I haven’t seen most of these in 20 years, but today on Me-Too (WMEU-CA Channel 48 and WCIU Channel 26.3), they had a “Little Rascals Marathon.”
Them was some bad ass kids. Especially the early ones.
I loved it when the were in the orphanage and the one of the kids turns to Stymie and says “Well at least you get to go home,” and Stymie says “Yeah as soon as my Daddy gets out of jail.”
Poor Stymie his Daddy was always in jail.
I liked it when they all went to visit the rich kid house. And the gang are peddling stuff and the snotty little rich girl looks at Stymie and says “Are you the chauffer’s son.” And Stymie looks at her all insulted and says “My daddy ain’t no chauffer, he’s a crap shooting fool.”
And all the little girls are tramps ala Mae West. Espeically Darla and Mary who were always one minute liking “He-men,” then switching to “men of refinement.”
Spanky McFarland was a real good kid actor
I love how nothing the kids did could be done today. The mother leaves the baby with Spanky in charge, and the baby is 3/4 the size of Spanky. (This is when he was very young). Or the Rich Lady says “I love kids, I’m going to give a feed for all the poor little children of the community.” Then you see the gang going for “eats” when a lady says “I don’t have anyone to take my kid.” And the mother says “OK,” and just lets her 3 year old go off with a roving band of kids she’s never seen before.
Oddly enough we never find out in that one why the mother can’t take her own kids, she just seems to be sitting on the porch.
It’s a shame they can’t make stuff like that. I do realize most of it is just a because of time that no longer exists.
I have a set that has something like 87 episodes. I used to watch The Little Rascals all the time when I was a kid in San Diego. The shows were hosted by Darla. I haven’t had a chance to work myself through the DVD set I have.
Favourite moments:
[ul][li]Love Business. Chubby is in love with Miss Crabtree (Who wouldn’t be? She was hot!) Chubby tells her she can call him ‘Chubsie-ubsie’ and then says, ‘Oh, Miss Crabtree! There is something heavy on my heart.’ An eavesdropping Jackie says, ‘Oh, Chubsie-bsie! There’ll be something heavy on your nose!’[/li][li]I’ve forgotten the episode, but Spanky is babysitting. One kid gets trapped under basket or something, and Spanky says, ‘See what you get for being smart!’ (I still use that line.)[/li][li]‘Give me the biggest kiss you’ve got!’ mwowwww![/ul][/li]
And this was really good: The Black kids singing Old MacDonald. ‘Ee-aye…Ee-aye… Oooooooooh!’ Beautiful harmony and arrangement.
The early “Our Gang” shorts were quite good – when Spanky was young and teamed with Scotty Beckett. Jackie Cooper was terrific, especially with Miss Crabtree. The fact that Farina and Stymie were part of the gang was also quite significant.
My favorite Spanky line was in Birthday Blues, where he and Dickie Moore are looking for a gift for their mother (who is always fighting with their father). They see a gun in a shop window and Spanky says he wants to get her that. Dickie asks, “What would she do with a gun?” Spanky answers, “Shoot papa.” A nice touch of black humor.
But the series deteriorated as Spanky got older. One of the basic “rules” of the series was that the kids were continually being replaced as they grew out of the role. Spanky stayed forever, and those that joined him – Alfalfa, Darla, and Buckwheat – were weak compared to those who had left. And don’t get me started on Froggy.
Am I wrong, or are those shorts more like life in the 1890s than in the 1930s? As in, they’re aimed more at Grandma and Grandpa than kids?
BTW, yesterday’s Combat! marathon reminded me of the deliciousness of its B&W photography. Or probably told me about it, since we didn’t have nearly that good a picture back in the day.
ETA: Jackie Cooper was as homely as a kid as he is an old guy.
I remember watching the Little Rascals/Our Gang comedies after school and loving the ones with Alfalfa and Spanky. Now, I prefer the pre-Alfalfa years with Wheazer, Chubby and the rest.
B-26s liked far too much to crash on landing. It took more than its toll of newbies, with its high wing loading. (waxing aesthetical) But damn, it was a fine looking aircraft.
Alfalfa was either killed in self defense (legal conclusion) or in a cold-blooded murder (what most of the witnesses claim).
Spanky realized his studio education was for-shit, but he worked his way to being the national sales manager of Autolite/Ford.
They were aimed at all ages. There’s a similarity to the world they show and that of silent movies (Our Gang started with silent movies), which were presumably indicative of the time. If you see some of Buster Keaton’s films of the 20s, they look of the backgrounds (supposedly modern day) is not that different. Kids were indeed allowed to play without adult supervision (hell, they were when I was that age in the 1950s), though Our Gang takes it just a little further past the reality.
One interesting point, the Rascals are often seen in school together. Wasn’t segregation at its high point in the thirties? Was anyone outraged at this portrayal of integration or was it all just looked on as fantasy?
The action definitely took place in California, which ISTM was not as segregated as the rest of the nation. I have read that many of the shorts were not shown in some areas because of the kids going to school together, etc.
Only the most virulent of racists were bothered by seeing black and white children together. Kids tended to have something of a dispensation, especially in movies*. Certainly Our Gang was acceptable to audiences at the time (even Southern ones); Hal Roach couldn’t afford controversy and I haven’t seen anything indicating they were controversial at the time. People generally didn’t make the connection.
The films are far more likely to cause offense today than they were when they were made.
*See Donald Bogle’s history of racial stereotypes in film, Toms, Coons, Mulattos, Mammies, and Bucks for a description. The black kids in Our Gang were a subgroup of Coons called by Bogle “Pickaninnies.” (Bogle seems to like using these offensive terms; he clearly defines what they mean and is able to show how persistent they have been.)
I have read that book, RealityChuck, and found it very interesting. Don’t have it to hand, but yes, unless the kids were depicted as being “sweet on” each other, there was no objection to their playing together.
Best evidence indicates that Chubbie was actually born in 1914, making him 22 when he died. He was the first major character to die, but several other minor character died a children before him.
And my favorite bit of Little Rascals trivia: “Uncle George” (actually “Bumbo”) had previously been a heavyweight boxer (John Lester Johnson), and gave Jack Dempsey the worst beating of his career. Technically, I think it was a draw, but Dempsey took a pounding.
Also, not only was Robert Blake a “Rascal,” but so were his older brother and sister (both deceased).
Oh, I’d love to see an Our Gang marathon! A few of my favorites:
Set in the orphanage. The kids have to make breakfast and spill the milk. So the mix up a concoction. “Don’t drink the milk!” “Why?” “It’s spoiled!”
Baby Spanky helping make the birthday cake with the surprise in it. For some reason, I remember socks.
Spanky and Alfalfa, private eyes. Scared silly in a haunted house ride.
What irritates me about some of the older shorts is that background music has been added OVER existing bg music! That makes them unwatchable. Who was the idiot who thought that was a good idea?
Perhaps somebody here can ID this scene which I’d SWEAR was from an “Our Gang” reel. A young rascal is groaning & complaining about going to school. His mother tells him he must learn to read & write.
Rascal: But I DON’T WANNA learn how to read & write!
Mother: Oh, don’t say that. If you go to school and work hard at your studies, why then one day maybe you could become the president when you grow up! Wouldn’t you like to be president?
Rascal: No I DON’T wanna be president. I wanna be an AUTO MECHANIC.
Mother: Whaaat? Now you look here! You aren’t going to be no auto mechanic ! You’re going to be the president whether or you like it or not! Now go on, get to school.
That scene has stuck with me for ages, and I’d swear it was one of the rascals, but not one of the better-known ones (not Spanky or Alfalfa). Does that ring a bell with anybody?
