Bored of Education is a 1936 comedy Short Film directed by Gordon Douglas, starring The Little Rascals.
It's back to school day and the Our Gang kids are not happy about it—all except for Darla, that is, who brings an apple for the teacher. Spanky and Alfalfa concoct a scheme to get out of school: Alfalfa will claim a toothache and Spanky will say he has to help Alfalfa get home. To make it convincing, Spanky will inflate a balloon in Alfalfa's mouth to make it seem as if his face is swollen. However, the new teacher Miss Lawrence overhears them plotting outside the classroom window, and comes up with a surprise of her own to get the kids to come back to class.
Winner of an Oscar for live-action short film, the only Our Gang comedy to win the award.
Tropes:
- Apple for Teacher: Darla brings one to school.
- Chekhov's Gun: Why does Spanky have a stopper valve to plug the balloon, rather than tying it off as people usually do? So Alfalfa can swallow it.
- Cool Teacher: Rather than sending the kids to the principal for trying to skip school, Miss Lawrence orders ice cream for the whole class in order to lure them back.
- Framed Face Opening: In the opening title card which was standard for the Our Gang shorts after being acquired by MGM.
- Hollywood Tone-Deaf: Alfalfa's excruciatingly bad singing was a Running Gag throughout the series.
- Hot Teacher: The lovely Miss Lawrence. Alfalfa is struck, saying "She's beautiful,", but an unimpressed Spanky shoots back with "Beauty's only skin deep."
- Isophagus: Alfalfa's tone-deaf singing is made even worse when he swallows the stopper in the balloon, which causes every line he sings to be punctuated with a whistle.
- Idiot Hair: Alfalfa's trademark cowlick.
- Playing Sick: Alfalfa fakes a toothache.
- Pun-Based Title: Bored of Education, get it?
- Skipping School: The boys want to do this, but Miss Lawrence lures them back with ice cream.
- Teacher's Pet: Darla, who is pretty enthusiastic about going to school and brings an apple for the teacher.
