School's Out

Jackie, who has a crush on his teacher, Miss Crabtree, is afraid that she will get married and leave the school. When a strange man comes around the school asking for Miss Crabtree, Jackie and the gang are convinced he's going to marry her. They tell the stranger several stories about her -- saying she puts red stuff on her lips, has two sets of false teeth, one wooden leg, two husbands, and twenty-one kids. Unknown to the gang, the man is actually Miss Crabtree's brother! What will happen to the gang when Miss Crabtree finds out?

"School's Out" is a sequel to the Little Rascals film "Teacher's Pet," and is a fine follow-up for Hal Roach and company. The laughs are constant throughout the film, and the kids are so natural that you would swear you are watching a real situation. The feelings they display are genuine; they truly love their teacher and don't want to see here go anywhere.

Much of the dialogue in "School's Out" is hilarious; Roach dialogue writer "Beanie" Walker deserves the credit. Some lines slipped past the censors! When Miss Crabtree is driving the children to school, they are steadfast in saying they will never get married. Farina says, "I'm not getting married, and I'm raising my children the same way!" Mary Ann states, "I heard my mother say she made my father marry her!" Out of the mouths of babes...

Miss Crabtree's brother is played by Creighton Hale, an actor with greater silent screen credits than talkies ("The Cat and the Canary" is perhaps his most famous silent role). Most of his talkie career went unnoticed in uncredited roles. This appearance, and his two later Rascal roles in "Big Ears" and "Free Wheeling," are undoubtedly his most familiar talkie roles. He displays enough feigned surprise at the gang's comments about his sister to warrant laughter.

If you loved "Teacher's Pet," you'll love "School's Out." A finer comedy sequel would be tough to find in any decade. 9 out of 10.