The Mysterious Mystery! Explained

The Mysterious Mystery!
Director:Robert F. McGowan
Producer:Hal Roach
Starring:Mickey Daniels
Joe Cobb
Jackie Condon
Allen Hoskins
Eugene Jackson
Andy Samuel
Sonny Loy
Charles A. Bachman
Allan Cavan
William Gillespie
Sam Lufkin
Dick Gilbert
Cinematography:Art Lloyd
Editing:T. J. Crizer
Distributor:Pathé Exchange
Runtime:[1]
Country:United States
Language:Silent
English intertitles

The Mysterious Mystery! is a 1924 short silent comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan.[2] [3] It was the 33rd Our Gang short subject to be released.[4]

Plot

Little Adelbert, son of a wealthy family, is kidnapped and held for ransom. The gang, led by Mickey, are quickly on the case. Mistaking Detective Jinks as a "suspeck," the gang captures him and notifies the police, who recognize the detective and release him.

One of the kidnappers gives the gang a dollar to deliver a package to Mr. Wallingford: A ransom note attached to a pigeon. The note tells the Wallingfords to attach five $1,000 bills to the pigeon, but the kids accidentally let the pigeon escape. Riding with Mr. Wallingford, the gang goes to an airfield and hides from Det. Jinks in a plane that Mr. Wallingford hires to follow the pigeon. During the flight the pigeon lands on the wing and Joe wing walks to retrieve the bird, but drops it. The pilot tries to rescue Joe, but falls (safely into a body of water), leaving Mickey to fly the plane.

Mickey, along with Joe and Farina, manages to follow the pigeon who returns to the barn where Little Adelbert is being held. With Mr. Wallingford and Det. Jinks following the plane, Mickey crashes into the barn and the kidnappers are pinned underneath the rubble. Mickey handcuffs the crooks as Mr. Wallingford arrives, who tells Det. Jinks to make sure the boys get the cash reward for capturing the kidnappers. As Mr. Wallingford hugs Adelbert, the gang runs away with Det. Jinks in pursuit, waving the reward money at them.

Production notes

The Mysterious Mystery! marks the first appearance of Eugene "Pineapple" Jackson in an Our Gang comedy. Mary Kornman does not appear.

Cast

The Gang

Additional cast

Notes and References

  1. http://theluckycorner.com/rps/033.html The Mysterious Mystery! at theluckycorner.com
  2. Web site: Silent Era: The Mysterious Mystery! . September 13, 2008. silentera.
  3. Web site: New York Times: The Mysterious Mystery! . https://web.archive.org/web/20110520153227/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/226151/The-Mysterious-Mystery-/overview . dead . May 20, 2011 . Movies & TV Dept. . . . Hal Erickson . Hal Erickson (author) . 2011 . September 13, 2008.
  4. Book: Maltin . Leonard . Bann . Richard W. . Our Gang: The Life and Times of the Little Rascals . 1977 . Crown Publishers . 49 . 3 March 2024.