Shiver My Timbers (1931)

The Gang plays hooky from school so they can listen to the tall tales of a friendly sea captain.

Director:

Robert F. McGowan (as Robert McGowan)

Writer:

H.M. Walker (dialogue)

Stars:

Sherwood Bailey, Matthew 'Stymie' Beard, Dorothy DeBorba

Cast

Credited cast:
Sherwood Bailey	...	Spud (as Hal Roach's Rascals)
Matthew 'Stymie' Beard	...	Stymie (as Hal Roach's Rascals)
Dorothy DeBorba	...	Dorothy (as Hal Roach's Rascals)
Bobby 'Wheezer' Hutchins	...	Wheezer (as Hal Roach's Rascals)
George Ernest	...	Georgie (as Hal Roach's Rascals)
Jerry Tucker	...	Jerry (as Hal Roach's Rascals)
Carlena Beard	...	Marmalade (as Hal Roach's Rascals)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Harry Bernard	...	Pirate
Billy Gilbert	...	The Sea Captain
Dick Gilbert	...	Pirate
Jack Hill	...	Pirate
June Marlowe	...	Miss Crabtree
Charles Oelze	...	Pirate with Funny Glasses
Cy Slocum	...	Pirate

Storyline

The Gang plays hooky from school so they can listen to the tall tales of a friendly sea captain.

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Plot Keywords:

children | our gang | actor shares first name with character | 

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Genres:

Short | Family | Comedy

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 October 1931 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Newport Beach, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hal Roach Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

20 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

First appearance of Jerry Tucker in an Our Gang/Little Rascals short. He didn't become a regular member until Bedtime Worries (1933), two years later.

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Goofs

After the pretend typhoon, the Captain walks into the room where Miss Crabtree is talking to the children and says, "The pirates have got the ship!" He then walks forward and falls on his back. Miss Crabtree is watching him and trying not to laugh. In the next shot, you see the pirates outside the door just starting to enter the room. Cut back to the inside of the room and Miss Crabtree is no longer there.

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Quotes

Stymie: [the sea captain has been talking about sailing around the pole] Is that where the cats come from?
The Sea Captain: What cats?
Stymie: The polecats!... We had a polecat under our house once, and boy did we take a trip.
Wheezer: Oh, you vacated, huh?
Stymie: Vacated nuthin', we fumigated!

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Soundtracks

Good Old Days
(uncredited)
Music by Leroy Shield

User Reviews

Shiver My Timbers is another hilarious Our Gang short

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.