Series: Our Gang @ MGM Director: George Sidney Producer: Jack Chertok Screenplay: Howard Dimsdale Photography: Robert Pittack Editor: Art director: Stars: Darla Hood, Eugene Lee, Carl Switzer, Billie Thomas, Tommy Bond, Darwood Kaye, Sidney Kibrick Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Released: 27 August 1938 Length: 1 reel Production No.: 2568 Filming dates: July 5-9, 1938 Rating: -/10

Party Fever

Available on DVD:

Darla is outside playing on a swing when Waldo appears with a bunch of flowers and invites her to the Strawberry Festival, but she rejects him because both Butch and Alfalfa have already asked her. The two boys are fighting over who gets to take her when Waldo shows them a newspaper which offers one boy to be appointed junior mayor of Greenpoint for one day during "Boys' Week". Darla decides to go on the date with whichever boy becomes the mayor. So the battle begins! Alfalfa takes Buckwheat and Porky as he promotes keeping the city clean, but a jealous Butch makes sure Alfalfa's plan fails when he spreads litter all over the grass. Butch decides to launch his own initiative by offering free "marshmellows" [sic] to his gang of followers. Feeling licked, Alfalfa counters with another idea, a sky-writing balloon after being inspired by a aeroplane in the sky doing likewise. A keen Darla wishes Alfalfa good luck and Alfalfa gets into the basket of his air balloon, which is pinned to the ground by a rope. The large crowd of kids (including Butch and Woim) look on as the rope which anchors Alfalfa to the ground suddenly unravels and the balloon breaks free. The kids rush to help, whilst Alfalfa cries for help. Darla pleads with Butch to help and he uses his catapult to pop the balloons holding Alfalfa up so that Alfalfa can come back down to earth [see favourite bit]. It all means little however, when the mayor appoints Waldo as the winner of the contest, with shocked gasps from the crowd.... until Waldo thanks "Uncle Frank", the mayor. Hmmmmmm. Not a very "feelgood" ending!

Favourite bit Despite being bitter rivals, Butch saves Alfalfa by using his catapult to pop the balloons in Alfalfa's balloon ride, thus bringing him down to the ground.

Trivia • Copyrighted August 25, 1938; renewed August 30, 1965. • The 171st film in the series to be released. • This was the fifth episode to be made without George Spanky McFarland. At the time, he was on loan to other studios. • This was the last film in the series to feature Pete the Pup. MGM's producers retired the dog and decided to modernize the series. My opinion • A decent entry in the series. Short, and to the point, but with an ending which leaves you frustrated.

	Darla Hood Darla
	Eugene Lee Porky
	Carl Switzer Alfalfa
	Billie Thomas Buckwheat
	Tommy Bond Butch
	Darwood Kaye Waldo
	Sidney Kibrick Woim
	Bobby Callahan Boy sitting beside Darla
	Frank Jaquet 'Uncle Frank', mayor
	Joe Levine Kid Butch pressures to vote
	Laura_June_Williams Girl sitting beside Waldo
	Gerald Shaw Twin
	Harold Shaw Twin
	Grace Bohanon Girl standing behind Waldo
	Payne Johnson Boy who stumbles
	Harold Switzer Boy watching Alfalfa

UNIDENTIFIED CAST

CREDITS (click image to enlarge)

This page was last updated on: 03 January 2020