Rushin' Ballet

This Hal Roach comedy short, Rushin' Ballet, is the one hundred fifty-fifth entry in the "Our Gang/Little Rascals" series and sixty-seventh talkie. Porky and Buckwheat are playing marbles when Butch and The Woim interrupt them, pelt them with tomatoes, and forcefully take their place. So the two little tykes go to the Sekret Revengers Club where Spanky and Alfalfa agree to take their case and try to take their marbles back. Alf confronts the bullies but gets cold feet when getting threatened. So Spank makes his own plans involving a ballet recital nearby. I'll stop there and just say this was a very funny outing for the gang from beginning to end. Especially satisfying is how it all ends. So on that note, I highly recommend Rushin' Ballet.

One of the best OUR GANG shorts of the late thirties, RUSHIN' BALLET is amusing, original and sometimes thrilling. I won't go into plot details here - if you've seen it, you know them; if you haven't, hearing these things described too much beforehand always diminishes them a bit. I will say that this is one of those concise stories for which the ten-minute format works terrifically. It moves quickly, but despite its title never feels rushed, and it lacks nothing.

This episode of Our Gang begins with Porky and Buckwheat getting beaten up and their marbles stolen by Butch and his toady. So, the Porkster and Buckwheat go to 'The Revengers'--an organization where Alfalfa and Spanky promise satisfaction. However, being that the bullies are a lot bigger than Alfalfa and Spanky, once they pelt them with tomatoes, they run away--and right into the middle of a ballet recital. Alfalfa and Spanky dress up like the girls and end up being confused for members of the dance class--and it's up to them to try to fake their way through it.

This is a fair short--about average for the later Our Gang comedies. In other words, it's worth seeing but not among the best overall (since the earlier talking films of the series were better in my opinion). It has a few funny moments but nothing is all that memorable...other than seeing the boys in drag.

Beautifully directed short film by Gordon Douglas, his ninth in a long series of OUR GANG comedies. A master of dozens of classic movies, ranging from adventures to sci fi and everything in between. A directors director.

Perhaps the best Alfalfa episode when it came to gymnastics. Carl Switzer had never been more acrobatic! All about Porky and Buckwheat getting beat up for their marbles! -- by no-account Butch (Tommy Bond) and Woim (Sheldon Kibrick). Next stop is the "Revengers" Club, manned by tough as they come Spanky and Alfalfa?

Actually, they're NOT that tough when Butch and Woim use them for target practice with tomatoes and chase them into a school, where a ballet recital is in progress? Best of the Best, and you can't miss this, Spanky and Alfalfa dress up as "female" dancers and join the revue! NOT SO FAST... Butch and Woim get into disguises, crash the recital and proceed to bounce poor Alfalfa right off the stage.

Some unforgettable scenes that show off the talents of all the kids, and catch Buckwheat's expressions. Picture Perfect.

Written by Jack Jevne, whose career with comedy shorts (later movies) dated back to early silent films in 1919. By the time he retired in the 1950s, he was one of the oldest writers in Hollywood.

A tribute to Carl Switzer, just being Alfalfa. Look for actress Kathryn Sheldon playing the exasperated dance teacher, who appeared in many classics films, like MARIE ANTOINETTE and A STAR IS BORN. For all us SUPERMAN fans, Tommy Bond (who was best friends with Carl Switzer), became the screen's first Jimmy Olsen.

Always on dvd in LITTLE RASCALS/OUR GANG box sets. Thanks to METV Plus for running these golden oldies during their Comedy Classics segment.