Cradle Robbers

film no. 28

availability:

Our Gang Volume #5 (VHS) from Grapevine Video and also from The Picture Palace

This copy is from an original print with a Thunderbird Films copyright superimposed over the crew credits. A second superimposed credit indicates that the soundtrack is scored on a Baldwin organ. Many of the inter-titles are intact, but there is a long stretch early on when it appears that they have been removed. The picture quality is fairly poor. The total time is 16:23. Presumably, almost all of the original film is included. This version has appeared on numerous bootlegs.

Our Gang Silent Comedies Vol. 9 (VHS) from Video Classics

This copy is the same as Grapevine's.

Our Gang Silent Comedies Vol. 3 (VHS) from HenryButch

This copy is the same as Grapevine's.

special note

I've also been able to view a home movie fragment containing much of the beginning portion of this film.

technical details:

the crew:

Produced by Hal Roach

Credited in the film as a presenter.

Directed by Robert F. McGowan

This credit appears in the film, but without his middle initial.

Photographed by Frank Young and Blake Wagner

Maltin & Bann don't provide photography credit for this film. The film itself credits Young, while the Wagner credit comes from Joseph McBride's Frank Capra - The Catastrophe Of Success. It's likely that Young would not have been present during the first week of filming, since it would have conflicted with his involvement in the Stan Laurel series. Therefore, Wagner was likely to have been the initial photographer, and replaced midway through filming by Young.

Edited by T. J. Crizer

Credited in the film but not by Maltin & Bann. The 'T' stands for Thomas.

Titles by H. M. Walker

This credit appears in the film.

Story by Hal E. Roach

This credit doesn't appear in the film. Frank Capra contributed gags to this film.

Released by Pathé Exchange, Inc.

Passed by the National Board of Review

Indicated in the film.

studio personnel

• general manager - Warren Doane
• assistant general manager - L. A. French
• secretary-treasurer - C. H. Roach
• construction supervisor - C. E. Christensen
• still photographer - Bud "Stax" Graves
• transportation director - Bob Davis
• school teacher - Fern Carter

possible uncredited involvement

• editing - In addition to Crizer, Richard Currier and Bert Jordan were also in the editorial department during this period.
• writing - Robert F. McGowan, Thomas J. Crizer and James Parrott may have also been among the gag writers.
• property department - Charles Oelze was probably involved in this capacity, and possibly Sherbourne Shields and Roy Seawright.
• animal training - Tony Campanaro was probably among the animal trainers.

the kids:

featured players

Joe Cobb as "Joe"

Lead role. He's basically the star of this short, being the one dressed as a baby, and being chased by the cop.

Mickey Daniels

Featured role. He gets plenty of screen time, and is essentially the leader of the gang in this short.

Allen "Farina" Hoskins

Supporting role. The nickname doesn't appear in this print. He contributes his usual bits of comedy relief.

Mary Kornman

Supporting role. She appears at the adult's baby show, then has the idea for the gang's version.

Ernie "Sunshine Sammy" Morrison

Supporting role. The nickname doesn't appear in this print. Though still a main player, he had long taken a back seat to Mickey, Joe and Farina. This was his final appearance in the series.

Jackie Condon

Supporting role. He's paired with Dick in this short, but is given mostly ensemble work.

"Dick"

Supporting role. He's paired with Jackie in this short and appears basically in the same shots.

"Sonny Boy" Warde

Supporting role. Listed by Maltin & Bann as Sonny Loy Warde (he was later known as Sonny Loy). I can't help but think that this is the same kid that played "Sing Joy" in the earlier shorts. He appears pretty much throughout the film.

other kids

Peggy Ahern

Bit part. Not listed by Maltin & Bann. Mary and Mickey appraise her baby.

boy 003

Bit part. He's shown in the wagon with the gang regulars.

Lassie Lou Ahern

Bit part. Not listed by Maltin & Bann. She's the smallest girl in the attic scene.

other kids

Bit parts.
(1.) Two boys helping Ernie weigh the black baby.
(2.) Three girls in the animal section.

the babies

Jannie Hoskins

Small part. I'm pretty sure she's the smaller of the two black babies.

other babies

Bit parts and extras.
(1.) The other black baby shown with Jannie.
(2.) The baby playing Mary's little sister.
(3.) The three babies playing Mickey's, Jackie's and Dick's younger siblings.
(4.) The Asian baby played Sonny Boy's younger sibling.
(5.) The baby referred to as "Cornelius," which the gang switches with Joe.
(6.) The baby being examined at the adult show.
(7.) The baby being examined by Mickey at the kid's show.
(8.) The three gypsy babies.
(9.) Various other babies in the background of different scenes.

questionable listings

Maltin & Bann list Peggy Ahern (but spell her last name Ahearn). She might be one of the girls at the junior version of the baby show, but I can't tell for sure, at least not with this print. In the 1977 edition of their book, they list Nanette Fabray, but put a question mark after her name. In the 1992 edition, they don't bother listing her, and I can see why, since none of the girls look like her.

the animals:

Pal

Small part. Not listed by Maltin & Bann. He's Joe's dog, and gets a good moment with the fishing pole, pulling the toupee off of the bald man.

other animals

Bit parts and extras.
(1.) A white horse pulling the gypsy's wagon. Perhaps "Duke" from "Old Gray Hoss" (no. 78).
(2.) The horse pulling the second wagon.
(3.) A second horse behind the white horse. Could be the horse From "Fast Company" (no. 16).
(4.) Two baby goats in the kids' show.
(5.) Two puppies in the kids' show.
(6.) Several chickens stolen by the gypsy.

the adults:

William Gillespie as the gypsy, and as the officer chasing Joe

Supporting role. Both of his parts are fairly notable, particularly as the gypsy.

Allen Cavan as one of the officers, and as one of the baby show officials

Small part. This print doesn't make it possible to verify his presence at the baby show, but he is the cop that the mothers gather around.

Helen Gilmore as Jackie's mom

Small part. She's first seen whisking Jackie and the baby away from the gypsy, then is convinced later on that the gypsy is responsible for the missing babies.

Clara Guiol as one of the baby show officials

Bit part. According to Maltin & Bann. I'm presuming they mean the woman that awards a prize to Mary's little sister, but I'm not quite convinced.

Beth Darlington as the girl with the bald boyfriend

Bit part. She just might possibly be one of the nurses, too.

Earl Mohan as the traffic cop

Bit part. This is just a guess, since the print is so poor, but he resembles him when he smiles.

Dorothy Vernon as one of the mothers

Bit part. She's in the crowd of mothers at the end.

Lyle Tayo as one of the mothers

Bit part. According to Maltin & Bann. One of the pair of women that Joe goo-goos at resembles her a bit, but she's probably among the women in the big chase at the end.

other adults

Bit parts and extras.
(1.) The bald boyfriend, briefly seen loosing his toupee.
(2.) Another cop that joins Gillespie in his chase.
(3.) Three gypsy women shown in the back of the wagon.
(4.) A guy getting mud in his face.
(5.) A doctor and three nurses, one of whom may be Beth Darlington.
(6.) The two women who initially visit Joe, one of whom kisses him.
(7.) Two ugly women who want to kiss Joe, but don't get anywhere with him.
(8.) The mother of Cornelius, the baby the gang switches with Joe.
(9.) Several other adults at the baby show.
(10.) Several additional mothers in the ending chase.

the locations:

Hal E. Roach Studios

Used for the front of the Baby Show building.

Motor and Woodbine Avenues, Palms district, Los Angeles

The vacant lot on the southwest corner of this intersection is used in the scene where Mary meets up with the boys.

the laundry

I'm not sure if this is a mock-up, but it's where the gang meets up with Sonny Boy.

Cimarron Street

There are two or three street corners that show the signs with the street names on them. It's impossible to read them in the available video release, but the home movie fragment reveals one of them to be Cimarron St. This street runs north to south in the city of Los Angeles and was located several blocks east of the Roach studio.

Palms

In the scene where Joe meets up with the gang, there's a real estate sign in the background that mentions Palms.

miscellaneous:

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