Trivia / Skippy

• Enforced Method Acting: Norman Taurog was apparently having trouble getting Jackie Cooper to cry on camera for the scene where Skippy's dog is killed. So Taurog had Jackie's own dog, which he kept tied to his chair on set, removed and had a studio guard fire off his gun in the distance. He then told his nephew he'd had the dog shot for real because it was distracting him. Cooper was so hysterical that even when his dog was returned to him, he could not stop crying for hours. Eventually they called in a doctor to knock him out with a shot of morphine.
  • In another crying scene, Taurog got Jackie Cooper to cry by insulting his acting ability and threatening to replace him.
• Follow the Leader: Although this film was based on a comic strip, parts seem suspiciously similar to the Our Gang series of shorts. The extended sequence where Skippy and Sooky put on a little variety show in order to raise the money for the dog stands out. Additionally, both Jackie Cooper and Donald Haines (Harley) had previously appeared in Our Gang shorts.
• Missing Episode: The film's follow-up, Sooky, is now considered a lost film as no complete print is known to exist.
  • Skippy itself was a lost film until 2010, when Netflix discovered it in a film collection they'd acquired.
  • Keep Circulating the Tapes: Bootleg copies of Sooky exist, as apparently, it used to be broadcast on TV back in the day.
• The Merch: Skippy was a big hit when it was released, spawning merchandise such as school scribblers, pencil cases, paper dolls and books.
  • There was also a fair bit of unlicensed merch. For example, Skippy peanut butter was named as such to capitalize on the success of this film. The original packaging resembling the Skippy comic strip. Skippy's creator spent decades trying to sue the peanut butter company, with no success.
  • After the success of the film, the doll company Petite put out unlicensed Jackie Cooper dolls.

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