The Cabin Kids

Spanky's mother's pushes him to join a local theater amateur night. (imdb)

The Cabin Kids in the Educational Pictures comedy short "Gifts in Rhythm" (1936).

One of only ten made, starring The Cabin Kids a musical quintet made up of five black brothers and sisters. They were ushered in to show business by their aunt and legal guardian and appeared in several motion pictures before vanishing from the public's consciousness, not much is known about them. This short, directed by esteemed comedy producer Al Christie, also stars silent comic Toto The Clown in one of his last film appearances and one of his only talkies.

The Cabin Kids, in between song and dance numbers, are at the county fair with intentions, fair or foul, of helping Mammy win the Pancakes cooking contest. (The Cabin Kids were: Ruth Hall, Helen Hall, James "Darling" Hall, Winifred "Sugar" Hall, and Little Frederick Hall).

At a high-society house party, the hostess finds herself short of the expected booked-talent, and discovers the five kids of the kitchen maid singing up a storm. She brings them to the party as performers. The Six Mountain Melodeers also sing a song.

With Buddy Page and his Orchestra providing most of the music, an uncle of the Cabin Kids loads them in a trailer and heads for Florida. There, he finds the trailer camp needs a cook, so they find their "heaven" right there as he goes to work on fried chicken for the camp guests, and the kids provide the harmony with their songs.

The Cabin Kids get into trouble hanging out down by the docks. Nothing a little song and dance can't take care of. When their teenage sister receives a marriage proposal, acceptance comes with one small catch.

Buddy Page hires the Cabin Kids (young singers and dancers) to lock up the old band maestro who has the band in uniforms and playing boring music. The Kids also walk the town with signs advertising a new swing band.