Big Ears (1931) is a weirdly heavy Our Gang short

If you are looking for a fun, lighthearted romp with the Little Rascals, Big Ears might actually bum you out a little bit. It is worth watching if you are a completionist or if you just really love Stymie, but most people will probably find the domestic drama a bit too real.

The whole thing kicks off with Wheezer’s parents just going at it in the other room. It is not that funny movie-fighting; it feels like the kind of argument that ends in someone moving out.

Wheezer is just sitting there looking miserable. His dad tells him he has "big ears" because he is always listening to things he shouldn't, which is where the title comes from. 👂

It is a pretty mean thing to say to a kid who is clearly stressed out. You can tell the actors, like Creighton Hale, were used to the silent era because their expressions are just huge. I remember seeing Hale in The Face in the Fog and he has that same intense look here.

Anyway, Stymie shows up and he is easily the best part of the movie. He always is. He has this way of delivering lines that feels so much more natural than the other kids.

Stymie tells Wheezer that the only way to make parents stop fighting is to get sick. He suggests that if Wheezer is dying, they will have to be nice to each other again. 🤒

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Big Ears (1931) through its definitive frames.

It is that classic kid logic that is actually kind of heartbreaking when you think about it for more than five seconds. Wheezer decides to go for it and starts eating everything in the medicine cabinet.

There is this one shot where he is swallowing stuff and you can tell the kid actor is genuinely grossed out. The face he makes is not a "movie face." It is a "I just ate something terrible for this job" face.

The movie gets even weirder once the parents realize he is "sick." They stop fighting instantly, but the guilt is just layered on so thick. It feels less like a comedy and more like a lesson in how to traumatize your children.

I did like the bit with the dog, Pete the Pup. He’s just sitting there watching the chaos like he knows the whole thing is a scam. 🐶

The pacing is a bit clunky, even for a short. Some scenes of the parents arguing go on way too long. It starts to feel like you are eavesdropping on your neighbors through a thin apartment wall.

If you have seen Whose Baby?, you know how these early talkie shorts can be hit or miss. This one is definitely a miss if you want to feel happy afterward.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Big Ears (1931) through its definitive frames.

But there is something interesting about how raw it is. Most modern shows for kids would never show a family falling apart this bluntly.

The ending is supposed to be funny, I guess. But it just ends with more confusion and some physical gags that don't quite land.

One thing that really stood out was the sound quality. You can hear every little floorboard creak, which makes the house feel really empty and lonely.

I found myself wondering what the writers were thinking. H.M. Walker usually has a lighter touch than this. Maybe he was having a bad week at home?

• The way the mom brushes her hair is so aggressive.
• Stymie’s hat is practically a character on its own.
• The medicine bottles look like they contain actual poison.
• The dad’s mustache is perfectly groomed even while he is screaming.
• That weird lingering shot of the empty hallway.

It is not a bad movie, it is just a very specific mood. It is more of a time capsule of how people thought about divorce and kids back in 1931.

I think I prefer the shorts where they are just building a fire engine or getting into trouble at school. This domestic stuff is a bit too heavy for a Tuesday afternoon. 🎞️

If you want to see the Rascals at their most cynical, this is the one. Just don't expect to laugh out loud very much.

It is mostly just Wheezer looking like he needs a long nap and a new set of parents. Poor kid.