Free Wheeling

"Free Wheeling" is one of the best Little Rascals films. It's loaded with the sight gags and exaggerated sound effects that make films from Hal Roach Studios so funny. A whole variety of hilarious things happen in "Free Wheeling," from a mule that gets drunk to a traffic cop jumping 12 feet in the air. A must see for any Little Rascals fan!

I can't speak for other reviewers, but when I first saw this episode as a kid, my first reaction was: "My friends and I need to build a car like this." And hey, it's light years before anyone was serious about sustainable energy vehicles! I wanted to build that same taxi in our driveway. Of course, it didn't take me long to realize that I didn't have the building materials, the donkey, or the know how, to create anything this exceptionally wonderful! Those lucky kids!

It's films like this that define The Little Rascals as kids who got along very well, and race or gender had very little meaning (especially to the children). Child labor laws hadn't quite gone into effect yet. And it would be several more years before PETA stepped in to help protect the rights of the animal actors. But the film stands as it is, representing that particular period of time and should not be taken too seriously.

No spoilers necessary. The film speaks for itself. Although I will reveal that some of the scenes on Mulholland Drive will bring back quite a lot of memories to those of us that grew up in southern California in the 50s and 60s.

The gang operate a donkey-powered taxi service in this fun Our Gang entry. The taxi itself is a marvel of ingenuity that has to be seen to be believed.

I recorded this episode in its entirety on VHS in the 1980's. Many moons and neighborhoods have seen it pass.

As the clock of progress takes us beyond, theatre, broadcast, VHS, DVD, internet, etc.; this masterpiece of comic genius is becoming more scarce than ever.

There was a brief time that you could view it on YouTube Movies in a few chapters. They're gone now and most of what's out there now online are missing the funniest parts. The mule gets drunk drinking rubbing alcohol and his tail points straight up.

Whatever it takes to get this, pursue it passionately. Even if it means buying it on VHS and having it professionally digitized. It's that good!!!!

There are those who complain about the supposed racism of the Our Gang/Little Rascals films. This one dispels a lot of that.

This is where rich kid Dickie is hampered by his overprotective mother, who despises Stymie, who she refers to as "That colored boy" and a "street urchin," but the two bond nonetheless and without spoiling it, let's just say that Stymie's actions in this film changes the snooty mother's mind.

Not only is this a nice and somewhat subtle message about friendship across lines of race and class, but the film is good and funny to boot. The gang's makeshift cab, their encounter with the drunken mule, Spanky playing with the monkey, the wild taxi chase, and the gag with the midgets and the car (you have to see this, although it's in pretty good taste). While there is no racism here, this is certainly RASCALism at its best!