Young Sherlocks

film no. 3

main players

Ernie "Sunshine Sammy" Morrison as "Ernie"

Lead role. Maltin & Bann indicate that Ernie went by the familiar "Sunshine Sammy" moniker, but there's clearly a point in the film where the name "Ernie" is used. If the other name was used at all, it must have been cut from these prints. Ernie ultimately is the star of this short, appearing throughout and driving the story.

Jackie Condon as "Jackie" aka "Mickey"

Featured role. Jackie also is featured extensively in this short. An early title card introduces him as "Jackie," but in the Freetown sequence, a banner hanging over the town identifies him as "Mickey."

Peggy Cartwright as "Mary Jane" aka "Peggy Cartwright"

Featured role. Peggy gets plenty of footage in this film, being the kidnapped girl. A title card reveals her character's name to be "Mary Jane," but the chalkboard in the kidnappers' hideout lists 'Peggy Cartwright' among the kidnap victims.

Allen "Farina" Hoskins

Featured role. Maltin & Bann provide us with the nickname, but neither of these prints do. He appears at the beginning of the film and again during the Freetown sequence, but not during the major portion of the film.

the Jesse James Juniors

On the wall of the J.J.J.'s secret hideout are the names of the club members, numbered one through five. I don't which character name goes with which kid. The number one member is "Dare Devil Sweeny," who is also named elsewhere on the wall as the "Grand Nite." No. 2 is "Feerless Fred," no. 3 is "Bludy Jones," no. 4 is "Fiteing Dick," and no. 5 is "Meen Mike." Somebody has inserted the letter "E" into "Fiting" to make it "Fiteing." The inter-titles reveal some alternate names during the roll call: "Red-fingered Mike," "Desperate Dugan" and "Old Ironheart."

Jack Davis

Small part. Maltin & Bann list him as Jackie Davis. He's the J.J.J. member seen entering the hideout before Ernie arrives. Otherwise, he's purely incidental to the action. Close inspection reveals that he's already standing inside the hideout as the door's being opened for him. This was his series debut.

Mickey Daniels

Small part. He's the leader of the club and conducts the roll call. Otherwise, he sits and listens to Ernie's tall tale.

Gabe Saenz

Small part. This boy appeared several times over the next few years, but is purely an ensemble player here. He also turns up in the Freetown sequence.

other boys

Small parts. There are two remaining boys in the club, neither of whom are recognizable to me from other films.

other kids

Lynwood Crystal Rapp

Extra. In the shot of the three girls drinking soda pop, she's the one with the flowered hat.

Mary Kornman

Extra. In the shot of the three girls drinking soda pop, she's the one on the left.

Walter Wilkinson

Extra. It looks like he's among the kids in Freetown, and can be seen as they all walk up to Farina's baby buggy.

Bryson Rogers

Extra. It appears that he's to the far right as the kids gather around the cow, wearing a sailor-style shirt. At a certain point, he's actually on the other side of the cow. As they walk away from the cow and towards the camera, he's near the front of the pack.

Turner Savage

Extra. He was an overweight kid, and there's two of them in the crowd watching Ernie and Jackie give their speeches. I'm pretty confident he's the one near the front.

Betsy Ann Hisle

Extra. In the shot of the crowd of kids listening to Ernie and Jackie's speeches, she's the blonde girl near the front.

other kids

Bit parts and extras. There are probably thirty or forty kids in the Freetown sequence, mostly in longshot, and even when not, they're difficult to connect with kids seen in other films. The boys and girls number about equally, and there are probably about ten babies and toddlers. The payroll ledger makes it clear that at least some portion of this sequence was shot on May 17th, with $175 spent on extras for this production that day. There's a clump of names that begins with Farina, and comes to that same dollar amount when arriving at the bottom of the list. Seven of the names are already recognizable as kids in this sequence: Lynwood Crystal Rapp, Mary Kornman, Gabe Saenz, Walter Wilkinson, Turner Savage, Bryson Rogers and Betsy Ann Hisle, each of whom is mentioned above. Also on the list are Muriel McCormac and Freddie Drogmund, both of whom I'm familiar with, but I'm not sure where they are in the crowd. Another name on the list is Peggy Gillespie, who I'm guessing is William Gillespie's daughter Margaret (a name for which Peggy is a common nickname). Also on the list are Tex Schiller, Mildred Lloyd, Lillian Conderc, Carmen Bertolero, Marjorie Davis, Mildred Davis, Katherine Snell, Anna May Carrigan, Norman Duff, Robert Duff, Albert Lendie, Dick Lloyd, Manuel Saenz, Phillip Ryder, Robert Brandenburg, Edwin Hubbell, Dick Gilbert, Jr., Philip Pearson, Edgar Pearson, Bob Powers, Dick Walsh, M. Brownell and L. French. Some of these are probably adults, as there are a handful of them in the Freetown sequence. The following day, May 18th, a smaller group of people, probably mostly kids, worked, including Bertolero, Powers, Gilbert, Rapp, Brandenburg, Norman Duff, both Pearsons, and both of the Saenz boys. Joining them that day were A. Brownell, B. Brownell, A. Mann, J. Valentine and H. Mann. Again, some of these are probably adults.

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the animals:

Dinah the Mule as "Dinah"

Featured role. One of Dinah's biggest roles in the series, she's right there with the boys during the rescue sequence, even donning a disguise like they do.

pony 001 as "Gee Whiz"

Featured role. This is Peggy's pony, and is given a lot to do during the kidnapping sequence, making this the biggest role a pony ever had in this series.

Bill as "Buster"

Supporting role. He appears early in the film, but doesn't appear again until the Freetown sequence, where he rescues Farina from being carried away by some balloons.

dog 003

Bit part. He appears very briefly as Peggy's dog in the scene where she's kidnapped. He had a much bigger role in "One Terrible Day" (no. 4).

other animals

Small parts and bit parts.

(1.) The goat that plays "Bossy." She provides milk for Farina.

(2.) A cow seen during the Freetown sequence, and probably the same one seen in "One Terrible Day" (no. 4).

(3.) A cat that's chased away by Bill, and possibly the cat seen in "Our Gang" (no. 1).

(4.) A 'kid' that suckles on Bossy. Possibly seen again in "One Terrible Day" (no. 4).

(5.) A hog being suckled by six piglets.

(6.) A chicken with eight or nine chicks following it. It might be the same chicken that attacks Ernie after he tries to steal an egg.

(7.) Four puppies apparently belonging to Bill.

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the adults:

Charles Stevenson as "Giovanna de Bullochi," leader of the kidnappers

Featured role. He has the biggest role among the adults in this film as the leader of the gang of kidnappers. Maltin & Bann state that he also appears early in the film as a police officer. It looks to me like this role is played by William Gillespie.

Charley Lloyd as Mary Jane's rich father

Supporting role. Listed by Maltin & Bann as Charley Young. He appears briefly a couple of times during the film.

William Gillespie as a member of the gang of kidnappers, and also as the police officer

Supporting role. He appears in a large moustache and wears a light-colored hat with a hatband. He seems to be the number two man in the gang, and is given more to do than any of them other than Stevenson. He also plays the cop seen earlier in the film, a role Maltin & Bann credit to Stevenson.

Dick Gilbert as the motorist and also as a member of the gang of kidnappers

Supporting role. He's seen as a member of the kidnapper's gang, tying Peggy to a tree in his biggest scene. Early in the film, he appears as the motorist who gives Jackie a tip.

George Rowe as the baker

Small part. He appears briefly early in the film.

Gaylord Lloyd as the chauffeur

Small part. He's consistently shown in the same footage with Mary Jane's parents.

Florence Hoskins as Ernie and Farina's mother

Small part. This is mostly a guess, but a careful study of the video frames gives me a strong feeling that this character is played by Farina's real-life mother, who is otherwise seen much more clearly in "The Smile Wins" (no. 66).

Chet Brandenburg as a member of the gang of kidnappers

Small part. He's the one driving the getaway car, but otherwise does ensemble work. Maltin & Bann list his brother Ed, but this happens a lot in their cast listings. They also list Wallace Howe as one of the kidnappers, and I'm tempted to think they're talking about Brandenburg, as he could easily be mistaken for Howe under his heavy makeup.

Clarence Morehouse as the balloon vendor

Bit part. He hands the balloons over to Farina, who goes floating up into the sky.

Jack O'Brien

Bit part. He's walking the cow through Freetown.

Jack Ackroyd

Bit part. He tends to Dinah the Mule in Freetown.

Joseph "Ernie" Morrison as a bank employee

Bit part. He's seen loading bags of ransom money into the car owned by Peggy's parents. He's seen only in longshot, but Maltin & Bann say it's him.

other adults

Small parts and bit parts.

(1.) Two more kidnappers. One wears a plaid cap, and is the one who steps outside after hearing a gunshot. The other is the short one with the round face. Maltin & Bann list Roy Brooks as one of the kidnappers, and typically this turns out to be Mark Jones, who only vaguely resembles the short kidnapper. Also, it appears that, during the scene in which Mary Jane is being tied up, somebody is filling in for William Gillespie. He's wearing the same costume, but the face doesn't match.

(2.) Mary Jane's mother, who's seen alongside Lloyd. Maltin & Bann list Dot Farley, but the resemblance isn't there.

(3.) The green grocer who sells the apple to Peggy.

(4.) The man handing out candy in Freetown. This looks like it might be a second role for Charles Stevenson.

(5.) The bank manager (who's seen only in longshot).

(6.) The gas station attendant (whose face is never seen).

(7.) A woman at the soda counter in Freetown.

(8.) Somebody walking inside Oscar's Luncheon.

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the locations:

Motor Avenue and Woodbine Street, Palms district, Los Angeles

The northeast corner of this intersection shows up in a lot of silent Our Gang films. Gillespie (while playing the cop) walks to this corner while he's looking for Jackie. The brick building is the People's Water Company, located at 3392 Motor Avenue. This building is also in the background as Mary Jane's parents are racing to the hideout. Also shown in this shot is the Masonic Hall at 3402 Motor Avenue. As the camera pans north, we see the grocery store at 3384 Motor, two doors up from the water company. In between is a vacant lot that will be filled in later episodes.

Overland Avenue, Palms district, Los Angeles

It appears that this is where the early scene with Ernie and Farina takes place.

Berkeley Square

At least one shot, the one in which the chauffeured car leaves the driveway, was taken on this wealthy street where Hal Roach lived.

The Heinz 57 Hill

When Jackie meets up with Mary Jane's parents at the gas station, there's a hill in the background with a giant number 57 on it. This was put there by the Heinz company, which had a factory near the hill, and was located in the Baldwin Hills area southeast of the Roach studio.

the cellar entrance

This looks pretty similar to the entrance that Red Mike goes into in "A Quiet Street" (no. 5). If they're the same, then some changes have been made between the two films, particularly when it comes to surrounding objects. The sign painted on the entrance might suggest that this is a studio set.

Oscar's Luncheon

This is shown as Ernie first meets Peggy. At the bottom of the building, it reads 'XLNT Tamales & Chili.' Oscar's sells cigars, cigarettes, tobacco and cold drinks, including Coca-Cola. To the left of Oscar's is a garage with a sign that says 'Repair Garage.' To the right is a sign that says 'Beverly Club.'

First National Bank of Culver City

This is shown in the scene where Mary Jane's parents are getting the ransom money. It was located at 9434 Washington Boulevard at the eastern corner of the T-intersection with Van Beuren Place. The car pulls up on the Washington side of the building, but the corner is clearly seen, along with the entrance to the underground walkway that takes pedestrians across Washington.

billboard

The car speeds past a billboard that reads 'References Required Harry H. Culver & Co. Culver City.'

Hal Roach Ranch

The eucalyptus-lined road seen in this film looks similar to the one seen in later shorts such as "School's Out" (no. 102).

C. Moore - Occulist

Since this serves a purpose in the story, I'm guessing the studio created this shop.

Mary Jane's yard

The location where Mary Jane is playing with her dog and pony, and gets kidnapped, is similar to the maid location in "Saturday Morning" (no. 6). I'm not sure if it's the same place, but it could possibly be.

Hal E. Roach Studios

The bakery location looks entirely like the New York street set at the Roach studio. I'm guessing that the Freetown sequence was also shot on the Roach backlot, but it doesn't have that familiarly distinctive look, so maybe not.

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miscellaneous:

29 days of shooting went into the making of this film. Shooting started on Apr. 3rd, but is listed in the datebook as 'discontinued' for both the 8th and the 10th, suggesting that this was a problematic production. No work took place on the 9th, which was a Sunday. Filming began anew on Apr. 24th and continued until May 20th, when it was considered 'finished.' No shooting took place on Apr. 30th, May 7th, May 14th or May 21st, which were all Sundays. It's interesting to note that shooting began the Monday after the Saturday 'finish' for "Fire Fighters" (no. 2), and that shooting for "One Terrible Day" (no. 4) began the Monday after the Saturday 'finish' for "Young Sherlocks."

The Motion Picture News of June 3, 1922, reported: "Fifty children were used in the final scenes for the Third Kiddie Animal Comedy, directed by Bob McGowan and still untitled."

The Motion Picture News of November 25, 1922, carried a review of this film written by Lillian Gale: "One of 'Our Gang' Series, with the whole 'gang' present. Chiefly, among these are 'Sunshine Sammy' and his tiny black companion. The two colored children start on a 'gold hunting' adventure, the baby girl being carried along in an improvised vehicle which uses 'Sammy' as a human motor. But they get hungry and being without funds, are tempted sorely to rebel at their fates, when they see the little rich girl buy and feed big red apples to her pony. But the rich girl gives 'Sammy' an idea, so that when he accidentally falls in with a den of juvenile 'Jesse James' impersonators he is able to tell how he bravely rescued the child of the rich from a band of kidnappers. Most convincing is his tale, and he is about to join the order of 'Young Sherlocks,' when along comes 'Sammy's' mother, who rushes the children back to reality, and ends an otherwise perfect day for the youthful desperadoes. Granting that there are always a great many exteriors in these comedies, which benefit by natural lighting, it must be said that the photography is unusually clear, the direction splendid and the 'kiddie' players a credit to the producer."

The 1922 studio datebook reveals what the weather was like while this film was shot. During the initial early April activity, the weather was described as 'medium' on the 3rd and 6th, 'dull' on the 4th, 'medium dull' on the 8th, 'medium bright' on the 7th, 'fairly bright' on the 10th, and 'windy & cold' on the 5th and 9th. When work resumed during late March and most of April, the weather was described as 'dull' on Apr. 24th and 28th, May 2nd to 6th, and May 17th and 18th. It was described as 'bright' on May 1st, May 10th to 13th, and May 19th to 21st. 'Bright day' was the term used for May 14th. The weather was described as 'medium' on Apr. 29th, and May 15th and 16th, 'fair' on Apr. 30th, and 'raining' on May 9th. For May 8th, the description reads 'started bright & turned dark; rained in evening.' No description was given for Apr. 25th to 27th, or for May 7th.

Jackie hides in a box of Puffed Wheat to escape the cop.

This film was the fourth of six in the first 'series' of Our Gang films.

38 still images were printed into numerous press photos to promote this film.

The kidnappers have the names of various kids on the wall of their hideout, with a column each for girls and boys. Most of them have dollar amounts next to their names, presumably because this is what the kidnappers think they can get in ransom. Among the names of the girls are "Mary Jones," "Annie Wilson," "Lena Meeke" and "Margaret Watson." And as mentioned above, Peggy's name is also included, though the dollar amount next to her name is $1,000,000. The ransom note only demands $10.000. Among the boys' names are "Johnny Jones," "Harry Brown" and "Willie Green." One kid that they had previously kidnapped was "Edgar Mullet," as revealed in the newspaper article shown early in the film.

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See anything that needs changing? Contact me at BtheW@aol.com.

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© Robert Demoss.

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My thanks to the following people for assisting with this page:
Rob Stone (for providing the production number and shooting dates)
Joe Moore (for providing the copyright information)
Robin Cook (for verifying Mary Kornman's presence in this film)
Matthew Lydick (for the correct spelling of Gabe Saenz's last name, and for info on the Mischief Makers episode "Ernie's Adventure")
Drina Mohacsi (for specifying Lynwood Crystal Rapp, and for providing her middle name, and for helping out with Bryson Rogers)
Jesse Brisson (for IDing Clarence Morehouse, and for input regarding Charles Stevenson, Mark Jones and the stand-in for Gillespie)
Mark Brumfield

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