Series: Our Gang Director: Fred Newmeyer, Robert F. McGowan Producer: Hal Roach Titles: H.M. Walker Photography: Editor: Thomas J. Crizer Stars: Ernest Morrison, John Hatton, Anna Mae Bilson, Billy Condon, Mickey Daniels, Jackie Condon Company: Pathé Exchange Released: 05 November 1922 Length: 2 reels Production No.: A-1 Filming dates: January 3 - February 17, 1922 Rating: -/10

Our Gang

Mary Jane (Anna Mae Bilson) is in her yard surrounded by animals whilst cleaning some gloves in gasoline. Along comes a young boy (referred to as 'Jimmy' in some prints) who tries to impress her, but she is uniterested in him. So when she isn't looking he picks up her doll and throws it into a large puddle and then jumps in to rescue it. This does the trick and Mary thanks him and they walk off together. In the next scene a group of kids (which includes Mickey Daniels) are observing their black friend 'Snowy' (Ernest Morrison) from behind a wall as he wanders around in his yard dressed with a barrel around his waist. Snowy instructs a donkey/mule to fetch him some pants from the washing line before he pulls a white pair of overalls on and over his head. His mother sees this and thinking it is a ghost she runs inside the house. As Mary and 'Jimmy' are walking along they see a rich kid (referred to as 'Patrick Melrose') sitting in his yard in a posh chair and reading a magazine. Mary Jane wanders over to him and sits admiring him. Jimmy gets jealous and is advised by his young brother (Jackie Condon) that the rich boy's clothing attracted Mary Ann. Mickey lures Patrick over to him by waving the doll and leads him into an ambush. Behind a gate a commotion erupts for a few moments, giving the audience the impression that the half-dozen kids are kicking the shit out of Patrick, but Patrick emerges victorious, wiping his hands after defeating all of them.

The kids don't take it lying down and confront Patrick in the street but they agree to make up and be friends. The first thing they do is cut off his locks. His mother sees this and faints. A man, presumably Mary Jane's father, comes and leads Mary Jane away. 'Mr. Jacobson' enters a dry goods store and tells the lady (Mary Jane's mother) he wants his rent or else she will be evicted. The kids overhear this (somehow) and plan to sabotage Jacobson in order to save Mary Jane's parents' store. They send their dog over to Jacobson's store to cause him a nuisance. The bog sits outside and barks as each customer walks past, causing them to faint and to be collected by Snowy in a wheelchair and wheeled over to Mary Jane's store instead. To add salt to the wound, a horse steals a hat from outside Jacobson's store and brings it over to Mary Jane's. The horse, tied up outside the store, delivers a parcel to a neighbor by kicking it, as well as a drunken customer (Mark Jones) to his porch in the same manner. When Mary Jane's mother returns to the store she is pleased to see so many customers much to the chagrin of the rival store owner across the street, who accosts her in her store with a gun. He demands she hand over her takings but the horse kicks the gun out of his hands and the dog attaches itsself to his pants as he runs out of the store. The kids grab a horse and chase Jacobson down the street. He climbs up a phone pole but two horses grab a saw and cut down the pole (yes you read that right). He is then chased down the street again by the dog which has re-attached itsself to him!

Favourite bit A clever routine sees Ernie Morrison bringing fainting customers over to his store by wheelchair.

Trivia • Copyrighted October 11, 1922. • This was the first film in the series to be made, but the third to be released. • When the horse pulls the rug out from underneath Wallace Howe's legs, the way he falls over is so completely unconvincing! My opinion • From the footage available (approximately 65% of the film) this is far from exciting, but the historical importance of it cannot be overlooked.

	Ernest Morrison Booker T. Bacon
	John Hatton Patrick Melrose, the rich boy
	Anna Mae Bilson Mary Jane
	Billy Condon Jimmy
	Mickey Daniels Mickey
	Jackie Condon Roosevelt Pershing Smith, Jimmy's little brother
	Buck Black Gang member
	Wallace Howe Mr. Jacobson
	Molly Thompson Rich boy's mother
	Mark Jones Emil
	Charley Lloyd Customer
	Helen Gilmore Emil's wife
	Vera White Customer's wife
	Jack O'Brien Policeman
	George Warde Boy
	UNIDENTIFIED Mary's mother
	UNIDENTIFIED Girl
	UNIDENTIFIED Booker's mother

CREDITS (click image to enlarge)

LOBBY CARDS (click any image to enlarge)

SHOT ON LOCATION (click any image to enlarge)

Acknowledgements: The Little Rascals: The Life And Times Of Our Gang by Leonard Maltin & Richard W. Bann (book) http://theluckycorner.com/rps/001.html (Robert Demoss/The Lucky Corner) Jorge Finkielman (lobby cards) Gene Sorkin (print of the film) Jesse Brisson (identification of Molly Thompson) Matthew Lydick (upgraded print of the film; identification of Buck Black) This page was last updated on: 14 September 2023