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Post by ymymeatemup on Nov 28, 2013 0:50:30 GMT -5
COMMENCEMENT DAY (1924)
Things I like: The Big Fight. It's always good to see Mickey Daniels getting the better of the local bully, and it's particularly satisfying when he makes the bully kiss a goat. Mickey's Violin. Seems a bit strange watching a musical performance in a silent film, but of course, the point of the scene is entirely visual, utilizing a frog gag that was later reworked into "Pups Is Pups." The Goat. Or at least that moment when it gets up on its hind legs to join the schoolchildren into the classroom. Best ever performance by a goat in an Our Gang comedy (not that it's saying much).
Things I don't like: Pretty Much Nothing. This episode has all the attributes of most of the others from this era, so I can't really think of anything to fault, though at the same time it doesn't strike me as a series highlight. I do like the depiction of the single-room country schoolhouse, which gives me a vague idea of what school must have been like for my parents. Available prints are variable in terms of picture quality and surviving intertitles, so presumably a better print would give a better impression.
Grade: B
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Post by ymymeatemup on Nov 30, 2013 1:33:54 GMT -5
BOUNCING BABIES (1929)
Things I like: The Lightbulbs. One of two (only two!) things about this short that I find very clever. And as somebody that likes researching Our Gang locations, I also like seeing those great views of Motor Avenue. Chubby's Voice. The other clever thing about this short takes advantage of the new technology (I think they refer to it as 'sound'). Truly one of the more unique gags in series history.
Things I don't like: The Soundtrack. Aside from Chubby's trick voice, there's nothing else about the soundtrack that works. Apparently, the state of the technology at this point meant choosing between dialogue and music - so we're left without soundtrack music, which probably would have made for a better viewing experience. The Pancake Sequence. This part is a little too much like pointing a camcorder at your small child and letting them do whatever they do - only in this case, the results make it into a Hollywood movie. The scene in which Wheezer dresses himself is similarly dull, if mercifully shorter. During this slow opening sequence to the film, there are nevertheless a couple of bright spots. First, I find it quite nostalgic to check out the family kitchen. And, of course, the Plaster of Paris pancake connecting to Dora Dean's head is bizarrely comical. Dora Dean. Even allowing a bit of leeway for the weak microphones and subsequent shouting of dialogue, I find her to be one of the least charismatic people to ever turn up in this series. Everybody Else. As fond as I am of Wheezer, I'm not too impressed with his performance in this short. It's a bit much to revolve any film around a four-year-old, but this was a very early talkie, and the rough edges are just too overbearing. And, actually, the same is pretty much true of everybody else. There's barely a line of dialogue in this whole short that sounds natural. I will, however, concede that there's a certain charm to this episode (largely because of Wheezer) that puts it slightly above most of the others made during this early talkie period.
Grade: C-
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Post by RJH on Nov 30, 2013 23:07:43 GMT -5
Bouncing Babies (1929) - Wheezer is upset that his parents are ignoring him while doting on their new baby. He has to dress himself, which is difficult even with Pete's help, and then make his own breakfast since he didn't come when his mother called four times. He makes pancakes out of Plaster of Paris, and ends up with a spanking for his efforts. He tells big sister Mary Ann that he's running away, where he meets Farina in a park who tells him that he traded his own baby brother for a goat. The rest of the gang comes by in Halloween costumes to scare them. Wheezer runs home, and pushes the baby crib to the hospital, not realizing it contains just a doll that Mary Ann had been playing with. A nurse calls his mother and they conspire to teach Wheezer a lesson. He finds Mom and Mary Ann crying when he gets home, and then decides he has to get the baby back. The nurse tells him it's too late, and when he gets back home again Mom tells him he has to pray for the baby's return from Heaven, which apparently works.
This doesn't feel like an Our Gang comedy becuase it isn't very funny and the gang is barely in it. 90% of the time it's Wheezer and/or Mary Ann. The part with Jean, Harry, and Chubby in costumes chasing Farina and Wheezer is painful to watch; there is no way Farina could be scared by them and he doesn't look like it. The best part is Wheezer breaking light bulbs to get all the motorists to stop at a busy intersection, fearing they might have flat tires. He is almost caught the fourth time, but he and Pete race away from the cops. The next most clever gag is Wheezer putting one of his Plaster of Paris pancakes down the back of his pants to thwart the spanking, but that turns out to be temporary, and I really don't like the spanking scene. Pete's interaction with Wheezer is good throughout. Overall there is too much crying and moralizing for my taste.
Cradle Robbers (1924) - Another low-quality print which is missing a lot of footage, perhaps one-fourth.
Most of the gang is trying to entertain their younger siblings by dangling toys on the ends of fishing poles. Mary comes by after attending a baby show, and the gang gets the idea to enter their baby brothers and sisters. It looks like most of the prizes have been awarded by the time they get there, pushing lots of strollers down the streets, but there is still a prize for the best fattest baby. They get the idea to enter Joe, who would rather go fishing, but seems to go along when Ernie offers him a quarter if they win the fifty dollar first prize. They dress Joe up as a baby and sneak in through a window. The deception works for a minute, but when Joe hears he's about to be undressed, he bolts back through the window, and is chased by a cop for quite a while.
The gang then decides to hold their own baby show, with the animal division on the second floor of a barn. After some success, a bottle of ammonia is dropped on the floor, and the smell forces everyone out. Seeing the police, the gang is afraid they'll be arrested and hides in a gypsy's horse-drawn wagon. The gypsy is stealing chickens, but when he sees the police he drives away. The police and a horde of mothers give chase, and some babies fall out of the back, to be scooped up by their mothes. A tasteless bit occurs when the two black babies fall out, and are left in the middle of the road. Eventually the gypsy is caught, the families are reunited, and Joe, still in baby clothes, is again chased by the cops.
This short doesn't stand out. There are some good moments, like Joe's fishing pole snagging a bald man's toupee and Joe's dog jumping after it. The gang makes some creative contraptions for their show, with an elevator that Joe is a little too heavy for. Some of the babies don't look happy with the way they're being treated, with water or milk getting squirted around. It just doesn't seem to have a particularly strong story line. It might be better with the missing footage, and I think I'm missing some title cards as well.
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Post by ymymeatemup on Dec 4, 2013 2:10:47 GMT -5
CRADLE ROBBERS (1924)
Things I like: Falling Babies. I don't know what it is, but there's something appealing about babies falling out of the back of a wagon one by one. Even the bit with the black babies being passed up by the mothers is kind of funny, but only if the (admittedly unlikely) point is to make fun of racial attitudes among white people. The whole sequence seems to belong on Comedy Central rather than in a silent film. The Hairpiece. This pretty much has to be the funniest toupee gag in the series, or at least gives the "Beginner's Luck" gag a run for its money. Joe As A Baby. Some of Joe's best moments come about as he tries to avoid some of the less appealing aspects of being a baby.
Things I don't like: The Lack Of Justice. I know the gypsy isn't a particularly honest guy (he steals chickens, after all), but I'm sure the trial will be for kidnapping and the sentence correspondingly harsh, even though it's all a misunderstanding. I always feel sorry for him at the end of the film. The Asian Baby. Well, not the baby himself, but Mickey and Ernie's snickering reaction to him. The Ammonia Gag. Is it possible that NONE of the slow motion gags in this series are funny? Crying Farina. As usual, we're supposed to find it funny when toddlers are made to cry. The Available Print. Not that this affects my rating, but this is one film that suffers from an overly duped available version which is missing a few inter-titles.
Grade: B
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Post by ymymeatemup on Dec 11, 2013 22:39:34 GMT -5
BOXING GLOVES (1929)
Things I like: The Merry-Go-Round Effect. Easily the most imaginative sight gag in the whole short with the most comical sound effect to boot. Jackie Cooper. He's not given much to do in his debut, but he's clearly suited for talkies, as he delivers his dialogue quite convincingly. The Hair-Mussing Gag. A novel idea in an otherwise unamazing episode.
Things I don't like: Most Of The Acting. One can site the weakness of the early microphones as the reason for all the shouting, but the lameness of the acting is not evenly distributed. As already mentioned, Jackie Cooper holds up pretty well, as does the older tough kid. Those who would remain with the series are at least passable, but it's not surprising that Harry and Jean were let go within a few months, as they seem to be the least at-home with the new medium. The Roar Of The Crowd. Honestly, I find it quite deafening. The Lack Of Soundtrack Music. Much of the boxing footage would seem more comical if Leroy Shield was already providing his ditties, but that was still a year away. Joe's Pants. Ah yes, Joe and his ever-drooping pants. This idea had more than run its course during the silent era. Luckily, when Joe left the series, he seems to have taken the gag with him. The Ending Gag. Presumably, Joe got out of being punished by the bully, but we'll never really know since the plot of this film was apparently irrelevant to the filmmakers. Instead, it just ends on a decidedly weak gag.
Grade: D+
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Post by RJH on Dec 15, 2013 0:15:08 GMT -5
Boxing Gloves (1929) - Harry and Farina are trying to raise money by staging boxing matches, but the best Harry can come up with is a bout between toddlers Wheezer and Donnie. The spectators demand their money back (e.g., a baseball and a bean shooter.) In search of a better fight, Farina sees Joe and Chubby fighting over Jean. The heavywieghts tear each other's pants, and end up colliding and breaking two pop bottles in an effort to accommodate Jean. Joe and Chubby are ready to stop fighting, especially over girls, when somehow Farina convinces to fight in the ring. He tells each the other will lay down in the second round. Mary Ann tries to get into the arena but is told girlss faint at the sight of blood, so she manages to pull Jackie Cooper away and put on his clothes. The fight starts wtih Joe and Chubby avoiding each other, but the action picks up when Mary Ann tells Farina, the referee, that Joe gets angry when his hair is mussed up. Farina then tells Chubby the signal for Joe to lie down is to muss his hair, and when Chubby does, the two start fighting for real. It is an even match, with both taking shots that cause them to see the world spinning around. Joe tries to quit, but a tough kid in the audience won't let him, and takes a hammer from timekeeper Wheezer to ring the bell before Joe can be counted out. In the next round, Farina gets hit at least as often as the actual boxers, and is thrown back into the ring at one point by the tough spectator. The fight ends when Joe and Chubby knock each other out, and the film ends abruptly with Farina getting hit by a tomato while he's announcing the result. Previously the announcer {"Graham McCracker") was also hit by a tomato for greatly exaggerating the action and terrible singing.
This is an obvious remake of "The Champeen!" and is rather inferior. The inconsistency of the sound is a big problem. There are several stretches where the sound disappears entirely, and the dialogue comes off as unnatural in many cases. An example is Joe having to announce, "Now I'm mad" after his hair is mussed, and it isn't very convincing. Jackie Cooper and Mary Ann Jackson are pretty good, the latter wanting to find out what it feels like to faint. There isn't as much intensity in the fight as Joe and Chubby aren't really mad at each other like Mickey Daniels and Jack Davis were in "The Champeen!" Also, the object of Joe and Chubby's quarrel, Jean, is long gone by the time the fight takes place. We don't get to find out if Farina and Harry did turn a profit on this bout.
Crazy House (1928) - Jean is the poor lonely rich girl who sees the gang watching Farina and Harry box outside and longs to be part of the festivities. She gets her chance when Farina, Joe, and Wheezer deliver laundry to her house. Wishing for a baby brother, Wheezer arrives, being dragged on a carpet by Pansy (aka Pete). Jean promptly forces Wheezer to trade clothes so she can box him. When Joe comes into the room, Jean gets him to invite the gang for a party, as it is convenient Jean's parents are away and some servants have sneaked out. Unbeknownst to the gang, Jean's father has rigged the house for April Fool's Day with all sorts of gags and booby traps. Next-door-neighbor Percy (J.R.) Smith is present when this is explained, and he helps make sure the gang sets off all the traps, and encourages them to try to eat the food which is mostly rubber and cotton. Jean gets Harry to trade clothes, promising him anything in the house, and then boxing him after they're done changing. When the gang has had enough of the inedible food, collapsing chairs, and non-functional silverware, they turn on Percy and beat him up. Wheezer sets off a burglar alarm, and the police come just as it looks like the gang is trying to steal random stuff. Fortunately Wheezer then triggers the cascade of thousands of balloons. Wrapping themselves in the balloons, the gang is able to escape.
Thsi film is rather uneven. The premise of the lonely girl wanting to be part of the gang is familiar, but I really dislike Jean's disrobing of Wheezer. At least Harry cross-dressed willingly. The plot is a bit thin. There are some good gags, but their effect is diminished when they get repeated multiple times. Then there's the old trick of getting black ink or whatever around the eyes when looking through a fake kaliedoscope, and Farina naturally sits in the one chair with white ink/powder/whatever. The highlight is all those balloons dropping at the end. That must have taken a lot of effort to set up. I don't get excited about colorizing the old black and white silents, but this is one scene I think would be spectacular colorized.
One other thing I couldn't help notice is how Jackie Condon towered over the rest of the gang when they were standing as a group. Kind of a shame a growth spurt at age ten helped knock him out of the series and he just missed making it to the talkies like Joe Cobb, a few months older, did.
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Post by ymymeatemup on Dec 18, 2013 0:59:52 GMT -5
CRAZY HOUSE (1928)
Things I like: Jean Darling. The first half of the short is notably better than the second half, and this is largely because of the sentimental tale of a little rich girl who wishes to be a regular kid. Jean is quite sympathetic in this role, and is amusing in her attempts to be a boy. The Table Top. The photographic effect showing the boys in miniature was achieved a couple of years earlier in "Good Cheer," but it's always a pleasant bonus when the series incorporates this type of thing. Jay R. Smith. I include him here more for the hilarious outfit and locks of hair than for any other reason. The Cross-Dressing. Especially in the case of Harry Spear, who looks quite funny in a dress. The Balloons. Easily the highlight of the various practical jokes, and one of those moments when I wish the series was in color (but not really!).
Things I don't like: The Practical Jokes. Or most of them, anyway. They're the standard type of jokes seen in other episodes, but in this case, they take up virtually the entire second half of the film. One need only rewind to "Shootin' Injuns" to see a 'crazy house' that would put this one to shame. The Soundtrack. Actually, it works just fine with its reworking of the "Barnum & Ringling" repertoire, but it's nothing compared to the later "Wiggle Your Ears" style of soundtrack.
Grade: B
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Post by ymymeatemup on Dec 22, 2013 2:31:05 GMT -5
BUBBLING TROUBLES (1940)
Things I like: Butch. He's a bit watered down in this short (not particularly intimidating), but Tommy Bond still manages to avoid the bad-acting syndrome plaguing the rest of the kids. The Alphabet Soup. One of the more clever moments of the MGM era. If they had done things like this more often, they might have actually had a pretty good series.
Things I don't like: Pregnant Alfalfa. The thing is - I'm so fond of Alfalfa from his early Roach appearances that it actually sickens me to see what they did with him in this short, with the giant belly and the pillows attached to him, in addition to how gangly and obnoxious he was by this time anyway. However, kudos to Spanky and Darla for their helpfulness in advising Alf on how to walk. The Acting. Do I even need to mention this? Contrived as usual. Ticket & Tasket. It's kind of strange, because in the long shot, there's clearly two kids there, but in the closeups, it's a mirror image using one kid. The problem is that the synchronization between the twins is so exact that the trick is made obvious. The Lack Of Trey Parker And Matt Stone. If ever an Our Gang episode could have used the South Park guys, this is the one. Alfalfa was only a few months away from leaving the series, so why not make this his last episode and have him go out in (gruesome) style?
Grade: D+
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Post by RJH on Dec 31, 2013 15:46:47 GMT -5
Bubbling Troubles (1940) - Alflafa is daydreaming at the breakfast table, imagining Darla in his alphabet soup, and then seeing Butch appear. Alfalfa's father gives him Settles-itt powder to improve Alfalfa's appetite. The gang then goes to Butch's house upon hearing Darla's claim that Butch can make dynamite. He fools those initially present with a bunch of fake chemistry talk, but when Alfalfa shows up later, he recognizes the Settles-itt packet and shows up Butch by drinking the alleged dynamite ingredients. Unfortunately he didn't mix the two separate powders first, so the conconction expands his stomach grotesquely. When Butch's father's car backfires, the gang is convinced Alfalfa really has ingested dynamite, and attach pillows to him so he won't explode. They take him to the woods to sit on a stump and await help, but coincidentally some workers are there to blow up that exact stump with real dynamite. Alfalfa is shooed away, and when the dynamite is set off, the gang concludes Alfalfa has exploded. In a poignant touch his hat comes drifitng down at the site. They go to his house to break the news to his parents, but Alfalfa is home alive, if not completely well. When he drinks bicarbonate, he trips and falls and his stomach deflates, causing a violent windstorm in his house that knocks out the front well. After that, he does feel better.
This is bettter than several of the shorts surrounding it. There is no moralizing, and several decent gags, including the soup and the explosion making the car stand on its front wheels. The worst part is the gang's crying when they believe Alfalfa is dead. That comes across as artificial and unconvincing, and goes a long way towards ruining the short. I find most of the scenes where someone is crying annoying, and gang members almost never do it well (Farina in Love My Dog does, but that's going back a long way). It is a bit odd to see Butch being more of a nerd than a threatening bully, but he still plays his part well. The best line by a gang member could be Buckwheat's "You's crzay, Alfalfa!"
Derby Day (1923) - I am fortunate that I saw this before reading anything about it that would have spoiled the ending.
The gang is hanging out in front of a racetrack trying to sell hot dogs and lemonade. When Mary, whose father owns several horses at the track, comes by, they fall over each other trying to serve her lemonade. Then she lets them sneak into the stadium by distracting the guard. Ernie and Farina arrive separately with their jockey father's racing uniform and get in legitimately. Once inside, a kindly worker (Richard Daniels) pionts out a good vantage point for the gang to view the horse races. The excitement of the races inspires the gang to put on their own race.
The gang goes to great lengths to simulate the grown-up horse racing. Their setup includes a weighing scale, tote boards and betting windows (I really wanted to place a bet on Farina on those 1000-1 odds), and a brass band. Unfiorms are borrowed surreiptiously from Mickey's mother. What the gang lacks is enough horses. Jack gets to ride one, but Ernie has Dinah the Mule, Joe a cow, Mickey and Jackie dogs, Sing Joy a goat (these last three pulling carts), and Farina a tricycle. Lacking a purse for the race, Mary encourages her father to provide five dollars to the winner. The race is three times around the track - if it is still there. All but Farina get off to a fast start, who while a fast tricylclist, is much slower than the animals and keeps hitting bumps in the track and falling off. A newsreel camera at the start/finish line shows Farina pedaling across in last place by a large margin. However, after that the "thoroughbreds" start becoming uncooperative. Jack and Ernie's steeds leave the track and head the wrong way. Mickey falls off his cart and has to run to catch up and get back on. Joe's cow gets sleepy, having drunk from a bucket that had alcohol poured into it by Farina. Jackie's enourmous dog quits, and when he suddenly starts up agiank, Jackie falls off and is dragged a long distance on his stomach, desperately holding on to the reinds. Sing Joyu's goat stops to eat from a pile of trash. Dinah also feels the effects of alcohol, and Ernie can't get her back up. Mickey and Jackie's dogs get into a fight. Jack can't get his horse to leave a stable. Meanwhile Farina keeps pedaling away, passing all the other contestants, who evenutally give up their animals and pursue him on foot. When it looks like Farina has a clear path to victory, he hits another bump, and this one causes one of the wheels to come off, forcing him to finish the race on foot as well. Mary and her father wait at the finish line as the rest of the gang closes the gap on Farina ...
Everything clicks in this. The enthusiasm for the real horse race, the efforts to duplicate the real version but not so much as to strain credibility, the intertitles and music. The all the hurdles the kids have to overcome in their race. The uplifting spirit made me choose this film to make my avatar from a screenshot in it.
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Post by RJH on Jan 14, 2014 0:39:26 GMT -5
The post on the first page says these two are supposed to be reviewed the same week, so that's why I've been grouping reviews like this.
Calling All Kids (1943) - Ugh! The above description is right on target, and I characterize this as one of several late MGM films that is utterly devoid of entertainment value. This film is truly bottom of the barrel, and I kept fast-forwarding through the mind-numbing song and dance routines. That left only the recruiting skit with Mickey and Froggy, the only time two real gang members did something together in the same scene. That qualifies as the highlight, but has got to be about the lowest highlight in the series. Yes, take it away -- far, far away please, the farther the better!
Dog Days (1925) - Another film in which a huge portion, about half, is missing, and makes it hard to give an accurate review.
The gang is showing off their dogs to each other, each claiming his dog can perfrom a unique trick. Mickey tells his dog to notify him when his baby brother wakes up so he can be fed, but the dog fails miserably, instead drinking from the baby bottle himself and playing with a cat. However, the dog redeems himself when he chases down Mary's runaway pony and takes control, bringing them to a stop. Mary is so grateful she invites the gang and their dogs to her birthday party. Most of the party involves the gang trying to copy Mary, as Mickey tells them that's etiquette. This goes so far as scratching themselves when one of the dogs turns up with fleas. Then they suddenly race upstairs to find that one of the dogs, I think Joe's, just had puppies, which is a trick none of the other dogs can perform.
From what I could view this just isn't one of the better silents. Mary fainting in her pony-driven carriage doesn't ring true; her character is much more self-assured in the other films. The gag at the party is pretty much the same thing over and over with the gang duplicating Mary's mannerisms. Pineapple is noticeably missing from the birthday party scene, altough he does enter the house and run upstairs with the rest of the gang. There is an isolated scene at the beginning (in the TCM marathon) where Pineapple and Farina fall asleep watching some lady's dog, who then mistakenly pulls Farina on a wooden tricycle for a block instead of her dog. Then Pineapple and Farina's dog doesn't get into the mix with the other gang dogs. In the print I had there is such a sudden jolt to the race upstairs I have to believe something signficant is missing.
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Post by ymymeatemup on Jan 18, 2014 2:21:02 GMT -5
DERBY DAY (1923)
Things I like: Mary's Reaction. She does exactly what one would expect of a little girl suddenly finding herself in the middle of a bunch of little boys changing their clothes. The single best piece of acting in the whole short. The Big Race. The quick pace of the finale, coupled with the absurdity in their choice of animals, makes for one of the more comically exciting finishes in the series. Pretty Much Everything Else. It's difficult for me to pinpoint other highlights in this particular short, and yet I find it enjoyable from beginning to end. It seems that the personalities of the various kids, and the formula of having them watch an adult activity and then stage a kiddie version of it, is all we need for a solidly entertaining Our Gang silent. Of course, it helps that Cabin Fever released a pristine 35mm print, which would enhance any silent comedy, let alone an Our Gang short from a period in which they could virtually do no wrong.
Things I don't like: Pretty Much Nothing. Except perhaps a few of the cringe-inducing racial moments, but those happen in virtually every silent episode, and they're not too numerous in this film, nor damaging enough to diminish the overall effect.
Grade: A
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Post by ymymeatemup on Jan 18, 2014 23:23:44 GMT -5
CALLING ALL KIDS (1943)
Things I like: Fred Astaire. And to a lesser extent, the kid that imitates him in this film. Pretty Much Nothing Else. Yes, some details are preferrable over others, particularly during the "Our Love Affair" sequence, but it's always a mixture of "you know, these youngsters really are quite talented" and "the way they stare down the camera during their overly-precocious performances really creeps me out."
Things I don't like: The Hell. Somewhere between a quarter and a third of the film has gone by before we see our first Our Gang kid. If it wasn't for the opening titles, I wouldn't even know what the hell I was watching. Then the Our Gang kids show up and I still don't know what the hell I'm watching. The "Comedy." Apparently, some idiot at MGM really took a shine to the earlier military-themed vaudeville tripe in "Doin' Their Bit," and decided, despite the lack of an appropriately cast Spanky, to rehash it with an inappropriately cast Mickey. And yet it's no worse than the earlier routine. Physicists are still trying to develop a workable theory to explain this phenomenon. Long Tall Froggy. I speak, of course, of the 'adult' Froggy during the closing number. I've never quite understood why he's so tall in this part of the film, but that's neither here nor there. My main gripe is the way he comes in with "AND THE MAREEEEEEEEENS!" Makes my fillings jiggle. Janet Burston. I'm trying to figure out if dressing Janet as Carmen Miranda is a step down from her earlier musical numbers. I mean, sure, my cat hisses at the screen when she starts singing, but that's par for the course. I think a useful analogy would be to think of good and bad as north and south. Janet's previous musical numbers could be said to reside at the south pole. So, no matter how hard MGM tried, whether it's dressing her as Carmen Miranda, or Daisy Duck, or Aunt Jemima, or what-have-you, they could only make her as obnoxious as she already was. There's no south of the south pole. Nice try, though, guys. The Sheer Seriousness Of It All. Okay, maybe "it all" isn't quite accurate, but most of this short is mercilessly serious. I understand the importance of boosting public morale in times of war, but that really isn't any excuse to make such a pathetic episode of what was once one of filmdom's finest comedy series.
Grade: F
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Post by john16 on Jan 19, 2014 21:35:30 GMT -5
Roamin' Holiday(1937)_The opening scene has Spanky and Alfalfa babysitting their baby brothers out on the homefront.Buckwheat and Porky stand by listening to the former two complain about how their babysitting job's a waste of their childhood.To make matters worse,Darla announces to Spanky that he and Alfalfa will have to take dancing lessons.That being the last straw,Spanky and Alfalfa decide to run away from home.Buckwheat and Porky tag along. After a long tiring walk,the four boys enter the small farming community of Jenksville.While hungrily admiring the big cakes in the display window of Hiram Jenks' General Store,Spanky gets an idea after seeing Hiram Jenks(Otis Harlan) and his wife(May Wallace) feed their dog cookies.He knocks on the door and asks Mrs.Jenks if she has any cookies for his dog(Pete)."Well I haven't any cookies left"she replies,"But I'll get him something better."Buckwheat suddenly gets an idea of his own,and he and Porky go elsewhere.Mrs.Jenks returns with a small paper bag of"something extra special".Excitedly expecting cream puffs,Spanky opens the bag to find dog biscuits instead.Meanwhile Buckwheat and Porky literally shove a much bigger dog toward the store.Mrs.Jenks spots this from the store window and informs her husband.(The dog happens to be theirs.)Hiram decides that"as constable of Jenksville,it is my duty to investigate."When Buckwheat and Porky finally make their way into the store with the dog,Hiram gives them a welcome greeting."Our dog hungry,give 'im somthin' ta eat?"asks Buckwheat."Sure would your dog like this?"replies Hiram handing them a large bone of meat."an how tanks"replies Buckwheat.Hiram then asks the boys if they see anything else their dog would like.Buckwheat requests apple pie,then a big cake,then four cream puffs.As Spanky and Alfalfa sit on the stoop still chewing their dog biscuits,Buckwheat and Porky come out with practically half the store's food.The former two quickly throw away their biscuits and join the latter two.And the four of them have a delightful feast of cream puffs and cake.Hiram and his wife quietly step out onto the stoop and watch the boys with delight.Until Spanky says"Home was never like this,aren't you glad we ran away?""An how,I betcha our mothers are plenty sorry now"Alfalfa replies.Hearing this Hiram decides to teach them"a darn good lesson".Back in the store,as his wife makes prisoner uniforms by painting white stripes onto jean jackets and pants,Hiram grabs a rifle that"won't shoot but scare 'em a plenty".Just as the boys decide to leave and save the pie for later,Hiram stops them and asks who will pay for all the food.When neither one of them have any money,he arrests the four of them. Next thing we know,Hiram has all four boys dressed in prisoner uniforms as he leads them to a pile of stones and rocks,where they spend the next couple of hours hammering,with him on guard."Of all the dogs in the world,you would have to pick on the constable's"complains Spanky to Buckwheat.Then Hiram and his wife agree that it was getting late and was time to take the boys home.But as soon as they're out of sight,Spanky sees it as their chance to get away.As the boys make their escape,the Jenks' car muffler backfires,causing the boys to think they're being shot at.Buckwheat and Porky hide in the dog house of a vicious looking dog.Spanky and Alfalfa hide inside a straw box in the barn,where a rooster,seeing Alfalfa's cowlick sticking out of the top of the box,yanks at it and eventually pulls it right off Alfalfa's head.Then a large pig somehow manages to get Spanky and Alfalfa on it's back and runs out of the barn,followed by the dog who's dog house Buckwheat and Porky are in,and they all crash into a bee colony.All four boys are then chased out of Jenksville by a swarm of bees.
Roamin' Holiday was among the many films Spanky,Alfalfa,Buckwheat and Porky did together in 1937.It seemed to be a good year for them. The film's soundtrack is all played by fiddles.Otis Harlan and May Wallace make a rather cute charming couple.This appeared to be one of Pete the Pup's last films,if not his last Our Gang appearance. An interesting thing is,us viewers have no real feeling of distance between the boys' home front and Jenksville.In fact there is one minor thing that may give away the obvious fact that the whole film was shot in the same location.You may notice some of the trees blowing in the wind in both the home front scene and the Jenksville scenes. The ending leaves you wondering what happens next.Apparently there was a deleted last scene where the boys are back home babysitting their brothers with bruised faces from bee stings.
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Post by ymymeatemup on Jan 22, 2014 1:47:16 GMT -5
DOG DAYS (1925)
Things I like: Pal. Seldom in this series are we treated to the type of clever tricks performed by the Gang's regular dog during this era. Both the baby bottle gag and the stopping of the runaway pony must have taken some special effort on the part of Tony Campanaro.
Things I don't like: Pretty Much Nothing. Not that I'm overwhelmed by this episode, but I can't think of much to complain about. The party is sort of the typical poor-kids-meet-rich-kids scenario later reworked in "Ten Years Old," and everything else is fairly standard fair for this series. I get the impression that the original version of this film would have had quite a few additional inter-titles compared to the available footage, which may very well make the film more enjoyable. We're often left surmising what the characters must be talking about, and there's also the impression that some ideas were probably a bit more fleshed out in the original film, for instance the game of 'post office' that leaves Farina's feet aching.
Grade: C+
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Post by myhomeo on Jan 22, 2014 17:42:07 GMT -5
Re: Came The Brawn. You probably already know this but there was reportedly a different ending filmed where Alfalfa goes off with some other girl. For one reason or another, they decided it didn't work and replaced it.
Other bloopers: Butch is clearly running in place while Alfalfa crawls under the canvas. And when Butch's suit is pulled off, one can see the sleeves snag on his wrists; he has to hide them under the canvas until they cut away. Then when they cut back, Butch has pulled the canvas up over one shoulder for some reason. I also like Woim's reaction to Waldo and his poetry; he seems like he's never encountered anyone or anything like this creature before and doesn't quite know how to react to him.
I tend to see this as the generic Rascals short: It has all the characters most people think of as The Little Rascals --Spanky, Alfalfa, Darla, Buckwheat, Porky, Butch, Woim, and Waldo, the 'Big Eight' as I call 'em-- doing their usual schtick in a standard issue plot.
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