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The Cobbler (1923 film)

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The Cobbler
Film poster
Directed byTom McNamara
Written byHal Roach
H. M. Walker
Produced byHal Roach
StarringJackie Condon
Mickey Daniels
Jack Davis
Allen Hoskins
Mary Kornman
Ernie Morrison
Richard Daniels
Dick Gilbert
Katherine Grant
Clara Guiol
Charley Young
Distributed byPathé
Release date
  • February 18, 1923 (1923-02-18)
Running time
20 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguagesSilent film
English intertitles

The Cobbler is the eighth Our Gang short subject comedy released. The Our Gang series (later known as "The Little Rascals") was created by Hal Roach in 1922, and continued production until 1944.

Plot

After the gang wreaks havoc in the local cobbler's shop, the friendly cobbler takes them on a picnic, during which his old Model T breaks down. While the cobbler goes to the creek to fetch water for the radiator, the gang tries to do all sorts of repairs on the car, causing more problems. Mickey and Jack accidentally disturb the rest of a sleeping hobo, who tries to punish them by doing them serious bodily harm. After their dog chases the hobo off, the gang gets the car going again by rigging it with a sail and they sail off into the sunset.

Notes

  • In one scene, the Gang's dog is “beaten up” and given a black eye by the cobbler's cat. The ring around the dog's eye is almost prophetic of the famous ring-around-the-eye trademark of the later Our Gang dog, Pete the Pup. In another scene, Jack wiggles his ear to impress Mary, a gag repeated years later by Alfalfa. Farina gorging herself in the watermelon patch is another very familiar gag in the Our Gang series.
  • Mary Kornman is not a member of the gang, but a local rich girl who shows up at the cobbler's shop.
  • When the television rights for the original silent Pathé Our Gang comedies were sold to National Telepix and other distributors, several episodes were retitled. This film was released into TV syndication as Mischief Makers in 1960 under the title "The Lucky Shoemaker". Approximately two-thirds of the original film was included. Some footage from the beginning of the short were used in the Mischief Makers hybrid episode "Play Ball!".

Cast

The Gang

Additional cast