The Kid from Borneo

The Kid from Borneo
The Kid from Borneo
Directed by	Robert F. McGowan
Written by	Carl Harbaugh; Hal Roach; H. M. Walker; Hal Yates
Produced by	F. Richard Jones; Hal Roach
Starring	Dickie Moore; George McFarland; Dorothy DeBorba; Matthew Beard; Tommy Bond; Bobby Hutchins; Dickie Jackson; Henry Hanna; Pete the Pup; John Lester Johnson; Harry Bernard; Otto Fries; Dick Gilbert; May Wallace
Cinematography	Francis Corby
Edited by	William H. Terhune
Music by	Leroy Shield; Marvin Hatley
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date	April 15, 1933;
Running time	18:41
Country	United States
Language	English

The Kid from Borneo is a short subject film in the Our Gang (Little Rascals) comedy series. It was produced and directed by Robert F. McGowan for Hal Roach Studios, and was originally released to theaters by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on April 15, 1933.^[1] It was the 122nd Our Gang short to be released.^[2]

Plot

Dickie, Dorothy and Spanky's Uncle George is in town. Uncle George manages a show called "Wild Man from Borneo", featuring a tribal-attired man with the mentality of a seven-year-old child. The children's father refuses to let Uncle George visit, so their mother has the kids visit him at the show's location. Their mother explains to the kids that Uncle George is the black sheep of the family, which is why their father does not want them to see him.

The children arrive at the show, where they mistake Bumbo, the Wild Man from Borneo, for their Uncle George. As the children attempt to talk with "Uncle George" and speculate that he might be a cannibal, Bumbo spots Stymie's candy and shouts "Yumm, Yumm Eat-Em-Up!" In an effort to take the candy, Bumbo chases the children (who are now convinced that "Uncle George" is indeed a cannibal) back to their house. Once there, Bumbo repeatedly says “Yumm, Yumm, Eat-Em-Up!” while chasing the kids throughout the house. While in the kitchen with Spanky, Bumbo consumes everything in the refrigerator (including an unopened can of sardines, metal opener and all) and a gallon of wine. The now drunk and knife-wielding Bumbo resumes chasing the children, demolishing much of the home's furniture, and repeatedly shouting "Yumm, Yumm, Eat-Em-Up". The children launch several counter-attacks against Bumbo, and after additional damage is done to the house Bumbo retreats to a bedroom after Spanky attacks him with a Roman candle shot to the derrière.

As the mother arrives and asks the kids where "Uncle George" is, she is directed to the upstairs bedroom. Initially believing the occupant of the bed is the real Uncle George, she screams upon discovering instead the primitive tribesman Bumbo, and is so frightened she jumps head-first out of the second-story window. When the father comes home soon after, Dickie says "Uncle George is upstairs." The dad rolls up his sleeves, vows to punch "Uncle George" in the head (to which Stymie replies, "Oh yeah?!"), and heads upstairs. Expecting to find Uncle George, he encounters instead Bumbo, who shortly thereafter throws the terrified father out the window. Spanky then blasts Bumbo out the same window with the Roman candle, and laughs loudly as he watches Bumbo chase his parents down the street.

Cast

The Gang

Matthew Beard as Stymie
Tommy Bond as Tommy
Dorothy DeBorba as Dorothy
Bobby Hutchins as Wheezer
George McFarland as Spanky
Dickie Moore as Dickie
Dickie Jackson as Dick
Henry Hanna as Henry
Pete the Pup as himself

Additional cast

Harry Bernard as Sideshow manager
Otto Fries as Kids' Dad
Dick Gilbert as Worker
John Lester Johnson as Bumbo, "The Wild Man from Borneo"
May Wallace as Kids' Mom

References

^ Hal Erickson (2011). "New York Times: The Kid From Borneo". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved September 19, 2008.
^ Maltin, Leonard; Bann, Richard W. (1977). Our Gang: The Life and Times of the Little Rascals. Crown Publishers. pp. 154–155. Retrieved March 3, 2024.

External links

The Kid from Borneo at IMDb

[NY_Times-1] Hal Erickson (2011). "New York Times: The Kid From Borneo". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved September 19, 2008.

[2] Maltin, Leonard; Bann, Richard W. (1977). Our Gang: The Life and Times of the Little Rascals. Crown Publishers. pp. 154–155. Retrieved March 3, 2024.

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