A Lad an' a Lamp

An odd and interesting Our Gang/Little Rascals flick, this is indeed filled with some undertones of racial stereotyping. But much of that will go over the heads of the modern kids who see this.

Essentially, the Gang reads "Aladdin's Lamp" and get the idea to rub all the lamps they could find hoping for a genie to appear to grant their wishes. As mentioned, Stymie, the Black hero of the early 1930s episodes, wishes for a watermelon and for his "pappy to get out of jail" (this running "gag" from the Stymie Beard years is even less funny today than it was in 1932 for obvious reasons). For some reason, Spanky wishes for Stymie's brother Cotton to turn into a monkey. With the help of a practical-joking magician and his smoke pellets, Cotton appears to do just that to Stymie's horror! To make matters worse, Dickie and the rest of the gang consider selling Cotton to the circus! Adults will have a coronary over the racial implications of all this, and another racial gag involving a Black cook trying to woo his girlfriend, who abscond in histrionic hysterics when the monkey shows up. However, modern children who are innocent of the baggage of stereotype implications will just see this as amusing and wonder how the Gang could be so foolish as to think that Cotton turned into a monkey.

Kids will enjoy other aspects of the film, especially when a bully (Donald Haines) bothers the kids and the magician (who is watching all this nearby) drops a smoke pellet, appears, and yells, "Be gone, villain!" while Donald does just that. This will appeal to the imagination of the small set. In a sense, this will play better to children than adults.

"A lad an' a lamp" is considered to be a classic example of pre-code shorts. Hal Roach created the series in the 1920's and the early episodes were silent. Originally shown in theaters as "Our Gang" Comedies.

Originally distributed by MGM Early TV syndication packages included this title "uncut".

TV distributer: King Features In later years, the episode was heavily edited.

Eventually "pulled" from the series.

A very young Spanky, and a dapper Stymie shine in this short.

Given the chance to make wishes with a magic lamp, Stymie wishes for a watermelon....a BIG watermelon...

An Italian grocer rolls a watermelon to the kids..

Stymie wishes for fried chicken and to get his pappy out of jail.

Spanky changes Cotton into a monkey... (all he needs is a tail)

Uncut versions include: Scaring the cook from the diner.

Cook: Do you loves me honey???? Gimme the biggest kiss you've got...

Spanky: Gimme another pie, and this time keep your fingers out it...

Italian Grocer: Thats'a the monkey down at at the Theatre..."

This has got to be the funniest of the Little Rascals series. The monkey actually appears to be drunk (he finds a bottle of liquor). Spanky is also naturally at his best in this one. The scene where the monkey kisses the cook is hilarious too. If you can find it, check it out!!

An OUR GANG Comedy Short.

All it takes is A LAD AN' A LAMP to cause trouble. Convinced he's found Aladdin's Magic Lamp, Spanky tries to turn little Cotton into a monkey. A runaway chimp completes the illusion, but the havoc it causes downtown is no make believe...

A funny little film, with good performances from Spanky & Stymie. Highlight: the chimp behind the diner counter.