Tiny Troubles

Infobox Film
name = Tiny Troubles


image_size =
caption =
director = George Sidney
producer = Jack Chertok for MGM
writer = Hal Law
Robert A. McGowan
narrator =
starring =
music = Al Gilks
cinematography =
editing =
distributor = MGM
released = 18 February, 1939
runtime = 10 minutes
country = USA
language = English
budget =
preceded_by = "Alfalfa's Aunt"
followed_by = "Duel Personalities"
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id =

"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.

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.

Notes

The MGM Our Gang series began its slow but steady decline with this film that many considered sub-standard. The notion that the kids would mistake the obviously mature Lester for a tiny baby is as hard to swallow as the rest of the story. cite web |url=http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/226191/Tiny-Troubles/overview |title=New York Times: Tiny Troubles|accessdate=2008-10-08|work=NY Times] Leonard Maltin stated on the "Little Rascals: Life & Times Of Our Gang" that this film was the first of the really bad MGM Our Gang episodes and just a preview of what was to come. He even stated that this film was worse than even the worst of the 81 Hal Roach episodes and any of the 7 MGM episodes that preceded this. The series only goes downhill from here.

Also, the actor, Jerry Maron, incidentally played a midget both on the Marx Brothers' film, At The Circus. He also was a munchkin on the Wizard Of Oz that same year.

Cast

* Carl Switzer - Alfalfa
* George McFarland - Spanky
* Darla Hood
* Eugene Lee - Porky
* Billie Thomas - Buckwheat
* Leonard Landy
* Edward Marazoni
* Jimmy Marazoni
* Emory Parnell - Officer Clancy
* Lee Phelps - Officer O'Brian
* Fred Kelsey - the judge
* Jerry Maren/Marenghi - Lightfingered Lester/midget dressed like a baby
* Sue Moore - Myrtle
* Barbara Bedford - Alfalfa's mother

ee also

* Our Gang filmography

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0032039|title=Tiny Troubles