Series: Our Gang Director: Gordon Douglas Producer: Hal Roach Writer: Photography: Art Lloyd Editor: William H. Ziegler Sound: Warren B. Delaplain Stars: Darla Hood, Eugene Lee, George McFarland, Carl Switzer, Billie Thomas, Matthew Beard, Joe Cobb, Mickey Daniels, Mary Kornman Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Released: 09 January 1937 Length: 1 reel Production No.: K-5 Filming dates: Rating: 2/10

Reunion In Rhythm

Available on BLU-RAY & DVD:

It's the Adams Street Grammar School reunion of graduates and present class. The younger kids are seated at a long table besides their counterparts (a magnificent scene) as the band play "Auld Lang Syne". After the song finishes the young kids go off to get into their costumes as former president Mickey Daniels gives a speech. The first act from the kids is "Darla & Porky In The Toy Shop At Midnight", introduced by Buckwheat from the stage. Darla, dressed as a fairy sings "Baby Face" to Porky, who is dressed as a soldier as the two suck on lollipops. The second act is "Spanky & Co. In The Gay White Way", introduced by Porky. Spanky is dressed in a top hat and suit and performs a tapdance number "Broadway Rhythm" against the backdrop of New York's Broadway with a few other insignificant kids. The next boring segment involves Alfalfa and Gloria in "Hopeless Love" which Buckwheat introduces with a gag in his mouth. Alfalfa sits by a wishing well against the backdrop of a farm with a framed photograph of his girlfriend Gloria who then shows up to tell him they will not be getting married as planned because she is going away. She then breaks into a rendition of "Going Hollywood". Alfalfa follows this up with "I'm Through With Love" and bores us all to death. Jesus Christ, his singing voice is awful! When he finally stops singing the curtain is drawn but the kids then appear underneath it to sing one last song to their patient (and probably bored shitless) audience who give them a rather undeserving and generous round of applause. Damn, that was a tough ten minutes to struggle through!

Favourite bit The opening scene is really the ONLY scene worth remembering in this otherwise awful outing: the reunion of old Our Gang cast mixed in with the new.

Trivia • Copyrighted January 14, 1937; renewed July 27, 1964. • The 151st film in the series. • Elaine Merk was originally listed in the cast but her credit was removed after this was thought to be an error. My opinion • An intriguing idea to reunite older cast members with the new. The opening scene in particular is one of the best scenes in any of the Our Gang films in my opinion. Unfortunately it goes downhill immediately after that with what ends up being nothing more than a stage show put together with a few brief segments highlighting some dance numbers from some of the younger kids. Also by the time of this film it would appear that Mary Kornman's natural beauty as a child had faded. She looks quite knackered here!

	Darla Hood Darla
	Eugene Lee Porky
	George McFarland Spanky
	Carl Switzer Alfalfa
	Billie Thomas Buckwheat
	Georgia Jean LaRue Georgia
	Matthew Beard Stymie
	Joe Cobb Joe
	Mickey Daniels Mickey
	Mary Kornman Mary
	Ernie Alexander Band leader
	John Collum Our Gang member (he passes behind Alfalfa as the cop)
	Barbara Goodrich Girl in traffic segment
	Paul Hilton Boy in toy car
	Sidney Kibrick Our Gang member
	Rosina Lawrence Miss Lawrence
	Harold Switzer Our Gang member
	Pete Troncale Dancer, "Gay White Way"
	Doris Bottini Dancer, "Gay White Way"
	Leon Highby Dancer, "Gay White Way"
	Verna Dillon Dancer, "Gay White Way"
	Rae-Nell Laskey Dancer, "Gay White Way"
	Billy Diamond Dancer, "Gay White Way"
	Gloria Browne Dancer, "Gay White Way"
	Daniel Boone Dancer, "Gay White Way"

CREDITS (click image to enlarge)

Acknowledgements: http://www.theluckycorner.com/rmt/151.html (Robert Demoss/The Lucky Corner) The Little Rascals - The Life And Times Of Our Gang by Leonard Maltin & Richard W. Bann (book) Bob Peterson (identification of several actors in "Gay White Way" sequence) Drina Mohacso (additional help) This page was last updated on: 12 March 2024