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Post by mtw12055 on Jun 23, 2014 13:59:33 GMT -5
If you could change any moment in Our Gang history, what would it be?
I suppose doing something about the MGM era would be obvious. Not sure if I would suggest Hal Roach ending the series altogether in 1938. But considering the types of cheap, 'quickie' films Roach was releasing in the 40's, I can't exactly see the series fairing any better if Roach continued to produce it during the War. I also wonder if the series would have left as big of a legacy today if the MGM era had never happened. In short, I would want to do something about the Metro era, but I'm not exactly sure what.
I would also try to keep the Gang in good health during their later years, so that they could have lived a little bit longer.
And I would have found a way to preserve the original negatives of all of the OG films (including the foreign language prints from 1930).
Any others?
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Post by ymymeatemup on Jun 23, 2014 15:10:41 GMT -5
1. MGM. I guess the MGM era hasn't exactly hurt the series, since it's only a few years out of 22, but ending the series in 1938 would, in my opinion, be sort of like the Beatles breaking up in 1970. A lot of people were upset, but if they had waited another 5 or 10 years, then there'd be a lot of mediocrity in their catalogue, and the overall picture wouldn't be as impressive.
2. General Spanky. I mentioned this plenty of times before, but the first Our Gang feature should have been an actual Our Gang film. Roach was worried that audiences wouldn't sit through such a thing, so he threw in a bunch of adults and made it a period piece. But if an actual Our Gang film had failed, at least he'd know it was Our Gang that failed. Then he could just go back to making shorts and sell the series to MGM, which he did anyway. And besides, even though I really don't like the 1994 feature, it still proves that the Our Gang format holds together for the length of a feature without getting boring. And of course, if an Our Gang feature DID succeed in 1936, then the entire series would have converted to features and the MGM era probably would never have happened. The main reason Roach wasn't able to keep making features was because of the loss of Laurel & Hardy, and the unreliable success rate of his "All-Star" features, so a successful Our Gang series could have offset this.
3. Strapping Hal Roach To A Time Machine. And sending him to the present, where he can see that people collect his old films the same way people of his era collected books and records. Heck, there are people out there who would be willing to purchase every single thing Hal Roach ever made. Not an unusual thing to say about a moviemaker, but normally it's actors and directors people collect. Not so much entire production companies.
4. A Christmas Episode. I mentioned this just yesterday, but yeah - a Christmas episode circa 1935 woulda been nice.
5. Hypnotising And/Or Brainwashing Louis B. Mayer. And having him keep Gordon Douglas on the payroll. And having him put Douglas in total control of the series, so that if it DID have to be produced at MGM, at least it would have a better chance of keeping up its standards. And implementing a policy where the kids wouldn't be kept around after their expiration date - that would be nice, too.
6. Bumping Off Hitler & Hirohito Before They Came To Power. I can't think of a better reason not to go to war then to save the Our Gang series from its decline. Can you?
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Post by myhomeo on Jun 23, 2014 16:28:32 GMT -5
Another one: I'd contact Kendall McComas (AKA Breezy Brisbane) and let him know people are looking for him for nostalgia convention appearances, autograph signings, etc. It might not do any good, but it might help him to know he wasn't forgotten.
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Post by mtw12055 on Jun 23, 2014 16:30:56 GMT -5
Another one: I'd go back to 1993 to let Penelope Spheeris know that plenty of Our Gangsters are still living, and more than willing to have some sort of involvement in her movie.
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Post by myhomeo on Jun 24, 2014 16:30:13 GMT -5
Oh, one thing that might have helped the aging Rascals is some sort of trust fund so they'd be okay when their careers dried up and the money stopped coming in. Perhaps some sort of 'Residuals In Perpetuity' deal in their contracts, assuming that means what I think it does. Granted, Roach was a shrewd man but he probably wouldn't imagine the shorts would have any life past one or two showings so he might fall for it.
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Post by RJH on Jun 25, 2014 0:28:57 GMT -5
If I get several besides the good ones posted above:
Lodge Night: Choose a different name and attire for the club. This could have been very good.
Spook-Spoofing: If this has to be made, pick someone other than Farina as the victim.
No small children crying for real.
Cut out racial gags like blsck sweat and white paint where it makes no sense.
Eliminate scenes of animals in slow motion and trying to convince the audience that the animals are drunk. Those scenes are tedious and not funny.
Convince Eddie Murphy and the Saturday Night Live team that the planned Buckwheat sketch is going to turn the name of a barely remembered character into a racial slur overnight. That slur will last for generations, if not centuries. This is reprehensible, so go with some other sketch. Murphy's career will be fine without this.
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Post by mtw12055 on Aug 13, 2014 11:12:26 GMT -5
Another one: I'd get child services on James (Wheezer's dad) Hutchins' tail.
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Post by myhomeo on Aug 14, 2014 16:09:50 GMT -5
Oh, one I'm surprised I didn't think of earlier: I'd find out the truth about those Gus Meins charges.
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Post by xxshoppergurlxx on Aug 14, 2014 23:54:25 GMT -5
An episode where Scotty sings. I had always wanted to hear him sing as a young child. After all, his singing lead to his film career in the first place.
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rascalstooge
Full Member
10 years this coming November.
Posts: 237
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Post by rascalstooge on Aug 15, 2014 9:25:50 GMT -5
An episode with Miss Crabtree teaching Spanky and Scotty.
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Post by mtw12055 on Aug 15, 2014 9:47:48 GMT -5
An episode with Miss Crabtree teaching Spanky and Scotty. That almost happened. "Teacher's Beau" was originally intended to feature Miss Crabtree. June Marlowe opted out, having retired from show business after getting married.
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ladia
New Member
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Post by ladia on Jun 28, 2015 17:39:45 GMT -5
I would change how most of the little black boys were dressed as girls in the series. Buckwheat and Farina wore dresses and ribbons as toddlers on the show.if they wanted a girl why didn't they just get a real black girl
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2015 17:18:54 GMT -5
I'd like to see the 1980s animated series return to the airwaves, or at least release the full series as a DVD set.
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rascalstooge
Full Member
10 years this coming November.
Posts: 237
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Post by rascalstooge on Sept 11, 2015 9:31:46 GMT -5
I'd like to see a Roach-era Rascals talkie with a Three Stooges supporting player besides James C. Morton. Either Vernon Dent or Bud Jamison. Maybe Stanley Blystone as well.
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Post by Mark on Sept 11, 2015 18:30:51 GMT -5
Keep Jackie Condon in the series for just a few more shorts so he could last long enough to make it through the transition to talkies. If only this could have happened, we'd know what he sounded like.
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