Birthday Blues

"Birthday Blues" tells the story of Dickie, who wants to buy his mother a new dress (well, not really new -- it's a 1922 model). To get the money for the present, he holds a party with prizes in a cake, with kids paying per slice. The only problem is that Spanky and Jackie Lyn have added a few surprises to the prizes -- soap, shoes, gloves, and so on. Dickie earns the money, but faces his father's wrath for making a mess. Will he get his mother's present in time?

"Birthday Blues" is memorable, if only for one of the most unique sound effects in movie history. Who knows how the Hal Roach effects people created it; it sounds something like "wow-eep...wow-eep..." If you heard this effect as a kid, you never forgot it.

The family melodrama is a bit much to take, and let's face it - Dickie's dad is a jerk, and you get the feeling he doesn't learn his lesson or will be more attentive to his wife in the future. Watch "Birthday Blues" for the laughs and forget the corny melodrama. 8 out of 10.