Five Little Peppers and How They Grew

Back in the 1930s, you'd hardly know that they were in the midst of the Depression when you watched movies. Hardly any seemed to acknowledge that the country's outlook was bleak and that so many were out of work....and films generally featured rich and happy folks. "Five Little Peppers and How They Grew" is unusual because it features a very poor family that struggles to make ends meet.

When the film begins, you learn that some rich industrialist if looking for the heirs of John Pepper, a mining engineer who owns 50% of a mine. The problem is they have no idea who the heirs are and the Pepper family is poor and completely oblivious to their good fortune.

Much of the film has to do with the Pepper children all working to make a cake for their mother's birthday. In the process of getting money and supplies for the cake, they meet a nice rich boy who is desperately lonely for friends. Naturally, the writers were trying to say to the audience that financial wealth is NOT the same as true wealth...such as the way the Peppers loved each other. Not surprisingly, the boy's family just happens to be the ones looking for the Pepper heirs. So what's next? See the film.

"Five Little Peppers" is a very nice film...sweet and the sort of thing some might think is a bit too schmaltzy. But its message was perfect for the Depression era and folks needed some hope. Overall, a nice little story that you can't help but enjoy...schmaltziness and all.



By the way, if you watch the film look for Tommy Bond playing one of the Pepper kids. In the Little Rascals films, he played Butch--the bully. Here, however, he's a nicer kid...and gave Bond a chance to do something different.