Finally, after all these years, getting around to an Our Gang short. A series that lasted from 1922 - 1944 and due to the nature of its subject matter - children - combined with how long the series lasted, couldn’t help but go through consistent change. The kids leave the series because they all grow, necessitating for new children to come in. Even the same kids who stay in the series a while have to be used differently at age three than at age nine - with the short we’re discussing here, CHOO-CHOO!, being a great example. In addition to different kids coming, growing and going in the series, the tone of Our Gang shorts were also never consistent. There are the school shorts, the musical shorts, the moral story shorts, the battle of the sexes shorts and the slapstick shorts. You people who read my reviews shouldn’t be surprised it’s the latter I like best, one of the main reasons why I chose CHOO-CHOO! as my first Our Gang review.
Made in 1932, this was made during the phase where Hal Roach was trying to build Spanky as the new star of the series. Other than getting his own picture in the credits, it’s also obvious of all the kids, Spanky gets most of the laughs and screen time. At this point Spanky is a really cute kid, age three, who is just old enough to direct to do simple commands. Here, one simple command is asked of Spanky and asked of him a lot - punch people, and punch them like a three year old. He utters not a single line of dialogue and manages to look cute and about and nonchalant as a three year old can get. It’s simple humor, but it works, Spanky steals the show here. Spanky would stay in the series for several years and would not remain age three forever. He would grow into a leader amongst the gang and be a mainstay and cultural icon, but even though I like older Spanky, it’s mischievous toddler Spanky I like best and he was arguably never better than here. As for the other kids, only really Stymie stands out in this one, being especially funny when acting hungry when all those foods are being mentioned to him.
Dell Henderson is another stand out in CHOO-CHOO! Though he appeared occasionally with The Three Stooges, it’s these early thirties Roach shorts where I’ve really grown an appreciation for him. He really does a nice job acting disgusted at the idea of having to care for all the children and plays the perfect punching bag for Spanky.
Ultimately, CHOO-CHOO! is a fine combination of giving just enough screen time to the kids, letting the adults carry some laughs, and giving us some great sight gag comedy. Another in a long line of train shorts, I always find this a great setting for twenties and thirties comedies, the boxed in setting being perfect for the barrage of animals and explosives that take over the train at the end of this short. A monkey who lights a match and sets off explosives leading to some wonderful shots of firecrackers exploding all over the place and climaxing being shown out of the train on the train tracks. Great stuff.
I would not call myself a fan of the entire Our Gang series, but being there were so many shorts made and this was done by Hal Roach, I can’t help but liking several individual efforts. CHOO-CHOO! is definitely one I will always cherish.
