Telling Whoppers

The Our Gang kids are held in thrall by neighborhood bully Toughy (Johnny Downs), who not only extorts money from the kids, but also forces them to perform humiliating stunts. Something must be done about this menace, and Gang members Joe Cobb and Allen “Farina” Hoskins are chosen by lot to take care of the contentious Toughy. Misinformed that their nemesis has left town, Joe and Farina return to their clubhouse with a fantastic story as to how they beat Toughy to a bloody pulp, with Farina claiming that they threw the kid’s body into the lake. This “whopper” is so persuasive that the boys begin to believe it themselves. Alas, through a series of typical two-reel comedy coincidences, the gang — and the adult authorities — are led to believe that Toughy has met with foul play, whereupon Joe and Farina are convinced that they’ll be prosecuted for murder. Originally released on December 19, 1926, Telling Whoppers is also available in a one-reel version, titled Telling Stories.