The Our Gang Collection (52 Shorts 1938-1942) Review

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(More customer reviews)First off-the-bat, these are all 52 remaining Our Gang films, from 1938-1944, NOT 1942 as the description above reads. These 10-minute short films are the worst in Our Gang's history but I'm giving this collection five stars...and I'll tell you why. During the last few shorts during the Hal Roach period, Our Gang films began their downslide, as Spanky & Alfalfa were older and getting hammier in their acting. Once Roach sold the rights to MGM, the series took a nosedive - but they still had some good moments. The best actor from 1938-1940 was Tommy Bond (Butch) who is a more polished, natural actor; also, Sid Kibrick (Woim) is great as Butch's sidekick, even though his dialogue is limited to lines like, "yeah, Butch." But Spanky and Alfalfa became the worst "Our Gang" actors the older they got; Darla has moments of lameness too, but not to the extreme of Spank & Alf. Buckwheat was OK but was worse in the Gang's final years, 1942-1944. Porky left early, followed by Butch, Alfalfa, Darla (who was just starting to beautifully blossom) and finally, Spanky. They were eventually replaced by Mickey, Froggy & Janet; these last years (1941-1944) are referred to as "The Froggy Years" as one would complain about the awfulness of the films - but it's unfair to Billy "Froggy" Laughlin, as he was actually the series' saving grace. His acting was not as bad as we all thought - he actually pulls off some very funny moments, but we have to suffer through the awful, preachy plotlines to get to 'em....you also get to hear Froggy's REAL voice in a few of these films.
What else made these lame? Little things.
1) No Pete The Pup...the remainder of dogs were these little yappy dogs that always get under your feet with names like "Whiskers" and "Rover" - not big, lovable lugs like all the Petes during the Roach years.
2) New, lesser "Gang" members with names like "Fatty" (no fatter than Spanky) and "Happy" (who has one of the biggest sourpuss faces and is anything BUT happy).
3) Waayyyyy too many episodes had the gang putting on a show for one reason or another. Yawn. (Runnin' outta ideas?)
4) The opening/closing theme - a medley of "London Bridge Is Falling Down/Farmer In The Dell." If they had kept the original theme it really, really woulda helped.
5) Too many episodes where we, the audience, are supposed to learn a lesson. At certain points, some adult - a judge or equivalent of - looks right into the camera and addresses the audience with lines like "if each parent would take more time to teach their kids, blah-blah-blah." Also, too many "moral" episodes where the kids themselves get too preachy, especially Spanky; he becomes the "goody-goody" of the gang, which makes my heart sink. Mickey (Robert Blake) comes a close second. The worst of the bunch? "Time Out For Lessons," where Alfalfa learns that he should balance time between his football playing and schoolwork; after telling the gang "we're not gonna practice until we've done our homework" and his dad tells him to balance play with work, Alfalfa leaves to play football with the rest of the gang and utters, "FROM NOW ON, WE TAKE TIME OUT FOR LESSONS!!!" In real life, he'd probably be kicked off the team.
6) Terrible special effects. Scenes when gang members go flying through the air look amateurish with wires clearly visible.
So, why do I give this collection 5 stars?
1) This is the first, and possibly only time you'll have the chance to get this complete collection of the rest of the gang films.
2) It's also important that you watch and learn how NOT to treat a beloved series; either step up the quality or bow out entirely. Filmmakers should watch the "Our Gang" films beginning with the Hal Roach sound films (1929-1937) and then observe how the series deteriorated with these MGM episodes. A great, great filmmaking lesson is to be learned here.
3) For collectors of comedy films of this period, it's a vital collection.
4) The quality - video & audio - is top-notch.
5) It's very family-friendly - probably even more so than then the original Hal Roach films (still contain some racial humor but less than the Roach films).
So, yes, even with all it's flaws - AND THERE ARE MANY - it's still important for serious collectors. Five stars? Most definitely.

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Little Rascals 21 Review

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(More customer reviews)Leonard Maltin provides commentary before the shorts on this tape.
"Big Ears" from 1931 is the first short. In it, Wheezer hears his parents fighting and deciding to divorce. He has no idea what the word means, but when the neighbor children tell him, he starts crying and becomes determined to stop it. How? By making himself sick of course! His parents are always hugging and kissing when he's sick! Stymie helps Wheezer by preparing "ain't ice cream" also known as lard, a combination of various condiments, and soap. Before long, Wheezer is exclaiming "Ow!" in pain and begging for Dorothy and Stymie to find the medicine from the cabinet. Although not a short to show small children who copy everything they see on tv, this sequence is rather funny to adults. In the end, Wheezer's parents promise to love each other always, but Pete obviously believes differently.
"A Lad an' a Lamp" from 1932 is an excellent take on the popularity of Aladdin. In it, the gang is surrounded by various lamps, rubbing them and hoping for a genie to appear and grant them wishes. Finally, a vaudeville magician hears them and plays into their fantasies. The short is a fast paced, fun film which ends up with the gang thinking the genie has turned Stymie's brother Cotton into a monkey by Spanky's request.
"Anniversary Trouble" from 1935 features Academy Award winner Hattie McDaniel as Spanky's maid and Buckwheat's mother. The short features the famous "high sign." The gang has formed a club and appointed Spanky treasurer. He behaves rather strangely because of the secrecy of the gang, but his parents think he has stolen a misplaced cash envelope given as an anniversary present to his mother from his father. The short is filled with cute scenes including one where Spanky dresses as Buckwheat to escape the watchful eye of the gang and one where Buckwheat chants gibberish ("I command?") while pushing a stroller.
"Little Sinner" is the final short on this tape. The short was made in 1935 and stars Spanky, Porky (in his first film), and Buckwheat. The kids decide to skip church to go fishing instead. However, there is a church nearby saving people who leap into the wood yelling, "Hallelujah!" The boys end up becoming scared, and rush off to church saying they'll never skip again. It has its funny moments, but overall it the weakest short on the tape.

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Little Rascals Vols. 3-4 (1955) Review

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(More customer reviews)I loved "The Little Rascals" when I was growing up. I'm glad to see they have a nice mix of episodes with my favorite characters. Spanky, Alfalfa, Jackie, Buckwheat, Marianne, and Pete (the dog!) are all here!
If you are unfamiliar with the Little Rascals, it was a series of short comedies filmed in the 1920's and 1930's called "Our Gang". The films were about poor kids and their very funny escapades. (Note: there is racial stereotyping that was common at the time of filming, not that that is any excuse!) These were intended to be stand-alone films. In some films, the gang had parents. In others, they live in an orphanage. There were plenty of other inconsistencies like this from episode to episode. Hal Roach sold the original series to MGM, bought it back, and renamed it, "Hal Roach's Little Rascals". More episodes were filmed into the early 1940's. No episodes were ever produced for TV, but it started playing on TV in 1955 under the name, "The Little Rascals". Jackie Cooper played "Jackie". (Robert Blake played "Mickey", but not in any of these episodes.)
Here is an episode guide, with a tiny description:
Teacher's Pet: Jackie brags to a nice woman about the tricks they plan to play on the new teacher. Guess who their new teacher is?
School's Out: Jackie is worried that the new teacher, Miss Crabtree will get married and leave. So when the gang thinks she has a boyfriend, they try to discourage his interest.

Readin' And Writin': Brisbane tries to get kicked out of school after his mother reminds him that he can be president if he does well.
Spooky Hooky: Spanky and Alfalfa want to skip school and go to the circus, so they send Buckwheat and Porky to put a fake doctor's note on the teacher's desk. When they find out the teacher is taking the class to the circus, they do everything they can to get the note back.
Sprucin' Up: Spanky and Alfalfa show off to the new truant officer's daughter.
For Pete's Sake!: After Marianne's doll is destroyed by the local bully, the gang tries to get her a new one. They end up trading Pete, the dog, for a doll!

The Kid From Borneo: The gang decides that a wild man from Borneo wants to eat them up.
Dogs Is Dogs: Pete, the dog, ends up at the pound after he is accused of eating Mr. Brown's chickens.
The Pooch: Stymie steals a pie, but is forgiven when he gets the other kids' dogs from the dogcatcher.

Dog Heaven: Pete, the dog, is upset because Joe spent money on a girl rather than a promised dog collar. Pete saves the girl from drowning, but gets in trouble when Joe thinks Pete pushed her into the water.

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Our Gang - Little Rascals Greatest Hits (1933) Review

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(More customer reviews)Good collection of Rascals shorts. "Shrimps For A day" is the classic tale of Spanky and two midgets (Olive and Dick Brasno) who lead a kiddie revolt against a tyrannical orphanage owner. If seen in childhood, it will stay in your mind forever! "Hi Neighbor" and "Fly My Kite" are great, but easily available elsewhere (they seem to be on almost every Our Gang DVD). "Beginner's Luck" is a howl-fest about Spanky's misadventures at a kiddie talent show. Look for Alfalfa's debut in this one as well as the Five cabin Kids, a talented group of Black children who were quite popular at the time. Check the kiddie imitation of Louis Armstrong!
Then there's "The Kid From Borneo." One of the less "politically correct" Rascal epics, modern Black viewers may not take well to the story of the children's encounter with a Black "jungle savage". Stymie (of all people) is given lines referring to the title character as a "sissy cannibal" and a "gorilla ape." However, it does have moments of real humor and contains some great chase scenes. One has to really "leave your brains at the door" to enjoy this one and remember that the positive racial aspects of the Rascals far outweigh the negative, given the times that they were made. Personally, my reaction to the film veers between cringing and laughter, although I've seen far worse.
That aside, the transfers vary and youmay have to turn up the brightness on your tv to enjoy this set. But overall, a good collection, especially for longtime fans.

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Little Rascals, Vol. 3 Review

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(More customer reviews)Recently, some friends and I were discussing films of the transition period between the silent movies of the mid 20's and the talkies of the late 20's. I posed the following question: Which actor has had the most enduring impact on succeeding generations of audiences? The responses were givens: Charles Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Rudolph Valentino--and Miss Crabtree. None of us was surprised at this last choice; we were somewhat abashed to realize that none us knew the name of the actress who played the sweet blond teacher of the early Little Rascal comedies. Her name, as we later learned, was June Marlowe, a veteran of more than two dozen forgettable silent films.
She made her initial appearance in Teacher's Pet, and was such a hit that producer Hal Roach quickly used her again in two sequals, School's Out, and Love Business. The reason Miss Crabtree made such a impact in 1930 is the same reason that once one sees her (hopefully as a child), then one can never forget the warmth and love that she doled out and received.
In Teacher's Pet, the previous teacher of the Little Rascals, Miss McGillicuddy, has married, leaving an opening for Miss Crabtree to fill. The Rascals,led by a very young Jackie Cooper, are quite sure that any woman named Crabtree must be a real sourpuss. They plot to drive her away with juvenile antics like sneezing powder and itchy ants. As Jackie heads to school, a lovely woman gives him a ride in her big car. Jackie,not realizing that she is the reviled Miss Crabtree, immediately falls in puppy love with her and tells her all the gory details. She drops him off and when he arrives at school, he sees that his recent female acquaintance and Miss Crabtree are one and the same. After some predictable comeuppances on the part of the Rascals, Jackie is shamed and runs out to cry. Miss Crabtree follows him to welcome him back into the fold with cake and ice cream.
Now this may sound like rather light fare to generate an impact that reverberates even today, but as I viewed Teacher's Pet for the first time in decades, I could see that beneath the juvenile mischief of the Rascals and the smiles of Miss Crabtree lay some serious psychological and social subtexts.
As the movie opens, the Rascals are bemoaning the loss of their beloved Miss McGillicuddy. To Jackie and the other Rascals, Miss McGillicuddy gave them warmth and love. Into this loveless void steps Miss Crabtree, who merely by her presence, re-establishes the primacy of the enduring power of love. With her smiles, her laughter, her voice, Miss Crabtree is transfigured into the icon of the loving Madonna, who need do no more than simply be there to reassure the Rascals and the audience, first of the 20's and now of the turn of the century, that love and caring can never disappear from a world filled with angst. It is to this fount of love that audiences have been responding for seven decades.
In School's Out, Miss Crabtree ever so gently faces some serious issues that intrude on the light comedy of the series. Farina complains sadly that his daddy is in jail more than not. Chubby discloses that his father beats him with 'some fluency.' To these all too common social disasters, Miss Crabtree simply envelops the Rascals with her loving persona, assuring them that if she can't change their condition, she can at least make it more bearable. The plot of School's Out is another piece of fluff involving yet a second case of mistaken identity, this time with her brother, who the Rascals fear will marry Miss Crabtree and take her away as Miss McGillicuddy was taken away. Though this plot may be slight, it still fills the screen with the unmistakeable dread of loss of love. Miss Crabtree is the living symbol that reassuring love can never be truly lost, only postponed.
In Love Business, Miss Crabtree makes her final appearance as the object of the attention of the love-struck Jackie Cooper and of Chubby. Both Jackie and Chubby vie for the hand of the lovely Miss Crabtree, only to realize that love comes in more than one flavor, and if one cannot have the taste that one prefers, there are other kinds.
For these three movies, which are available on one cassette, watching them is an emotional experience. Yes, I grant that June Marlowe does not have the depth or range of later more formidable actresses, but in this series she did not need them. What was needed then--and perhaps now--is a gentle reminder that sweetness and kindness are qualities that can never vanish from our consciousness. It can be no coincidence that millions of fans fondly remember Miss Crabtree as the reason that their lives were touched in a way that resonates decades later.

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Little Rascals 18 Review

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(More customer reviews)This is an excellent Little Rascals video. It contains the episode Small Talk,where the Gang is adopted from an orphan's home. It is the first all talking Little Rascals film made in 1929. In 1933's Forgotten Babies, Spanky has many incidents while sitting for the Gang's younger siblings. In Bear Facts which was made in 1938, Alfalfa says he's an animal trainer. He ends up dancing with Darla's dad who disguises himself as a bear. In 1927's Baby Brother Joe wants a baby brother, Farina finds him one. He gives the baby lots of care. The funniest thing is when Joe's baby brother goes through the Gang's baby washer. This is a rare silent film. Great addition to a Little Rascals video collection.

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The Little Rascals: Superstars of Our Gang Review

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(More customer reviews)Watching Little Rascals (Our Gang) reruns are among my earliest TV Memories, and I'm delighted to say that they still hold up to this day. The Rascals had a style all their own, that is missing from childrens programming these days. Watching them now, they engage in antics and mischief that at times, makes all the hubbub about Bart Simpson being rebellious seem tame.
The best thing about collecting Rascal episodes now on DVD is that I can share them with my family, who fortunately happens to like them just as much as I do. The great colorization on these recent releases just makes it even easier, and it's always neat to see the bonus features, which contain things that in some cases, haven't been seen since they were originally aired.
This "Superstars of Our Gang" collection features School's Out - There's a new teacher in town, but the class she's assigned to teach isn't quite what she expected. It's fun to see the class respond to her questions about history with some modern (for the time) pop culture references.
Free Wheeling - Dickie's sick, and the Rascals know how to fix that: Add in a drinking donkey and a wild monkey into the mix. One of my favorites.
For Pete's Sake - Pete gets dognapped, but gets his revenge on the evildoers and their antique shop, (and even an early Mickey Mouse doll!)
Divot Diggers - Combine Alfalfa, Buckwheat AND Spanky, along with the kids playing a round of golf, and you've got another one of my favorite classic episodes. I enjoyed seeing golf lampooned Rascals style, the uptight golfers are an ideal foil for our boys.
Waldo's Last Stand - As their lemonade stand flounders, the kids start up an entire restaurant complete with a floor show to try to boost sales. As a later episode, it's fun to see how the kids grow up as the show went on.
As you can see, there's a lot to take in from these five shorts. A variety of schemes, mischief and animal action, with a rotating cast of all your favorite Rascals. The bonus materials include:
-Jackie Cooper Go Kart Race - A comedic news report showing Little Rascal Jackie Cooper road racing with the Mark Brothers on a Hollywood backlot.
-Old and New Rascals - The first "Gang" from the movies of the 20's, meets with Spanky and the late 30's iteration. Fun to see how the kids turned out.
-Little Rascals Varieties - Trailer for the gangs full length movie
-Alfalfa on the Roy Rogers Show - A grown up Alfalfa guest stars on the Roy Rogers show.
All the shorts are presented in their original B & W as well as in a great colorization job. The bonus features are all in B & W and provide both entertainment value and a historical context for the shorts. The whole package is an entertaining and affordable one, and I highly recommend it to anyone confused by the myriad of Little Rascals material available on DVD.

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The Little Rascals: Best of Our Gang Review

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(More customer reviews)Revisiting the Little Rascals is something I had been meaning to do for a long time, but with so many collections on the market, it is tough to know where to start. Well after checking out the latest release of The Little Rascals in color, I can advise you to wonder no longer. These new releases offer up a little something for everyone in your family.
Adults can appreciate revisiting the television hits from their childhood, which have held up remarkably over time. My wife found all the kids to be quite cute, while I appreciated observing how influential the show has been. My teenage son, who has seen the Rascals parodied on The Simpsons and Family Guy, was impressed with how the "old timey" humor held up. And my youngest child enjoyed being able to watch the episodes in color, which I had to admit looked great.
This Best of Our Gang DVD includes the following episodes:
-Fly My Kite - Stymie and Chubby help Grandma ward off a con man with the help of their kite. My youngest enjoyed seeing the slapstick as the kids fend off the bad guy.
-A Lad An' A Lamp - Through a series of wacky mixups, the gang believes that Stymie's brother Cotton has been turned into a chimp. Spanky and the chimp run amok in a local diner. It's always fun to see the kids interact with animals.
-The Kid From Borneo - In this infamous episode, the escaped "wild man" is befriended by Spanky.
-Hi Neighbor - A new neighbor moves in with a fancy new toy fire truck. He of course manages to impress the girls, so the Rascals have to build a truck of their own to compete with him. It wouldn't be a Rascals short if it didn't end in good natured mayhem.
-Hide and Shriek - Alfalfa and Buckwheat run a detective agency and stumble into a haunted house. A classic Rascals premise, and a great example of what made these shorts so fun.
In addition to the five shorts, (most close to 20 minutes in length,)
there are some great bonus features on this disc.
-The Little Rascals meet Laurel and Hardy - A quick short called "The Stolen Jools" featuring both comedy teams
-The Singing Lesson with Alfalfa - An Alfalfa starring role, as he terrorizes a barbershop with his caterwauling
-Pete the Dog at the Nightclub - An old time newsreel, commemorating Petey's initiation to the Sidle Club.
-You Asked for It: Our Gang Reunion - The original cast reunites on a talk show 25 years later. They interview the now grown up kids about the show and what their lives have been like later on. Very interesting to watch, especially after watching the shorts earlier on the DVD.
Altogether a very comprehensive and entertaining package. The shorts are available on Color or Black and White, and while purists may want to watch them this way, my family has enjoyed watching them in Color. Very fun, and great to see that comedy of this style still holds up over the years.

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The Little Rascals Complete Platinum Collection 87 Episodes on 11 DVDs Review

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(More customer reviews)The item came actually a little earlier than expected and I am extremely happy with it. No, there is no background history included, but I bought it for the videos, not a history of the little rascals. Very pleased!

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Little Rascals 4 Review

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(More customer reviews)This video starts out with a brief synopsis and commentary on each of the shorts by film historian Leonard Maltin. Kids might want to fast forward this section, but it is useful for anyone who wants to know the history of the shorts.
The tape starts out with "Readin' and Writin'," a film revolving around gang member Breezy Brisbane. It is the first day of school, but Breezy doesn't want to go. His mother wants him to grow up and become president, but that sounds boring to him. He's rather become a streetcar conductor. He goes to a blacksmith to dawdle before school, and the blacksmith tells him that he SHOULD want to be president. Then he tells him about a kid who got expelled from school who pulled all sort of pranks. Breezy decides to do the same so he can go fishing instead of going to school. He brings a donkey into the classroom, glues the teacher's books together, puts tacks on all of the seats, tells new students Wheezer, Stymie, and Dorothy to say silly things to the teacher, and puts a motor horn into the trash can and blows it whenever the teacher tries to talk. Teacher Miss Crabtree finds out that it was Breezy and expels him, unless he will recite a brown-nosing poem that another student's mother wrote for her son to say to the teacher. Breezy gets bored of being alone with no one to play with, so he returns to the school in tears, ready to humiliate himself. This short is just as funny as if one was in the classroom witnessing all of these pranks him or herself. It's a great short.
Next up is "The Kid From Borneo," one of the most popular shorts from the series. It features Dickie Moore, Spanky, and Dorothy de Borba as the children from a feuding family. Their mother's brother is in town, but their father doesn't want her to see him since he is the black sheep of the family. The kids take this news literally and assume that the wild man that their uncle George is road showing is really their uncle George. The wild man happens to love candy; he calls it "yum yum, eat em up!" When Dickie and the gang go to visit George, the wild man sees some candy that Stymie has, making him chase them for some with the kids thinking he wants to eat them! The fun goes to Spanky's house, where most of the gang hides upstairs while tiny Spanky entertains the wild man in the kitchen, feeding him the entire icebox. The short is nothing short of hilarious, and if often regarded as the funniest of the series.
"Sprucin' Up" is one of the later shorts featuring Spanky and Alfalfa. The scene opens with a montage of the gang, each of them finding ways to get out of grooming themselves in various ways. When a pretty new girl moves into town, the kids rush home to look their best for her. Spanky and Alfalfa turn out to be the only two who can infiltrate the house to see the girl, who amuses herself by pitting the two against each other for her affection. Immense charming ensues, and the two boys are left alone competing while the girl goes off to the circus with her rich friend Percy. The short is decent and typical of the later Hal Roach MGM shorts.
"Pay As You Exit" finishes this collection well with the later gang putting on the tragic show Romeo and Juliet. Alfalfa plays Romeo and as you might expect, Darla plays Juliet. That is, until Alfalfa eats onions and Darla deems him unfit to play against. The kids are at a loss for what to do; the audience hasn't yet paid to see the show since Alfalfa promised that they only pay if they like the show. Buckwheat saves the day and steps in as Juliet with a blonde wig. He is adorable in the role, calling Romeo "Homeo" and playing to his audience with an excited fervor. However, the show still manages to go awry with chickens interfering, the balcony coming apart from the set, and Alfalfa falling through the curtain on a ladder. This a short filled with things going wrong with tons of humor and will not disappoint.

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Little Rascals 20 Review

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(More customer reviews)This video is a collection of some of the most controversial films in the Little Rascals series due to racial jokes. However, one must look at the context of the film and the time period in which it was made.
"Lazy Day" is a short that focuses on two groups. The first is Farina and his baby sibling. He is so tired that he makes a contraption to rock the cradle and uses his female friend to wait on him. When she says she has to go, he threatens not to marry her. Many people say this paints a bad picture of black people, but the lazy child shown could have been any of the members of the gang. It just happened to be Farina because he was one of the most popular of the time. The other portion of the show is dedicated to a bunch of the gang dressing their siblings and each other up as babies to win the most beautiful baby prize at a local fair. It is the more harmless aspect of the short. It isn't extremely funny and drags on like many of the early talkies did.
"Moan and Groan, Inc." is titled as such because it was the first short released after the stock market crash. In it, the gang is persuaded not to go in the old haunted house to play by Kennedy the cop. He suggests they dig for gold instead, so they do, inside the haunted house. Inside lives a man escaped from the mental institution who taunts the kids with his ghostly moans and sneaky tricks. Farina has a major role and displays his comical array of facial reactions.
"A Tough Winter" is probably the most offensive short of the series because of the guest actor Stepin Fetchit. He was a very popular comedic black actor of the time who was going to receive his own series. His jokes were truly funny and were typical of the day. In his guest appearance, he plays a man who can't be rushed to the point of comedy. He wears countless layers of clothes in the cold winter snow and has cleverly wired his home to be more convenient. He has a device to cook eggs without any effort. He is clever about getting out of other work too. When a letter arrives, he asks Farina to read it to him. He explains that he can't read it now; he went to night school and it is daytime. It is from his girlfriend; Stepin doesn't want Farina to hear what he's reading so he has him put cotton balls into his ears. The best part of the short is a more classic routine in the Our Gang series. Mary Ann and Wheezer decide to make taffy. Mary Ann tells Wheezer to listen to the radio for the ingredients. He starts with the molasses and butter, but each time he runs to the kitchen to rattle off an ingredient, a new recipe starts. Soon, the kids are adding Tabasco sauce and chili peppers to the mix, and even end up adding Lux soap! The result is a mess that gets all over the house. The short was often pulled from television viewing, but it is one of the greats of the series.
"Little Daddy" is also considered to be racist, but I can't figure out why. It is about Farina and his little brother Stymie. Farina keeps being threatened that Stymie will be taken away from him because he can't take care of his little brother. He does his best though, making Stymie breakfast and making sure he takes his shower (even though the little boy uses an umbrella to avoid getting wet!). June Marlowe, who played Miss Crabtree in the series, make a short appearance in this short.
One must remember that the Little Rascals was a breakthrough series because it featured black and white actors playing together with no regard to the color of their skin. Sure, a few racial jokes were thrown into the shorts, but that was simply because it was the style of the time. It was completely innocent. Times have changed, and for the better, but it is wrong to judge films of the past by standards of the present.

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The Little Rascals Collector's Edition III (1955) Review

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(More customer reviews)Finally Hallmark has decided to issue another Little Rascals DVD! They promise us unedited copies like the old Cabin Fever release. Unfortunately, if you are replacing your old Cabin Fever VHS tapes you will find this release minus Leonard Maltin and in a different order:
Shorts included on this set:
Former Cabin Fever volume 6
FREE WEELIN' (1932) with Spanky & Stymie
MIKE FRIGHT(1934) with Spanky & Stymie
WASHEE IRONEE(1934) with Spanky, Stymie & Buckwheat
FISHY TALES(1937) with Spanky, Alfalfa, Darla & Buckwheat
Former Cabin Fever volume 8
SHIVER MY TIMBERS (1931) with Stymie
DIVOT DIGGERS(1936) with Spanky, Alfalfa, Darla & Buckwheat
BORED OF EDUCATION (1936) with Spanky, Alfalfa, Darla & Buckwheat
CHOO CHOO (1932) with Spanky (one of his first) & Stymie
Half of former Cabin Fever volume 9
WHEN THE WIND BLOWS (1930) with Jackie Cooper
FRAMING YOUTH (1937) with Spanky, Alfalfa, Darla & Buckwheat
And yes , you will find SPANKY, ALFALFA, DARLA, STYMIE and BUCKWHEAT in many of these. All of the shorts are five star comedies!

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The Little Rascals: The Complete Collection (1933) Review

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(More customer reviews)BAD NEWS FOLKS! This not a re-release of the CabinFever transfers. 14 of these are Blackhawk prints, unrestored from 16mm! And two titles have EDITS!
Comparing this release to Cabin fever's 1999 DVD release shows that Cabin Fever's has less artifacting. Those are defenately the superior DVD releases!
The Little Rascals: Vol 1 - 12 Cabin Fever Box Set (6 discs)
The edited titles in this set are BEAR SHOOTERS & WASHEE IRONEE, they were complete in the Cabin Fever DVDs.
The old RHI VHS master got used for WASHEE IRONEE, about 11 minutes into the short, when the gang askes a Chinese boy how to wash clothes, you see him drink some water but the close up of him spitting the water on the clothes & saying "Washee, Washee" is MISSING. The shot right after with the gang looking puzzled is also MISSING. We pick up again with a longer shot of the gang spitting the water on the clothes. The reason for this edit is really a mystery. It does not censor anything that we don't see elsewhere in the short, it must have been an editing error when putting reel 1 & reel 2 together.
Blackhawk never put their name on any 35mm material that they used. They spliced their titles in to their 16mm negative. The sad part is that we will be deprived of the original title artwork.
Here is the list of the 14 titles with the Blackhawk homemovie title cards:
Barnum & Ringling Inc., which does NOT have the original Hal Roach Music & Effects soundtrack! This was one of the first Hal Roach silent films to be produced with a Music & effects soundtrack disc for theaters to run with the film. The Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum often runs this short with its original soundtrack. Too bad we get the Blackhawk Gaylord Carter soundtrack here!
Boxing Gloves
Moan & Groan Inc.
Shivering Shakespear
A Tough Winter
The Kid From Borneo
The Pinch Singer
Three Smart Boys
Roamin' Holiday
Bear Facts
Came The Brawn
Feed'em & Weep
The Awful Tooth
Hide & Shriek
--------Original review-------
Not only will we get all of the Hal Roach sound shorts in one package, but a nice surprise will be the inclusion of some silent shorts. A few of these are making their DVD debut!
SYNOPSIS:
"The Little Rascals: The Complete Collection" spans
the years of 1929-1938. This collection contains all
80 of the original sound Hal Roach Our Gang films (later re-issued as The Little Rascals)
in their entirety; fully Remastered, Restored and
Uncut. This amazing 8-disc set contains a collectible
booklet, loads of nostalgic bonus footage, photos and
much more! This preeminent collection is a must-have
for fans, both old and new.
Members of the gang start out with WHEEZER, FARINA, Mary Ann Jackson, Joe Cobb, Jean Darling, Harry Spear, & Pete (the Pup).
DISC 1 (Introduction by Richard Bann):
Small Talk (1929) (only 3-reeler running about 25 minutes)
***(2-reels running 15 to 21 minutes from here to 1936)***
Railroadin' (1929) (CHUBBY joins the gang)
Boxing Gloves (1929) (with Jackie Cooper)
Lazy Days (1929)
Bouncing Babies (1929)
Moan and Groan Inc (1929) (with Edgar Kennedy & Max Davidson)
Shivering Shakespeare (1930) (with Jackie Cooper & Edgar Kennedy)
The First Seven Years (1930) (with Jackie Cooper & Edgar Kennedy)
When the Wind Blows (1930) (with Jackie Cooper & Edgar Kennedy)
Bear Shooters (1930) ****EDITED**** (with Charlie Hall)
DISC 2 (Introduction by Tom Hatten):
A Tough Winter (1930) (with Stepin' Fetchit)
Pups is Pups (1930) (with Charlie Hall. 1st appearance of Dorothy "ECHO" DeBorba)
Teacher's Pet (1930) - Commentary by Richard Bann (w/Jackie Cooper & MISS CRABTREE. 1st STYMIE appearance)
School's Out (1930) (with Jackie Cooper & MISS CRABTREE)
Helping Grandma (1931) (with Jackie Cooper. 1st appearance of Shirley Jean Rickert)
Love Business (1931) (with Jackie Cooper & MISS CRABTREE)
Little Daddy (1931) (with MISS CRABTREE)
Bargain Day (1931) (last with Jackie Cooper using a stand-in for the last scene)
Fly My Kite (1931) - Commentary by Richard Bann
Big Ears (1931)
DISC 3 (Introduction by Dickie Moore):
Shiver My Timbers (1931) (with MISS CRABTREE)
Dog is Dogs (1931)
Readin' and Writin' (1932) (with MISS CRABTREE. 1st with BREEZY)
Free Eats (1932) (with Billy Gilbert. 1st film to feature SPANKY)
Spanky (1932) (with Billy Gilbert)
Choo Choo (1932) (1st appearance of Wally Albright)
Pooch (1932)
Hook and Ladder (1932) (w/ Dinah the Mule. 1st with Dickie Moore)
Free Wheeling (1932) (with Dinah The Mule)
Birthday Blues (1932)
DISC 4 (Introduction by Jerry Tucker):
A Lad an' a Lamp (1932)
Fish Hooky (1933) (w/ grown up old Our Gangers Mickey, Mary, Joe & Farina)
Forgotten Babies (1933) (with Billy Gilbert. 1st appearance of Tommy Bond as a gang member and not BUTCH)
Kid from Borneo (1933)
Mush and Milk (1933)
Bedtime Worries (1933)
Wild Poses (1933) - Commentary by Richard Ward (Laurel & Hardy Cameo)
Hi, Neighbor (1934) (1st teaming Scotty Beckett with Spanky)
For Pete's Sake (1934)
The First Round-Up (1934) (with Billy Bletcher)
DISC 5 (Introduction by Jerry Tucker):
Honkey Donkey (1934)
Mike Fright (1934) (with Charlie Hall)
Washee Ironee (1934) ****EDITED**** (with 'Tiny' Sanford)
Mama's Little Pirate (1934) (1st time Billie is BUCKWHEAT)
Shrimps for a Day (1934)
Anniversary Trouble (1935) (with Hattie McDaniel & Johnny Arthur)
Beginner's Luck (1935) (with Charlie Hall & THE CABIN KIDS. ALFALFA's debut film)
Teacher's Beau (1935) (with THE CABIN KIDS, Charlie Hall, Billy Bletcher)
Sprucin' Up (1935)
Little Papa (1935) (SPANKY & ALFALFA become more of a team)
DISC 6 (Introduction by Richard Lewis Ward):
Little Sinner (1935) (1st appearance by PORKY)
The Lucky Corner (1936)
Our Gang Follies of 1936 (1935) (DARLA HOOD's 1st appearance)
Divot Diggers (1936) (with Billy Bletcher)
Pinch Singer (1936) (with Charlie Hall)
Second Childhood (1936)
Arbor Day (1936) (with Hattie McDaniel)
***(1-reel, about 9 to 11 minutes from here on unless noted.)***
Bored of Education (1936) (with Rosina Lawrence as MISS LAWRENCE) Acadamy Award Winner!
Two Too Young (1936) (with Rosina Lawrence as MISS LAWRENCE)
Pay as You Exit (1936) (Joe Cobb returns outside of the gang)
Spooky Hooky (1936) (with Rosina Lawrence as MISS JONES)
Reunion in Rhythm (1937) (with Rosina Lawrence as MISS JONES and old Our Gangers Mickey, Mary, Joe, & Stymie)
Glove Taps (1937) (1st to feature the "BUTCH" and "WALDO" characters)
DISC 7 (Introduction by Annie Ross):
Hearts are Thumps (1937) (with Rosina Lawrence as MISS JONES)(He-Man Woman haters Club)
Three Smart Boys (1937) (with Rosina Lawrence as MISS JONES)
Rushin' Ballet (1937) (2nd to feature "BUTCH")
Roamin' Holiday (1937)
Night 'n' Gales (1937) (with Johnny Arthur)
Fishy Tales (1937) (3rd to feature "BUTCH")
Framing Youth (1937) (4th to feature "BUTCH")
The Pigskin Palooka (1937)
Mail and Female (1937) (featuring the He-Man Woman Haters Club)
Our Gang Follies of 1938 (1937) (2-reel special, 18 minutes)
Canned Fishing (1938)
Bear Facts (1938)
Three Men in a Tub (1938)
Came the Brawn (1938) (Last appearance of "SPANKY" & "BUTCH")
Feed 'em and Weep (1938) (w/ Johnny Arthur. Philip Hurlic replaces "Buckwheat" only in this film)
The Awful Tooth (1938)
Hide and Shriek (1938)
(Note: Spanky & Butch would return to the series after Hal Roach sold it to MGM.)
DISC 8 (Introduction by Jean Darling):
Three Silents:
Dog Heaven (1927) - Commentary by Richard Ward
Spook Spoofing (1928) - Commentary by Richard Ward
Barnum & Ringling, Inc. (1928)
The Story of Hal Roach and Our Gang
Rascals and Racial Issues
Catching Up With The Rascals - this feature contains
the following:
Catching Up with the Rascals: Dickie Moore
Catching Up with the Rascals: Jean Darling
Catching Up with the Rascals: Jerry Tucker
Catching Up with the Rascals: Annie Ross
Memories of Spanky (with Rick Sapphire)
For a complete guide to these shorts, buy Leonard Maltin & Richard Bann's highly informative book "THE LITTLE RASCALS, THE LIFE & TIMES OF OUR GANG":
The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang
I am assured by Genius Entertainment that these will be dual layered DVD-9 discs, well capable of handling the amount of content on each disc.
The only minor disappointment is that MGM released 22 of the silent Hal Roach Our Gang (Little Rascals) Comedies and 17 of them exist. RHI owns the rights to these which keeps them off of the public domain Our Gang sets. It would have been nice to see all 17 of these in this set, but 3 is better than none.

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The Little Rascals: The Complete Collection spans the years of 1929-1938. This collections contains all 80 of the original Little Rascals theatrical talkies in their entirety; fully Remastered, Restored and Uncut. This amazing 8-disc set contains a collectible booklet, loads of nostalgic bonus footage, photos and much more! This preeminent collection is a must-have for fans, both old and new.Stills from The Little Rascals: The Complete Collection (Click for larger image)

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The Little Rascals-Collectors Edition-87 Episodes-With DVD Menus- in RICH BLACK AND WHITE Review

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(More customer reviews)I used to have a few VHS tapes of the Little Rascals, or Our Gang. The series was Cabin something or other, and you can't find those anywhere anymore. I've always loved these timeless shows, and wanted to find a good box-set of them. After looking at several different products and reading lots of reviews, I decided to take a risk and give this one a try. It had lots of episodes (including the ones I especially loved and cherish) and it was relatively cheap. If it turned out to be over-edited or anything, I wasn't really out so much money. I haven't watched all 87 episodes yet, but everything I've watched is just as I remember. If you're looking for a good collection of the Little Rascals, this is one you should definitely get: The Little Rascals-Collectors Edition-87 Episodes-With DVD Menus- in RICH BLACK AND WHITE

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