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Post by ymymeatemup on Jul 4, 2013 18:20:43 GMT -5
ALADDIN'S LANTERN (1938)
Things I like: Buckwheat & Porky. This seems to be the last time that these two, as the little kids, get the better of the bigger kids. Director Douglas had no doubt known for some time that Buckwheat and Porky couldn't carry a tune to save their lives, and had avoided having them sing that much in earlier shorts. But there's something very amusing about the way small kids gleefully and obliviously sing offkey, and Buckwheat and Porky put this spirit across quite well. In fact, I would rate this routine above the similar attempts at show-stealing by Buckwheat in "Reunion In Rhythm." Billy Mindy. Gotta give props to the brief musical interlude from the genie of the lamp. He sings it like he means it. Corky Geil. Obviously, this is overly professional for a kiddie show in the barn, but he and his chorus line do have a lot of spunk. I personally find the idea amusing that the caliph wishes for chorus girls. It's a way of updating an old story, even if the plausibility of a bunch of kids putting on this show is strained. Waldo. He doesn't have much to say in this one, but you gotta love the idea that the neighborhood science geek can handle any technical challenge the show might require. A magic carpet? No problem! Elmer. I've never been a big fan of film monkeys, but he's pretty cute.
Things I don't like: Alfalfa's Big Number. It had been a novel idea. Everybody in the neighborhood agrees that Alfalfa is a great singer, even though we the audience know better. He can carry the tune (usually), but sings everything at the top of his range, straining his vocal cords the whole time. It's a funny idea, but it had long become old hat for this series, so in recent episodes, some dilemma was added to the scenes to make it difficult for Alf to get through his number. A flame under his butt? The potential's there, but the execution leaves something to be desired, and Alfalfa was becoming increasingly unappealing with this schtick. Add in the fact that these scenes were invariably used as the comedic climax of these musical shorts, and my disappointment with this episode is inevitable. Spanky In Drag. We'd seen it before: Darla walks out on the show and one of the boys has to take her place. This idea worked out great in "Pay As You Exit," with Buckwheat taking over the role of Juliet. Not only is it less absurd with Spanky, but he hadn't been a particularly funny character for the last couple of years, and he isn't funny here. Shiny Buckwheat. Now that you mention it, this is something that I think about every time I watch this short. He doesn't have shiny skin in the Roach shorts. He also doesn't have shiny skin in the later MGM shorts. Is it that the MGM makeup artist hadn't yet learned something that the people at Roach already knew - that Buckwheat needs extra powder added to his face when he's under the hot lights? I guess we'll never know. But I do know that I don't like it. I do, however, like any kid who's missing his front teeth.
Grade: C
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Post by mtw12055 on Jul 4, 2013 18:43:27 GMT -5
The film lists have been updated. Silents will be reviewable (I'm probably using that term incorrectly) every week for the first 26 weeks. From week 27 on, the silents will only be reviewable every other week. That is until we get to the last two weeks, where we return to the original format. If you get confused, just follow the numbered guideline.
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Post by RJH on Jul 4, 2013 19:04:06 GMT -5
mtw12055, thanks for your efforts. Unfortunately "The Glorious Fourth" and "Good Cheer" should be interchanged. And to prove that I can pick nits as well as anyone, there is a period missing after the first "101" in that post. I fixed the alphabetization of "The Glorious Fourth" and "The Pinch Singer" on the Wiki. "Ye Olde Minstrels" I'm leaving alone. Thanks for bringing it to attention. I've never seen a list of years given in alphabetical order rather than numerical order, so it looks strange to have the "Our Gang Follies of 1938" first. If every year from 1931 to 1939 had a film with such a title, would it be Our Gang Follies of 1938 Our Gang Follies of 1935 Our Gang Follies of 1934 Our Gang Follies of 1939 Our Gang Follies of 1931 Our Gang Follies of 1937 Our Gang Follies of 1936 Our Gang Follies of 1933 Our Gang Follies of 1932 ?
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Post by ymymeatemup on Jul 7, 2013 20:30:03 GMT -5
ASK GRANDMA (1925)
Things I like: Mickey Daniels. Since Mickey was one of the best kid actors of all time, all episodes revolving around him are inevitably the better for it. He's comedic while simultaneously sympathetic, and the perfect lead for this series. Florence Lee. I might prefer Margaret Mann's "Grandma" character, but only slightly. Lee's interaction with Mickey provides the moral soul of this picture. Mary Kornman. It's never a stretch to think that Mickey would be smitten by Mary. She adds charm to every scene she's in, and provokes charm from Mickey. Johnny Downs. Usually just a regular guy, he gets to be the bully in this one, and he plays the role well (maybe not quite Butch material, but not too shabby). The Mickey & Grandma Sequence. But mostly Grandma's 'warm-up,' which is the most comedic moment in the film. The whole sequence, though, which was mostly repeated in "Fly My Kite," is virtually the best part of the film. The Airplane Ride. Looks like fun. It's almost as though the prop department built it for the amusement of the kids, and then inserted it into the story. Pretty Much Everything Else. This is one of the better stories of the silent era. It's a bit of a return to the "Big Business" premise, with Lyle Tayo repeating her role from that film, and Mickey being pampered only a little less. The addition of the friendly neighborhood senior citizen is a natural for a series about kids, and the bad guys are satisfyingly trounced. Everything moves along quite briskly (though projection speed is an obvious factor with this), and there is an element of suspence during the fight scene. The Roach studio was fond enough of this story to justifiably repeat quite a lot of it in "The First Seven Years."
Things I don't like: Pretty Much Nothing. I could find minute details that don't do much for me, usually sight gags that I can take or leave, but they're fleeting enough that they don't hinder the film. I will say, though, that it'd be nice if a better-looking print of this came out.
Grade: A
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Post by RJH on Jul 17, 2013 1:45:40 GMT -5
Alfalfa's Aunt - This is one of the best from the MGM period. There really isn't anything I don't like about it, though I would have thought Penelope would ask who was knocking at the door before letting the gang in. In addition to those mentioned above, high points include the use of the club signs, with Alfalfa using the danger signal at the first opportunity and then the high signs at the end, anticipating sharing something to be bought when Alfalfa gets the dollar from his dad for driving Aunt Penelope out of the house.
A point regarding the murder mystery that modern audiences might not think of is that at the time of this film, Agatha Christie was quite prolific. It looks like Penelope would not have anything close to Agatha's success.
Baby Brother - I'd call this below average for the silents. Seeveral of the gags were mildly amusing, but it's not pleasant watching the babies being tormented at times. Nasturtium did not like having his face painted, and Farina's brother's diaper getting burned was unpleasant to watch. It would have been better if one of the older kids almost got burned.
It takes a large suspension of belief to believe that Farina could think he could get away with abducting Nasturtium. The baby's mother is from the same neighborhood and obviously will want her baby back, so there is no hope of pulling this off.
The good points include Wheezer, or Horatio here, who shows talent at a very young age. And Oliver Hardy is great as the stumbling flirtatious boyfriend. Several of the title cards were humorous. And Joe deserves some credit for willing to accept Nasturtium as his baby brother after Joe finds out the baby is black when he appears to like Joe.
There is an unanswered question: Did Farina get to keep the three dollars he took for finding Joe a baby brother? It appears Farina did not get the 25 cents from the mother for watching the baby.
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Post by ymymeatemup on Jul 17, 2013 19:24:39 GMT -5
ALFALFA'S AUNT (1939)
Things I like: Marie Blake. One of the most vivid characterizations in series history. She's a likable character, in spite of being insufferably self-important. She's a bit creepy, so you can almost believe she could murder her young nephew if the film hadn't already indicated otherwise. William Newell. Also a very likable character, in spite of being at odds with his sister-in-law. I love the fact that he gets Alf out of having to apologize AND hands him a dollar. Definitely in the 'cool dad' category. The Bust. One of the great props in series history, and the single most vivid memory I had from this short growing up. The Smelling Salts. Gotta love the sight gag with Porky's hat. The Tiger-Skin Rug. Another perfect choice for a comedic murder mystery. Leonard & Junior. I love how oblivious they are to what the other boys are telling them in the opening scene. Pretty Much Everything Else. I had plenty of happy memories watching the Rascals while growing up, but "Alfalfa's Aunt" was the only MGM episode that inspired any of these. It's always been my favorite of the Metro shorts. The subject matter, of course, requires a liberal amount of atmosphere, which is not the kind of thing that ever happened in the films that followed it.
Things I don't like: Pretty Much Nothing. The acting on the part of the kids was becoming less natural, but this wasn't really a dilemma yet. Buckwheat's hair gag falls flat with me, especially compared to earlier such gags with Farina and Buckwheat when they still had ribbons in their hair. But it lasts only a couple of seconds.
Grade: A
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Post by ymymeatemup on Jul 19, 2013 22:02:53 GMT -5
BABY BROTHER (1927)
Things I like: Anita Garvin. She might be my single favorite person in this film. Unlike Joe's mother, she obviously remembers what it's like to be a kid, and shows genuine affection for the boys. Oliver Hardy. He's responsible for the funniest scene in the film, and is helped along by the boys' reactions to him. The Bridge Party. Not an easy task, following Oliver Hardy, but Joe's innocent questioning of his snobby mother in front of her friends is quite amusing. The Twins. A simple concept that happened to be true in real life. One likes pickles, and the other doesn't. This series was good at adding small touches like this. Harry Earles. Or specifically, Farina's failed attempt to steal a baby that wasn't a baby.
Things I don't like: The Racial Stuff. I don't always take exception to this type of humor, but the examples given in this film tend to be crude and unfunny. I've never gone in for the "painting the baby" gags, and it's somewhat disturbing to watch Farina's little brother shooting craps with the sugar cubes. And the "burning diaper" gag and the baby with the giant nose - all a little too grotesque for me. Wheezer's Freckles. It's funny, because I take no exception whatsoever to Jay's freckles, but because I know that Wheezer didn't have any, I find it unpleasant to look at him in this film. I keep thinking he's got spotted fever. He would be a lot more appealing within the next couple of outings. (It's the straw hat, folks! THAT'S where the magic comes from! Or is it the beanie?) Crying Babies. This pretty much goes for any Our Gang film that does this: I don't care much for filmmakers putting tiny children through things that make them cry. I realize that it takes very little to get a toddler to cry, but there's nothing particularly appealing about it when it happens, onscreen or off. As with most Our Gang contraptions, the stuff they set up in the barn is quite inventive, but the potential for enjoyment is removed by involving a bunch of innocent babies.
Grade: C
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Post by RJH on Jul 24, 2013 0:50:52 GMT -5
Alfalfa's Double - This is pretty average for the MGM era. When Alfalfa's double visits relatives in town, a "Prince and the Pauper" setup quickly arises. As such, there is a predictability that each will soon detest the other's lifestyle, but it would be nice to see them enjoying it a little. Alfalfa gets the short end, never getting to experience anything that he thinks the wealthy get to do. It would have been interesting to see him try to ride a horse like he wanted to.
There are a few funny moments. Highlights are the gang in fast motion cleaning up Alfalfa's yard at Cornelius's request, and then throwing all sorts of junk into it at the end when Alfalfa asks for help.
Other observations: The gang does not know how to play volleyball. It took the soda shop worker an extraordinary amount of time to multiply 6 by 10 cents to come up with the price of the ice cream sodas.
Baby Clothes - It seemed that my print might be missing some scenes. Overall the film is generally entertaining, though some of it is rather odd and some suspension of disbelief might help. Why would Joe's mother have a set of baby clothes in Joe's size? For that matter, why would anyone make baby clothes in Joe's size? He was 9 years old at the time, and, shall we say, above average in weight. Also it is strange that the midget just happens to be hanging around the hotel in baby clothes.
It's interesting that both films for this week are centered around deception. The conniving couple expresses panic well when they the uncle is visiting on very short notice and they have to produce two children.
Mickey is wearing girls' clothes because the bellhop must have found him and relayed the request for an 8-year-old girl by the conniving husband.
Jackie and Farina make a great team in this, from trying and eventually succeeding in getting into the hotel to their wild elevator ride. And then graciously offering to help out when Joe has had it pretending to be a baby. I wish they could have been paired like this more often.
The uncle does a fine job playing with the "babies," giving them all kinds of presents suitable for two-year-olds.
And thanks, mtw12055, for explaing "ZITS." I had no clue.
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Post by ymymeatemup on Jul 24, 2013 20:14:07 GMT -5
ALFALFA'S DOUBLE (1940)
Things I like: The Ballet Scene. This to me is the most comical part of the short. Alfalfa's overplaying it a bit (as he did with everything by this time), but his knobby knees and klutzy style put this scene across. Secondarily, the rest of his time at the mansion is also entertaining. The Sucky Part. That is, the moment the kids realize Corny doesn't have any money and quickly start sucking........that is, through straws.........that is, they suck in a way that differs from the usual way they sucked during this period. Alfalfa's Yard. I know it's nothing special, but you don't often see exterior scenes in these MGM shorts that aren't shot on an MGM lot. The Story. I can't find anything to fault in what the writers present here. It's a classic "Prince and the Pauper" scenario that logically flows from one scene to the next. The supporting kids are subdued enough that the success of the entire film rests on Alfalfa's shoulders.
Things I don't like: Cornelius. Alf could've done a better job playing his uppercrust counterpart. He's simply a dull character, and not quite convincing. Nice try, though. Alfalfa Himself (Sometimes). Even with some good results during his visit to the mansion, Alf nevertheless is still in his late-period obnoxious phase here. By this time, he had lost his early charm and pretty much outgrown the series.
Grade: C
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Post by ymymeatemup on Jul 26, 2013 20:25:55 GMT -5
BABY CLOTHES (1926)
Things I like: William Orlamond. There's something in his body language that perfectly fits his role as a rich elderly uncle that loves kids. He's definitely my favorite adult in this film. Mickey In Drag. Nobody did drag like Mickey, because nobody was quite as butt-ugly as he was. And I mean that in a good way. The Love Triangle. So we've got Mary and Johnny as siblings, with Johnny turning in an exemplary performance as the kind of timid boy that only a wealthy, overbearing mother could raise. And he's got the hots for Mickey - er, Myrtle. That much is funny enough, but then we've got Mickey - er, Myrtle - making googly eyes at Mary, who is quite understandably bewildered by this. This business would never have worked if they didn't have such first-class child actors in this series. Joe Cobb. The whole sequence with the uncle works really well for me, and the way Joe looks at the hammer and then at the uncle is priceless. William Gillespie & Charlotte Mineau. Most of Gillespie's appearances in this series yielded good results, and this outing is no exception. It seems that Mineau only made this one appearance, though, which is a shame. She was a familiar face to film audiences at the time and had what might be called 'screen presence.' I find her quite appealing in this short. Jackie and Farina. Nothing like a couple of party-crashers to throw a little extra chaos into the mix. The Stairs Gag. Possibly the funniest slapstick gag in the film. The Plot. With most Our Gang films, you can pretty much sum up the plot in one sentence, but that wouldn't be an easy thing to do with this one. And that's part of what I like about it. It's basically a caper-based comedy with loads of gags, and I'm consistently amused by it from beginning to end.
Things I don't like: Harry Earles. As much as I enjoy the various things that go on with this character, there's something kinda creepy-looking about him. Everybody oohs and aahs over him in this film, but if he were the inspiration behind Mia Farrow's scream in "Rosemary's Baby," that would make more sense. In any event, I like this film enough that Earles doesn't really affect my appreciation of it.
Grade: A
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Post by RJH on Jul 31, 2013 1:38:29 GMT -5
All About Hash (1940) - There isn't much more to say about this short that is severely lacking in humor and entertainment value. My reaction to Buckwheat missing from the dinner was that this film could have been shown in its entirety in the south during its original run, where theater owners frequently refused to show such "objectional content" as children of different races attending the same school or eating at the same table. I agree the highlight would be sound effects on the radio show, from an era where more imagination was required in the entertainment world.
Back Stage (1923) - This is quite entertaining throughout. The gang has created a donkey-powered bus using the shell of an old vehicle, and the crew of Jackie, Mickey, Ernie,and Farina collect passengers, if they can pay, and transport them around town. When Mickey, who as tour guide points out the schoolhouse he hopes burns down, wants to pick up a girlfiriend for free, Jackie orders the bus ahead, forcing Ernie to send the bus in reverse. If the bus doesn't respond, Ernie turns a crank to wake up Farina in a small compartment where he controls the feed box that the donkey moves forward to try to eat from when it is open.
At the end of the run the gang is hired by a desperate Vaudevillian under an obligation to put on a show. The opening act is disrupted when Joe and Jack's bug collection spills over the balcony. Then Farina steals the show when "The Great Bicepto" does his strongman weightlifting routine. The audience is quiet until Farina, in the background unseen by Bicepto, pushes 3,250 pounds of fake weights across the stage, and Bicepto thinks the applause is for him. Then Farina pushes a piano off the stage, and lifts a barbell similar to Bicepto's. The audience thinks it's part of the act, and Bicepto is shocked and dismayed when he turns around to lift the other weights which have all disappeared from the stage. Farina's hamming it up and playing to the audience is extremely impressive for someone who wasn't three years old yet.
Then comes the magic act, where assistants Jackie and Mickey are bound to mess everything up. When the magician makes Joe, Jack, and Andy disappear, Pete gets upset, charges from the audience, and attacks him. Some rabbits are made to appear and disappear, but Jackie has to scoot around the table to retrieve one that's escaping, and Mickey pops his head up to give a shout-out to some friends in the audience. While the magician gets more and more flustered, the audience loves it.
A final act with animals goes awry when Farina pours liquor into a drinking bucket. By drinking something that makes small explosions when he burps, Farina scares a goat into running down an aisle through the audience, while the other animals get drunk. The slow-motion drunk animals is the one thing that doesn't appeal to me, but that scene doesn't last long. The gang gets kicked out by the vaudevillain, who doesn't appreciate that their efforts must have given him the biggest ovations in some time.
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Post by ymymeatemup on Jul 31, 2013 11:07:13 GMT -5
ALL ABOUT HASH (1940)
Things I like: Pretty Much Nothing. Which is slightly surprising, since I liked Mickey and his folks in their previous outing, "Dad For A Day." If I were to be generous, I'd admit that the story for this short is, shall we say, not boring. But I don't feel like it.
Things I don't like: The Title. Really? "All About Hash?!?" Who's the wuss who thought up that one? Mickey Gubitosi. Okay, let's get one thing established. Mickey was a reasonably cute little kid, which isn't easy when you look like Robert Blake. So why was MGM trying so hard to show us how adorable he was? Every line, every facial expression, the way he points to his widdle tummy, drives home the kind of cute and cuddly message that just makes me wanna go out and club a baby seal. His Impractical Parents. Okay, so they're forced to eat hash on Mondays because that's all they can afford after having roast beef on Sundays. But obviously, there's leftover roast beef, because the hash is made from that. So why not buy less roast beef? Hmmmm? Heck, it takes several of the kids eating until they're about to bust before that roast beef is finished off! Think, people, think!! Janet Burston. For her Our Gang debut, Janet lays the groundwork for the series' nadir. Just when you thought nothing could be more obnoxious than Alfalfa's latest song, here comes Janet to redefine our whole concept of what music can be. The Rest Of The Kids. It's pretty telling when the acting during the regular scenes is just as overplayed as it is during a kids' radio skit. The Apparition. Every time Mickey's face is superimposed over a radio speaker, a blind puppy wanders off a cliff.
Grade: F
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Post by ymymeatemup on Aug 2, 2013 22:48:51 GMT -5
BACK STAGE (1923)
Things I like: William Gillespie. I'm trying to think of another Gillespie appearance that tops this one, but I can't. He's basically perfect as the head of the vaudeville troupe. Farina. Previous to this short, he had been used as a sort of comic punctuation mark without usually being the focal point of any of his scenes. In this short, he steals the show with every tip of his hat. His effortless 'weight lifting' (later revisited in "Pay As You Exit") is the highlight of this film. The Magic Act. If ever there was a bargain-basement magic act, this is it. It's so lame that the kids screwing it up inevitably improves it. The Audience. I know they're actually hired extras, but if I had been told that they bussed a town full of people in from some rural community, I'd have believed it. They seem tremendously authentic. The Tour Bus. Most of the first half of the film features the Gang's double-decker bus, and while it's not necessarily a highlight of the silent era, the sequence is pleasantly appealing. My favorite moment is when the inflatable hand sticks out in front of the traffic cop's face. Pretty Much Everything Else. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but I just feel kinda happy watching these early Our Gang silents. The kids are all appealing and Beanie Walker's titles provide this amusing sort of Greek chorus commentary along the way. I'm not sure the series was ever better than during the early silent era.
Things I don't like: Pretty Much Nothing. Yeah, I can point out that tired old gag of showing supposedly drunken animals in slow-motion, or the rather disturbing depiction of a monkey french-kissing a dog, but neither of these things damages the short in any serious way.
Grade: A
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Post by RJH on Aug 7, 2013 0:57:16 GMT -5
Anniversary Trouble (1935) - This is pretty good. The gang has formed an elaborate "Ancient and Honery Order of Wood Chucks, Inc." club, with a cool "high sign" and a wooden woodchuck on which Spanky swears to safeguard the club's money. It is somewhat confusing as Stymie adjourns the meeting, saying it was the first one, but there must have been a previous meeting where Spanky was elected treasurer and for there to have been time for him to collect the members' allowances. In any case, no one trusts Spanky to keep the money. While Scotty volunteers to watch Spanky, he isn't trusted either, and soon the whole gang follows Spanky home.
The next morning, Spanky tries to hide the envelope with the gang's money, but his mother thinks it's her anniversary present from his father who's forgotten again, and put some money in an envelope . The date given, Thursday, February 2, doesn't match the year. Spanky's parents think he is a thief and is ordered to see his father at work, but Spanky has to get past the gang who want their money back.
Hattie McDaniel is wonderful as the maid, having to remind Spanky's dad it's his wife's anniversary, and then confirming this to Spanky's mom that. She handles Spanky's attmept to leave the house by impersonating Buckwheat well, asking "What kind of idea is this?" and Spanky replaying that "Iit was a bum idea - it didn't work."
The ending is good as mentioned above.
Barnum and Ringling, Inc. (1928) - This two-reeler would have been reasonably good if it had been one reel. The gang is staying at a fancy hotel where Farina is a bellboy. He has a great reaction when told he has to keep Jean Darling company, who sticks pins in everyone she meets.
The gang decides to put on a circus in the hotel, improbably sneaking a large number of animals inside (well, the freight elevator may have proved useful). Joe tells Jean she can't be in the circus if she continues to stick people, but even though she prompty sticks him she appears as the bareback rider. One confusing thing is that in the circus, Farina's face and hair are made up to look like an early side show character "Little Casino" for no apparent reason. Why two performers were needed is a mystery.
A large number of common animals are made up with some degree of cleverness to appear as exotic creatures (usually spelled poorly) from all parts of the world. The horseriding act then goes astray, with Jean suspended from a ceiling fan, and then the whole thing is broken up by hotel staff. The animals run through the hotel for a very long period of time, scaring all the guests. This could have been condensed to the scene with Oliver Hardy figuring he has drunk bad liquor when he sees an ostrich in the mirror. The film ends oddly with everyone laughing at a hiccuping ostrich.
A highlight of this film is the many witty title cards. An exchange between Jean and Farina: "When you grow up, you can be my chauffeur." "Yo' keep on stickin' me with pins, an' Ah won't never grow up!"
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Post by ymymeatemup on Aug 8, 2013 22:46:18 GMT -5
ANNIVERSARY TROUBLE (1935)
Things I like: The High Sign. I honestly can't think of a better idea that the folks behind Our Gang ever came up with. If it wasn't so ridiculous, it'd be cool. The Opening Scene. I mean all the closeups of the boys' faces as they recite their pledge. Pure gold. Johnny Arthur. He's not only absent-minded, but completely clueless to what's going on around him, and goes into histrionics at the drop of a hat. One of the most memorable grown-ups the series ever had. Spanky And Our Gang. Spanky himself turns in a notably skilled performance for somebody so young, while virtually every other boy in the club is great, too. Special mention should go to Leonard Kibrick, who's intimidating enough that it makes one glad he's one of the good guys. And of course, Alvin Buckelew, who's given one line and nails it as usual. Hattie McDaniel. Just the look on her face as she's giving the 'high sign' back to Spanky. And I know I'm not supposed to find it funny, but her use of the word 'anniversity' always makes me chuckle. Buckwheat. I could swear I can see the entire universe in this kid's eyes. The Plot. It's actually a bit more involved than in most other Our Gang films. You can't easily sum it up with one sentence. Somebody really put some thought into it. The Neighborhood. We only glimpse a few houses, but it always gets to me how this looks like it could have been shot yesterday. There's still neighborhoods around California that look like this, including in the town where I live. It's highly possible that the houses in the film are gone now, but I find it difficult to imagine while watching the film. It looks too much like I can just step right into it and walk down that street.
Things I don't like: Spanky In Blackface. I'm not sure whether or not I'm reacting to the political incorrectness of this scene, but I don't enjoy it too much. Cecelia Murray. Luckily, the worst actor in the film appears only during the weakest sequence, so the TV editors get to kill two birds with one stone.
Grade: A-
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