Our Gang

Our Gang was the first installment produced in the long-running shorts series... to confuse things it was the third film released. Hal Road and director Fed Newmeyer shot the 2-reeler around Los Angeles in the late Spring of 1922 and previewed it in several theaters around town. Based on his belief in the concept rather than the lukewarm public reception, Roach green-lighted the series but scrapped most or all of the original footage and brought Robert McGowan in to rework it, officially releasing Our Gang on Nov. 5, 1922 (One Terrible Day was the first film to be released, followed by Fire Fighters). Sadly, Our Gang is considered a lost film. But since film historians tend to rely on production dates Our Gang, can be called the first film and that makes it significant. After all, how many film series can claim to have survive through the advent of sound across 21 years, innumerable cast changes, 2 distributors, a studio change, through 221 installments (including a feature--- not to mention that thing in the 90's)? No doubt about it: Our Gang (or The Little Rascals, if you prefer) had legs.

Most modern audiences have never seen any of the 88 silents (the transition to sound began with crude synchronized sound effects during the 1928 season, but complete conversion to talkies wouldn't occur until the following year).

Significant events: 1922: series begins as a 2-reeler (roughly 22 minutes) and distributed through the Pathe Exchange, a pioneering French film company with offices in New York City (it ironically, financed and distributed Roach's primary competitor Mack Sennett). 1922-1926: Although boasting many likable kids (Johnny Downs, "Farina" Hoskins, Joe Cobb, Jackie Condon, etc.). Mickey Daniels becomes the un-official star of the series. His departure in 1926 leaves a series void that wouldn't be filled until the arrival of Jackie Cooper in 1929's Boxing Gloves. 1927: Roach ends his association with the rapidly disintegrating Pathe Exchange (with The Smile Wins, short #66) and signs a distribution and financing deal with MGM. Technology note: MGM, despite being the stellar studio in the world, takes a long wait-and-see attitude regarding talkies (primarily due to the huge expense that parent Loew's Inc. faces in converting it's vast theater chain to sound. This stretches out 'Our Gang's part-talkie period, allowing uncoverted studios to run silent versions). 1928: Barnum & Ringling (#74) is released with synchronized sound effects. 1929: Small Talk (#89; released as a 3-reeler) is the first all-talking Our Gang short. 1929-31: Jackie Cooper becomes a major star and departs for features after 15 Our Gang shorts (ending with Bargain Day, #106). 1932: George "Spanky" Mcfarland debuts in Free Eats (#112). Dickie Moore appears in 8 shorts beginning with Hook and Ladder (#116) and leaves for a successful feature career. 1934: Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas debuts in For Pete's Sake (#127) and would remain with the series until the end. 1935: Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer debuts in Beginner's Luck (#135) and, over time, becomes a headache (his antics would end his series tenure at MGM). 1936: Roach bombs with General Spanky, a 71-minute feature (technically Our Gang #150). 1938: Roach sells the Our Gang unit to MGM and exits shorts production completely in favor of feature films. These MGM-produced entries are generally dismal. 1943: Series production ends with the 221st production, Tale of a Dog (Our Gang shorts are released into 1944).

Anna Mae Bilson did NOT play the widow in this film. She played "Mary Jane," the widow's daughter. This was filmed in 1922. In 1921, she played "Dolly," or as listed here at IMDb,"the girl" in Harold Lloyd's "Now Or Never." You don't play a 4-year old one year and a widow the next year. That makes no sense. I have seen both films (at least what has been found of "Our Gang") and it is without a doubt the same girl. Besides having blonde hair, Anna Mae Bilson bears no resemblance to Mary Kornman. Mary Kornman was NOT in this film. Only about half of this film has been discovered, and it would be great if the rest would turn up somewhere so we can view the complete film, as viewed in 1922.

An earlier comment by suzyq19651 asked who Robert Blake played as a member of Our Gang. Robert Blake did not appear in the group of shorts commonly referred to as The Little Rascals, with such as Spanky, Alfalfa, Buckwheat, Porky and Darla. Blake appeared later on after Hal Roach sold his franchise to MGM. MGM recast the series with a group of younger children, although Spanky did appear in some of these as an older and much larger fellow. Blake was a member of this later group and played the character of Mickey Gubitosi, which was his actual birth name. This was in keeping with the Our Gang format in which most characters used their real names, though usually with a nickname such as Spanky or Butch. Froggy was also a part of this later group, which as a group simply did not measure up to prior ones.

I've actually seen this film (or at least all that currently exists of it). It's pretty funny. After a few amusing bits involving a boy trying to win over Mary Jane's love through chivalry and Ernie (Sunshine Sammy) Morrison's efforts to find clothes while his mother washes what appears to be his only wardrobe, we get into the storyline about Mary Jane's mother's store being threatened by a crooked businessman.

There is a good deal of funny stuff in the film. A really clever gag involves the kids putting dental cream on the dog's mouths and yelling "Mad dog" to cause people to faint and land in a wheelchair so Sammy could wheel them into Mary Jane's mother's store (not to be confused with Mary Kornman). However, the 12 minutes that survives of the film does not leave you missing what's left. It tells a good story on its own so we could be thankful for what remains. Judging from this, Our Gang was off to a great start.

This is the very first Our Gang comedy...and it's appropriately entitled "Our Gang". However, only a portion of the original film exists today and Turner Classic Movies showed this four and a half minute segment from a short that was probably originally 20 minutes more or less. Because of this, you cannot give the film a numerical score.

What you have are a variety of story elements but where they go and what it's all about, I have no idea. But it is anyone's guess where it all goes--there's the rich prissy kid who takes the girl, there are the ragamuffin gang members and some plot involving working at Mary Jane's mother's store. I did love the way the kids arranged the package delivery--using their mule. You just have to see it to believe it. Additionally, it was nice to see 'Sunshine Sammy' Morrison (Ernest Morrison) playing an important part of the film--as the Our Gang comedies were incredibly progressive for their time by having black and white kids playing together as equals.