Profile[]
Name: Ernie Morrison Jr. (Bacon) (White)
Nicknames: Sunshine Sammy, Booker T. Bacon (in Fire Fighters), Booker T. (in The Big Show and possibly One Terrible Day and A Quiet Street), Sorghum (in Saturday Morning)
Played By: Ernie Morrison
Born: 1912
Relatives: Ernie Sr. (father), Mother (name unrevealed), Mrs. Jackson (aunt), Farina, Pineapple, Hector (brothers), Mango, Pleurisy (sisters)
Clubs: Goat Alley Fire Department, The Cluck Cluck Klams
First Short: Our Gang
Last Short: Cradle Robbers
Character[]
Bio: Ernie "Sunshine Sammy" Morrison is the first real Little Rascal. Everyone else comes after him. Alternately known as "Booker T. Bacon," his adventures lead to the others wanting to hang around with him and bringing others into the group. It all starts as Ernie and his little brother Farina travel the neighborhood to deliver the laundry for White's Steam Laundry and what laundry their mother takes in to the house. He is often charged with other chores such as taking care of baby brother Farina and harnessing the mule Lily to the laundry delivery wagon. At one time, Ernie thought Farina with his pigtails and long clothes was a little girl and even called him his little sister in Young Sherlocks. For extra money, he shines shoes with Farina whitewashing them again to get repeat customers in A Pleasant Journey and even opening his own barbershop in Big Business. In order to pay for the apples he swipes at the market, he becomes a fight promoter earning money from his friends to watch Mickey and Jackie fight for Mary Kornman, the lone girl in the group. When he has free time, he comes up with imaginative ideas, such as dressing up a goat as Uncle Sam or organizing the Goat Alley Fire Department.
In Boys To Board, Ernie gets connected to and seems to later attend Mother Malone's Boarding School, but Farina later attends Adams Street Grammar School. Mother Malone's offers little but fresh air and sunshine, about the only things that are free, and when Ernie leads an escape, Pop Malone goes with them! When he's not in school, Ernie plays baseball in Giants Vs. Yanks and football against the Goose Alley Juniors in No Noise. Mickey is the team captain. When they get tired of their chores, Ernie, Farina, Mickey and Waldemar drift off in a raft to become pirates, but their parents and guardians bring them back. They try again to be pirates in The Buccaneers, this time leading an attack on the U.S. Navy sent to bring them back.
Back home, Ernie and the gang have a club called the Cluck Cluck Klams, replete with white sheets in Lodge Night with little to no knowledge of the sinister terrorist group they are imitating. He also takes over a donkey-powered double-decker bus in Back Stage.
Quotes:
- "Booker T. Bacon - Not the worst kid in town - But he's got the opposition scared." - Opening title card of Fire Fighters
- I know! This'll make a bully fire engin' - We'll agonize a fire department!" - Booker in Fire Fighters
- "Whar yo' get the tin hat, Roosie?" - Booker
- "M'uncle give it to me - For washin' m' face." - Roosie in Fire Fighters
- "Aw, let the pony join. There's gonna be fire - We got the matches!" - Booker in Fire Fighters
- "Yo'r gazin' at the bravest guy that evah traveled on feet - Listen ..." - Ernie in Young Sherlocks
- "She's a' right - Ah got hold o' her hand." - Ernie as Sorghum (referring to Maple unseen in the river) in Saturday Morning - later recreated by Farina, referring to Stymie, in Fly My Kite.
- "You're th' police force - An' yo' got a'thority to soak ever'body." - Booker T. in The Big Show
- "Ladees an' gen'lemen! Our nex will be the greatest kongragation o' movin' pitcher stars 'at ever kongragated." - Booker T. in The Big Show
- "One minnit, gen'lemen - The champeens is still trainin'." - Ernie in The Champeen!
- "Ring 'at bell!" - Ernie in The Champeen!
- "We're gonna stop off in Mexico an' shoot wild Indians." - The Runaways
- "They ain't no more wild Indians - They're all in th' movies." - Ernie in A Pleasant Journey
- "I know what! We'll go to Sand Francisco in yo'r place - I've allus wanted to see 'at burg." - Ernie in A Pleasant Journey
- "Please let me go, Mistah Bones." - Ernie in No Noise
- "Ain't got no money - Ah ain't had time to go to the bank this mawnin'." - Sammy in Derby Day
- "Talk Inglish - Ah don't understand chop sooey!" - Sammy to Sing Joy in Derby Day
- "Jus' pick 'em up an' lay 'em down!" - Sammy to the racehorses in Derby Day
- "Them lawyers is all tightwads!" - Sunshine Sammy in Big Business
- "An' if we win fifty dollars - we'll give yo' a quartah." - Ernie in Cradle Robbers
Notes/Trivia[]
- Ernie's last name is only mentioned in Fire Fighters where it's given as Booker T. Bacon.
- Ernie has also appeared with his fellow Rascals in several projects outside "Our Gang." He appears in the Glenn Tryon short "The Battling Orioles" with Joe, Jackie and Mickey, the Charley Chase short "The Fraidy Cat" with Mickey, Andy and Joe and in the Stan Laurel short "Rupert Of Hee Haw" with Jackie, Mary, Mickey and Joe.
- Ernie (along with Alfalfa, Mickey, Chubby, Stymie, Dickie, Echo, Froggy and Joe) is one of the few Rascals to not miss an appearance in the series.
- Ernie, Farina, Stymie and Buckwheat are the only main African American Rascals in the series.