The Best Shorts

[wheezer]

Everyone has their favorite shorts (even if some may not be that good) but I want to see if some views on the best shorts are unanimous. Personally, I think the 1930-1931 era bore some of the best shorts, but that's entirely opinion based.
Shorts that I find to be the best:

• Dogs is Dogs
  
• Pups is Pups
• School's Out
• Teacher's Pet
• Hi'Neighbor
• Mama's Little Pirate
• Fly My Kite
• Our Gang Follies of 1938
• Helping Grandma
• Big Ears

I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts!

[mtw12055]

Ah, the old "favorite episode" question!

It's always been difficult more me to choose, largely because "Our Gang" went through so many changes over the course of its 20+ year run.

Instead, I'll try something a little different: best short(s) from each year.

1922
ONE TERRIBLE DAY
SATURDAY MORNING
A QUIET STREET

1923
THE CHAMPEEN!
DOGS OF WAR!
JULY DAYS
DERBY DAY

1924
TIRE TROUBLE
BIG BUSINESS
HIGH SOCIETY
THE SUN DOWN LIMITED
THE MYSTERIOUS MYSTERY!

1925
THE LOVE BUG
SHOOTIN' INJUNS

1926
THUNDERING FLEAS
SHIVERING SPOOKS
THE FOURTH ALARM!

1927
LOVE MY DOG

1928
Come back to me...

1929
CAT, DOG & CO.
SATURDAY'S LESSON
RAILROADIN'

1930
THE FIRST SEVEN YEARS
PUPS IS PUPS
TEACHER'S PET
SCHOOL'S OUT

1931
HELPING GRANDMA
LOVE BUSINESS
FLY MY KITE
SHIVER MY TIMBERS
DOGS IS DOGS

1932
READIN' AND WRITIN'
FREE EATS
SPANKY
THE POOCH
HOOK AND LADDER
FREE WHEELING

1933
FISH HOOKY
THE KID FROM BORNEO
MUSH AND MILK

1934
HI'-NEIGHBOR!
FOR PETE'S SAKE!
THE FIRST ROUND-UP
MAMA'S LITTLE PIRATE

1935
TEACHER'S BEAU
SPRUCIN' UP

1936
DIVOT DIGGERS
SPOOKY HOOKY

1937
GLOVE TAPS
RUSHIN' BALLET
NIGHT 'N' GALES
FISHY TALES
THE PIGSKIN PALOOKA
MAIL AND FEMALE

1938
HIDE AND SHRIEK
THE LITTLE RANGER
ALADDIN'S LANTERN
MEN IN FRIGHT

1939
ALFALFA'S AUNT
DUEL PERSONALITIES

1940
GOIN' FISHIN'
KIDDIE KURE

1941
COME BACK, MISS PIPPS

1942
GOING TO PRESS
MIGHTY LAK A GOAT

1943
Not a good year.

1944
DANCING ROMEO

[Deleted]

1931: Love Business

1932: Hook and Ladder, Free Wheeling

1933: Fish Hooky, The Kid from Borneo

1934: Hi'-Neighbor!

1935: Teacher's Beau, Sprucin' Up

1936: Spooky Hooky

1937: Night "n" Gales, Fishy Tales, Mail and Female, Hearts are Thumps, Feed 'em and Weep (was that from 1937?)

1938: Hide and Shriek

1982: Darla's Dream Dance, Cap'n Spanky's Showboat

1983: Save Our Treehouse!, The Zero Hero

[tboneator64]

Here's Some Of My 'Our Gang' Favorites, Dating Back To The Dawn Of The Sound Era:

1929: RAILROADIN'
1930: PUPS IS PUPS; TEACHERS PET; SCHOOL'S OUT; HELPING GRANDMA
1931: LOVE BUSINESS; FLY MY KITE
1932: HOOK AND LADDER; FREE WHEELING
1933: THE KID FROM BORNEO; WILD POSES
1934: FOR PETE'S SAKE; HONKY-DONKEY; THE FIRST ROUND-UP; MIKE FRIGHT
1935: BEGINNER'S LUCK; SPRUCIN' UP; OUR GANG FOLLIES OF 1936 (Darla Hood's Debut!)
1936: THE PINCH SINGER; DIVOT DIGGERS; SECOND CHILDHOOD; THE LUCKY CORNER; BORED OF EDUCATION
1937: REUNION IN RHYTHM; RUSHIN' BALLET; NIGHT N' GALES; OUR GANG FOLLIES OF 1938
1938: THREE MEN IN A TUB; CAME THE BRAWN; FEED 'EM AND WEEP; HIDE AND SHRIEK (Hal Roach); THE LITTLE RANGER; ALADDINS' LANTERN; MEN IN FRIGHT (MGM)
1939: ALFALFA'S AUNT
1940: THE BIG PREMIERE; GOIN' FISHIN'; KIDDIE CURE
1941: FIGHTIN' FOOLS; COME BACK, MISS PIPPS
1942: GOING TO PRESS; MIGHTY LAK A GOAT
1943: "There was a very good reason series production was terminated during this year!"
1944: DANCING ROMEO (Not great, but easily the best of the last dreary bunch of MGM 'Our Gang' Shorts!)

CHEERS!

[mtw12055]

Update: For 1941, "Come Back, Miss Pipps." I completely forgot about that short. It's a decent enough entry, and notable for being Clarence Wilson's final screen performance. That makes the last scene, the only time in which he and the Gang make amends, all the more touching.

While I never considered the animated series quite up to par with the original shorts, I rather enjoy "Case of the Puzzled Pals." Anytime Alfalfa gets his giant ego knocked down a few pegs is fun to watch.

Of the Walt Kelly comics, I got a kick out of the four-parter involving the Gang exploring an old Spanish mine that is being used as a hideout for Japanese spies. It's a bit on the politically incorrect side, but the adventure/mystery aspect is fun.

I've never been as into the later Dell Little Rascals comics, but the one where Alfalfa's aunt puts him in a ballet class is kind of funny.

[tboneator64]

May 14, 2016 11:18:31 GMT -5 mtw12055 said:

Update: For 1941, "Come Back, Miss Pipps." I completely forgot about that short. It's a decent enough entry, and notable for being Clarence Wilson's final screen performance. That makes the last scene, the only time in which he and the Gang make amends, all the more touching.

Oddly enough, I overlooked COME BACK, MISS PIPPS, as well!  That Clarence Wilson makes amends with the Gang, I assume, was primarily due to MGM's moralistic bent, a likely fact that doesn't make that last scene any less touching!

I've updated my list to include this most worthy 1941 MGM 'Our Gang' entry!

CHEERS!  

[RJH]

I tried to make a top 50 list of favorites, and failed (think it's 57) . I have a strong preference for the early silents featuring those in my current avatar, and could have picked 50 from the 1920s.

1922
One Terrible Day
Saturday Morning

1923
The Champeen!
Back Stage
Dogs of War!
Stage Fright
Sunday Calm
No Noise
Derby Day

1924
Fast Company
Seein' Things
High Society
The Sun Down Limited
The Mysterious Mystery!

1925
Shootin' Injuns
Mary, Queen Of Tots
One Wild Ride

1926
Thundering Fleas
Shivering Spooks
The Fourth Alarm!

1927
Love My Dog

1928
Playin' Hookey
Rainy Days
Barnum & Ringling, Inc.

1929
Moan & Groan, Inc.

1930
Pups Is Pups

1931
Helping Grandma
Fly My Kite
Shiver My Timbers

1932
The Pooch
Hook and Ladder
Free Wheeling
Birthday Blues

1933
Fish Hooky
The Kid from Borneo

1934
Hi'-Neighbor!
Mike Fright
Mama’s Little Pirate

1935
Anniversary Trouble

1936
The Lucky Corner
Divot Diggers
Second Childhood

1936
Two Too Young
Pay as You Exit

1937
Glove Taps
Rushin' Ballet
Roamin' Holiday
Fishy Tales
The Pigskin Palooka
Came the Brawn
Hide and Shriek

1938
The Little Ranger
Aladdin's Lantern
Men in Fright

1939
Alfalfa's Aunt
Clown Princes

1942
Going to Press
Mighty Lak a Goat

[wheezer]

I'm seriously glad that the internet has come so far that we can watch these almost century old short films thanks to the click of a mouse. Out of the animated series, I think Beauty Queen For A Day was an excellent display of the love and appreciation the gang has for each other.

[sandro]

Here is my list of favorite episodes that I like to watch.

The Roach/Pathé silents:

01 - Our Gang - 1922
02 - Fire Fighters - 1922
03 - Young Sherlocks - 1922
04 - The champeen - 1923
05 - Jubilo, Jr. - 1924
06 - High Society - 1924
07 - Mary Queen of Tots - 1925
08 - Uncle Tom's Uncle - 1926
09 - Tired Business Man - 1927
10 - Olympic Games - 1927

The Roach/MGM silents:

01 - Dog Heaven - 1927
02 - Spook Spoofing - 1928
03 - Barnum & Ringling, Inc. - 1928
04 - Crazy House - 1928
05 - The Ol' Gray Hoss
06 - Election Day -1929
07 - Wiggle Your Ears - 1929
08 - Fast Freight - 1929
09 - Little mother - 1912
10 - Saturday's Lesson - 1929

The Roach/MGM talkies:

01 - Boxing Gloves - 1929
02 - Shivering Shakespeare - 1930
03 - A Tough Winter - 1930
04 - Pup Is Pup - 1930
05 - Fly My Kite - 1931
06 - Dos Is Dog - 1931
07 - Choo-Choo! - 1932
08 - Hook and Ladder - 1932
09 - Free Wheeling - 1932
10 - Birthday Blues - 1932
11 - A Lad an' a Lamp - 1932
12 - Fish Hooky - 1933
13 - Forgotten Babies - 1933
14 - The Kid From Borneo - 1933
15 - Mush and Mik - 1933
16 - Wild Poses - 1933
17 - Hi'-Neighbor! - 1934
18 - Shrimps for a Day - 1935
19 - Anniversary Trouble 1935
20 - Our Gang Follies of 1936 - 1935
21 - The Pinch Singer - 1936
22 - The Lucky Corner - 1936
23 - Bored of Education - 1936
24 - Reunion in Rhythm - 1937
25 - Glove Taps - 1937
26 - Night 'n' Gales - 1937
27 - The Pigskin Palooka - 1937
28 - Our Gang Follies of 1938 - 1937
29 - Three Men in a Tub - 1937
30 - Came The Brawn - 1938

[senel]

I just started rediscovering the Our Gang shorts. I have not seen enough to make a good list, but the early 30's seems to have the best that I've seen so far. I also like the silent ones. The shorts with Wheezer seem to stand out more.