Fishy Tales (1937)

Waste of time

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

. . . for an arm, leg, or tail from time to time? If "anthropomorphism" is the art of attributing animal characteristics to criminals, certainly the term "Zoolaunderlimericks" can be used to denote "Alfalfa's" mistaking a fish for his shin (an anagram of "Nish," which brings to mind "knish," the more popular of which are filled with fish) during the "Our Gang" episode FISHY TALES. Noted Real Life shrink "Oliver Baggy" will tell you that Alfalfa's strange misperception during FISHY TALES is not as bad as mistaking your wife for a hatpin. At least you can eat a fish. (Purists might argue that this would constitute cannibalism, but who's counting?) Within a few years of FISHY TALES' release, "Dr. Seuss" would break into the entertainment industry by writing rhyming narrations for U.S. Army boot camp "training"\propaganda cartoons. This arrangement, funded by U.S. taxpayers and War Bonds (not to be confused with "Ward Bond") , was NOT a "match made in Heaven." Bradley, Patton, MacArthur & Co. would have been better off if "Spanky" heard a "Who," not Hitler. FISHY TALES may have inspired the Good Doctor's "Private Snafu," but "Run, Alfalfa, run!!" does not sound like a winning War Cry.

The show begins with something every kid does--shoots apples off their friend's head with a rubber dart gun. However, the Alfalfinator accidentally hits Butch and Butch isn't about to let it slide. Alfalfa pretends to faint and before Butch can pound him, his mother calls him home. Butch promises to beat up Alfalfa later. In the meantime, Spanky gets some ideas to try to save Alfalfa's life. They pretend that Alfalfa dislocated his leg and cannot fight! Butch has a hard time believing that. What will happen next? Well, it involves cats...other than that, you'll just have to see it for yourself.This is a decent episode simply because it has no singing nor dancing--severe problems with many of these later shorts. Instead, the focus is on comedy--and I must admit that I laughed a lot at this one! Cute and well done--and one of the better late Our Gang films.

An OUR GANG Comedy Short.Bully Butch has threatened great bodily harm to Alfalfa. Now it's up to Spanky's FISHY TALES to convince Butch that Alfalfa is in bed with a dislocated leg & is unable to fight...A humorous little film. Highlights include the `William Tell' episode -with Buckwheat as the target - and the cats ‘n' crabs.

During an exhibition of his shooting abilities, Alfalfa accidentally shoots Butch with a suction cup dart. Butch, of course, wants to fight, so to get out of it Alfalfa fakes a leg injury. A newly caught fish, courtesy of Buckwheat, is used to simulate the bum leg. 'Fishy Tales' has some good situations for comedy, but they are delivered too quickly. The humor never has much of a chance to develop. Alfalfa still provides a few good laughs during the scene in which Butch examines the bum leg, though.