- "The Little Rascals" redirects here. For other uses, see The Little Rascals (disambiguation).
- This article is about the film series. For the 1922 silent short subject, see Our Gang (film). Short subject is a format description originally coined in the North American Film industry in the early period of cinema. Our Gang is a 1922 silent Short film. It was the third of Hal Roach 's Our Gang ( Little Rascals) shorts For the novel by Philip Roth see Our Gang (novel). Philip Milton Roth (born March 19, 1933, Newark New Jersey) is an American novelist Our Gang ( 1971) is Philip Roth 's fifth Novel. A marked departure from his previous Book, the popular Portnoy's Complaint
Our Gang, also known as The Little Rascals or Hal Roach's Rascals, was a series of American comedy short films about a group of poor neighborhood children and the adventures they had together. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Comedy (from the Greek κωμωδίαkomodia has a popular meaning (any discourse generally intended to amuse especially in Television, Film, and Short subject is a format description originally coined in the North American Film industry in the early period of cinema. CHILD syndrome (or congenital hemidysplasia with ichthyosiform erythroderma and limb defects) is a genetic disorder Created by comedy producer Hal Roach, Our Gang was produced at the Roach studio starting in 1922 as a silent short subject series. A film producer is a person who creates the conditions for making movies. Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr ( January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and Roach changed distributors from Pathé to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) in 1927, went to sound in 1929, and continued production until 1938, when he sold the series to MGM. This article deals with the Pathé movie company For their music business see Pathé Records. MGM in turn continued producing the comedies until 1944. A total of 220 shorts and one feature film, General Spanky, were eventually produced, featuring over forty-one child actors. General Spanky is a 1936 Motion picture produced by Hal Roach. The term child actor is generally applied to a Child Acting in motion pictures or Television, but also to an Adult In the mid-1950s, the 80 Roach-produced shorts with sound were syndicated for television under the title The Little Rascals, as MGM retained the rights to the Our Gang trademark. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic
The series, one of the best-known and most successful in cinema history, is noted for showing children behaving in a relatively natural way. While child actors are often groomed to imitate adult acting styles, steal scenes, or deliver "cute" performances, Hal Roach and original director Robert F. McGowan worked to film the unaffected, raw nuances apparent in regular kids. A film director, or filmmaker, is a person who directs the making of a Film. Robert Francis McGowan ( July 11 1882 - January 27 1955) was an American Film director and producer, best known Our Gang also notably put boys, girls, whites, and blacks together in a group as equals, something that "broke new ground," according to film historian Leonard Maltin. BOY is a Canadian Indie pop band The band consists of vocalist and general instrumentalist Stephen Kozmeniuk, drummer Maurie Kaufmann, A girl is any Female Human from birth through Childhood and Adolescence to attainment of Adulthood The term may also be used to mean White People is the second album by Handsome Boy Modeling School. The term black people usually refers to a racial group of Humans with dark Skin color, but the term has also been used to categorise a number of diverse Leonard Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American Film critic and Film Historian. [1] Such a thing had never been done before in cinema, but was commonplace after the success of Our Gang.
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About the series
Unlike many other motion pictures featuring children that are based in fantasy, producer/creator Hal Roach rooted Our Gang in real life: the majority of the kids were poor, and the gang was often put at odds with snobbish rich kids, officious adults and parents, and other such adversaries. See Fantasy for an account of the literary genre involving the development of common or popular fantasies The series was notable in that the gang included both African-Americans and females in leading parts at a time when discrimination against both groups was commonplace. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Female (♀ is the Sex of an Organism, or a part of an organism which produces ova (egg cells Unlike most discrimination policies discrimination between, which is the discernment of qualities and recognition of the differences focused here discrimination against is
Directorial approach
Senior director Robert F. McGowan helmed most of the Our Gang shorts until 1933, assisted by his nephew Anthony Mack. A film director, or filmmaker, is a person who directs the making of a Film. Robert Francis McGowan ( July 11 1882 - January 27 1955) was an American Film director and producer, best known Robert Anthony McGowan ( May 22 1901 - June 20 1955) was an American Screenwriter and Film director. He worked hard to develop a style that allowed the kids to be as natural as possible, downplaying the importance of the filmmaking equipment. Scripts were written for the shorts by the Hal Roach comedy writing staff, which included at various times Leo McCarey, Frank Capra, Walter Lantz, and Frank Tashlin, among others. See also Pre-production Screenwriting A screenplay or script is a written plan authored by a Screenwriter, for a Film or Television Thomas Leo McCarey ( October 3, 1898 - July 5, 1969) was an Academy Award -winning American Film director Frank Russell Capra ( May 18, 1897 &ndash September 3, 1991) was an Academy Award winning Italian-American Film Walter Benjamin Lantz ( April 27 1899 &ndash March 22 1994) was an American Cartoonist and Animator, best Frank Tashlin (born Francis Fredrick von Taschlein February 19, 1913 – May 5, 1972, also known as Tish Tash or [2] The kids, some of them too young to read, very rarely saw the scripts; instead McGowan would explain the scene to be filmed to each kid right before it was shot, directing the children using a megaphone and encouraging improvisation. A megaphone, speaking-trumpet, bullhorn or loud hailer is a portable usually hand-held funnel-shaped device whose application is to amplify Improvisation (also called extemporization) is the practice of acting singing talking and reacting of making and creating in the moment and in response to the stimulus of [2] Of course, when sound came in at the end of the 1920s, McGowan was forced to modify his approach slightly, but scripts were not adhered to until McGowan left the series. Later Our Gang directors such as Gus Meins and Gordon Douglas used a more streamlined approach to McGowan's methods, in order to meet the demands of the increasingly sophisticated movie industry of the mid to late 1930s. Gus Meins ( March 6 1893 - August 1 1940) was a German-American Film director. Gordon Douglas (Gordon Douglas Brickner ( December 15, 1907 – September 29, 1993) was an American Film director, who [2] Douglas in particular was forced to streamline his films, as he directed Our Gang after Roach was forced to halve the running times of the shorts from two reels (20 minutes) to one reel (10 minutes). [2]
Finding kid talent
As the children grew too old to be in the series, they were replaced by new kids, usually from the Los Angeles area. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Eventually, Our Gang talent scouting was done using large-scale national contests, where thousands of kids (often at the behest of their parents) tried out for one open role. Norman "Chubby" Chaney (who replaced Joe Cobb), Matthew "Stymie" Beard (who replaced Allen "Farina" Hoskins), and Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas (who replaced Stymie) all won major contests to become members of the gang. Norman Myers Chaney ( November 1, 1914 - May 29 1936) was an American Child actor, notable for appearing in the Joe Frank Cobb ( November 7, 1916 - May 21, 2002) was a former American Child actor, most notable for appearing as For the English film actor (born 1989 see Matthew Beard (British actor. Allen Clayton Hoskins ( August 9, 1920 – July 26, 1980) was an American child actor most famous for portraying the character Billie Thomas (originally William Thomas Jr) ( March 12, 1931 &ndash October 10, 1980) was an American child actor best Even when there was not a massive talent search going on, the Roach studio was bombarded by requests from parents who were certain their children were perfect for the series. Among these were future child stars Mickey Rooney and Shirley Temple, neither of whom made it into the gang. Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr; September 23, 1920) is an American Film Actor and Entertainer whose Shirley Jane Temple (born April 23, 1928) is an Academy Award -winning Actress and Tap dancer, most famous for being an iconic
African Americans in Our Gang
The Our Gang series is notable for being one of the first times in movie history that blacks and whites were portrayed as equals, though a number of people, including members of the Black community, do not look favorably upon the characters of the black children today. [3] The four black child actors who held main-character roles in the series were Ernie "Sunshine Sammy" Morrison, Allen "Farina" Hoskins, Matthew "Stymie" Beard , and Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas. Ernie Morrison ( Ernest Fredric Morrison) ( December 20, 1912 &ndash July 24, 1989) was an American Child actor Allen Clayton Hoskins ( August 9, 1920 – July 26, 1980) was an American child actor most famous for portraying the character For the English film actor (born 1989 see Matthew Beard (British actor. Billie Thomas (originally William Thomas Jr) ( March 12, 1931 &ndash October 10, 1980) was an American child actor best Ernie Morrison was, in fact, the first black actor signed to a long-term contract in Hollywood history,[4] and was the first major black star in Hollywood history as well. [5]
The black children in Our Gang often epitomized the early Hollywood pickaninny [6] stereotype. Pickaninny (also picaninny or piccaninny) is a term &ndash generally considered derogatory &ndash that in English usage refers to black children These characters provided comic relief by speaking a mangled form of English, and by frequently being so frightened that either their hair stood on end, or they turned white with fear (a special effect created with negative film exposure techniques). Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character or scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work often to relieve tension African American Vernacular English ( AAVE) – also called African American English; less precisely Black English, Black Vernacular, The illusions used in the Film, Television, Theater, or Entertainment industries to simulate the imagined events in a story are traditionally called The black children's fathers were perpetually mentioned as being in and out of jail, and the children themselves habitually ate watermelon and fried chicken in the shorts. Watermelon ( Citrullus lanatus ( Thunb) Matsum & Nakai family Cucurbitaceae) refers to both Fruit and Plant of a vine-like (climber Fried chicken (also referred to as Southern Fried chicken) is chicken which is dipped in a Breading mixture and then deep fried, pan Comedian Eddie Murphy controversially parodied Buckwheat and the stereotypical aspects of his character in a series of skits for Saturday Night Live. A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience primarily by making them laugh Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy (born April 3 1961 is an Academy Award -nominated Golden Globe - Screen Actors Guild Award -winning American Saturday Night Live ( SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute American Sketch comedy / Variety show based in New York City
In their adult years, Ernie Morrison, Matthew Beard, and Billie Thomas became some of Our Gang's staunchest defenders, maintaining that its integrated cast and innocent story lines were far from racist. List of racism-related topics|Racism by country Racism, by its simplest definition is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that They explained that the white children's characters in the series were similarly stereotyped: the "freckled kid," the "fat kid," the "pretty blond girl," and the "mischievous toddler. A stereotype (from Greek: stereo + týpos = "solid impression" is a generalized perception of first impressions behaviors presumed by a group " "We were just a group of kids who were having fun," Stymie Beard recalled. [7] Ernie Morrison stated that "when it came to race, Hal Roach was color-blind". Color blindness, a Color vision deficiency is the inability to perceive differences between some of the Colors that others can distinguish [8] Other minorities, including Asian Americans (Sing Joy, Allen Tong, and Edward Zoo Hoo) and Italian Americans (Mickey Gubitosi), were also depicted in the series, with varying levels of stereotyping. Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry. They include sub-ethnic groups such as Chinese Americans Filipino Americans Indian An Italian American is an American of Italian descent and/or dual citizenship Robert Blake (born September 18, 1933) is an American Actor most famous for starring in the U
History
Early years
According to Roach, the idea for Our Gang came to him in 1921, when he was auditioning a child actress to appear in one of his films. The girl was, in his opinion, overly made up and overly rehearsed, and Roach patiently waited for the audition to be over. After the girl and her mother left the office, Roach looked out of his window to a lumberyard across the street, where he saw a group of children having an argument. The children had all taken sticks from the lumberyard to play with, but the smallest kid had taken the biggest stick, and the others were trying to force him to give it to the biggest kid. After realizing that he had been watching the kids bicker for 15 minutes, Roach thought a short film series about kids just being themselves might be a success. [9]
Under the supervision of Charley Chase, work began on the first two-reel shorts in the new "kids-and-pets" series, which was to be called Hal Roach's Rascals, later that year. Charley Chase ( October 20, 1893 - June 20, 1940) was an American Comedian, Screenwriter and Film director Director Fred Newmeyer helmed the first version of the pilot film, entitled Our Gang, but Roach scrapped Newmeyer's work and had former fireman Robert F. Fred C Newmeyer ( August 9 1888 - April 24 1967) was an American Actor and Film director. Our Gang is a 1922 silent Short film. It was the third of Hal Roach 's Our Gang ( Little Rascals) shorts McGowan re-shoot the short. Roach tested it at various theaters around Hollywood. The attendees were very receptive, and the press clamored for "lots more of those 'Our Gang' comedies. " The colloquial usage of the term Our Gang led to its becoming the series' second (yet more popular) official title, with the title cards reading "Our Gang Comedies: Hal Roach presents His Rascals in. . . " The series was officially called both Our Gang and Hal Roach's Rascals until 1932, when Our Gang became the sole title of the series.
The first cast of Our Gang kids was recruited primarily from children recommended to Roach by studio employees, including photographer Gene Kornman's daughter Mary Kornman, their friends' son Mickey Daniels, Roach child actor Ernie "Sunshine Sammy" Morrison, and family friends Allen "Farina" Hoskins, Jack Davis, Jackie Condon, and Joe Cobb. Mary Kornman ( December 27, 1915 &ndash June 1, 1973) was an American Child actress who was the leading female star Richard "Mickey" Daniels Jr ( October 11, 1914 - August 20, 1970) was a juvenile actor the son of actor Richard Daniels Ernie Morrison ( Ernest Fredric Morrison) ( December 20, 1912 &ndash July 24, 1989) was an American Child actor Allen Clayton Hoskins ( August 9, 1920 – July 26, 1980) was an American child actor most famous for portraying the character Jackie Davis (John H Davis ( April 5, 1914 - November 3, 1992) a native of Los Angeles California, was an American Jackie Condon ( John Michael Condon) ( March 25, 1918 - October 13, 1977) was an American Child actor who Joe Frank Cobb ( November 7, 1916 - May 21, 2002) was a former American Child actor, most notable for appearing as Most of the early shorts were shot outdoors and on location, and also featured a menagerie of comic animal characters, such as Dinah the Mule.
Roach's distributor Pathé released One Terrible Day, the fourth short to be produced for the series, as the first Our Gang short on September 10, 1922; the pilot Our Gang was not released until November 5. This article deals with the Pathé movie company For their music business see Pathé Records. Events 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul meet in the Council of Agde. Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1499 - Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier ( Brittany) The Our Gang series was a success from the start, with the kids' naturalism, the funny animal actors, and McGowan's direction making a successful combination. The shorts did well at the box office, and by the end of the decade the Our Gang kids were pictured on numerous product endorsements.
The biggest Our Gang stars in this period were Sunshine Sammy, around whom the series was structured; Mickey Daniels; Mary Kornman; and little Farina, who eventually became both the most popular member of the 1920s gang, [10] and the most popular African-American child star of the 1920s. [11] Mickey and Mary were also very popular, and were often paired together in both Our Gang and a later teenaged version of the series called The Boy Friends, which Roach produced from 1930 to 1932. Other early Our Gang kids were Eugene "Pineapple" Jackson, Scooter Lowry, and Andy Samuel. For the Eugene Jackson in Company E of the 101st Airborne Division, see Eugene Jackson (soldier He was stationed in Hawaii during the attack on Pearl Andy Samuel ( April 10, 1909 - March 5, 1992) a native of Los Angeles California, was a Child actor who appeared
Changing distributors
After Sammy, Mickey, and Mary left the series in the mid-1920s, the Our Gang series entered a transitional period. McGowan was often sick and unable to work on the series, leaving nephew Robert A. McGowan (credited as Anthony Mack) to direct many of the shorts from this period. Robert Anthony McGowan ( May 22 1901 - June 20 1955) was an American Screenwriter and Film director. The Mack-directed shorts are considered to be among the lesser entries in the series. [12] New faces included Bobby "Wheezer" Hutchins, Harry Spear, Jean Darling, and Mary Ann Jackson, while stalwart Farina served as the series' anchor. Bobby Hutchins (Robert E Hutchins ( March 29, 1925 - May 17, 1945) was an American Child actor who was a regular Harry Spear ( December 16, 1921 - September 22, 2006) was a former American Child actor, notable for appearing in the Jean Darling (b August 23, 1922, Santa Monica California) is a former American Child actress who was a regular in the Mary Ann Jackson ( January 14, 1923 – December 17, 2003) was an American former Child actress who appeared in the
Also at this time, the Our Gang kids acquired an American Pit Bull Terrier with a ring around his eye; originally named "Pansy", the dog soon became known as Pete the Pup, the most famous Our Gang pet. The American Pit Bull Terrier was first recognized by the United Kennel Club (UKC in the late 19th century Pete the Pup directs here for the Don Marquis character see Pete the Pup (archy and mehitabel Pete the Pup was a famous Dog During this period, Hal Roach ended his distribution arrangement with the Pathé company, instead releasing future products through newly formed Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. MGM released its first Our Gang comedy in September 1927. The move to MGM offered Roach larger budgets, and the chance to have his films packaged with MGM features to the giant Loews Theatres chain. Loews Theatres, aka Loews Incorporated, founded in 1904 by Marcus Loew, was the oldest theater chain operating in North America until it merged with
Some of the shorts around this time, particularly Spook Spoofing (1928, one of only two three-reelers in the Our Gang canon) contained extended scenes of the gang tormenting and teasing Farina, scenes which helped spur the claims of racism which many other shorts did not warrant. These shorts marked the departure of Jackie Condon, who had been with the group from the beginning of the series. Jackie Condon ( John Michael Condon) ( March 25, 1918 - October 13, 1977) was an American Child actor who
The sound era
Starting in 1928, Our Gang comedies were distributed with phonographic discs that contained synchronized music-and-sound-effect tracks for the shorts. The phonograph, or gramophone, was the most common device for playing recorded Sound from the 1870s through the 1980s In spring 1929, the Roach sound stages were converted for sound recording, and Our Gang made its "all-talking" debut in April 1929 with the three-reel Small Talk. A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image as opposed to a Silent film. Small Talk was an American game show that aired on The Family Channel from September 30, 1996 to January 3, 1997; reruns It took a year for McGowan and the gang to fully adjust to talking pictures, during which time they lost Joe, Jean, and Harry, and added Norman "Chubby" Chaney, Dorothy DeBorba, Matthew "Stymie" Beard, Donald Haines, and Jackie Cooper. Norman Myers Chaney ( November 1, 1914 - May 29 1936) was an American Child actor, notable for appearing in the Dorothy Adelle DeBorba (born March 28 1925 is a former American 1930s child actress who was a regular in the Our Gang Short subjects For the English film actor (born 1989 see Matthew Beard (British actor. Donald Haines (1918 - 1941 was an American Child actor who was a recurring in the Our Gang Short subjects series from 1929 to Jackie Cooper (born September 15 1922 is an American Academy Award -nominated Actor, Emmy Award -winning TV director, and TV Jackie proved to be the personality the series had been missing since Mickey left, and he was featured in three 1930/1931 Our Gang shorts, Teacher's Pet, School's Out, and Love Business. Teacher's Pet ( 1930) is a two-reel Comedy Short subject; part of the Our Gang (Little Rascals series These three shorts explored Jackie's crush on the new schoolteacher Miss Crabtree, played by June Marlowe. June Marlowe ( November 6, 1903 - March 10, 1984) was an American actress, most notable for appearing in six Jackie soon won the lead role in Paramount's feature film Skippy, and Roach sold his contract to MGM in 1931. Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and Distribution company, based in Hollywood California. Skippy is one of the first films nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, in 1931.
Beginning with When the Wind Blows, background music scores were added to the soundtracks of most of the Our Gang films. Initially, the music consisted of orchestral versions of then popular tunes. This type of scoring was used in the next couple episodes. Marvin Hatley had become music director of Hal Roach studios in 1929. Thomas Marvin Hatley ( April 3 1905 &ndash August 23 1986) professionally known simply as Marvin Hatley, was an American Leroy Shield joined as a part-time studio musical director in mid 1930. Leroy Shield ( October 2, 1893 - January 9, 1962) was an American Film score and Radio Composer At this point Hatley and Shield began composing and playing their own jazz influenced music for the films. This music became a recognizable trademark of Our Gang, Laurel and Hardy, and the other Roach series and films. Laurel and Hardy were the popular American -based comedy team of thin British-born Stan Laurel (1890-1965 and heavy American-born Oliver Hardy (1892-1957 Hatley's and Shield's jazz-influenced scores, which made their debut with Pups is Pups (1930), are particularly associated with Our Gang. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Pups Is Pups is a two-reel Comedy Short subject; part of the Our Gang (Little Rascals series Teacher's Pet marked the first appearance of the now-popular Our Gang theme song, "Good Old Days", composed by Leroy Shield and featuring a notable saxophone solo. The phrase theme music usually refers to that of a radio program, Television program, or Movie. The saxophone (commonly referred to simply as sax) is a conical- bored transposing Musical instrument considered a member of the Woodwind Shield and Hatley's scores would support Our Gang's on-screen action regularly through 1934, after which series entries with background scores became less frequent.
In 1930, Roach began production on The Boy Friends, a short-subject series which was essentially a teenaged version of Our Gang. The Boy Friends was a short-lived series of fifteen American Comedy Short films released between 1930 and 1932 Featuring Our Gang alumni Mickey Daniels and Mary Kornman among its cast, The Boy Friends was produced by Roach for two years, with fifteen installments in total.
Transition
Jackie Cooper left Our Gang in early 1931 at the cusp of another major shift in the lineup, as Farina, Chubby, and Mary Ann all departed a few months afterward. Jerry Tucker (born Jerome H Schatz on November 1, 1925 in Chicago Illinois) is a former American Child actor, most A fire apparatus, fire engine, fire truck, or fire appliance is a vehicle designed to assist in fighting Fires by transporting Firefighters Our Gang entered another transitional period, similar to that of the mid-1920s. Stymie, Wheezer, and Dorothy carried the series during this period, aided by veteran child actors Dickie Moore and Kendall "Breezy Brisbane" McComas. Dickie Moore (born John Richard Moore Jr on September 12, 1925) is a former American Child actor. Kendall McComas ( October 29, 1916 &ndash October 15, 1981) was an American former Child actor. Unlike the mid-20s period, McGowan was able to sustain the quality of the series, with the help of the kids and the Roach writing staff.
New Roach discovery George "Spanky" McFarland joined the gang in 1931 at the age of three and, excepting a brief hiatus during the summer of 1938, remained an Our Gang kid for the next eleven years. At first appearing as the tag-along toddler of the group, and later finding an accomplice in Scotty Beckett in 1934, Spanky quickly became Our Gang's biggest child star. Scott Hastings Beckett ( October 4, 1929 &ndash May 10, 1968) better known as Scotty Beckett was an American He won parts in a number of outside features, appeared in many of the now-numerous Our Gang product endorsements and spin-off merchandise items, and popularized the expressions "Okey-dokey!" and "Okey-doke!" [13]
In late 1933, Robert McGowan, worn out from the stress of working on the kids' comedies, left the series and the Roach studio, going over to direct features at Paramount. German-born Gus Meins assumed McGowan's role starting with Hi'-Neighbor! in 1934, working with assistant director Gordon Douglas and alternating directorial duties with Fred Newmeyer. Gus Meins ( March 6 1893 - August 1 1940) was a German-American Film director. Gordon Douglas (Gordon Douglas Brickner ( December 15, 1907 – September 29, 1993) was an American Film director, who At this point, the films became more dialogue intensive. While most episodes continued to use background music, several only featured partial scoring, while many others were released without any incidental score accompaniment.
At this point, Wally Albright and Jackie Lynn Taylor joined the gang, as did Billie Thomas, who within a few months of joining would begin playing the character of Stymie's sister "Buckwheat" (even though Thomas was a male). Wally Albright (Walton Algernon Albright Jr ( September 3, 1925 - August 7, 1999) was an American former Child actor Jackie Lynn Taylor (Jacqueline Hope Taylor Fries (b June 29 1926 is an American former Child actress, notable for appearing in five Our Gang Billie Thomas (originally William Thomas Jr) ( March 12, 1931 &ndash October 10, 1980) was an American child actor best The Buckwheat character morphed subtley into a male in 1935 after Stymie left the series. The same year, Carl Switzer and his brother Harold joined the gang after impressing Roach with an impromptu performance at the studio commissary, the Our Gang Cafe, which was open to the public. Carl Dean "Alfalfa" Switzer ( August 7, 1927 &ndash January 21, 1959) was an American Child actor, professional While Harold would eventually be relegated to the role of a background player, Carl, nicknamed "Alfalfa", became Scotty Beckett's replacement as Spanky's sidekick. Darla Hood and Eugene "Porky" Lee also joined the gang in 1935. Darla Jean Hood ( November 8, 1931 &ndash June 13, 1979) was an American Child actress, best known for her lead roles Eugene Gordon Lee ( October 25, 1933 &ndash October 16, 2005) was a former American Child actor, most notable for
The final Roach years
Our Gang was hugely successful during the 1920s and the early 1930s. However, by 1934, movie theater owners were increasingly dropping two-reel (twenty minute) comedies like Our Gang and the Laurel and Hardy series from their bills, and running double feature programs instead. The double feature, also known as a double bill, was a Motion picture industry phenomenon in which theatre managers would exhibit two films for the price of one Although the Laurel and Hardy series was discontinued in mid-1935 (and Laurel and Hardy moved into feature films full-time), MGM head Louis B. Mayer urged Hal Roach to continue making the Our Gang shorts. Louis Burt Mayer (born Lazar Meir July 4, 1884 &ndash October 29, 1957) was an early Film producer, most Roach agreed, and began producing Our Gang comedies as one-reel shorts (ten-minutes in length instead of twenty). The first one-reel Our Gang short, Bored of Education, won the Academy Award for Best Live-Action Short Subject (One Reel) in 1936. Bored of Education is a one-reel Comedy Short film; part of the Our Gang (Little Rascals series This name for the Academy Award for Live Action Short Film was introduced in 1974 Bored of Education also marked the directorial debut of former assistant director Gordon Douglas.
Also in 1936, the first (and only) full-length feature film starring the Our Gang kids was released, entitled General Spanky. General Spanky is a 1936 Motion picture produced by Hal Roach. Directed by Douglas and Fred Newmeyer, it starred Spanky, Buckwheat, and Alfalfa in a sentimental, Shirley Temple-esque story set during the Civil War. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South The film focused more on its adult leads (Phillip Holmes and Rosina Lawrence) than the kids, and was a box office disappointment. Rosina Lawrence ( December 30 1912 - June 23 1997) was a Canadian -born American Actress, Singer, and
After years of gradual cast changes, the troupe standardized in 1936. Most casual fans of Our Gang are particularly familiar with this incarnation of the cast: Spanky, Alfalfa, Darla, Buckwheat, and Porky, with neighborhood bullies Butch and Woim and bookworm Waldo. Tommy Bond, an off-and-on member of the gang since 1932, returned to the series as Butch beginning with the 1937 short Glove Taps. For the Major League Baseball player see Tommy Bond (baseball. Sidney Kibrick played Butch's crony, The Woim. Sidney Kibrick (b July 2, 1928) is an American former Child actor, most notable for appearing in the Our Gang Glove Taps also featured the first appearance of Darwood Kaye as the bespectacled Waldo. Darwood Kenneth Smith, also known by the stagename Darwood Kaye ( September 8, 1929 &ndash May 15, 2002) was an American In later shorts, both Butch and Waldo would become Alfalfa's main rivals in his pursuit of Darla's affections. Other familiar situations in these mid-to-late 1930s shorts include the "He-Man Woman Haters Club" from Hearts Are Thumps and Mail and Female (both 1937), the Laurel and Hardy-ish interaction between Alfalfa and Spanky, Alfalfa and Darla's on-again-off-again romance, and the comic team of Porky and Buckwheat.
Roach produced one last two-reel Our Gang short, the lavish Our Gang Follies of 1938, in 1937 as a parody of MGM's Broadway Melody of 1938. Our Gang Follies of 1938 (later reissued as simply Follies of 1938) is a 1937 musical Short subject, the 161st short A parody (ˈpɛɹədiː US, [ˈpaɹədiː] UK) in contemporary usage is a work created to mock comment on or poke fun at an original work its subject Broadway Melody of 1938 is a 1937 musical Film, produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and directed by Roy Del Ruth. In Follies of 1938, Alfalfa, who aspires to be an opera singer, falls asleep and dreams that his old pal Spanky has become the rich owner of a swanky Broadway nightclub, where Darla and Buckwheat perform and make "hundreds and thousands of dollars. Opera is an art form in which Singers and Musicians perform a Dramatic work (called an opera which combines a text (called a Libretto Broadway, as the name implies is a wide avenue in New York City. "
As the profit margins continued to decline due to double features, [14] Roach could no longer afford to produce the series, and sold the entire Our Gang unit (including the rights to the name and the contracts for the actors, writers, and director Douglas) to MGM in May 1938.
The MGM era
The MGM-produced Our Gang shorts were not as well-received as the Roach-produced shorts had been, due to both MGM's inexperience with the brand of slapstick comedy Our Gang was famous for and MGM's insistence on keeping Alfalfa, Spanky, and Buckwheat in the series until they were in their early teens. Slapstick is a type of Comedy involving exaggerated physical violence or activities which exceed the boundaries of common sense such as a character being hit in the face with After a frustrated Gordon Douglas left MGM to return to Roach after completing only two films, MGM began using Our Gang as a training ground for future feature directors; George Sidney, Edward Cahn, Herbert Glazer, and Cy Endfield all worked on Our Gang before moving on to features. George Sidney ( October 4, 1916 - May 5, 2002) was a Jewish American film director and film producer who worked primarily Edward L Cahn ( February 12 1899 - August 25 1963) was an American Film director. Cyril Raker Endfield ( November 10 1914 &ndash April 16 1995) was an American Screenwriter, Film director, Theatre Nearly all of the 52 MGM-produced Our Gangs were written by former Roach director Hal Law and former junior director Robert A. McGowan (also known as Anthony Mack, the elder Robert McGowan's nephew). McGowan was credited for these shorts as "Robert McGowan"; as a result, moviegoers have been confused for decades about whether this Robert McGowan and the senior director of the same name back at Roach were two separate people or not.
The Our Gang films produced by MGM are considered by many Our Gang historians, and even the Our Gang kids themselves, to be lesser films than the Roach entries. [15]The kids' performances are often stilted, with the fully scripted dialogue now being recited stiffly instead of spoken naturally. The stories were more heavy-handed, with adult situations driving the action, and the films usually incorporated a moral, a civics lesson, or a patriotic theme. [16]
Porky was replaced in 1939 by Mickey Gubitosi, later better known by the stage name of Robert Blake. Robert Blake (born September 18, 1933) is an American Actor most famous for starring in the U Butch, Waldo, and Alfalfa all left the series in 1940, and Billy "Froggy" Laughlin (with his Popeye-esque trick voice) and Janet Burston were added to the cast. Billy Laughlin ( William Robert Laughlin) ( July 5, 1932 - August 31, 1948) played the character Froggy in the Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional hero famous for appearing in comic strips and animated films as well as numerous TV shows Janet Burston ( January 11, 1935 &ndash March 3, 1998) was an American Child actress who was the final leading lady By the end of 1941, Darla had also departed from the series, and Spanky followed her within a year. Buckwheat remained in the cast until the end of the series as the only holdover from the Roach era.
Exhibitors noticed the drop in quality, and often complained that the series was slipping. When six of the 13 shorts released between 1942 and 1943 sustained losses rather than turning profits, [17] MGM discontinued Our Gang, releasing the final short, Dancing Romeo, on April 29, 1944. Dancing Romeo is a one-reel Comedy Short film; part of the Our Gang (Little Rascals series Events 1429 - Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orleans. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
Since 1937, Our Gang had been featured as a licensed comic strip in the UK comic The Dandy, drawn by Dudley D. Watkins. A comic strip is a sequence of drawings that tells a story Currently in the Western world, most comic strips are written and drawn by a Comics artist The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A comic book (often shortened to simply comic and sometimes called a comic paper or comic magazine) is a Magazine or Book of narrative The Dandy is a long running children's comic published in the United Kingdom. Dudley Dexter Watkins ( February 27, 1907 - August 20, 1969) was an English Cartoonist and Illustrator. Starting in 1942, MGM licensed Our Gang to Dell Comics for the publication of Our Gang Comics, featuring the gang, Barney Bear, and Tom and Jerry. Dell Comics was the Comic book publishing arm of Dell Publishing, which got its start in Pulp magazines. Barney Bear was a series of Animated cartoon Short subjects produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio. Tom and Jerry is a series of theatrical Short subjects (cartoons created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer The strips in The Dandy ended three years after the demise of the Our Gang shorts, in 1947. Our Gang Comics outlasted the series by five years, finally changing its name to Tom and Jerry Comics in 1949. In 2006, Fantagraphics Books began issuing a series of volumes reprinting the Our Gang stories, most of which were written and drawn by Pogo creator Walt Kelly. Fantagraphics Books is an American publisher of Alternative comics, classic Comic strip anthologies Magazines Graphic novels Walter Crawford Kelly Jr ( August 25, 1913 – October 18, 1973) known as Walt Kelly, was a Cartoonist notable for his
Later years and The Little Rascals revival
The Little Rascals television package
When Hal Roach sold Our Gang to MGM, he had retained the option to buy back the rights to the Our Gang trademark, provided he did not produce any more kids' comedies in the Our Gang vein. In the mid-1940s, he decided that he wanted to create a new film property in the Our Gang mold, and forfeited his right to buy back the Our Gang name in order to produce two Cinecolor featurettes, Curley and Who Killed Doc Robbin. Cinecolor was an early Subtractive color -model two color Film process based upon the Prizma system of the 1910s and 1920s and the Multicolor Curley is a 1947 Film produced by Hal Roach as a re-imagining of his Our Gang series Who Killed Doc Robbin is a 1948 Film produced by Hal Roach as a reimagining of his Our Gang series Neither film was critically or financially successful, and Roach instead turned his plans toward re-releasing the original Our Gang comedies.
In 1949, MGM allowed Roach to buy back the rights to the 1927–1938 Our Gang shorts, while retaining the rights to both the Our Gang films it produced and General Spanky. As per the terms agreed during the sale, Roach was required to remove the MGM Lion studio logo and all instances of the names or logos "Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer", "Loews Incorporated" and Our Gang from the reissued film prints. Leo the Lion is the mascot for the Hollywood film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, featured in the studio's Production logo. Using a modified version of the series' original name, Roach packaged the 80 sound Our Gang shorts as The Little Rascals. Monogram Pictures and its successor, Allied Artists, reissued the films to theaters beginning in 1951. Monogram Pictures Corporation was a Hollywood studio that produced and released films most on low budgets between 1931 and Allied Artists Pictures Corporation started life as a Subsidiary of Monogram Pictures in 1946 as an outlet for films with bigger names and higher budgets than Allied Artists' television department, Interstate Television, syndicated the films to TV in 1955.
Under its new name, The Little Rascals enjoyed renewed popularity on television, and new Little Rascals comic books, toys, and other licensed merchandise was made available for purchase. Seeing the potential of the property, MGM began distributing its own Our Gang shorts to television in 1956, and as a result, the two separate packages of Our Gang films competed with each other in syndication for three decades. In Broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast Radio shows and Television shows to multiple individual stations without going through Some stations bought both packages and played them alongside each other.
The television rights for the original silent Pathé Our Gang comedies were sold to National Telepix and other distributors, who distributed the films under titles such as The Mischief Makers and Those Lovable Scallawags with Their Gangs. This article deals with the Pathé movie company For their music business see Pathé Records.
King World's acquisition and edits
In the 1960s a then-new distributor named King World Entertainment (now CBS Television Distribution) returned the films to television, and the success of The Little Rascals paved the way for King World to become one of the biggest television syndicators in the world; distributing, along with the Rascals, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Jeopardy, Dr. Phil, and Wheel of Fortune. King World Productions Inc (also known as King World Entertainment or simply King World) was a syndicator of television programming in the United States CBS Television Distribution (CTD is a United States and Global Television Distribution company, a merger of CBS Corporation 's three The Oprah Winfrey Show is a United States syndicated Talk show, hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey, and is the highest-rated Created by Merv Griffin, the daytime version of the American Game show Wheel of Fortune aired on NBC from January 6
In 1971, because of controversy over their presumably racist content, as well as other content deemed to be in bad taste, King World made significant edits to its Little Rascals TV prints. Many of the series entries were trimmed by two to four minutes, while several others (among them Spanky, Bargain Day, The Pinch Singer and Mush and Milk) were cut down to nearly half of their original length. Mush and Milk is a Comedy Short subject; part of the Our Gang (Little Rascals series
At the same time, eight Little Rascals shorts were removed from the King World television package altogether. Lazy Days, Moan & Groan, Inc. , the Stepin Fetchit-guest-starred A Tough Winter, Little Daddy, A Lad An' A Lamp, The Kid From Borneo, and Little Sinner were all deleted from the syndication package because of perceived racism, while Big Ears (1931) was deleted for dealing with the subject of divorce. Stepin Fetchit was the Stage name of American Comedian and Film Actor Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the termination of a Marriage. The early talkie Railroadin' (1929) was never part of the television package, not because of potentially offensive content, but because its sound tracks (recorded on phonographic records) could not be found and were considered lost.
In the early 2000s, the 71 films in the King World package were re-edited, reinstating many (though not all) of the edits made in 1971 and the original Our Gang title cards. These new television prints made their debut on the American Movie Classics cable network in 2001. AMC is a cable television network that primarily airs movies The letters originally stood for American Movie Classics.
New Little Rascals productions
In 1977, Norman Lear tried to revive the Rascals franchise, taping three pilot episodes of the The Little Rascals. Norman Milton Lear (born July 27 1922 in New Haven Connecticut) is an American Television writer and producer who produced such popular The pilots were not bought, but the pilots were notable for giving an early start to Gary Coleman. Gary Wayne Coleman (born February 8, 1968) is an American Actor, best known for his role as Arnold Jackson in the American sitcom
1979 brought The Little Rascals Christmas Special, an animated holiday special produced by Murakami-Wolf-Swenson, written by Romeo Muller and featuring voice work from Darla Hood (who died before the special aired) and Matthew "Stymie" Beard. Romeo Muller Jr ( August 7, 1928 &ndash December 30, 1992) was an American Actor and Writer most remembered Hanna-Barbera brought the animated gang back from 1982 to 1984 in a series of Little Rascals television cartoons for ABC Saturday Mornings. The Little Rascals was a 1982-1984 Saturday morning cartoon series produced jointly by Hanna-Barbera Productions and King World, and broadcast The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. Many producers, including Our Gang alumnus Jackie Cooper, made pilots for new Our Gang TV shows, but none of them ever went into production. Jackie Cooper (born September 15 1922 is an American Academy Award -nominated Actor, Emmy Award -winning TV director, and TV
In 1994, Amblin Entertainment and Universal Pictures released The Little Rascals, a feature film based upon the series and featuring interpretations of classic Our Gang shorts, including Hearts are Thumps, Rushin' Ballet, and Hi'-Neighbor! The film, directed by Penelope Spheeris, starred Travis Tedford as Spanky, Bug Hall as Alfalfa, and Ross Bagley as Buckwheat; and featured cameos by the Olsen twins, Whoopi Goldberg, Mel Brooks, Reba McEntire, Daryl Hannah, Donald Trump, and Raven-Symoné. Amblin Entertainment' is an American film and television Production company founded by Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Universal Studios (sometimes called Universal Pictures or Universal City Studios) a subsidiary of NBC Universal, is a major Global American The Little Rascals is a 1994 Comedy film produced by Amblin Entertainment, and released by Universal Pictures on August Penelope Spheeris (born December 2, 1945) is an American director, producer, and Screenwriter. Travis William Tedford (born August 19 1988) is an American Actor. Brandon "Bugg" Hall (born February 4, 1985) is an American Actor, acting teacher and Musician. Ross Elliot Bagley (born December 5 1988 in Los Angeles California) is an American Actor. Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Fuller Olsen (born June 13 1986 are American actresses, best known for playing the role of Michelle Tanner Whoopi Goldberg (born Caryn Elaine Johnson; November 13, 1955) is an American actress, comedienne, and television Mel Brooks (born Melvin Kaminsky; June 28, 1926) is an American director, Writer, Composer, Lyricist Reba Nell McEntire (born March 28, 1955) is an American Country music singer performer and actress Daryl Christine Hannah (born December 3, 1960) is a American Film actress. Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American Business magnate, Socialite, Television personality, and Raven-Symoné Christina Pearman (born December 10 1985 known professionally as Raven-Symoné or Raven, is an American actress and R&B [18]The Little Rascals was a moderate success for Universal, bringing in $51,764,950 at the box office [19] Critics and fans alike were quick to note that no surviving members of the original Our Gang appeared in the film. A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for Admission to a venue
Legacy and influence
The characters in this series became well-known cultural icons, and could often be identified solely by their first names. The characters of Alfalfa, Spanky, Buckwheat, Darla, and Froggy were especially well-known. Like many child actors, the Our Gang kids were subsequently typecast and had trouble outgrowing their Our Gang images. For other meanings see Typecasting. Typecasting is the process by which a film TV or stage Actor is strongly identified with a specific
Several Our Gang alumni, among them Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, Scotty Beckett, Norman "Chubby" Chaney, Billy "Froggy" Laughlin, and Bobby "Wheezer" Hutchins, met with untimely deaths before the age of forty. This led to rumors that there was an Our Gang/Little Rascals "curse", a rumor popularized by a 2002 E! True Hollywood Story documentary entitled The Curse of the Little Rascals. E! True Hollywood Story is a TV documentary series on the E! Entertainment Television cable and DBS channel that deals with famous [20] The Snopes.com website debunks the rumor that there is an Our Gang curse, stating that there was no evidence of a pattern of unusual deaths when taking all of the major Our Gang stars into account, despite the tragic deaths of a select few. Snopes (ˈsnoʊps also known as the Urban Legends Reference Pages, is a Web site that is the most widely-known resource for validating or debunking Urban legends [21]
The kids' work in the series went largely unrewarded in later years, although Spanky McFarland received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame posthumously in 1994. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a Sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood Los Angeles California, USA, that Neither he nor any of the other Our Gang kids ever got any residuals or royalties from reruns of the shorts or licensed products with their likenesses. A residual is a payment made to the creator of performance art (or the performer in the work for subsequent showings or screenings of the (usually filmed work Royalties (sometimes running royalties) are usage-based payments made by one party (the "licensee" to another (the "licensor" for ongoing use of an A rerun or repeat is a re-airing of an episode of a Radio or Television broadcast. The only remittances they received were their weekly salaries during their time in the gang, which ranged from $40 a week for newcomers to $300 or more a week for stars like Farina, Spanky, and Alfalfa. [22]
One notable exception is Jackie Cooper, who was later nominated for an Academy Award and had a full career as an adult actor. "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. Cooper is best known today for portraying Perry White in the Superman movies starring Christopher Reeve, as well as for directing episodes of TV series such as M*A*S*H and Superboy. Perry White is a Fictional character who appears in the Superman comics. Superman is a fictional Comic book Superhero widely considered to be one of the most recognized of such characters and an American Cultural icon Christopher D'Olier Reeve ( September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American Actor, director, M*A*S*H was a Medical drama / Black comedy produced by 20th Television Fox for CBS. Superboy is a half-hour live-action television series based on the fictional DC Comics Comic book character Kal-El 's early years as Superboy
The 1930 Our Gang short Pups is Pups was deemed "culturally significant" by the United States Library of Congress, and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2004. Pups Is Pups is a two-reel Comedy Short subject; part of the Our Gang (Little Rascals series The Library of Congress is the De facto National library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress The National Film Registry is the registry of Films selected by the United States National Film Preservation Board for preservation in the Library of
Imitators, followers, and frauds
Due to the popularity of Our Gang, a number of imitation kid comedy short film series were created by competing studios. Comedy (from the Greek κωμωδίαkomodia has a popular meaning (any discourse generally intended to amuse especially in Television, Film, and Short subject is a format description originally coined in the North American Film industry in the early period of cinema. Among the most notable of these are The Kiddie Troupers, featuring future comedian Eddie Bracken; Baby Burlesks, featuring Shirley Temple; the Buster Brown comedies (from which Our Gang received Pete the Pup and director Gus Meins); and Our Gang's most successful competitor, the Toonerville Trolley-based Mickey McGuire series starring Mickey Rooney. Edward Vincent "Eddie" Bracken ( February 7 1915 - November 14 2002) was an American Actor. Baby Burlesks was a series of short films produced by Educational Pictures in the early 1930s Shirley Jane Temple (born April 23, 1928) is an Academy Award -winning Actress and Tap dancer, most famous for being an iconic Buster Brown was a Comic strip character created in 1902 by Richard Felton Outcault which was known for his association with the Brown Shoe Company Pete the Pup directs here for the Don Marquis character see Pete the Pup (archy and mehitabel Pete the Pup was a famous Dog Gus Meins ( March 6 1893 - August 1 1940) was a German-American Film director. Toonerville Folks (sometimes known as Toonerville Trolley) was a popular Newspaper cartoon feature by Fontaine Fox, syndicated Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr; September 23, 1920) is an American Film Actor and Entertainer whose Some less notable imitations series include The McDougall Alley Gang (Bray Productions, 1927–1928), The Us Bunch and Our Kids. This is an article about the US animation studio See Bray Studios (UK for the studio where many Hammer Horror films were created
After its original run was over, Our Gang continued to inspire works in various media focusing on children. These include, but are not limited to, Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts and films such as The Bad News Bears, The Goonies and The Sandlot. Charles Monroe Schulz (November 26 1922 &ndash February 12 2000 was an American Cartoonist best known worldwide for his Peanuts Comic strip Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday Comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M The Bad News Bears is a 1976 film directed by Michael Ritchie. "Goonies" redirects here For other uses see Goonies (disambiguation. The Sandlot is a 1993 Film about young Baseball players The film was directed by David Evans and was released with the title
In later years, a large number of adults falsely claimed to have been members of Our Gang. A long list of people, including persons famous in other capacities such as Nanette Fabray, Eddie Bracken, and gossip columnist Joyce Haber[23] have all claimed to be or have been publicly called former Our Gang kids. Nanette Fabray (born October 27, 1920) is an American actress Edward Vincent "Eddie" Bracken ( February 7 1915 - November 14 2002) was an American Actor. [24] Bracken's official biography was once altered to state that he appeared in Our Gang instead of The Kiddie Troupers, although he himself had no knowledge of the change. There are many other persons who have falsely claimed to have been Our Gang kids such as Spanky, Alfalfa, Froggy, and often other characters who never existed.
Among the most notable Our Gang impostors is Jack Bothwell, who claimed to have portrayed a character named "Freckles",[25] and went so far as to appear on the game show To Tell The Truth in 1957 perpetuating this fraud. To Tell the Truth is an American Television Game show created by Bob Stewart and produced by Goodson - Todman In the broadest sense a fraud is a Deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual Another is Bill English, a grocery store employee who appeared on the October 5, 1990, episode of the ABC investigative television newsmagazine 20/20 claiming to have been Buckwheat. Simon William "Bill" English (born 1961 is a New Zealand politician and former leader of the National Party from October 2001 to October 2003 A grocery store is a store established primarily for the Retailing of Food. Events 869 - The Fourth Council of Constantinople is convened to decide about what to do about Patriarch Photius of Constantinople Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic A newsmagazine, also spelled news magazine, is usually a weekly Magazine featuring articles or segments on current events 20/20 is an American television Newsmagazine broadcast on ABC since June 6, 1978. Following the broadcast, Spanky McFarland informed the media of the truth, and in December, William Thomas, Jr. The meaning of the word truth extends from Honesty, Good faith, and Sincerity in general to agreement with Fact or Reality , the son of the actual actor who played Buckwheat, filed a lawsuit against ABC for negligence. In law a lawsuit is a civil action brought before a Court in which the party commencing the action the Plaintiff, seeks a legal or equitable remedy
Persons and entities named after Our Gang
A number of other groups, companies, and entities have been inspired by or named after Our Gang. For example, most notably, Phfat Raskals', an American band, name is a reference to the short, Bubbling Troubles (1939), in which Alfalfa's stomach becomes overly bloated. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The folk-rock group Spanky and Our Gang was named in honor of the troupe, but had no other connection with it. Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of Folk music and rock music. Spanky and Our Gang was an American 1960s Folk-rock band led by Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane In addition, there are a number of (unauthorized) Little Rascals and Our Gang restaurants and day care centers in various locations throughout the United States. A restaurant is a retail establishment that serves prepared Food to Customers. Day care or child care is care of a child during the Day by a person other than the child's Parents or Legal guardians typically someone outside The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Ren and Stimpy, the animated stars of Nickelodeon's The Ren and Stimpy Show, were first created as supporting characters on a proposed cartoon show called Your Gang about a group of children. The Ren and Stimpy Show is an American / Canadian animated television series created by Canadian Animator John Nickelodeon (commonly referred to as Nick) is an American Cable television network owned by Viacom International, founded in 1977 as Pinwheel The Ren and Stimpy Show is an American / Canadian animated television series created by Canadian Animator John
Home video releases and rights to the films
16 mm, VHS, and DVD releases
-
For more details on this topic, see Our Gang filmography. The following is a complete list of the 221 Our Gang films produced by Hal Roach Studios and/or Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer between 1922 and 1944 in order
From the 1960s to the 1980s, copies of all eighty Hal Roach Little Rascals talkies, and a handful of the silents, were available on 16 mm film through Blackhawk Films. Blackhawk Films, from the 1950s through the early 1980s marketed motion pictures on 16mm, 8mm and Super 8 film The only edits made to the films were the replacements of the original Our Gang title cards with Little Rascals titles. Like the other Little Rascals distributors, Blackhawk was required to use custom title cards in place of the originals, and the conversion of Railroadin', whose soundtrack could not be found, into a silent. In the early 1980s, Blackhawk made two-thirds of the Little Rascals shorts available by catalog on VHS home video. Home video is a blanket term used for pre-recorded media that is either sold or hired for home entertainment Blackhawk Films was acquired in 1983 by National Telefilm Associates, later renamed Republic Pictures, who repackaged about thirty Little Rascals shorts in various VHS compilations for sale in retail stores in 1984. National Telefilm Associates (otherwise known by its initials NTA was an independent distribution company that handled reissues of American film libraries including Republic Pictures (also known as Republic Entertainment Inc) is an independent film television and video distribution company that was originally a movie production-distribution
Cabin Fever Entertainment acquired the Little Rascals home video rights from Republic in 1993, and between 1994 and 1995 issued all eighty Roach talkies (including a restored sound version of Railroadin') in a twenty-two volume Little Rascals VHS tape set. Each volume, hosted by film historian Leonard Maltin, featured four digitally restored and uncut shorts, complete with their original Our Gang title cards. Leonard Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American Film critic and Film Historian. In 1998, Cabin Fever shut down and sold the Little Rascals home video rights to Hallmark Entertainment, who re-issued the first ten volumes of the Cabin Fever VHS set, and released two Little Rascals DVD compilations. RHI Entertainment is an American producer of Television movies and Miniseries, founded in the 1980s by Robert Halmi Jr A third DVD, entitled Little Rascals Collectors' Series Volume III, was issued on November 15, 2005, and includes ten sound shorts. Events 655 - Battle of Winwaed: Penda of Mercia is defeated by Oswiu of Northumbria. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
Meanwhile, MGM had released several non-comprehensive VHS tapes of its shorts, as well as the feature General Spanky. There are many other unofficial Our Gang and Little Rascals home video collections available from several other distributors, comprising shorts (both silent and sound) which have fallen into the public domain. The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone
Status of ownership
Currently, the rights to the Our Gang/Little Rascals shorts are scattered. RHI Entertainment (successor-in-interest to Hallmark Entertainment) owns the copyrights of and holds the theatrical and home video rights to the Roach-produced Our Gang shorts. RHI Entertainment is an American producer of Television movies and Miniseries, founded in the 1980s by Robert Halmi Jr RHI Entertainment is an American producer of Television movies and Miniseries, founded in the 1980s by Robert Halmi Jr RHI acquired these after absorbing Hal Roach Studios, Roach's estate, and Cabin Fever Entertainment in the late 1990s. Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr ( January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and King World held the rights to the Little Rascals trademark and the Little Rascals television package until 2007. Today King World's rights are with CBS Television Distribution (which was formed by the merger of King World with CBS Paramount Domestic Television), which offers both original black-and-white and colorized prints for syndication. CBS Television Distribution (CTD is a United States and Global Television Distribution company, a merger of CBS Corporation 's three CBS Paramount Domestic Television ( CPDT) was an American television distribution/production that was formed on January 17, 2006 and owned by Film colorization is any process that involves adding Color to Black and white, sepia or monochrome moving-picture images King World/CBS's Little Rascals package was featured as exclusive programming (in the United States) for the American Movie Classics network from August 2001 to December 2003, with Frankie Muniz as the host. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the AMC is a cable television network that primarily airs movies The letters originally stood for American Movie Classics. Francisco "Frankie" Muniz IV (born December 5, 1985) is an American actor and racing driver
The MGM-produced Our Gang shorts, General Spanky, and the rights to the Our Gang name have been owned by Turner Entertainment since 1986. General Spanky is a 1936 Motion picture produced by Hal Roach. Turner Entertainment Company Inc is an American media company founded by Ted Turner. Today, the MGM Our Gang shorts are distributed for Turner by Warner Bros. Television Distribution. Warner Bros Television Distribution is an American television distribution arm of Warner Bros Turner made a deal with King World in the early 1990s to jointly market the Little Rascals and Our Gang films and properties, instead of competing with one another. The MGM Our Gangs now appear regularly on the AmericanLife TV Network, and periodically on the Turner Classic Movies cable network. The AmericanLife TV Network, formerly the GoodLife TV Network and The Nostalgia Channel, is an American Cable television network Turner Classic Movies ( TCM) is a cable television channel featuring commercial -free classic movies mostly from the Turner Entertainment and Warner Most of the MGM Our Gangs are also available for viewing online at AOL's In2TV website. In2TV is a joint-service offered by AOL and Warner Bros that enables people in the USA only to download television
The widely-circulated rumor that entertainer Bill Cosby bought up the rights to Our Gang to keep the racial stereotypes off of television is false. William Henry Cosby Jr (born July 12 1937 is an American Comedian, Actor, Author, Television producer and Activist. Cosby has never owned any rights to the series at any time. [26]
Our Gang kids, pets, and personnel
For a detailed listing of the Our Gang kids, recurring adult actors, directors, and writers, please see Our Gang personnel. This page is a listing of the significant cast and crew for Hal Roach 's Our Gang Short subjects series which ran in movie
The following is a listing of the best-known child actors in the Our Gang comedies. They are grouped by the era during which they joined the gang:
Roach silent period
- Peggy Cartwright (1922)
- Ernie "Sunshine Sammy" Morrison (1922–1924)
- Mickey Daniels (1922–1926)
- Mary Kornman (1922–1926)
- Jackie Condon (1922–1928)
- Allen "Farina" Hoskins (1922–1931)
- Joe Cobb (1922–1929)
- Jay R. Smith (1926–1929)
- Jean Darling (1926–1929)
- Bobby "Wheezer" Hutchins (1926–1933)
- Mary Ann Jackson (1927–1931)
- Pete the Pup (1927–1938)
Roach talkie period
- Norman "Chubby" Chaney (1929–1931)
- Jackie Cooper (1929–1931)
- Dorothy DeBorba (1930–1933)
- Matthew "Stymie" Beard (1930–1935)
- George "Spanky" McFarland (1932–1942)
- Tommy Bond (1932–1934 as Tommy, 1937–1940 as "Butch")
- Scotty Beckett (1934–1935)
- Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas (1934–1944)
- Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer (1935–1940)
- Darla Hood (1935–1941)
- Eugene "Porky" Lee (1935–1939)
- Darwood "Waldo" Kaye (1937–1940)
MGM period
- Mickey Gubitosi (Robert Blake) (1939–1944)
- Billy "Froggy" Laughlin (1940–1944)
- Janet Burston (1940–1944)
Notable Our Gang comedies
For a complete filmography, see Our Gang filmography. The following is a complete list of the 221 Our Gang films produced by Hal Roach Studios and/or Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer between 1922 and 1944 in order
The following is a listing of selected Our Gang comedies, considered by Leonard Maltin and Richard W. Leonard Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American Film critic and Film Historian. Bann (in their book The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang) to be among the best and most important in the series.
- 1923: The Champeen and Derby Day
- 1924: High Society
- 1925: Your Own Back Yard and One Wild Ride
- 1929: Cat, Dog & Co. The Champeen is the seventh Our Gang Short subject comedy released and Small Talk
- 1930: The First Seven Years, Pups Is Pups, Teacher's Pet, and School's Out
- 1931: Love Business, Little Daddy, Fly My Kite, and Dogs Is Dogs
- 1932: Readin' and Writin', The Pooch, Hook And Ladder, Free Wheeling, and Birthday Blues
- 1933: The Kid From Borneo, Mush and Milk, and Bedtime Worries
- 1934: Hi' Neighbor! and Mama's Little Pirate
- 1935: Beginner's Luck and Our Gang Follies Of 1936
- 1936: Divot Diggers, Bored of Education, and General Spanky
- 1937: Reunion In Rhythm, Glove Taps, Hearts Are Thumps, Rushin' Ballet, Night 'N' Gales, Mail And Female, and Our Gang Follies of 1938
- 1938: Three Men in a Tub and Hide and Shriek
- 1939: Alfalfa's Aunt and Cousin Wilbur
- 1940: Goin' Fishin' and Kiddie Kure
- 1942: Going To Press
Footnotes
- ^ Maltin, Leonard (1994). Pups Is Pups is a two-reel Comedy Short subject; part of the Our Gang (Little Rascals series Teacher's Pet ( 1930) is a two-reel Comedy Short subject; part of the Our Gang (Little Rascals series Bored of Education is a one-reel Comedy Short film; part of the Our Gang (Little Rascals series General Spanky is a 1936 Motion picture produced by Hal Roach. Our Gang Follies of 1938 (later reissued as simply Follies of 1938) is a 1937 musical Short subject, the 161st short Alfalfa's Aunt is a 1939 Comedy Short subject, the 176th entry in the Our Gang ( Little Rascals) series originally Leonard Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American Film critic and Film Historian. The Little Rascals: Remastered and Uncut, Volume 22 (Introduction) [Videorecording]. New York: Cabin Fever Entertainment/Hallmark Entertainment
- ^ a b c d Maltin & Bann. RHI Entertainment is an American producer of Television movies and Miniseries, founded in the 1980s by Robert Halmi Jr The Little Rascals: The Life & Times of Our Gang, p. 1, 128, 134, 172.
- ^ Limbacher, Carl Jr. (July 23, 2001). Civil Rights Leader: Dan Rather Slurred Blacks with Chandra Comments. NewsMax. com. Retrieved May 26, 2005. In 2001, Dan Rather was accused of racism by the Reverend Jesse Lee Peterson when he stated, on air, that "What happened was they [CBS management] got the willies, they got the Buckwheats. Daniel Irvin "Dan" Rather Jr (born October 31, 1931) is a journalist and former news anchor for the CBS Evening News List of racism-related topics|Racism by country Racism, by its simplest definition is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that Jesse Lee Peterson is president and founder of The Brotherhood Organization of A New Destiny (BOND an American group dedicated to promoting responsible fatherhood amongst Their knees wobbled and we gave it up. "
- ^ Maltin & Bann. The Little Rascals: The Life & Times of Our Gang, p. 243.
- ^ Burns, Linda. (2005, April 8). Life & Times (interview with Donald Bogle) [Television broadcast]. Los Angeles: KCET. Transcript available here. Excerpt: "[The] interesting thing is the first real kind of black star in Hollywood was a [child actor]. His name was Ernest Morrison. He was known as Sunshine Sammy and he worked with Harold Lloyd. He worked in the early "Our Gang" series. He was very well-known within the black community in Los Angeles. People knew him and admired him. But they were the early ones. The other thing that was also interesting was that, in the very early days, there were a number who ended up working as servants for major white stars. "
- ^ Pilgrim, Dr. David (Oct. 2000). The Picaninny Caricature. Ferris State University: The Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia. Retrieved May 26, 2005. Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
- ^ Maltin & Bann. The Little Rascals: The Life & Times of Our Gang, p. 181.
- ^ Maltin & Bann. The Little Rascals: The Life & Times of Our Gang, p. 245.
- ^ Maltin & Bann. The Little Rascals: The Life & Times of Our Gang, p. 9.
- ^ Maltin & Bann. The Little Rascals: The Life & Times of Our Gang, p. 246.
- ^ Bogle, Donald. Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies & Bucks: An Interpretive History of Blacks in American Films, p. 21
- ^ Maltin & Bann. The Little Rascals: The Life & Times of Our Gang, p. 4-5.
- ^ Maltin & Bann. The Little Rascals: The Life & Times of Our Gang, p. 262.
- ^ Maltin & Bann. The Little Rascals: The Life & Times of Our Gang, p. 195.
- ^ Maltin & Bann. The Little Rascals: The Life & Times of Our Gang, p. 202.
- ^ Maltin & Bann. The Little Rascals: The Life & Times of Our Gang, p. 211.
- ^ Maltin & Bann. The Little Rascals: The Life & Times of Our Gang, p. 235 - 236. Financial data for negative costs, revenue, and profits/losses are provided for all 52 MGM Our Gang shorts.
- ^ The Little Rascals (1994). Imdb. com. Retrieved May 26, 2005. Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
- ^ "Business Data for The Little Rascals (1994)". IMDb. Retrieved May 30, 2005.
- ^ "E! True Hollywood Story: The Curse of the Little Rascals". IMDb. com. Retrieved April 19, 2007.
- ^ Mikkelson, Barbara and Mikkelson, David. "Urban Legends References Page: 'Our Gang' Curse. " Snopes. com. Retrieved April 19, 2007.
- ^ Maltin & Bann. The Little Rascals: The Life & Times of Our Gang, p. 246.
- ^ NY Times obit, August 1, 1993
- ^ Maltin & Bann. The Little Rascals: The Life & Times of Our Gang, p. 241-242.
- ^ Contemporary sources variously identify Mickey Daniels, Harry Spear, and Jay R. Smith as being called "Freckles"
- ^ Sept. 17, 1999. "Urban Legends: The Little Rascals". Snopes. com. Retrieved June 24, 2005. Events 972 - Battle of Cedynia, the first documented victory of Polish forces takes place Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
References
- Maltin, Leonard & Bann, Richard W (1977, rev. 1992). The Little Rascals: The Life & Times of Our Gang. New York: Crown Publishing/Three Rivers Press. ISBN 051-758325-9.
- Ramsey, Steve. Our Gang Online. Ramseyltd. com (No longer online). Retrieved version of site as it existed on August 3, 2002 using the Wayback Machine on March 10, 2005. The Wayback machine originally referred to a fictional machine from a segment of the Cartoon The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show used to transport Mr Events 241 BC - First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates Islands - The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet bringing Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
Further reading
- Bond, Tommy, w. For the Major League Baseball player see Tommy Bond (baseball. Genini, Ron (1994). Darn Right It's Butch: Memories of Our Gang/The Little Rascals. Delaware: Morgan Printing. ISBN 0-9630976-5-2.
- Cooper, Jackie (1982). Jackie Cooper (born September 15 1922 is an American Academy Award -nominated Actor, Emmy Award -winning TV director, and TV Please Don't Shoot My Dog: The Autobiography of Jackie Cooper. New York: Penguin Putnam. ISBN 0-425-07483-8.
External links
- Steve Ramsey's Our Gang Online.
- Our Gang Online in the Wayback Machine. The Wayback machine originally referred to a fictional machine from a segment of the Cartoon The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show used to transport Mr
- Little Rascals fan site
- King World Productions' Little Rascals licensing site. King World Productions Inc (also known as King World Entertainment or simply King World) was a syndicator of television programming in the United States
- The "Little Rascals/Our Gang" Webring is the fourth most active webring at webring. com. It includes links to a number of fan sites dedicated to Our Gang.
- The Heustess Family Website has pictures, music, sound bytes, film clips, and episodes from the Our Gang comedies plus links to other Our Gang sites.
- Jean Darling's website (Darling was part of Our Gang from 1926 to 1929).
- Shirley Jean Rickert's website. (Rickert was part of Our Gang from 1930 to 1931).
- 4Alfalfa.com-A tribute site to Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer (member from 1935 to 1940)
- Portraits and autographs from former Little Rascals
- MGM Our Gang comedies at In2TV
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