Jeepers Creepers

Released
August 5, 1927

Starring

 * Farina
 * Harry
 * Jackie
 * Jay R.
 * Jean
 * Joe
 * Mango
 * Wheezer

Story
In an effort to improve the behavior of the gang’s older boys, the town decides to subject them to treatment by the hypnotist Professor Electra. He hypnotizes Joe into believing he’s a dog, Farina a cat, Jackie a donkey, Jay a monkey, and Harry a goat. Unfortunately the animals can’t stand wearing clothes and start to tear them off, so the professor dehypnotizes the boys and they start over with the boys wearing grass skirts. These are light enough so that they don’t try to tear them off when they are re-hypnotized back into animal form. Jean, Wheezer, and Mango are younger and better behaved, so they don’t get hypnotized.

Joe the dog chases Farina the cat around until Farina climbs a tree. Fortunately Farina is very good at climbing trees and Joe isn’t. Harry is of some use as he eats all sorts of things from the garbage dump. Jay jumps on people and swings on things like chandeliers and tree branches. Jackie eats hay and kicks everything and everybody, which includes Professor Electra. The hypnotist hits his head and is taken to a hospital with a concussion. He recovers, but he has lost the ability to de-hypnotize people.

It appears the five gang members may remain in animal form for the rest of their lives. Joe acts like he’s Jean’s dog, and won’t calm down until she rubs his belly. Farina is a nuisance scratching all the furniture, and has to be tied down so his fingernails and toenails can be clipped short. Then he can be controlled by catnip, and likes to jump up and curl up on Mango’s bed, and purrs when she pets him. Wheezer clamors that he wants a pet monkey, and Jay seems to like him, so Jay hangs around Wheezer’s house a lot and Wheezer keeps him as a pet. Jackie and Harry have to be kept in barns. Harry’s family saves food since he happily eats leftovers and lots of garbage. Jackie is so fond of hay that each evening he jumps into a large haystack in his barn and moves and eats until he sinks over his head. The film ends with ham disappearing into the middle of the haystack.