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Our Gang/The Little Rascals thread

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Offline Shemp_is_Awesome78

 The title explains what this thread is trying to get at. Honestly, I feel like Our Gang or The Little Rascals or whatever the heck you want to call it is underlooked and thought of as a kids show. But, it's more for adults than it is for kids!
 But, people appreciate the talkies except have no idea that there was ever any Our Gang silent movies! They deserve some credit! After all, both Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were in the silent before they teamed up..  :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
 So, yeah, feel free to give me your thoughts on Spanky, Alfalfa, Farina, Stymie, Buckwheat, Darla, and the rest of the Gang.
Abbottt: Stop smoking in here, Costello!
Costello: What makes you think I'm smoking?
Abbott: You have a cigar in your mouth!
Costello: I got my shoes on, but I'm not walking!


Offline Signor Spumoni

Who is your favorite silent Our Gang character?  What do you like most about the Our Gang/Little Rascals comedies?


Offline Shemp_is_Awesome78

Who is your favorite silent Our Gang character?  What do you like most about the Our Gang/Little Rascals comedies?
I like probably Mickey Daniels or Joe Cobb, because of their physical expressions. They are flawless. I also like Allen " Farina" Hoskins, especially the ones made when he was a little baby! What I like most about the comedies is the fact that they are movies that can still go strong today, and that you can reflect back on the movies and remember, " Oh! I remember when I did something similar to that when I was a kid!" and it can help you remember memories you would've never remembered. It's also the fact that the children are so cute and that they're able to act like adults and not over-act ( unless you count early-40's Spanky).
Abbottt: Stop smoking in here, Costello!
Costello: What makes you think I'm smoking?
Abbott: You have a cigar in your mouth!
Costello: I got my shoes on, but I'm not walking!


Offline Signor Spumoni

I doubt I could choose a favorite character, not from the silent and not from the talkies.  I enjoy seeing each child for different reasons, although there are some things about one or another character which I find especially amusing or appealing or entertaining. 

I like to see the children most when they are at their most natural.  Of course, some of them were pros at portraying natural characters.  They're all so cute, and they're so funny, too.  When I was little, I had a hard time with the poor quality sound on many of the shorts.  I watch the Rascals about once a week now, the first time I've seen them since I was a child, and I notice that they sound quality is often not good, and other times, the dialogue is almost drowned out by the soundtrack.  That's probably what bothered me when I was young. 

Yet I think I enjoy the Rascals much more now than I did then.  I think it's because I know more about human nature than I did then.  I watched a *lot* of TV when I was growing up, and there were many things, in TV shows and in old movies, which I assumed were just to keep the plot moving.  But now I can see that many of those things are representative of human nature - - *and* to keep the plot moving. 



Offline metaldams

Not much an Our Gang expert, but I'll say the two shorts that have always stood out to me are CHOO-CHOO! and THE KID FROM BORNEO.
- Doug Sarnecky


Offline Signor Spumoni

Not much an Our Gang expert, but I'll say the two shorts that have always stood out to me are CHOO-CHOO! and THE KID FROM BORNEO.

Have you seen the silent "Choo Choo?"  I can't remember the title just now, but the children seem even wilder in that silent version, and their escort has a different demeanor to the one in the talkie.

"The Kid From Borneo" made a huge impression on me.  I remember laughing myself sick over that one.  I saw it again not long ago, and it's still funny.  I think, "Yum, yum, eat 'em up!" must be in the American lexicon thanks to that short. 

How about "Birthday Blues?"  Do you remember that one with the cake that goes, "weeeeep- WOW!"?  That made an impression on me, too, way back when.



Offline Shemp_is_Awesome78


HA! Being the Our Gang fan I am, I have tried to identify everyone in the picture ( from the top row, left to right): Dorothy DeBorba, Dickie Moore, Matthew " Stymie" Beard, Tommy "Butch" Bond and George "Spanky" McFarland. ( the people sitting, left to right): Not sure whom that first person is, but I'm almost positive that girl is Stymie's sister.
Abbottt: Stop smoking in here, Costello!
Costello: What makes you think I'm smoking?
Abbott: You have a cigar in your mouth!
Costello: I got my shoes on, but I'm not walking!


Offline Signor Spumoni

The two children who are sitting are Thomas McFarland (Spanky's brother), and Bobbie Beard (Stymie's brother).  Thomas appeared in some of the LR shorts and was known as Dynamite while Bobbie also appeared in some shorts and was known as Cotton (Stymie came up with this nickname for him).  They appeared as extras not featured players.

S-I-A, have you seen the TV show, "You Asked For It" where five of the silent stars appeared in a very brief reunion in 1953?  They were Mickey, Farina, Joe, Jackie and Johnny.  I think the host was awful, and their appearance was much too short, but it was interesting if only for curiosity's sake.  I'll post a link if you're interested.


Offline BeAStooge

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Tommy "Butch" Bond


Footnote... in the above picture, his character was simply 'Tommy.'

Bond left the series in late 1934, and when he returned for early 1937's GLOVE TAPS he was recast as 'Butch.'  The only one of the kids to play two different characters, each time as a series regular.


Offline Signor Spumoni

I forget to add something, S-I-A - - in that reunion on "You Asked For It," the "Gang" were also reunited with their former tutor and with their director, Robert McGowan.

Overall, it was a good idea but with two problems. One was that host Art Baker seemed to be armed with one quip per boy, and the quips weren't good.  Also, there just wasn't enough time for this segment.  As an aside, Joe Cobb looks strange, not at all like himself as man nor boy. 


Offline Shemp_is_Awesome78


Footnote... in the above picture, his character was simply 'Tommy.'

Bond left the series in late 1934, and when he returned for early 1937's GLOVE TAPS he was recast as 'Butch.'  The only one of the kids to play two different characters, each time as a series regular.
Yeah, I knew that. &, BTW, 1934 was also an important yet for a certain slapping trio..
Abbottt: Stop smoking in here, Costello!
Costello: What makes you think I'm smoking?
Abbott: You have a cigar in your mouth!
Costello: I got my shoes on, but I'm not walking!


Offline stoogerascalfan62

I'm glad someone started this thread. I think the Rascals are just as good and funny as the Stooges. Dorothy is my favorite leading lady. So many good boy Rascals can't think of any one who's my favorite off the top of my head.


Offline Signor Spumoni

'Twas Shemp-Is-Awesome78 who started this thread - - thanks, S-I-A!

I was hoping you'd show up here, Stoogerascalfan62.  I'm glad to see you.  I have trouble choosing *any* favorite character, as I said before.  Each one has something special.   Do you have a favorite short? 

Has anyone read Leonard Maltin's book(s) on Our Gang/Little Rascals?


Offline Shemp_is_Awesome78

'Twas Shemp-Is-Awesome78 who started this thread - - thanks, S-I-A!

I was hoping you'd show up here, Stoogerascalfan62.  I'm glad to see you.  I have trouble choosing *any* favorite character, as I said before.  Each one has something special.   Do you have a favorite short? 

Has anyone read Leonard Maltin's book(s) on Our Gang/Little Rascals?
In fact, I'm just in the middle of reading that book right now! But, I'm only on the Pathe silents. I got it at the library.
Abbottt: Stop smoking in here, Costello!
Costello: What makes you think I'm smoking?
Abbott: You have a cigar in your mouth!
Costello: I got my shoes on, but I'm not walking!


Offline Signor Spumoni

In fact, I'm just in the middle of reading that book right now! But, I'm only on the Pathe silents. I got it at the library.

I get a LOT of books from the library.

How do you like it?  What is the copyright year on the one you're reading?  I once read the first version (1977), but I'm now reading the latest one (1992).  There sure is a lot of information! 

I hope you're enjoying this book as much as I am.

On a different OG/LR subject - - remember "Washee Ironee," the talkie with Waldo, the rich boy, who plays football with the gang, then gets so dirty he needs to wash his clothes but ends up appearing in front of his mother and her friends wearing only a lampshade?  I saw that one not long ago.  When Waldo wears a lampshade, he really reminds me of the leg lamp in "A Christmas Story." 


Offline Shemp_is_Awesome78

 About Washee Ironee.. It's funny that you mention " Waldo, the rich boy" well, especially because that's not Darwood " Waldo" Kaye, and that's Wally Albright. My memory may not serve right, except I don't think he's ever referred to as Waldo.
Abbottt: Stop smoking in here, Costello!
Costello: What makes you think I'm smoking?
Abbott: You have a cigar in your mouth!
Costello: I got my shoes on, but I'm not walking!


Offline Signor Spumoni

About Washee Ironee.. It's funny that you mention " Waldo, the rich boy" well, especially because that's not Darwood " Waldo" Kaye, and that's Wally Albright. My memory may not serve right, except I don't think he's ever referred to as Waldo.

You're right that the actor is Wally Allbright.  But he's called Waldo at least once, and I think it was more than once.  The one time I'm sure of is when his mother says,  "Waldo, your B-flat in the obligato pianissimo needs more staccato."


Chubby.  Definitely Chubby.  Especially when he's in love with Miss Crabtree or singing Asleep In The Deep.


Offline Shemp_is_Awesome78

Chubby.  Definitely Chubby.  Especially when he's in love with Miss Crabtree or singing Asleep In The Deep.
Chubby Chaney certainly is a " lost Rascal" that not much people tend to recognize.
Abbottt: Stop smoking in here, Costello!
Costello: What makes you think I'm smoking?
Abbott: You have a cigar in your mouth!
Costello: I got my shoes on, but I'm not walking!


Offline Signor Spumoni

Chubby.  Definitely Chubby.  Especially when he's in love with Miss Crabtree or singing Asleep In The Deep.

It's very funny in "Love Business" when he's in love with Miss Crabtree and he smooches the big cut-out of Garbo's head at the cinema.  Later he comes calling on Miss Crabtree when she's boarding with Jack's family.  Jack and Chubby are rivals because they both have crushes on Miss Crabtree, and they try to edge one another out.  Chubby's great in that one, too.




That's the one I'm talking about.  " Don't call me Norman, call me Chubbsy-Ubbsy."


Offline Signor Spumoni

That's the one I'm talking about.  " Don't call me Norman, call me Chubbsy-Ubbsy."

That's the one!  I love that, "Chubbsy-Ubbsy!"


IIRC, he sings Asleep in the Deep in the same one as the throbbing cake, right?  Big-time funny.


Offline Signor Spumoni

IIRC, he sings Asleep in the Deep in the same one as the throbbing cake, right?  Big-time funny.

Chubby sings "Asleep In the Deep" in "Little Daddy."  The cake is in "Birthday Blues."  That cake still makes me laugh out loud.