, and 8th MGM produced episode) that was released.

Contents

Plot

Alfalfa has a loud crying baby brother that he wants to get rid of. When out with the gang he sees what he thinks is a baby in a carriage. He puts his baby brother in that carriage and takes this "baby" back home. But the baby happens to be a midget who lives a life of crime named "Lightfingered Lester". Lester initially plays along but causes all sorts of havoc soon after including drinking beer, taunting the gang, and attempting to rob the house. Someone else finds the baby and brings him to the police station. The police then raid Alfalfa's home and take the gang in when they find Lester there. They are all taken in. They send Lester back to jail while giving the gang probation.

Cast

The Gang

Additional cast

Critical reception

In the book The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang, film critic Leonard Maltin commented that Tiny Troubles is a "shapeless reworking" of 1929's Bouncing Babies consisting of "woefully thin stuff". He added that the film "represents the first really bad MGM Our Gang short" and that "somehow the [MGM] production staff expected an audience to swallow the idea that 11-year-old Alfalfa and 10-year-old Spanky couldn't tell the difference between an infant and a midget dressed as one." Maltin concluded by saying "embarrassment replaces laughter." [1]

See also

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References

  1. Maltin, Leonard and Bann, Richard W. (1977, rev. 1992). The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang, pp. 200-201. New York: Crown Publishing/Three Rivers Press. ISBN   0-517-58325-9