Skippy (film)
- Jackie Cooper: Skippy
- Robert Coogan: Sooky
- Jackie Searl: Sidney
- Willard Robertson: Dr. Skinner
- Enid Bennett: Ellen Skinner
- Mitzi Green: Eloise
- Donald Haines: Harley Nubbins
- Jack Clifford: Mr. Nubbins
Skippy is an American comedy film from 1931, based on the eponymous comic strip by Percy Crosby.
Action
Skippy, a wild, boisterous boy is the son of physician Dr. Herbert Skinner and his wife Ellen. Herbert Skinner sees the Ghetto Shanty Town, which is separated by a rail line from the rest of the city, a social and health problem. Therefore he forbids his son to play there. But of course, the boy does not stop the ban.
One day playing Skippy and his friend Sidney Shantytown. They help one of the boys, Sooky to cope with the bat Harley Nubbins. The three boys become friends. Unintentionally makes Harley with Skippy Jojo the windshield of his father's car broken. To escape punishment, he now accuses Skippy and Sooky. The Mad Mr. Nubbins demands money for the damage.
Mr. Nubbins begins Sookys a dog and keeps him as a pawn. Skippy slaughters his piggy bank and are Sooky three U.S. dollars, to trigger the dog, but Nubbins takes the money for the windshield. The young men to bring another three dollars for the dog. The next two days to spend Skippy and Sooky so, soda, and wood to sell and make street demonstrations. You deserve so that two dollars. Skippy tries to borrow the missing dollars from his father, but Dr. Skinner gives him no money. Thirty cents missing, but Skippy and Sooky Search Nubbins on anyway. He tells them that the dog was now shot. Sooky seeks solace with his mother, Skippy, however, is angry at his father. He stays away from the dinner and spend the night with Sooky.
As Skippy comes home the next morning, his father waiting for him with a new bike. Skippy will exchange the bike at his girlfriend Eloise for their dog and bring the animal to Sooky. Dr. Skinner, meanwhile, has changed his mind about the residents of Shantytown. He buys a dog for Sooky and give his mother a job. Instead of ensuring that Shantytown is torn, he now wants to help its inhabitants. He accompanied his son there and play with him. He demolished the new windshield from Mr. Nubbins. The subsequent battle with Nubbins wins the doctor and shows Skippy, that his father also can be something good.
Criticism
Was Mordaunt Hall of the New York Times, Jackie Cooper give a remarkable portrait in a film full of amusement and moving tenderness.
The Variety gave the child actors, the writers and director Taurog all honor, that transformed the comic into an interesting film adaptation.
Awards
1931 Norman Taurog was named best director by Oscar. Three other nominations were in the categories of Best Film, Best Actor and Best Screenplay.
Background
The premiere took place on April 2, 1931 in Los Angeles and a day later in New York.
Robert Coogan was the younger brother of Jackie Coogan, who became one of the most famous child stars in Hollywood. For Robert, it was the debut as an actor.
Jackie Cooper was the nephew of director Norman Taurog, who needed a weeping Skippy for a scene. Jackie had a hard time with it, bring tears in the scene, was in told him the withheld dog had been shot. Taurog resorted to a rather ruthless trickery. He ordered a man with a gun behind a truck where the dog was on a leash from the movie (Jackie Cooper's own dog ). The man, out of sight of Jackie shot with a blank cartridge, whereupon Jackie real tears shed. The scene was shot, but Jackie was hard to calm down, as you showed him that his dog was alive.
To date, the film is the only one on a comic based, has been nominated for "Best Picture".
The film is one of more than 700 productions of Paramount Pictures, which were filmed 1929-1949 and their television rights were sold to Universal Pictures in 1958.
That same year, turned the almost same team a sequel titled Sooky.