Series: Our Gang Director: James W. Horne Producer: Hal Roach Story editor: H.M. Walker Photography: Art Lloyd Editor: Richard C. Currier Sound: Elmer Raguse Stars: Jackie Cooper, Allen Hoskins, Bobby Hutchins, Mary Ann Jackson, Norman Chaney Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Released: 05 April 1930 Length: 2 reels Production No.: G-31 Filming dates: November 29 - December 10, 1929 Rating: 5/10

When The Wind Blows

Available on BLU-RAY & DVD:

• See also Las Fantasmas

One night, as a gale-forced wind blows outside, Officer Kennedy is on patrol in the neighborhood whilst Farina is at home with his mother. Kennedy is already a bit jumpy after a passerby tells him that it is a good night for a murder. A cat jumps out of a dustbin, before the cop gets hit in the face by some flying laundry (what an overreation!) Indoors, Jackie is getting a spanking from his bully father (fortunately the abuse is off-screen). His little brother Wheezer thinks it is hilarious and laughs at him. When the dad treads on a tack in his socks the boys laugh at him. Wheezer is put to bed, whilst Jackie's ass tries to recover from his beating. The dad stands over Jackie when he is supposedly sleeping in his bed and gives the mom a speech about how he wants Jackie to grow up right. As soon as the parents leave the room Jackie suddenly awakens and climbs outside his window to retrieve the book he had thrown outside earlier. When he tries to get back into his room from outside his mum thinks it is a burglar and wakes up the dad. He shoots his gun at the door and Jackie goes flying into a bush. Officer Kennedy comes rushing over to the house when he hears the calls for help. Meanhwile, Farina is reading a horror comic when the windows blows open, which upsets baby Hector (Hector??!) A frustrated Farina then uses a contraption so dangerous as to cause severe whiplash in order to rock the baby back to sleep. Jesus, can you imagine the health & safety brigade being all over THAT nowadays!

Farina gets scared when he sees Jackie's face pressed up against the window as he tries to get inside, which causes Farina to freak out. After almost shaking the baby to the point of no return he then dumps it into a barrel as he fears a burglar is trying to break in. Jackie forces his way into Farina's house as Farina hides. A concerned man (CHET BRANDENURG in a rare speaking role) is shoved aside by cop Kennedy who rushes into Farina's house just as Jackie leaves. Kennedy asks a scared Farina what happened? Jackie tries to wake up Chubby by throwing a rock up at his bedroom window. This wakes up his parents who come to the window and call out for the cop's help. When they close the window it dislodges a plant which falls on top of Kennedy's head, knocking him unconscious. Jackie manages to climb back into his own house and gets into bed with Wheezer. Pete (the dog) grabs the sheet and pulls Jackie out of the bed, causing it to collapse. The parents wake up as Jackie makes his escape out of the window. The dad calls for the police, and once again Kennedy is on hand to save the day. All this commotion brings Mary (playing Chubby's sister?) to her window. She writes a love note to Jackie, who just happens to be climbing up a ladder to her bedroom window. When she sees him she is all excited and blushing but when Jackie doesn't share her enthusiasm she orders him to leave. The wind has blown away the ladder so when Mary pushes him out of the window Jackie falls and lands on a would-be burglar who is contemplating a break-in through the downstairs window (his groan is actually rather hilarious!) This wakes up Mary's parents (again) and they call for the police. Along comes Kennedy and arrests the burglar.

Favourite bit You shouldn't laugh because it is so wrong, so dangerous and is the cause of a lot of issues with the violent shaking of babies.... but for the purposes of comedy, and the fact you know the film is simply sped up - it's the scene where Farina gets so scared that he shakes on the baby's crib, which results in the baby getting shaken to the extreme!

Trivia • Copyrighted February 10, 1930. • This was the 97th film in the series to be released. • Also filmed in Spanish as Las fantasmas. • This was the second film made by Hal Roach to have the same title. Snub Pollard starred in When The Wind Blows, a 1920 silent short film. • It was previously thought that the role of Jackie's mother was played by Rosemary Theby, but this has been corrected by Robert Demoss/The Lucky Corner website as being Caroline Cooke. • It was previously thought that the role of Farina's mother was played by Emma Reed, but this has been corrected by Robert Demoss/The Lucky Corner website as being Gertrude Howard. • In one scene they wanted it to appear that Edgar Kennedy was pointing his gun to the left side, where the action was coming from, and so inserted the shot in backwards. Note the signs, his inverted badge, and his gun in his left hand. • In the scene where Jackie takes a spanking from his father, the sound of the smacking is heard from the adjacent room and not seen. The cowardly father also uses a weapon (a shoe) to carry out the abuse because he's a real big man. • When Officer Kennedy catches his jacket on a nail he doesn't hesitate in wanting to surrender to the culprit. Some cop! My opinion • Certainly watchable, but there's a lot of empty scenes and it seems like three separate stories all going on at once. Farina's shaking of the baby, whereas dangerous in real life, was definitely the highlight!

	Jackie Cooper Jackie
	Allen Hoskins Farina
	Bobby Hutchins Wheezer
	Mary Ann Jackson Mary Ann
	Norman Chaney Chubby
	Betty Jane Beard Hector
	Edgar Kennedy Kennedy the cop
	Charles McAvoy Henry, Jackie's father
	Caroline Cooke Jackie's mother
	Gertrude Howard Farina's mother
	Alex Apple Chubby's father
	Mary Gordon Chubby's mother
	Louis Hickus Burglar/Pedestrian
	Chet Brandenburg Flustered man
	Pete Pete

CREDITS (click image to enlarge)

SHOT ON THE BACK LOT (click any image to enlarge)

Acknowledgements: The Little Rascals: The Life And Times Of Our Gang by Leonard Maltin & Richard W. Bann (book) http://www.theluckycorner.com/rmt/097.html (Robert Demoss/The Lucky Corner) Steve Wright (observation + Edgar Kennedy screenshot in "Facts" section) Tommie Hicks (identification of Rosemary Theby - later challenged as incorrect) Jesse Brisson (help) This page was last updated on: 13 April 2026