No Silence

Released
January 7, 1924

Starring

 * Ernie
 * Farina
 * Jack
 * Jackie
 * Joe
 * Mary
 * Mickey

Story
Mickey is in the hospital to have his tonsils removed. When he fights the nurses who try to give him castor oil, they strap him down to his hospital bed with his arms pinned to his sides and hold his nose to force him to open his mouth and take the medicine. The nurses leave him strapped down.

The gang, clad only in grass skirts like usual, pays Mickey a visit. They steal a gallon of ice cream, a small part of which was meant for Mickey. Once in Mickey’s room, they unstrap him, eat all the ice cream, and kick a football around. Mickey loses his hospital gown, over which he is wearing his own grass skirt. The game spills into the hallways, where the rascals ride gurneys and knock over various equipment and a skeleton. Chased, they hide in a room where they play with an x-ray machine, and then turn on the valve to a canister of nitrous oxide.

One by one they smell the laughing gas, and soon are oblivious to everything as they break out in laughter. In this state they are easily captured by the hospital staff, who strap the gang members tightly into individual gurneys. On each is a strap across the chest, another across the hips pinning the wrists to the sides, and another around the ankles. None of the gang can move their arms and legs, and under the influence of the laughing gas, find it hilarious. The staff then wheels the gang out to the back yard, where there are some paths for rehabilitation walking. The gang is lined up in a grassy area surrounded by the walkways. Gradually the fresh air brings them back to their senses, leaving them confused as how to they got into their present situation.

The hospital staff calls the gang’s mothers, and they arrive and discuss how the gang should be punished. They note that previous attempts like spanking and extra chores have not been very successful in the past. Then one mother suggests, “Since we can’t think of anything now, why don’t we come back tomorrow and see if someone’s come up with something then?”

All the other mothers agree that is a great idea, so they leave. The gang is forced to lie on the gurneys overnight. They fall asleep, but their sleep is interrupted by a three-hour downpour from midnight to three o’clock a.m. Fortunately they can open their mouths to drink all the water they want.

The next morning the mothers come back. They decide a dose of castor oil is in order, but in consultation with the hospital staff agree to an experiment. A nurse puts a mask connected to another nitrous oxide container over each gang member’s face, and unable to move they are forced to inhale the gas, but then think drinking the castor oil is funny. After another hour their minds clear again, and they are confused as to why there is a bad taste in their mouths. They are finally released, but have another month added to their grass skirt sentences.