Shiver My Timbers

Shiver My Timbers
Shiver My Timbers
	Title card
Directed by	Robert F. McGowan
Written by	H. M. Walker
Produced by	Robert F. McGowan; Hal Roach
Starring	Billy Gilbert; June Marlowe
Cinematography	Art Lloyd
Edited by	Richard C. Currier
Music by	Leroy Shield; Marvin Hatley
Distributed by	MGM
Release date	October 10, 1931;
Running time	21 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Shiver My Timbers is a 1931 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan.^[1] It was the 109th Our Gang short to be released.^[2]

Plot edit

A loud sea captain (Billy Gilbert) tells violent stories about adventures out on the sea as pirates. The gang is playing hookey from school in order to hear his stories. Miss Crabtree (June Marlowe) finds where they are and decides to team up with the sea captain to teach the kids a lesson and scare them from ever wanting to be pirates.

The sea captain invites the gang back that night to become pirates. When they board the ship, the sea captain puts on a show and scares the kids. He acts mean and pretends to be sending other pirates overboard. Miss Crabtree is also there and pretending that she would be next to walk the plank. The gang then decides they want to go back to school and take the sea captain seriously.

However, during a staged "raid" on their ship, the children turn the tables on the crewmen.

Cast edit

The Gang edit

Sherwood Bailey as Spud
Matthew Beard as Stymie
Dorothy DeBorba as Dorothy
Bobby Hutchins as Wheezer
George Ernest as Georgie
Jerry Tucker as Jerry
Pete the Pup as himself

Additional cast edit

Carlena Beard as Stymie's sister
Harry Bernard as Cook
Dick Gilbert as Dick, one of the crew
Billy Gilbert as The sea captain
Jack Hill as One of the crew
June Marlowe as Miss Crabtree
Charles Oelze as Crew member with funny glasses
Cy Slocum as Cy, one of the crew

Memorable quote edit

According to Leonard Maltin, one of the most memorable lines in the history of the movies was spoken in this short. Gilbert has called two of his crew over for mock abuse to scare the kids. He bellows at Harry Bernard, "What are you two doing over there?" Bernard answers, "We don't know!"^[3]

Notes edit

In 1971, the first several minutes, where Billy Gilbert is telling the gang wild pirate stories were edited out due to perceived violence and reinstated in 2001 on prints shown on American Movie Classics until 2003. It was not available on home video VHS tapes until 1994 when it was released on the first round of volumes issued by Cabin Fever.

References edit

^ Hal Erickson (2011). "New York Times: Shiver My Timbers". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved September 20, 2008.
^ Maltin, Leonard; Bann, Richard W. (1977). Our Gang: The Life and Times of the Little Rascals. Crown Publishers. pp. 132–133. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
^ Maltin, Leonard and Bann, Richard W. (1977, rev. 1992). The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang, pp. 113-114. New York: Crown Publishing/Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0-517-58325-9

External links edit

Shiver My Timbers at IMDb

[NY_Times-1] Hal Erickson (2011). "New York Times: Shiver My Timbers". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved September 20, 2008.

[2] Maltin, Leonard; Bann, Richard W. (1977). Our Gang: The Life and Times of the Little Rascals. Crown Publishers. pp. 132–133. Retrieved March 3, 2024.

[3] Maltin, Leonard and Bann, Richard W. (1977, rev. 1992). The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang, pp. 113-114. New York: Crown Publishing/Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0-517-58325-9

[1]

[2]

[3]