Hal Roach Studios
Starring: Mary Ann Jackson, Bobby ‘Wheezer’ Hutchins
Directed by: Robert F. McGowan

Synopsis: Mary Ann (Jackson) takes the place of her deceased mother and cares for her two younger siblings, Wheezer (Bobby Hutchins) and Beezer (Donnie Smith).

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): The tabby cat who first appeared in the Our Gang short The Spanking Age and several since then returns and again steals his scenes, even against Pete the Pup. In the opening scene Wheezer and Beezer are eating dried apples in the kitchen. Pete is watching them and the tabby cat is on the counter eating from a cup.

Having run out of food, the cat jumps down and sneaks into Pete’s bowl of food. Pete doesn’t appreciate this and taps the cat on the head with his paw.

When the cat won’t leave, Pete picks him up by the scruff and carries him to the next room, depositing him there.

Later in the short, the boys have swollen stomachs from drinking too much water after eating the apples. Mary Ann offers to rock them in a chair and as they sit down the cat can be seen sitting beside the chair.

As they rock back and forth and cat’s tail wags (via manipulation) and barely misses being smashed, a common screen comedy gag at the time.

Eventually Mary Ann gets up with the boys and the chair does catch the cat’s tail, which makes him jump.

Finally Mary Ann gives the boys baking soda in water, but she accidentally adds some soap powder as well and the boys start hiccuping bubbles. The cat watches one of the bubbles as it floats over his head, a clever bit of animation.

Final Mewsings: Cats know how to perform comedy.

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