Why When the Wind Blows is still a riot

You should probably watch this if you have a soft spot for kids being absolute menaces. It is a good pick for a rainy Sunday afternoon when you don't want to think too hard. If you hate old-timey shouting or kids crying for comedic effect, you will probably hate this one.

It’s one of those classic Our Gang shorts where everything that can go wrong, does go wrong. The whole thing is basically built around a massive thunderstorm. It is loud. It is chaotic. It feels like the director just told the kids to scream whenever the lights flickered.

Jackie Cooper is the star here, and man, that kid could really turn on the waterworks. He has this face that looks like it was designed by a scientist to make you feel bad for him. He spends half the movie looking like his entire world is ending because of a drafty window.

The plot is thin, but that is fine. The kids are stuck in the house and they hear things. They are convinced the place is haunted. It actually has a bit of that creepy atmosphere you see in stuff like The Fall of the House of Usher, but obviously way more silly.

I love how the movie handles the "ghosts." It is just the wind blowing things over, but the way it’s shot makes the house feel alive. There is this one shot of a curtain blowing that actually looks kind of eerie for a second. Then a kid falls over and the mood is broken, which is exactly how these shorts work.

Farina is great in this one too. His expressions are always the best part of these old films. He doesn't even have to say anything; he just looks at the camera and you know exactly how done he is with the situation. His timing is better than most adult actors from that era.

The burglars show up eventually. They are honestly the worst criminals I have ever seen in a movie. They are so clumsy. One of them trips over a footstool and it’s played for such a long beat that it starts to get funny, then annoying, then funny again.

• Pete the Dog just sitting there looking confused while everything explodes around him.
• The weird way the bed moves across the floor.
• Jackie Cooper’s legendary crying face.
• The lightning effects which look like someone is just flicking a light switch really fast in the next room.

There is a scene where they think a skeleton is attacking them. It is actually just some clothes on a rack or something. It’s a trope we have seen a million times now, but back then, it must have been peak comedy. I found myself laughing at how much they were overreacting.

Speaking of overreacting, the sound design is a mess. The wind sounds like a jet engine. Every time a door slams, it sounds like a cannon going off. It adds to the burstiness of the whole experience. It’s never quiet for more than five seconds.

I noticed a weird detail in the background during the kitchen scene. There is a box on the shelf that looks like it has been moved three times between cuts. Someone in continuity was having a bad day. Or maybe they just didn't care because they were making shorts for kids.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of When the Wind Blows (1930) through its definitive frames.

It reminds me a bit of Big Boy Blue in the way it uses simple sets to create a whole world. You really feel trapped in that house with them. The shadows are long and the house feels way too big for a bunch of small children.

Chubby Chaney is also in this. He doesn't do a ton, but his presence is always a plus. He has this way of walking that just makes you smile. The kids in this era had so much personality compared to the polished child actors we see now.

The climax is just pure slapstick. The kids use everything they can find to fight off the intruders. It is messy and the editing is a bit jumpy. You can tell they were just throwing stuff at the actors to see what would stick. It’s organic in a way that feels rare.

I did find myself wondering where the parents were for most of this. I know that’s the point of these movies, but the house is literally falling apart. Edgar Kennedy shows up as the cop/stepfather figure and he does his usual slow burn. Nobody does a frustrated face like Edgar Kennedy.

It works because it doesn't try to be smart. It’s just about the fear of the dark and how kids turn everything into a monster. It’s a very human thing. Even if the jokes are ninety years old, the feeling of being scared of a loud noise in a big house is universal.

It’s definitely better than some of the other shorts from the same year, like Campus Romeos, which feels way more dated. This one has a bit of edge to it because of the storm. It feels a little more dangerous even though you know everyone will be fine.

The ending is a bit abrupt. The burglars get caught, the kids are heroes, and then it just... stops. No big wrap-up. No lessons learned. Just a quick fade to black. I kind of like that. It doesn't overstay its welcome.

If you have twenty minutes to spare, give it a watch. It is a reminder that you don't need a huge budget to make something memorable. You just need some scared kids, a loud wind machine, and a dog with a circle around his eye. 🐶

One more thing—watch the way Pete the Dog reacts to the lightning. I’m pretty sure the dog was actually startled. His ears keep twitching in a way that feels totally unscripted. It’s the little things like that that make these old films worth revisiting.

Overall, it is a loud, sweaty, slightly annoying, but totally charming piece of history. It isn't a masterpiece, but it’s definitely not boring. And in the world of 1930s shorts, not being boring is a huge win.