Cradle Robbers

{{Infobox film

| name = Cradle Robbers

| image = OG cradle robbers title card.jpg

| caption = Intertitle

| producer = Hal Roach

| starring = Mickey Daniels
Jackie Condon
Ernie Morrison
Mary Kornman
Joe Cobb
Allen Hoskins
Dick Henchen
Pal the Dog
Lassie Lou Ahern
Peggy Ahern
Jannie Hoskins
Lyle Tayo

| narrator =

| cinematography = Blake Wagner

| editing = T. J. Crizer

| music =

| distributor = Pathé Exchange

| released = {{Film date|1924|06|01}}

| runtime = 20 minutes

| country = United States

| language = Silent
English intertitles

| budget =

}}

Cradle Robbers is a 1924 short silent comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan.{{cite web |url=http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/C/CradleRobbers1924.html |title=Silent Era: Cradle Robbers |accessdate=September 13, 2008|work=silentera}}{{cite web |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/226144/Cradle-Robbers/overview |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520151659/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/226144/Cradle-Robbers/overview |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 20, 2011 |department=Movies & TV Dept. |work=The New York Times |author=Hal Erickson |title=New York Times: Cradle Robbers |author-link=Hal Erickson (author) |date=2011 |accessdate=September 13, 2008}} It was the 26th Our Gang short subject to be released.{{cite book |last1=Maltin |first1=Leonard |last2=Bann |first2=Richard W. |title=Our Gang: The Life and Times of the Little Rascals |date=1977 |publisher=Crown Publishers |pages=44–45 |isbn=978-0-517-52675-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/ourganglifetimes0000malt/page/44/mode/2up |access-date=3 March 2024}}

Synopsis

The boys cannot go fishing because they have to take care of their baby brothers and sisters. After trying unsuccessfully to sell their babies to some traveling gypsies, Mary shows up and tells them that her little sister just won a prize at the baby show.

The boys decide to enter their babies in the show, only to discover that all the prizes are gone except the one for the fattest baby. Mickey comes up with the idea to enter Joe as a baby. After Joe escapes, the gang decides to make their own baby show. When the parents discover their babies are missing they assume that the gypsies stole them. When the gang finds out that their parents are after them, they hide in the gypsy wagon, which drives off. As the police and parents chase the wagon down the street, the babies start falling off the wagon and the parents stop and pick them up as they continue running.

The adults finally catch up with the wagon, the gypsy is arrested, and the kids reunited with their parents.

Production notes

Cradle Robbers marked the final appearance of Ernie Morrison as "Sunshine Sammy." It also marked the first appearance of Peggy Ahern.

The early scene of gang entertaining their younger siblings with fishing poles was reworked in 1933's Forgotten Babies.

When the silent Pathé ‘’Our Gang’’ comedies were syndicated for television as "The Mischief Makers" in 1960, Cradle Robbers was retitled The Baby Show. Two-thirds of the original film was included.