Released: March 26, 1938
Director: Nate Watt
Episode length: 10:03 (26-t/34)
Alfalfa's screen time: 4:09 (28/34) 41% (25/34)
Lines of dialogue spoken by Alfalfa: 30 (16/34)
Song: None
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Skip episode synopsis and go directly to commentary

Darwood "Waldo" Kaye, Darla, and Alfalfa on the
set of "Three Men In a Tub".

In a wooded glen, Alfalfa is pacing back and forth as Spanky, Buckwheat, and Porky enjoy a picnic. Alfalfa is annoyed that Darla is a no-show at the gathering. Spanky speculates that perhaps she can't come because she has to watch "the baby" (whoever that is). Alfalfa says that's exactly why he's mad: she uses the same excuse every time they are scheduled to have some quality time together. Whatever the reason for her absence, Alfalfa is sure that it does not involve another man.

Just then, Alfalfa catches an unexpected glimpse of Darla riding leisurely in Waldo's "yacht" in the river off the banks of the boys' picnic grounds. Alfalfa ducks behind a tree and looks at the couple in open-mouthed shock. Alfalfa is crushed. Spanky tries to cheer him up by saying they will come up with a plan to exact some revenge on Waldo.

Next we see a workshop sequence. Spanky and Porky are sawing and hammering the boat which, we discover, represents Spanky's idea—Alfalfa will challenge Waldo to a boat race to win back Darla's hand. This scene is reminiscent of "Hi Neighbor" (in fact, all of "Three Men in a Tub" is a water-based reworking of Hi Neighbor"). Alfalfa is sitting on a cabinet, busily writing a note. Buckwheat walks in with a French horn to be used as part of Alfalfa's vessel.

Buckwheat [to Spanky]: How's this?
Spanky: Did your father say you could have it?
Buckwheat: It's okay—he's not home!

Sounds simple enough.

Alfalfa, meanwhile, is writing a note that he folds and asks Buckwheat and Porky to deliver to "that smart aleck" Waldo. Buckwheat and Porky travel by pony to deliver Alfalfa's note. Waldo is performing some routine maintenance on his boat while Darla looks on adoringly. Buckwheat and Porky disembark from "Bessie" the strange-looking pony (although according to Waldo, it "can't be a horse".) Buckwheat hands him the note. As Waldo begins reading, Buckwheat confronts Darla, who says she has no sympathy for Alfalfa's lovelorn angst.

Meanwhile, Porky has been examining a small hole in the bottom portion of Waldo's boast from which water is trickling out. Porky tells Waldo "boat leaks".
Waldo however is about to dictate to Buckwheat his response to Alfalfa's challenge. It is the longest bit of continuous dialogue in Rascals history:

"In regards to this note, my good man... [gets up and starts striding back and forth in front of a swooning Darla] Your illiterate friend begs the idea of competing with me in a contest of speed by water. Please convey my compliments to Alfalfa and inform him if he will abide by the rules of the Amateur Yachting Association, and raise a craft seven feet W-L, two foot beam, six inch shaft, maximum speed four knots, par as specified in Lloyd's Book of Gyration Regulations, that any and all whereases and wherefores as recognized in British cruiser racing codes, I will accept his impertinent challenge, with a thorough understanding that the contest ends when one contestant has successfully negotiated one lap around the lake—is that clear?"

Buckwheat says that it's clear—only what is he going to tell Alfalfa?

The scene shifts to the day of the big race, which is attended by the usual Little Rascals assemblage of excitedly buzzing, youthful spectators. Spanky is in his customary supervisory/master of ceremonies role (he is wearing a sweater on which is written "Race Maneger".) He announces to the crowd that it gives him great pleasure to unveil Alfalfa's mystery ship, Darla 4th, built especially for this race at a cost of "probably hundreds or thousands of dollars...probably more."

Spanky goes on to tell the crowd that the race is for "the championship of Toluca Lake and Darla Hood", to which Waldo, immaculately dressed and standing by in his "trim craft", calls over to Spanky, "Bravo, my good man, well said." Spanky then asks Alfalfa, hidden underneath his boat's tarpaulin covering, if he is ready. Alfalfa tells Spanky to let 'er go.

Spanky pulls a rope which removes Darla 4th's covering, unveiling a vessel and a captain (Alfalfa) over which the crowd oohs and aahs. Alfalfa nods smugly in acknowledgment. He then sneaks a peek at his competitor. Darla is not impressed. As Alfalfa continues acknowledging the crowd, his boat's covering blows down and entangles him to the derisive laughter of the onlookers. Alfalfa wails "Let me out!" as Spanky, Buckwheat, and Porky struggle to free him.

The race starter (Junior, who else?) blows the whistle to alert the contestants to get ready. Darla asks Waldo if they're going to be going very fast. Waldo replies that he intends to lower the course record, and Darla tells him that he's divine.

After checking his boat's engine (a Rube Goldberg-type affair with some quacking geese providing the power), Alfalfa lurches backwards and almost falls into the water when Darla 4th launches. Alfalfa's boat jumps out to a quick lead, but Waldo immediately catches up. The race evolves into a back and forth contest with each vessel trading the lead. But after telling Darla that "it's regrettable that our opponent is so inadequate", the cocky Waldo almost fails to notice that he has driven perilously close to a waterfall. At the last minute, he does a U-turn to evade danger. As Darla congratulates Waldo on his skill, he replies, "The craft is navigating with precision. We haven't a thing to worry about."

Oh, yes he does. His "craft" develops a leak and Waldo consults his operating manual, which recommends to shut off the motor in case of emergency. Darla whines for Waldo to forget about the motor; she only is interested in being saved herself. Buckwheat points out that Waldo is sinking. At first, Alfalfa is happy that his opponent is having some trouble, but then he realizes that Darla's safety is imperiled. Alfalfa tries to wriggle out of his shirt before he dives in the water and almost knocks himself over. Finally he removes his shirt and dives into the water. He doggy-paddles toward Waldo's sinking boat, and eventually struggles to the side of Waldo's boat and embraces his distressed dams.

We then see a shot of a devilish Porky showing Buckwheat a stopper that he has presumably stolen from Waldo's boat the previous day. Alfalfa and Darla lose their balance and fall backwards into the water as the episode fades to black.

Buckwheat as "Enjineer".
Click to enlarge.

Commentary
Waldo was one of the most intriguing characters in the Little Rascals series, and "Three Men In a Tub" is by far his biggest showcase (the next-biggest probably being the immediately subsequent episode, "Came the Brawn"). Portrayed by Darwood Kaye, and patterned after the genteel, horn-rimmed Harold Lloyd, Waldo manages to be smugly intellectual without really becoming whiny or shrill, which might have been the case with many, or most, other child actors. Waldo maintains a cool and measured, detachment throughout. The only sequence during "Three Men In a Tub" in which he becomes remotely excitable is the marvelous scene where, pacing back and forth, he "dictates" to Buckwheat a long, jargon-filled reply to the boat race challenge from Alfalfa (whom he refers to while speaking to Buckwheat as "your illiterate friend"). This 113-word speech has to be the lengthiest sustained, uninterrupted bit of dialogue ever delivered by a Little Rascals character.

It may be surprising to many viewers to realize that Alfalfa and Waldo never have any direct interaction with each other in "Three Men In a Tub". Their contact is by letter, through intermediary Buckwheat. We see and hear their thoughts about, and reactions to, each other by means of alternating shots of them in their respective vessels. Of course, Waldo's only "crew" is really a passenger, the fawning and disappointingly whiny Darla. Alfalfa, on the other hand, has a crew consisting of Porky and Buckwheat (interestingly, to whom Alfalfa twice refers as "Buck"; earlier, he had addressed Porky as "Pork". This bit of shorthand familiarity is reminiscent of when Farina called Chubby "Chubba" in "The First Seven Years"). These shipmates are kept constantly busy by the frenetic Captain Alfalfa. Almost from the beginning of the race, Alfalfa repeatedly instructs the vessel's "enjineer" Buckwheat to "give it all she's got", while Waldo calmly pulls back on the reins of his boat and spends most of his energy mocking his opponent (at one point saying to Darla "It's regrettable that our opponent is so inadequate".) Soon Waldo becomes so detached from his "trim craft's" navigation that he and Darla almost tumble over a waterfall.

As mentioned above and elsewhere, this episode is not one of Darla's finest moments. Her fickleness reaches almost cartoonish proportions, and her fawning over Waldo through most of the episode is genuinely difficult to watch. In fact, Darla's deportment in "Three Men In a Tub" is by far even more grating than Waldo's. It is hard to gauge the extent to which this over-the-top performance was dictated by director Nate Watt, and how much was simply the result of Darla's own interpretation of the role. It continued a pattern which was originally seen in "Hearts Are Thumps" of Darla becoming increasingly self satisfied and fickle. She would reprise this characterization in the series' next episode "Came the Brawn" (although not quite to the same degree). Happily, in two of the final three Hal Roach-produced episodes, "Feed 'Em and Weep" and "Hide and Shriek", the "old" Darla returns; in these two films, Alfalfa's relationship with Darla is devoid of any romantic overtones.

Alfalfa's hamminess is at its peak in this episode. At the beginning of the film, he does an effective job of showing his dejection—almost to the point of tears —after he spots Darla in Waldo's boat. By the time the episode ends, we are rooting hard for Alfalfa (although a little puzzled as to why he would strive so hard to win back the indecisive Darla). He becomes even more of a sympathetic character when he jumps into the river and struggles to keep afloat while swimming over to save Darla; how many of us who saw this episode as kids could identify with Alfalfa's less-than-impressive swimming abilities?


Hal Roach Studios poster
for "Three Men In a Tub".

A final observation centers around Porky. In virtually all of his appearances, Porky gets his laughs by virtue of his impish, unpretentious personality and charmingly mangled diction. In "Three Men In a Tub", however, he actually participates in a "routine" in the opening. While Alfalfa nervously discusses with Spanky the possible reasons for Darla's absence at their picnic, Porky "echoes" part of what was just said while calmly making himself a sandwich. For example, when Spanky says of Darla, "Maybe she can't come to the picnic", Porky exclaims "Maybe!" This gag is repeated a few more times and is very amusing. And Porky also figures prominently in the episode's climax, when he produces the stopper from Waldo's boat, the removal of which has caused the leak which doomed Waldo. Although we get the general idea, we still can't figure out exactly when and how Porky managed to steal the stopper—if he did it while he and Buckwheat were delivering Alfalfa's challenge the previous day, wouldn't the boat have begun leaking immediately after it was put in the water? Oh well...

With its innovative aquatic setting and Waldo's memorable performance, "Three Men In a Tub" is a solid entry in the Little Rascals' later period.

4alfalfa.com awards it

4 cowlicks (out of a possible 5)

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