2006 Updates

Nov. 5, 2006
update for "Mike Fright" (no. 130) and Hallmark page: The problem with the out-of-sync soundtrack has been corrected on recent copies of the third Hallmark DVD. Also, I've listed the episodes in the order they appear on the disc, which defers from the order on the DVD case.
Nov. 3, 2006
update for H. M. Walker filmography: It turns out that Walker was critiquing all of the Roach output earlier than I suspected, with the earliest examples happening in 1923. I've also added the more specific date of July 25, 1932, for his retirement, and a more specific date for his arrival at Universal later in the year, as per Randy Skretvedt's book.
update for Charles Oelze filmography: I've added a 'props' credit for "Short Kilts" listed in Rob Stone's Laurel Or Hardy book.
update for "Barnum & Ringling, Inc." (no. 74): I've elaborated a bit on Floyd Jackman's photographic credit in this film.
Nov. 2, 2006
correction: I forgot to add "When The Wind Blows" (no. 97) to Oelze's filmography, so it's there now.
new filmography and slight changes to certain film pages: I've added a somewhat sparse filmography for Charley Oelze, which can be accessed by clicking here. On the film pages, where it says 'possible uncredited involvement' in the 'crew' section, I've continued to include Oelze's name in connection to the property department for all of the Roach films. However, his status as a possible assistant director has been cut off at the end of the first sound season, since the early talkie era is so murky in this regard. Don Sandstrom's status in this section has also been altered a bit.
Nov. 1, 2006
new filmography: I've added a filmography for H. M. "Beanie" Walker, which can be accessed by clicking here.
update for "Our Gang Follies Of 1936" (no. 141): Correction regarding the Brian Sisters. I had assumed that Betty, the girl in the middle, was the oldest simply because she looked older to me than Doris. Looking at "Sunday Night At The Trocadero," in which the girls are standing, it's clear that Doris is the oldest.
Oct. 25, 2006
update for earliest silent films: I've decided to redesignate 'boy 002c' as 'boy 001,' since I'm pretty sure he's one of the gang in "Our Gang" (no. 1). Also, 'boy 002b' will now be listed as 'boy 002.' Also, I noticed that the sissy in "The Champeen!" (no. 9) also appears in "Back Stage" (no. 13). Therefore, I've designated him as 'boy 009a.' The boy previously listed as 'boy 009' will now be 'boy 009b.'
update for various early films: The building at the northeast corner of Motor and Woodbine, seen so often in Our Gang films, is the People's Water Company of Palms, at 3392 Motor Avenue. The building at the southeast corner, which housed a post office, a drug store and a barber shop, was the Masonic Hall of Palms. This building is also seen in "July Days" (no. 18) and "Seein' Things" (no. 25). The First National Bank of Culver City, as seen in "Young Sherlocks" (no. 3) was located at 9434 Washington Boulevard. The U.S. Macaroni Company, as seen in "A Pleasant Journey" (no. 11), was located at 629 North Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles. The Palms Lumber Company, as seen in "Lodge Night" (no. 15) was located at 10321 National Boulevard. St. Augustine's Church, as shown in "Jubilo, Jr." (no. 29), was located at 10053 Washington Boulevard in Culver City. The Palms Garage, as shown in "The Sun Down Limited" (no. 31) was located at 3304 Motor Avenue. Kleen Knickrehm House Mover, as seen in "Official Officers" (no. 40), was located at 3319 South Central Avenue. The hardware store shown in "Dog Heaven" (no. 70) is S. A. Franklin Hardware at 9907 Venice Boulevard. Curt's Place, as shown in "Noisy Noises" (no. 82), was a gas station located at 3479 Motor Avenue. It's likely that the Texaco station shown in "Hook And Ladder" (no. 116) is the Palms Garage at 3304 Motor Avenue. Also, I hadn't noticed previously, but the Palms Press is shown in "July Days."
update for "Fire Fighters" (no. 2): I've added "Turkey In The Straw," "Where Do We Go From Here" and "This Is The Life" in the music section, since they're mentioned in the titles. I've also tentatively identified the little blonde girl as Betsy Ann Hisle.
update for "Young Sherlocks" (no. 3): I think I've got a pretty good handle on the character names of the Jesse James Juniors, which are printed on the wall of their clubhouse. I have a booklet that shows a photo from this film with the names in view, and by comparing with the video, I've almost completely deciphered them.
update for "A Pleasant Journey" (no. 11): I've added the speculation that the fat boy in Gillespie's car is Tommy Hicks, as shown in contemporary casting directories.
update for "Cradle Robbers" (no. 28): I've acquired a home movie fragment from this film which has better picture quality than the available video. As a result, I've added a few new details to this page.
update for "The Sun Down Limited" (no. 31): It appears to me that both girl 013 and Lassie Lou Ahern appear together in this film.
update for "The Big Town" (no. 34) and Reelclassicdvd video page: Reelclassicdvd.com has added a new DVD to their list entitled "A Festival Of Silent Comedy Volume Five," which includes "The Big Town," a film they had already included on one of their other selections.
update for "Better Movies" (no. 43): The working title for this film was "Making Movies."
update for "Uncle Tom's Uncle" (no. 50): I've tentatively identified the cashier as Yvonne Armstrong, who I've found in a 1926 casting directory.
update for "Thundering Fleas" (no. 51): I'm at the point where I'm pretty convinced that Lassie Lou Ahern is the flower girl at the adult wedding in this film.
update for "The Glorious Fourth" (no. 64): The Mischief Makers print of this film was called "Fourth Of July."
update for "Heebee Jeebees" (no. 69): A publicity photo reveals the presence of a child that looks quite a bit like Nanette Fabray in the 'party' scene of this film.
update for "Crazy House" (no. 76): Jay's father in this film is played by Joseph W. Girard, as shown in several casting directories over the years.
update for "Little Mother" (no. 86): A company called Forgotten Films has released bootleg DVDs of mostly Grapevine versions of the Our Gang films. A second version of "Little Mother" is also included, which contains the original titles, making it possible to verify the crew credits.
update for "Shivering Shakespeare" (no. 95): Fletcher Tolbert's nickname was "Rusty," though not in the film itself.
update for "Readin' And Writin'" (no. 111), "Free Eats" (no. 112) and "Choo-Choo!" (no. 114): I had already suspected that Patsy Britten had appeared in the latter film as one of the many orphans on the train, but a copy of a work permit has pretty much verified it. The permit also reveals the dates on which she worked on all three of these films. In "Free Eats," I think she's probably the girl that I had identified as 'girl 111b.'
update for "Hook And Ladder" (no. 116): When he was interviewed by Richard Bann, Buddy McDonald mentioned that Don Sandstrom operated the vehicle that McDonald rode on. He also mentioned that Sandstrom was the assistant director, but doesn't specify for which film or films.
update for "A Lad An' A Lamp" (no. 119) and "Fish Hooky" (no. 120): I've found Bobby De War in a 1938 casting directory. He's the boy in the sailor hat in the former film. I'm not able to spot him in the latter.
update for "Shrimps For A Day" (no. 133): I've added a detail about Fred Purner, Jr., being the son of the head of the Roach publicity and advertising department.
update for several films from the late Roach and early MGM eras: I've found Paul Hilton in a 1938 directory. Maltin & Bann had listed him only for "Time Out For Lessons" (no. 186), and it turns out that he's Alfalfa's roommate, the boy I had listed as 'boy 186a.' In the directory, it's clear that he's also 'boy 133,' a connection that had previously eluded me. This means that Hilton made several appearances from "Shrimps For A Day" (no. 133) through "The New Pupil" (no. 191). The boy previously listed as 'boy 186b' will now be 'boy 186.' I've also found Patsy Barry another directory from the same year, and it states that she appeared in the series, but I'm not able to spot her anywhere.
update for "The Pigskin Palooka" (no. 160): Number 20 on the opposing team is Roger McGee.
update for "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162): A publicity photo reveals that Gloria Brown is the middle Bowery girl, and that her dance partner is 'boy 141a,' and that the Bowery boy to the left of them is Joe Geil. A 1938 casting directory reveals that the chorus girl with the letter 'O' is Frances Bowling, as listed by Maltin & Bann, and not Elaine Merk, as I had previously thought. Bowling is also the Bowery girl to the right. I've also added the speculation that Raymond Rayhill Powell is seated at the table right behind the gang's in Club Spanky. I also know what Kenneth Wilson looks like, but can't find him in the film. There's also a boy named Don Hulbert who seems to be an extra in the film. And finally, it turns out that Billy Mindy is the same kid as Billy Minderhout, who I can't spot in the film, anyway.
update for "Three Men In A Tub" (no. 165): Audrey Carol appears in a 1938 directory which credits her with appearing in the Our Gang series. It appears that she's sitting next to Jerry Tucker in this film.
update for "Came The Brawn" (no. 166) and "Captain Spanky's Show Boat" (no. 184): I've now verified the inclusion of Patsy Currier, Billy Mindy and Ernest Wechbaugh in the cast of "Came The Brawn." I've also added Paul Hilton and noticed that the blonde boy behind him also appears in "Captain Spanky's Show Boat." I've designated him as 'boy 166.'
update for "Aladdin's Lantern" (no. 172): I'm thinking that my identification of Elaine Merk is incorrect in this film, too, and that it is actually Frances Bowling.
update for "Football Romeo" (no. 174): Roger McGee is the scorekeeper in this film.
update for "Time Out For Lessons" (no. 186): A publicity photo reveals the production number 2655 for this film.
update for "Ye Olde Minstrels" (no. 198): It occurs to me that Ralph Hodges looks quite a bit like Jackie Salling, the latter listed by Maltin & Bann. I'm pretty sure it's Hodges, though.
update for several films and Warners video page: I've added a 2 DVD set entitled "Laurel And Hardy Collection" which includes a documentary entitled "Added Attractions: The Hollywood Shorts Story." This documentary contains clips from numerous Our Gang films as well as interview clips with related people.
update for the Chase filmography: The Jimmy Jump character in "The Rat's Knuckles" is also known as Prof. James Jump.
update for almost every page: I've decided to omit most of the bootleg information on my site. On the film pages, it will still mention the fact that particular versions of films (usually Grapevine or Cabin Fever) appear on numerous bootlegs, but there will be no link to a video page describing these releases. It's my assumption that readers will have no trouble tracking down various titles, since they're regularly rehashed on new bootlegs at least a couple of times per year. Keep in mind, though, that I'm not always completely sure that a particular release is a bootleg, so this pruning procedure is somewhat arbitrary. For instance, while I consider HenryButch's release of the MGM titles to be bootleg in nature, I'm still including his silent releases, and will still maintain a video page for all of his releases. On the MGM pages, though, the links to the HenryButch page are no longer there. Video companies that are no longer covered by this site include Archive2000, Buyers Gallery, Crown Rights Media, Petticoat Video, and several of the mysterious companies covered on the miscellaneous page.
Sep. 14, 2006
update for "Stage Fright" (no. 17), "Derby Day" (no. 21) and "Big Business" (no. 23): I'm pretty sure that 'man 017' is Edmond Fortune, as shown in a 1923 casting directory.
update for "Derby Day" (no. 21), "Monkey Business" (no. 48) and the Hal Roach Studios video page: I've viewed the versions of these two films contained in the "Laurel & Hardy & Friends" VHS series. I've also noticed the possible character name of "Dugan" for one of the unidentified boys in "Derby Day." It also seems to me that one of the 'society' girls in the stands is Julia Brown. It's also worth noting that Video Classics seems to have acquired their version of "Monkey Business" directly from this source.
update for "The Buccaneers" (no. 24) and "Monkey Business" (no. 48): It appears to me that 'man 024a,' who plays "Capt. Whalen," is Allen Cavan. I also noticed that I had forgotten to 'demote' 'man 024b' to the 'others' category.
update for "Jubilo, Jr." (no. 29): As Randy Jones recently pointed out to me, it seems pretty clear that Mary is not just in boy's clothing in the relevant publicity photo, but is wearing Mickey's clothes. This strongly suggests that some footage cut from the available print involves some sort of switch.
update for "Ten Years Old" (no. 58): I've taken a look at the Mischief Makers print of this film, entitled "A Double Birthday," and have made a few adjustments on the webpage.
update for "Baby Brother" (no. 61): I take back what I said about Harry Earles. I had previously stated that I didn't think the midget from this film looked like the same one from "Baby Clothes" (no. 49). But now that I've seen the Laurel & Hardy film "Sailors Beware," it all becomes clear. In that film, he's shown both with the bonnet (like in "Baby Clothes") and without (like in "Baby Brother"), and this is what had been throwing me off. Well, that and the visible freckles in the latter film which don't show up in the earlier film.
Sep. 5, 2006
update for "Young Sherlocks" (no. 3): I've noticed that Walter Wilkinson is among the kids in the Freetown sequence, and can be seen as they're all walking up to Farina's baby buggy.
update for "Giants Vs. Yanks" (no. 12): I've taken another look at some 16mm footage I have from this film, and I think that 'boy 003a' is one of the players shown on the sidelines at one point. I've also added the detail that Andy Samuel is the pitcher for the opposing team. Also, in his autobiography, Junior Coghlan states that he plays center field in this film, and is shown backing into a fence, falling down, and getting konked on the head by a baseball. This footage does not appear in either the available version or the 16mm footage.
update for "Lodge Night" (no. 15,) "July Days" (no. 18) and "Sunday Calm" (no. 19): It appears to me that 'girl 015a' is Julia Brown, as shown in a contemporary casting directory. For this reason, 'girl 015b' will now be known as 'girl 015.'
update for "Derby Day" (no. 21) and Buyers Gallery: Buyers Gallery has a new DVD-R which contains "Derby Day" along with two non-Our Gang films.
update for "Jubilo, Jr." (no. 29): A promotional photo reveals several bits of information about the circus footage in this film, including the names of the sideshow acts, and the participation of Lassie Lou Ahern. Also, Mary Kornman is dressed as a boy in this part of the film.
update for "One Wild Ride" (no. 45): I've acquired a pressbook for "One Wild Ride," which indicates that Robert McGowan was essentially in charge of story development. It also includes a music cue sheet, with details regarding which pieces of music are to be played with each scene, and also some instructions for sound effects.
update for "Mike Fright" (no. 130): I just noticed that I failed to include Leonard's mother among the unidentified adults in this film.
Aug. 29, 2006
new filmography: I've uploaded a Robert F. McGowan filmography this time. You can check it out by clicking here.
Aug. 26, 2006
new filmography: I've uploaded a Fred Newmeyer filmography, which is linked to the relevant film pages, but you can also access it by clicking here.
Aug. 25, 2006
update for "Fair And Muddy" (no. 75): I've come across some new information regarding this film, which changes a few details. One of the rival kids in the mudfight is Bobby "Bonedust" Young. Bobby Dean is actually one of the orphans, and not in the rival group, and in fact, there are other orphans as well that don't go along on the ride. Caroline Rankin does indeed play 'Alvira,' and this is probably who Maltin & Bann were referring to when they listed Patsy O'Byrne. The Lillianne Leighton character is named 'Mrs. Schultz.'. The two old maids (Leighton & Rankin) are sisters in this film. There is also a young man who delivers the telegram regarding the fortune Leighton will receive if she acquires some children. There is technically no rooster in the film, as mentioned in the cutting continuity. Rather, Farina refers to a chick as a 'new roostah' and places it in a box with several other chicks.
update for Charley Chase filmography: Looking through Rob Stone's notes, it appears that Chase was an uncredited co-director on "The Mystery Man" (starring Snub Pollard) and "Hustlin' Hank" (starring Will Rogers). Also, production was interrupted on "The Nickel Nurser" because of an injury to Chase.
Aug. 24, 2006
new filmography: I've uploaded a Charley Chase filmography, which can be accessed by clicking on his name on those film pages that include him, or by clicking here.
Aug. 20, 2006
update for "Sunday Calm" (no. 19): It may be that the director whose last name is Moorehouse on the production sheets for one day's worth of filming for this short was actually Clarence Morehouse, whose name appears on later lists as an assistant director.
update for "Seeing The World" (no. 55): For this film, one of the photographers is named Draper, and it occurs to me that he may actually be propman William Draper. Also, in his book Laurel Or Hardy, Rob Stone indicates that there may have been plans to do a series of these European Our Gang films, or at least the trade press were under that impression.
update for "Love My Dog" (no. 59): For this film, one of the photographers is named Collins, and it may be that he's propman William A. Collins.
update for "Barnum & Ringling, Inc." (no. 74): It seems apparent that the last name Jackman belongs to cameraman Floyd Jackman, who worked on several Roach films of the silent era.
update for Roach filmography: I've specified the date of Jan. 1936 for Henry Ginsberg's resignation from the Roach studio. I've also given the preview date of April 1936 for "Neighborhood House." I've also made several changes and additions to many films, as per Rob Stone's Laurel Or Hardy and Randy Skretvedt's The Magic Behind The Movies, as well as indicating periods in which the studio was closed. A problem has arisen regarding "Yes Yes Nanette," which I've listed as released on July 12, 1925, and copyrighted on the 19th. As I look through my various sources, I can not find these dates, but rather July 19th for the release date, and July 20th for the copyright date. I don't know whether I simply made a mistake, or lost track of where the earlier dates came from. In any event, I'm changing it to the 19th and 20th. Also, as per Stone's book, I've connected many of the mysterious C productions (and their shooting dates) with the D productions that they were changed to. It should also be noted that the earliest references to Charley Chase in these C lists were probably Paul Parrott films. Lastly, after watching "Haunted Spooks" on the new Harold Lloyd boxed set, it's clear that some footage was shot before his famous accident, while some was shot afterwards.
July 26, 2006
update for Roach filmography: I've added on Roach's writing contribution to the Charley Chase comedy "High C's," as per Anthony & Edmonds' book. I've also specified the date of Nov. 1931 for Henry Ginsberg's arrival at the Roach studio.
update for "Bear Shooters" (no. 98): During the period when this film was made, the gang appeared on the radio program "Voices Of Filmland," along with most of the other Roach stars.
July 25, 2006
update for "Every Man For Himself" (no. 32): As it turns out, The Picture Palace has replaced their original version of this film with the Mischief Makers print, which reveals a few additional facts, including the presence of George K. French in the cast. Thanks very much to James A. Gipson for bringing this to my attention.
update for various talkies: Two new DVD volumes have appeared on eBay, entitled "Hang In There Cause The Gang's Now Here." The contents appear to derive from the GoodTimes releases.
July 22, 2006
update for Roach filmography: Two more references to shooting dates, for "Luncheon At Twelve" and "Another Wild Idea," Charley Chase comedies from 1933 and 1934, respectively. Also, I've added some details of the previewed lengths of "Neighborhood House" and "Kelly The Second."
July 21, 2006
update for Roach filmography: I've added a few more details to the Charley Chase talkies as per Anthony & Edmonds' filmography.
July 19, 2006
update for "Bedtime Worries" (no. 124) and "Wild Poses" (no. 125): I've updated the filming and copyright dates for "Wild Poses," as per Randy Skretvedt's Laurel And Hardy - The Magic Behind The Movies. In light of this, I've moved the speculative filming date for "Bedtime Worries" to a later date.
update for "The Lucky Corner" (no. 138): Another working title for this film was "Trusting Lemons," as per the Feb. 1936 issue of The Royal Neighbor.
update for Roach filmography: I've added a few more details regarding the foreign language versions of the Charley Chase films, as per the Anthony & Edmonds book.
July 17, 2006
update for "The Glorious Fourth" (no. 64) and Roach filmography: The Anthony & Edmonds book lists the release date for this film as July 31, 1927, giving us now three choices from which to pick. They also give an alternate release date for "Is Everybody Happy," which is Sep. 28, 1928. Also, as per the same book, the UK title for "The Way Of All Pants" is "The Way Of All Dress."
July 15, 2006
update for Roach filmography: I've added the copyright date of May 29, 1925, for "Isn't Life Terrible?" Also, Anthony & Edmonds give the shooting dates for "Mama Behave" as Oct. 27 to Nov. 26, 1925, adding 20 additional days of shooting to Rob Stone's version. They also add a month to the filming of "Be Your Age." I've also decided to give "There Ain't No Santa Claus" the Dec. 12, 1926, release, as Anthony & Edmonds do, which switches it with "Many Scrappy Returns," now listed for Jan. 9, 1927. I've also been reading Laurel And Hardy - The Magic Behind The Movies by Randy Skretvedt, in which he states that Hal Roach's name was originally Harry, and that he had it legally changed to Hal.
July 13, 2006
update for Roach filmography: More adjustments derived from the Anthony & Edmonds book, all of which pertain to Charley Chase shorts during 1924. "At First Sight" is both prod. D-28 and C-122. "One Of The Family" is both prod. D-37 and prod. C-131. "Just A Minute" is both prod. D-39 and prod. C-130. "Powder And Smoke" is both prod. D-36 and prod. C-133. Therefore, the shooting dates are now known for these films, as well as "A Perfect Lady." There is also now some dispute about the shooting dates for "Hard Knocks," "Love's Detour," "Young Oldfield," "Stolen Goods," "Jeffries, Jnr.," "Why Men Work," "Outdoor Pajamas" and "The Poor Fish." Also, Roach's direction of "At First Sight" was uncredited in the film. Also, "One Of The Family" may have been a Jan. 26th release. The shooting dates for Chase's earliest films throws into doubt the information in Rob Stone's notes about when the series first began filming, as indicated for the nameless prod. C-96.
update for "Jubilo, Jr." (no. 29) and Roach filmography: The Anthony & Edmonds book lists the release date as July 29, 1924, which contradicts Maltin & Bann's date of June 29, 1924.
July 10, 2006
update for "1-2-3-Go!" (no. 200): The Greenbriar Picture Shows website posted some newspaper photos and did a write-up about the real-life safety campaign connected with this film, and I've quoted them in the 'miscellaneous' section for this film. Thanks to Lynn 'jamison' Paden for alerting me to the site.
update for Hal Roach filmography: More bits from the Anthony/Edmonds book. "Cut The Cards," the Snub Pollard comedy, is also listed as a June 12, 1920, release. In other news, I've come across a 1933 article written by Bob McGowan in which he explains that Hal Roach directed "Men Of The North" at MGM during the Roach studio's summer vacation.
July 9, 2006
update for Hal Roach filmography: Some additional info as per Brian Anthony and Andy Edmonds' Smile When The Raindrops Fall. The 1922 film "Try, Try Again" is a Paul Parrott film. "The Green Cat" now has two separate release dates, Dec. 16, 1922, and Aug. 5, 1923. The copyright date for the 1926 film "Soft Pedals" was Dec. 16, 1922. This might explain why it appears in at least one filmography in place of "Fair Week," a Dec. 17th release. "Sold At Auction" now has two separate release dates, Apr. 27 and May 27, 1923. I've also added quite a few new details for the 1923 Edna Murphy serial "Her Dangerous Path." It also appears that "Dear Old Pal," the Snub Pollard film with production no. D-24, may have originally been production C-118.
July 8, 2006
update for some of the earliest silent films: Previously, I had come to the conclusion that Monty O'Grady didn't appear in the films for which Maltin & Bann list him. I've now acquired a casting directory from Oct. 1923, which reveals that the boy in question, listed as 'boy 002a' on my lists, is George "Freckles" Warde. This affects six of the films from the first season of releases.
July 5, 2006
update for various films and the MGM page: I've added details about the Our Gang Comedies laserdisc released by MGM/UA in 1994.
update for several early silent films: I've long since noticed that Maltin & Bann list Ernie Morrison, Sr., in their cast listings, but refer to Ernie's father as Joseph Morrison in the back part of their book. Annette D'Agostino Lloyd repeats this latter name in her book The Harold Lloyd Encyclopedia, which probably used the Maltin & Bann book as the source for this bit of info. I'm going to go out on a limb and change my cast listings to read Joseph Morrison, since this part of the book is only in the 1992 edition, while the 'Sr.' references are left over from the earlier 1977 printing.
update for various silent films: The 1939 directory shows a photo of Charles A. Millsfield, Sr., more than a decade after his Our Gang involvement. Previously, I had relied on an eBay seller who identified a circa 1920s photo of him. Even though his facial hair is very different by 1939, it still appears that this is him. He appeared in "The Big Town" (no. 34), "Baby Clothes" (no. 49), "Barnum & Ringling, Inc." (no. 74), "Old Gray Hoss" (no. 78) and "Little Mother" (no. 86). The same directory shows what Tenen Holtz looked like. Maltin & Bann listed him as a bearded passenger in "Old Gray Hoss" (no. 78), and I think he might be the one whose face is blackened. They also list him as the man playing the bass fiddle in "Noisy Noises" (no. 82), but I find it difficult to be certain.
update for various silent films: I'm pretty sure I know who Ham Kinsey is now. In "Thundering Fleas" (no. 51), he's to the far right in the shots of the bride scratching herself. In "Shivering Spooks" (no. 52), he's the assistant that makes the spooky noises through the tube. In "The Fourth Alarm" (no. 53), he's the firefighter in back and to the right as they join the kids at the end of the film. In "War Feathers" (no. 54), he's the conductor that announces the arrival in Red Dog. In "Barnum & Ringling, Inc." (no. 74), he's the bellboy that laughs at Patsy O'Byrne when she's stuck with a pin. In "Saturday's Lesson," he is indeed the first male pedestrian to be startled by the devil. Other instances in which Maltin & Bann list his name are still eluding me.
update for "Thundering Fleas" (no. 51) and "Shivering Spooks" (no. 52): It appears to me that Dorothy Coburn is one of the bridesmaids in "Thundering Fleas" and the 'sucker' that refers to her second and third husbands in "Shivering Spooks." I've also found Dorothea Walbert in a couple of directories, but I still don't know which of the suckers she is.
update for "The Fourth Alarm!" (no. 53): The name of the goat on the left is "Sweet Willium." The gang's fire station is called Engine Comp. No. 2.
update for "Pups Is Pups" (no. 100): I've put a little more detail into the Arnaz Ranch reference as per Richard Bann's interview with Buddy McDonald, as seen at the official website of Laurel & Hardy.
update for "Teacher's Pet" (no. 101): From the same interview, Bann mentions that Dorothy DeBorba remembered the ice cream coming from a place called Chapman's, which was near the studio in Culver City.
update for "School's Out" (no. 102), "Fish Hooky" (no. 120) and "Forgotten Babies" (no. 121): In his interview with Buddy McDonald, Richard Bann reveals that location footage for these three films was shot at Ballona Creek, just south of the Roach studio in Culver City.
update for "Big Ears" (no. 108): A publicity photo reveals that an extra kid was present during the scene with the puppies, but not shown in the film. It isn't clear whether this was a girl or a boy, but he/she appears to be one of the kids present during the deleted hospital scene.
update for "Shrimps For A Day" (no. 133) and "Framing Youth" (no. 159): Both of these films have "The Ice Cream Song" on their soundtracks, the title of which derives from Maltin & Bann's book. However, in the book Smile When The Raindrops Fall by Brian Anthony & Andy Edmonds, it's revealed that the title is actually "Here Comes The Ice-Cream Man," and that the music was written by T. Marvin Hatley and the lyrics were written by Billy Gilbert.
update for "General Spanky" (no. 150): The song that I've been listing as 'piece 150i' is "Old Black Joe," written by Stephen C. Foster in 1860. Many thanks to James A. Gipson for pointing this out. In other news, I found a photo of actor Jeffrey Sayre in a Jan. 1937 casting directory, which reveals that he appeared in a film called "Colonel Spanky." I don't know whether the title is an error or a working title, but it seems apparent that he was in "General Spanky." It appears that he plays one of Marshall's gambling friends, either "Chris" or "Gregory," and is the one on the left. I've also noticed that Ham Kinsey, listed by Maltin & Bann, appears to be the second in line to have his shoes shined after they've been painted. In addition to this, I've had second thoughts about Karl Hackett after seeing another photo of him. I no longer think he's the Yankee soldier who discovers the cave, but now think he's the man steering the boat. I've also noted that stunt doubles were undoubtedly used for Spanky and Buckwheat as they swim to shore after going overboard.
July 4, 2006
general update: I've finally uploaded my Hal Roach filmography, which can be accessed by clicking on his name on any of the various film pages. Aw heck, just click here.
July 2, 2006
update for "Baby Brother" (no. 61): Okay dokey. Remember when I found a reference in a Dec. 1927 directory to a woman named Eulalie Jensen appearing in this film? I speculated that she was Nasturtium's mother because of her first name. So much for that bit of stereotypical thinking. I hadn't realized that her photo is in several directories, including the one from Dec. 1927, and in fact, she was white. She plays Joe's mother in this film.
update for "The Pigskin Palooka" (no. 160): The girl that I've been listing as 'girl 159' can be seen in the bleachers in this film, to the left of Barry Downing. I've also noticed that there's an ad for Delaware Punch on the fence next to the football field.
update for "Duel Personalities" (no. 178): The 1939 directory shows two photos of Priscilla Lyon, which are much better than the previous photo I had to look at. At this point, I'm quite convinced that she's in "Duel Personalities," standing there as Muggsy reprimands Darla, and looking towards the camera and nodding in agreement. Maltin & Bann also list her for three earlier films, "The Lucky Corner" (no. 138), "Our Gang Follies Of 1936" (no. 141) and "The Pigskin Palooka" (no. 160), but I can't find her in any of those. Also, the directory shows what Mary Milford looks like, listed by Maltin & Bann as Marry Milford for "Duel Personalities." I'm still not sure who they're talking about in the film, though.
July 1, 2006
update for "Shivering Shakespeare" (no. 95): The girl selling pies (the one with the dialogue) is Dorothy Coburn. Thanks to Brenda Stiller for pointing this out. Brenda also verified for me that Harry Keaton is the pie-recipient that resembles Buster Keaton (his brother), and licks his lips after the pie hits.
update for "Free Wheeling" (no. 117): I've specified which of the roadside workers Harry Bernard and Dick Gilbert are.
update for "Our Gang Follies Of 1936" (no. 141) and "Men In Fright" (no. 173): I came across an item in my notes stating that Sonny Bupp's real name was Moyer, which is notable since I included him, as Moyer, on the page for "Our Gang Follies Of 1936." Henceforth, for both films, he'll be listed as Moyer "Sonny" Bupp.
update for "Tiny Troubles" (no. 177): I've decided to list Jerry Maren under his real name, Jerry Marenghi, since this is how he's listed in the credits for "At The Circus" (from the same year), and also in the 1939 casting directory.
update for various late MGM episodes: The boy that I've been listing as 'boy 186b' is Jo-Jo La Savio, as shown in the 1939 directory. The boy listed as 'boy 186c' will now be known as 'boy 186b.'
June 25, 2006: I've acquired a casting directory from Dec. 1939, which should yield at least a few more details for this website. However, since I'm going to be away during most of next week, I'll just add two particularly interesting items today.
update for "Our Gang Follies Of 1936" (no. 141): The directory reveals the first names of The Bryan Sisters (but spells their last name Brian). The oldest girl, sitting in the middle during their song, is Betty, the girl on the right is Doris, and the youngest girl, sitting on the left, is Gwen. Another thing I hadn't noticed before is that the chorus line is entitled "Follys Chorus" and The Bryan Sisters' act is entitled "Three Farmer Girls" on those cards that are removed between each act. Also, I copied Maltin & Bann's mispelling of The Flory-Dory Sixtette. It's actually spelled The Flory-Dory Sixtet.
update for "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162): The directory shows a photo of Clifford Severn, Jr., who looks entirely like "Richard," the Club Spanky waiter from this film, and even states that he specializes in British dialects.
June 23, 2006
update for "Shivering Shakespeare" (no. 95): I've recently acquired a casting directory from the fall of 1936, which reveals that Buster Slaven's real name was Bradley.
update for "A Tough Winter" (no. 99), "Pups Is Pups" (no. 100) and "The Pinch Singer" (no. 143): The 1936 directory shows what the three Weidler brothers from "The Pinch Singer" looked like, and they're clearly the three saxophone players from this film. Warner is the oldest, Walt is the middle boy, and George is the youngest. This also affects "A Tough Winter" and "Pups Is Pups," which both have Warner, plus an additional brother (presumably older) named Wolfgang. In "A Tough Winter," Warner is the smaller of the two boys pulling taffy off of the floor lamp, and I'm guessing that the taller boy is Wolfgang, since he's visible in "Pups Is Pups" to the left of Mary Ann as the kids are trying to get into the pet show. Warner seems to be the boy with long hair to the left of Wolfgang in that film.
update for "Sprucin' Up" (no. 137): The 1936 directory also shows a photo of Viola Richard, who Maltin & Bann credit as a pedestrian in this film. As with Lester Dorr, it isn't possible to ascertain this by the film, but she looks consistent with the second pedestrian.
June 21, 2006
update for "Mail And Female" (no. 161) and new page for Petticoat Video: A new DVD has appeared on eBay, with a cross-dressing theme. It appears to be pretty tame stuff, though, including episodes of well-known TV shows. Included on the DVD is "Mail And Female," no doubt because of Alfalfa's transformation into Cousin Amelia.
June 19, 2006
general update: I've added two pages to the site today. The first is a links page with a handful of my favorite Our Gang sites. The second is a page listing the various video companies that have released Our Gang films, with links to the pages for each company on this site.
update for "Baby Brother" (no. 61): It appears to me that Lillianne Leighton is the woman who plays the mother of the first stolen baby in this film.
update for "Party Fever" (no. 171) and "Dog Daze" (no. 182): I noticed today that the Marx Bros. double DVD of "Room Service" and "At The Circus," which contains these two Our Gang films as special features, was released separately from the boxed set on May 2nd of this year.
June 14, 2006
update for "Every Man For Himself" (no. 32): I forgot to mention this the other day, but there are photos of famous fighters on the wall of the gang's athletic club. They're too far away to recognize faces, but perhaps if the poses are well-known, the fighters can be identified anyway.
update for "General Spanky" (no. 150): After finding Henry Hall in a 1944 casting directory, I'm now pretty convinced that he's the slavemaster on the right between the two whose conversation Buckwheat overhears.
update for "The Pigskin Palooka" (no. 160): The 1944 directory reveals what Leon Holland looked like, at least several years later. I can't spot him in the film, but I'm wondering if perhaps Maltin & Bann are thinking of the boy with the bass drum, who I've recently identified as Norman Salling.
update for "Three Men In A Tub" (no. 165) and "Melodies Old And New" (no. 204): Maltin & Bann list Sheila Brown as appearing in both of these films. In the first film, it looks like she's sitting behind 'girl 160.' In the second film, she might be in the front row of the audience, two seats from the aisle on the right, but this is very much a guess. It doesn't look like she's one of the dancers.
update for "Men In Fright" (no. 173): The 1944 directory shows a photo of Nell Craig, and it's pretty clear that she's the nurse in the maternity ward in this film.
update for "Duel Personalities" (no. 178): One of the kids listed by Maltin & Bann is Ruth Tobey, and the 1944 directory shows what she looks like. However, I still don't see her in the film.
update for "Dad For A Day" (no. 185): Maltin & Bann list Walter Sande as a hospital extra, and the 1944 directory shows his photo, but he doesn't seem to be in that part of the film. It's possible that he could be one of the fathers at the picnic, and the guy wearing the hat during the horseshoe scene looks similar to him. On a more positive note, I noticed that Leonard's dad in this film is played by Ben Hall, who is not listed by the authors. I also noticed that I didn't mention all of the extras playing fathers in the picnic scenes, so that mistake has been corrected.
update for "Bubbling Troubles" (no. 188) and "Good Bad Boys" (no. 193): Judging by the 1944 directory, it seems clear that Maltin & Bann are referring to the explosives worker with dialogue when crediting Harry Strang for "Bubbling Troubles." It's not so clear with "Good Bad Boys," however, since they credit him as a banker. The guy that shoots the robber looks more like him to me, but even then I'm not certain.
update for "Helping Hands" (no. 202): Maltin & Bann list Mickey McGuire as appearing in this film. The 1944 directory includes his photo, but the only kid that kind of looks like him to me is standing between Nick and Mickey as Spanky reprimands the troops for not saluting.
update for "Surprised Parties" (no. 207) and "Election Daze" (no. 214): Maltin & Bann list Buz Buckley as appearing in "Election Daze." In that film, he's directly in the center as we first see Mickey's lemonade stand. I also noticed that he briefly appears in "Surprised Parties." He speaks with Frank Ward on the sidewalk, and then the two of them walk away when they see Froggy.
update for "Doin' Their Bit" (no. 208): Maltin & Bann list Lawrence Long, Jr., as appearing in this film. The 1944 directory shows his photo, and it's pretty clear that he's the boy in the milkman uniform.
update for "Unexpected Riches" (no. 211): I finally figured out what Buckwheat calls the baby he kisses during his dream sequence: "Franklin Jones." Perhaps this name was influenced by the song "F.D.R. Jones."
update for "Radio Bugs" (no. 219): Maltin & Bann list Robert (Bobby) Burns as a crowd extra, but previously I had noted that the only person that resembles him is Froggy's dad. There is, however, a man slightly to the left in the last scene that turns towards the gang as they approach that also resembles him.
update for "Tale Of A Dog" (no. 221): Maltin & Bann list Anita Bolster as one of the gossipers in this film, and the 1944 directory reveals that she's the one talking with Fern Emmett.
June 12, 2006
update for various early silents: A 1926 casting directory shows a photo of Walter Wilkinson, who is the boy that I've been listing as 'boy 009b.' This affects "The Champeen!" (no. 9) and "Fast Company" (no. 16). The boy previously listed as 'boy 009a' will now be 'boy 009,' which affects "The Champeen!" (no. 9), "A Pleasant Journey" (no. 11), "Back Stage" (no. 13) and "Lodge Night" (no. 15).
update for "A Pleasant Journey" (no. 11): The 1926 casting directory shows a photo of Louise Cabo, and it's clear that she's the mother of the baby that William Gillespie unskillfully holds in this film.
update for "Commencement Day" (no. 26): There's no longer any doubt in my mind about Dorothy Vernon and Charley Young appearing in this film. Also, the 1926 casting directory shows a photo of Lillian Lawrence, who is the very tall and thin parent in this film.
update for entire Pathé era and a few months beyond that: Okay, now for a bit of confusion. The regular Our Gang dog that appeared from "It's A Bear" (no. 27) through "Chicken Feed" (no. 62) was given the name 'Pal' in "The Fourth Alarm!" (no. 53) and "Ten Years Old" (no. 58), which caused me to believe that this was 'Pal the Wonder Dog,' the dog owned by Harry Lucenay that sired the original Pete. However, the 1926 directory changes everything. Included is a photo of Lucenay with Pal the Wonder Dog....except that it's a different dog, a dog that I don't remember seeing in any Our Gang films. To complicate matters further, an ad for Antonio Campanaro (the other Roach animal trainer) appears lower on the same page, and shows a photo of the Our Gang dog that I've been listing as 'Pal.' It also states that Campanaro had just returned from Europe after 10 months, which would mean that he left around the time that Pete replaced the earlier dog. For this reason, I will list the Campanaro dog simply as 'Pal,' in order to differentiate him from Lucenay's dog. This will also affect the tentative credits that I've given for Lucenay and Campanaro in the crew sections of the film pages. Lucenay will only appear starting with the arrival of Pete in "Olympic Games" (no. 63), while Campanaro will miss out on at least part of the 10 month period already noted (I suspect it wasn't quite this long of an absence).
update for "Uncle Tom's Uncle" (no. 50) and "The Fourth Alarm!" (no. 53): This update involves the Jewish stereotype boy that appears in these two films, a part that I recently credited to Jack Lavine. The 1926 directory shows an early photo of Billy Naylor, and it seems that this is the part Maltin & Bann were thinking of when they listed him for these two films. On closer inspection, I think Naylor plays the part in "Uncle Tom's Uncle," but not in "The Fourth Alarm," the latter perhaps being played by Lavine.
update for "Tired Business Men" (no. 60): Yesterday I mentioned a 1927 casting directory that listed this film as including Ruth Robinson in the cast. I've since found her photo in a 1944 directory and can conclude that she plays Joe's mother in this film.
update for "Election Day" (no. 81): Maltin & Bann credit Clarence Muse with playing Farina's father in this film. Looking at his photo in a 1944 casting directory, I'm now of the opinion that he did not play that part (even with the decade and a half that had passed).
June 11, 2006: The following updates derive from indexes at the back of three casting directories, from Dec. 1927, Sep. 1928 and Jan. 1931. These indexes list actors and actresses, and the films they appeared in during those years.
update for "Giants Vs. Yanks" (no. 12), "The Smile Wins" (no. 66) and "A Lad An' A Lamp" (no. 119): The Dec. 1927 index repeatedly lists "The Smile Wins" as "Keep Smiling," which was probably a working title, and presumably remained the title through most of 1927, since it was released many months after it was completed. The index also reveals that Farina's mother in this film was played by his real mother, Florence Hoskins, who I had previously listed as 'woman 066.'
update for "Tired Business Men" (no. 60): The 1927 index lists Ruth Robinson as appearing in this film, but I still need to familiarize myself with this actress.
update for "Baby Brother" (no. 61): Joe's father in this film is played by Lincoln Plumer (or Plummer as Maltin & Bann spell it), as revealed by the 1927 index. Also in this film was Eulalie Jensen, who played 'Cassie' in "Uncle Tom's Cabin." This would mean that she's probably black, assuming she wasn't in blackface for that film. If she was black, then she's probably the mother of Nasturtium in "Baby Brother." Also listed is Parks Jones (listed in IMDb as J. Parks Jones), who would be one of the men in this film, but I still need to familiarize myself with him.
update for "Chicken Feed" (no. 62): The 1927 index lists an actor named Bert Apling as appearing in this film, but I still need to familiarize myself with him.
update for "Olympic Games" (no. 63): The 1927 index credits Budd Fine and Grace Wood with appearing in this film, but if so, then their footage has been cut from the available print.
update for "The Glorious Fourth" (no. 64): The 1927 index reveals that a rotund actress named June Gittleson appeared in this film. Perhaps she's the woman who plays Joe's mother, but I still need to familiarize myself with her.
update for "Heebee Jeebees" (no. 69): The 1927 index credits George K. French with appearing in this film, which is intriguing, since I've always felt that 'Prof. Electra' bears a resemblance to him. According to Maltin & Bann, the character is played by Bobby Vernon. For the time being, I'm going to switch the credit over to French. Also, an actor named Edgar Sherwood appeared in this film. He could possibly be the actor listed as Edgar Sherrod in IMDb. Also listed is an actress named Grace Wood.
update for "Dog Heaven" (no. 70): The 1927 index lists child actress Annette De Kirby as appearing in this film. If so, then she must be the girl that plays 'Clarabelle.'
update for "Rainy Days" (no. 72): The 1928 index credits Charles Bachman with appearing in this film, but if so, then his scenes are not in the available print.
update for "Barnum & Ringling, Inc." (no. 74): The 1927 directory shows a photo of a dog named Jiggs, who may be the animal referenced in Simon Louvish's book Stan And Ollie.
update for "Barnum & Ringling, Inc." (no. 74) and "Fair And Muddy" (no. 75): The 1928 index states that Lillianne Leighton and Caroline 'Spike' Rankin appeared in "Fair And Muddy." After some research, I've concluded that Leighton is the actress I've been listing as 'woman 074.' Rankin is clearly the woman shown in the photo with the gang at the amusement pier. I've been assuming this woman was Patsy O'Byrne, who Maltin & Bann list as playing an unspecified role.
update for "Crazy House" (no. 76): The 1928 index states that an actress named Kathleen Chambers appeared in this film, but I still need to familarize myself with her.
update for "Old Gray Hoss" (no. 78): The 1927 directory shows a photo of Mary Gordon, and it looks like she is indeed the wife of the bearded cab passenger.
update for "School's Out" (no. 102): The 1931 index states that Wiliam Courtwright (spelled Cartwright in the index) appeared in this film, but if so, then his scene was cut.
update for "Helping Grandma" (no. 103): The 1931 index states that Bobby Mallon appeared in this film, but if so, then his scenes were cut.
update for "Love Business" (no. 104): The 1931 index states that Baldwin Cooke appeared in this film, but if so, then his scenes were cut.
update for "Teacher's Beau" (no. 136): The 1927 index lists Jannie Hoskins as Jane Hoskins, so it seems very likely that this is who Maltin & Bann are referring to when they list Jane Hoskins for this film. However, I'm still unable to identify her in this film.
June 10, 2006
update for "Every Man For Himself" (no. 32): I've managed to get a look at the Mischief Makers version of this film, which shows pretty much everything prior to the arrival of the twins. In other words, there's a whole lot of preliminary action not shown in the available version. Perhaps most notably, William Gillespie and Helen Gilmore are among the adults who get their eyes blackened.
update for "Wedding Worries" (no. 203): I've added a mention of a Royal Crown Cola ad that promotes this film and appeared in the Dec. 8, 1941, issue of Life.
June 9, 2006
update for "Thundering Fleas" (no. 51) and Passport Video, and new page for Universal Video: I've acquired a British DVD called Laurel & Hardy - The Original Brats & More Hal Roach Classics from Universal, which contains a pretty nice version of "Thundering Fleas." It won't play on my DVD player, but I can watch it on my computer. Also, Passport Video has a new set called The Laurel Or Hardy Collection, which contains what appears to be the same version of "Thundering Fleas" previously released by Alpha Video. One perk is that author Rob Stone hosts the collection, giving us a chance to put a face to the name.
June 8, 2006
update for "Baby Brother" (no. 61) and "Chicken Feed" (no. 62): It turns out that the kid I've been listing as 'boy 061' is none other than Dave Monahan, who worked in the industry all his life, including a stint at Warner Brothers as a cartoon writer in the late '30s. Thanks to Lynn Paden, who alerted me to the website run by Dave's daughter, which you can visit by clicking here.
update for "The Spanking Age" (no. 80), "Wiggle Your Ears" (no. 84), "When The Wind Blows" (no. 97) and "Bear Shooters" (no. 98): The tune that I've been listing as 'piece 084f' is "Jealous" written by Jack Little, Tommy Malie and Dick Finch, while the tune listed as 'piece 084w' is "Toddling" by Erno Rapee and Dr. William Axt. Thanks to Paul Fitzpatrick for identifying these tunes for me. "Toddling" in particular is a tune that Piet Schreuders of the Beau Hunks identified for Paul.
update for "Saturday's Lesson" (no. 88): The tune listed as 'piece 088s' is "Back In Your Own Back Yard" by Al Jolson, Billy Rose and Dave Dreyer. Thanks again to Paul for this identification.
update for "Small Talk" (no. 89): The tune played on the piano by Pete (which I somehow overlooked previously) is "There's A Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder" by Al Jolson, Billy Rose and Dave Dreyer. Thanks again to Paul.
update for "Fishy Tales" (no. 158): The tune that I've been listing as 'piece 158b' is called "Stair Steps," which was written by Marvin Hatley. This piece was identified by Richard Finegan in Intra-Tent Journal #84 from 1995. The tune listed as 'piece 158c' is another Hatley composition, and titled "Don't Explain." It appears on the LP T. Marvin Hatley: Music For Laurel & Hardy (and Friends). Thanks so much to Paul for this info and of course the previously mentioned titles.
update for "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162): A photograph has revealed what Bobbie Hickman looked like as a child. He is one of the kids listed by Maltin & Bann for this film. However, I'm not able to specifically identify him in the film, and can only state that he's one of the black kids. It doesn't appear that he's one of the dancers, so I'd bet that he's a musician in one or both of Buckwheat's bands.
May 16, 2006
update for most of the Roach films: I've finally become fed up with the various bootlegs popping up on eBay, or at least with the never-ending variations that come along month after month. To save myself time, I'll now include these releases only on the Grapevine and Cabin Fever pages, but not on the pages for the individual films. This way, for instance, if a new bootleg with the Cabin Fever shorts is released, I can avoid updating all 80 pages for the Roach talkies, and just update the Cabin Fever page (which will, of course, free up time to work on more compelling information). In early April, a new Grapevine-oriented bootleg called Our Gang DVD was released, and a little later in the month, a bootleg called The Little Rascals 101 came out, which combined Grapevine material with the first 12 Cabin Fever volumes. Also, four DVDs entitled Our Gang Silent Classics appeared on eBay in May, repeating the contents of the 14 Grapevine VHS releases.
update for "Stage Fright" (no. 17): I noticed that I've been listing the Mischief Makers print for this film as "The Stage Play," which is purely a goof on my part, as it should be "The School Play."
update for "Dad For A Day" (no. 185): The working title for this film was "Father And Sons," as revealed on a contemporary press photo.
update for "Little Sinner" (no. 140): This film may have been pulled from the TV lineup during the 70s, as mentioned by Maltin & Bann, but by 1984, it was back on TV in edited form. Thanks to Greg for pointing this out.
update for "General Spanky" (no. 150): I hadn't previously noticed this, but Buddy Roosevelt's character is named "Lieutenant Johnson" in this film. Also, it appears to me that Frank H. LaRue, listed as an extra by Maltin & Bann, is the slavemaster on the left talking about runaway slaves as Buckwheat listens.
update for numerous films: I've managed to acquire a few more casting directories, dated Aug.-Sep. 1927, Sep. 1928, Jan. 1931, Aug.-Sep. 1932, and Jan. 1937, which shed some light on the following children:; Sonny Boy Warde - The 1927 directory shows a photo of him and identifies him as Sonny Loy, but then goes on to say 'formerly Sonny Boy Ward.' So Maltin & Bann's listing of Sonny Loy Warde was not an error.; Jack Lavine - The 1927 directory shows a photo of him, and he appears to be the Jewish stereotype boy in "Uncle Tom's Uncle" (no. 50), and may also be 'Abie' (also a Jewish stereotype) from "The Fourth Alarm!" (no. 53).; Phyllis Hurst - Not listed by Maltin & Bann. The 1928 directory shows her photo and states that she appeared in "Election Day" (no. 81), but if she did, then she was in footage deleted from the available print.; Warren Mills - I had previously indicated that this was probably the kid that played Rupert in "Noisy Noises" (no. 82). The 1928 directory shows his photo, and I'm now quite certain that this is a correct identification.; Buster Slaven - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Shivering Shakespeare" (no. 95). The 1931 and 1937 directories show what he looked like, and it very much appears that he's the spy that arrests Jackie Cooper.; Billy Melman - Not listed by Maltin & Bann. The 1932 directory states that he appeared in "Readin' And Writin'" (no. 111), but I'm not able to spot him in the film.; Jimmy Sommerville - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162). I had already found him in an earlier directory, as described in the Apr. 3rd update. The 1937 directory shows a photo of him, and I believe he's probably the blonde boy in the balcony scene. The directory also states that he was a dancer in "Our Gang Follies Of 1936" (no. 141). This means that he probably danced in a skeleton costume (even though we're made to think that the regular boys of the gang are doing this), since he's clearly not otherwise shown dancing in this film.; Bill Cody, Jr. - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162). His photo is shown in the 1937 directory. At this point, I'm no longer under the impression that he appears in the balcony of the opera scene. It's possible that he's the kilt-wearing boy to the far left.
update for numerous films: Also, since many of these directories mostly feature adults, I've verified the following:; F. F. Guenste - Not listed by Maltin & Bann. I've been listing him as 'man 030a.' The 1928 directory reveals his name, referring to him as 'The Grand Old Butler of the Screen.' Appropriately, he plays a butler in "High Society" (no. 30), "One Wild Ride" (no. 45), "Ten Years Old" (no. 58), "Baby Brother" (no. 61) and "Crazy House" (no. 76), but also plays a cop in "Every Man For Himself" (no. 32). 'Man 030b' will now be labeled 'man 030.'; Gene Morgan - Listed by Maltin & Bann as a cop in "Good Cheer" (no. 46), "Telling Whoppers" (no. 56) and "Election Day" (no. 81), and as a fireman in "The Fourth Alarm!" (no. 53) and "Hook And Ladder" (no. 116). The 1937 directory shows what he looks like, and he looks consistent with the actor that I've been assuming Maltin & Bann were talking about.; Charles McMurphy - Listed by Maltin & Bann as a ship's official in "Seeing The World" (no. 55), as a dog catcher in "Love My Dog" (no. 59), as a cop in "Small Talk" (no. 89), and as a cop cut from the final print of "Birthday Blues" (no. 118). The 1931 directory shows his photo. In "Seeing The World," he might be the official closest to the camera as the gang boards the ship. In "Love My Dog," he's the main dog catcher, the one that Farina battles with. In "Small Talk," he's the officer in charge.; Ben Hall - Listed by Maltin & Bann as the 'man with glasses' in "Baby Brother" (no. 61), a bus passenger in "Goin' Fishin'" (no. 192), and as the propman in "Rover's Big Chance" (no. 209). The 1928, 1931, 1932 and 1937 directories show what he looked like. They're clearly talking about the assistant to Joe's dad in "Baby Brother," and the passenger to the left of Anne O'Neal in "Goin' Fishin'." In "Rover's Big Chance," he hands the dog biscuits to Froggy.; Symona Ferner Boniface - Listed by Maltin & Bann as one of the party guests in both "Baby Brother" (no. 61) and "Washee Ironee" (no. 131), and as a crowd extra in Froggy's dream in "Unexpected Riches" (no. 211). Her photo is in the 1931 directory. I think she might be the woman sitting to the left of Joe's mother (and to the right of Lyle Tayo) in "Baby Brother." It also looks to me like she's the first one the monkey jumps on in "Washee Ironee," setting off the mayhem. In "Unexpected Riches," she's probably the woman in the center.; Edna Marian - Listed by Maltin & Bann as one of the maids in "Barnum & Ringling, Inc." (no. 74). Her photo is in the 1928 directory, and it appears that she's the blonde maid that gets spooked by the mule.; Gene Stone - Listed by Maltin & Bann as the skinny man who gets showered in "Little Mother" (no. 86). His photo is in the 1928 directory, and to be specific, it appears that he's the skinny man in glasses whose clothes shrink after he's showered.; Syd Saylor - Listed by Maltin & Bann as a pedestrian in "Cat, Dog & Co." (no. 87). The 1937 directory shows what he looked like, and it appears that he's the last of the six mice-infested pedestrians to get a closeup.; Broderick O'Farrell - Listed by Maltin & Bann as the bond agent in "Fly My Kite" (no. 107). His photo is shown in the 1928 directory, and appears to be a good match.; Hooper Atchley - Listed by Maltin & Bann as the father in "Birthday Blues" (no. 118) and as a slavemaster in "General Spanky" (no. 150). I had previously not been able to find him in the latter film, but it's now clear to me that he's one of the southern gentlemen at Colonel Blanchard's estate, and joins them in being indignant at Marshall Valient's reluctance to rush to war, exclaiming 'He's not with us!'; Bess Flowers - Listed by Maltin & Bann as the maid in "Honky-Donkey" (no. 129), as one of the friends of Spanky's mom in "Beginner's Luck" (no. 135), as Scotty's mom in "Sprucin' Up" (no. 137), and as Darla's mom in "Men In Fright" (no. 173). The 1928 and 1932 directories show her photo. The only item I hadn't been sure about previously was with "Beginner's Luck," but I'm now quite sure that she's the friend that does the talking.; Sam Adams - Listed by Maltin & Bann as the butler in "Washee Ironee" (no. 131). The 1937 directory verifies this.; Lester Dorr - Listed by Maltin & Bann as a pedestrian in "Washee Ironee" (no. 131), "Sprucin' Up" (no. 137) and "The Lucky Corner" (no. 138), as an audience member in "The Pinch Singer" (no. 143), and as an onlooker in "Duel Personalities" (no. 178). His photo is shown in the 1931 directory. I'm not able to make any definite ID for the first two films. In "The Lucky Corner," he's the guy drinking lemonade as Wagner summons the cop. Maltin & Bann state that he appears with different clothes elsewhere in the film, and I think he might be shown to the left of Jack Lipson in the longshots of the crowd. He's to the far right in the longshot of the audience in "The Pinch Singer." In "Duel Personalities," he's the spectator speaking the dialogue and accompanied by a female.; Herbert Evans - Listed by Maltin & Bann as the butler in "Shrimps For A Day" (no. 133). The 1931 and 1932 directories show his photo, and he looks reasonably like the butler in the film.; Lon Poff - Listed by Maltin & Bann as a dinner guest in "Teacher's Beau" (no. 136). The 1928 and 1937 directories show what he looks like, and it appears that he's the guy sitting between Robert McKenzie and Charlie Hall.; Bob Burns - Maltin & Bann list Robert (Bobby) Burns as a party guest in "Teacher's Beau" (no. 136) and as an audience extra in "Radio Bugs" (no. 219). The 1937 directory shows a photo of Bob Burns, who may or may not be the actor referred to by the authors. While none of the extras look like him, he does bear a resemblence to Froggy's father in "Radio Bugs" (no. 219).; Richard R. Neill - Listed by Maltin & Bann as an extra in "General Spanky" (no. 150). The 1928 directory shows his photo, and it appears to me that he plays "Colonel Parrish."; Henry Hall - Listed by Maltin & Bann as a slavemaster in "General Spanky" (no. 150). The 1931 directory shows his photo, and it appears to me that, of the two slavemasters that talk about runaway slaves, he's the one on the right.; Karl Hackett - Listed by Maltin & Bann as an extra in "General Spanky" (no. 150). The 1937 directory shows his photo, and it looks to me like he's the Yankee soldier that discovers the gang's secret cave.; Mary MacLaren - Maltin & Bann list her as one of the nurses in "Men In Fright" (no. 173). I had already suspected that she was the nurse that brings the ice cream, and the 1928 and 1937 directories make this more certain.; Walter Soderling - Listed by Maltin & Bann as one of the morticians in "Radio Bugs" (no. 219). He's shown in the 1937 directory, and it's clear that they're talking about 'O. Grimble,' the mortician in the middle.; Erville Alderson - Listed by Maltin & Bann as one of the morticians in "Radio Bugs" (no. 219). He's shown in both the 1931 and 1937 directories, and as it turns out, he plays 'U. Grimble,' the mortician to the far right. Also, I had previously listed his last name as Anderson, so this flub is corrected.
Apr. 3, 2006
update for numerous films: I've been able to look through some casting directories over the last couple of months, and have drawn numerous conclusions regarding peripheral Our Gang kids. Not only have I found out what some of the mysterious kids look like that are listed by Maltin & Bann, but I've come across several that aren't listed by them. The directories are from late 1927, late 1935, early 1938, late 1938, and late 1941, respectively. I'll break this down one kid at a time:; Monty O'Grady - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Fire Fighters" (no. 2), for which they go as far as to identify him in the photo, "A Pleasant Journey" (no. 11), "Dogs Of War!" (no. 14), "Every Man For Himself" (no. 32), and 'perhaps' "Our Gang" (no. 1). On my lists, I questioned his participation in the last two films mentioned, and also added "The Champeen!" (no. 9) and "Lodge Night" (no. 15) to his list. I also checked the Mary Pickford feature "Sparrows," for which Monty is listed in the cast of children, and had assumed that he was the crippled boy, as the film doesn't specify which kid is which. Now for the problem: The photo shown in the 1927 casting directory not only looks like a different kid, but states that Monty played 'Splutters,' the stuttering kid in "Sparrows." So either Maltin & Bann were wrong, or two kids were named Monty O'Grady. For the time being, I'm going to remove his name from my lists and give him a generic identity: 'boy 002a.' The boys previously listed as 'boy 002a' and 'boy 002b' will now be 'boy 002b' and 'boy 002c,' respectively. However, there's one more wrinkle in this story: Brad Farrell of the A-Haunting We Will Go tent of the Sons of the Desert interviewed the aged O'Grady, who stated that he had appeared in a few Our Gang films, so perhaps he appeared during the mid-to-late silent period.; Billy Butts - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Uncle Tom's Uncle" (no. 50) and "Tired Business Men" (no. 60). He's in the 1927 directory, and I can't find him in either film.; Andy Shuford - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Boxing Gloves" (no. 91). I verified his identity a long time ago while watching the Jackie Cooper feature "When A Feller Needs A Friend." It occurred to me long ago that he bears quite a resemblence to the boy that I've labeled as 'boy 058a.' The 1927 directory shows Andrew Shuford ('known as Andy') and states that he had already worked in the Our Gang series, and makes it pretty clear that boy 058a is indeed Andy. This means he appeared in at least seven episodes, since we can add "Ten Years Old" (no. 58), "Love My Dog" (no. 59), "Tired Business Men" (no. 60), "Chicken Feed" (no. 62), "Barnum & Ringling, Inc." (no. 74) and "Noisy Noises" (no. 82) to the list.; Johnny Aber - Listed by Maltin & Bann for seven films. The 1927 directory shows what he looks like, and I've found him in "Ten Years Old" (no. 58), "Tired Business Men" (no. 60), "Olympic Games" (no. 63), "Spook Spoofing" (no. 71), "Boxing Gloves" (no. 91) and "Shivering Shakespeare" (no. 95). However, I still haven't found him in "Barnum & Ringling, Inc." (no. 74), as listed by the authors. He does, however, appear in a publicity photo from "Yale Vs. Harvard" (no. 67). The directory credits him for a handful of Our Gang films, including "Baby Brother" (no. 61), but he's clearly not in the final version. Perhaps his scenes were cut.; Jimsy Boudwin - Not listed by Maltin & Bann. This is the boy that I've labeled as 'boy 058b.' He appears in "Ten Years Old" (no. 58), "Tired Business Men" (no. 60) and "Chicken Feed" (no. 62). In this last film, I had previously stated that he was one of the boys in the third row, but he's actually in the front aisle seat on the left.; Carl Busch - Not listed by Maltin & Bann. The 1927 directory indicates that he appeared in "Ten Years Old" (no. 58) and "Yale Vs. Harvard" (no. 67). He's probably one of the many rich kids in the first film, and probably in the stands in the latter film, since he was still pretty small at the time.; Buck Black - Maltin & Bann list Bret Black for "Ten Years Old" (no. 58) and "Noisy Noises" (no. 82). As a child, Bret was known as Buck Black, and the 1927 directory shows a boy with this name. However, the Buck Black that appeared in "The Bad Lands" with Harry Carey was described as gap-toothed and freckle-faced, while the boy in the directory has dark hair and no freckles. I'm guessing that the freckle-faced Buck is in "Ten Years Old", squirting soap out of his mouth, and that the dark-haired Buck is not in the Our Gang series. However, I don't see either of them in "Noisy Noises."; Godfrey Craig - Not listed by Maltin & Bann. The 1927 directory states that he appeared in "Yale Vs. Harvard" (no. 67), and I can verify this with at least one photo that I have from that film, which shows him as one of the football players, apparently for the opposing team. It also looks like he's in "Boxing Gloves" (no. 91), sitting closest to Joe's corner of the ring.; Robert Cruzon - Not listed by Maltin & Bann. The 1927 directory indicates that his last name is alternately given as Donaldson, and that he appeared in "Yale Vs. Harvard" (no. 67).; Warren Mills - Not listed by Maltin & Bann. The 1927 directory shows this kid, who bears a striking resemblence to "Rupert" in "Noisy Noises" (no. 82). The photo is from a year earlier, however, and he was a very young kid at the time, so I'm still not absolutely sure. However, the directory states that, even by the end of 1927, he had worked at the Roach studio.; George Dunning - Not listed by Maltin & Bann. Another kid from the 1927 directory, and I'm almost positive that he's the boy that does cartwheels down the sidewalk in "Noisy Noises" (no. 82).; Billy Schuler - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Boxing Gloves" (no. 91). I had previously presumed that he played the boy that Jackie Cooper addresses as "Billy," but this clearly isn't him. In fact, I don't see him anywhere in the film. The 1927 directory states that he had made one or more earlier appearances in the series, but I haven't spotted him in the silent era, either.; Fletcher Tolbert - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Shivering Shakespeare" (no. 95). The 1927 directory shows what he looks like, and the only person in the film that resembles him is the teenager that sneezes, with his beard and wig landing on Pete. I'm still pretty sure this is the guy in the lion costume, and that Mickey Daniels is not in the film.; Artye Folz - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Teacher's Pet" (no. 101) and "The Pooch" (no. 115). I have long suspected that she's the girl that reads the signs for Stymie in the latter film, and is also given a closeup while sneezing in "Teacher's Pet." The 1927 directory confirms this beyond a reasonable doubt.; Billy Seay - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Teacher's Pet" (no. 101) and "School's Out" (no. 102). The 1927 directory shows what he looked like three years earlier. My guess is that he's sitting in the front row, second from the left, in "Teacher's Pet." He may be in the third seat, second from the right, in "School's Out," but this is just a guess.; Lois Verner - I think she might be the girl seen in the lobby of the photo studio in "Wild Poses" (no. 125). This same girl seems to be in the audience in "Our Gang Follies Of 1936" (no. 141).; Barbara Goodrich - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Shrimps For A Day" (no. 133) and "Little Sinner" (no. 140). It turns out that she's the kid that I've been listing as 'girl 133b.' The 1935 directory also lists these two films for her. I've also spotted her in "Our Gang Follies Of 1936" (no. 141), "The Pinch Singer" (no. 143), "Bored Of Education" (no. 146), "Two Too Young" (no. 147), "Reunion In Rhythm" (no. 151) and "Fishy Tales" (no. 158), and she might also be in "Teacher's Beau" (no. 136). The directory also states that she appeared in "For Pete's Sake!" (no. 127), which at first puzzled me, since there didn't seem to be any unidentified girls in that film. However, I've long held the opinion that the small boy listed by Maltin & Bann as Donald Proffitt was actually some other kid. On closer inspection, it appears that this kid is actually Barbara Goodrich dressed as a boy. 'Girl 133a' will now be known as 'girl 133.'; Leona McDowell - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Mike Fright" (no. 130) and "Our Gang Follies Of 1936" (no. 141). The early 1938 directory corroborates this, and states that she had dialogue in both films. In the first film, she's the brunette Darling sister. In the latter film, she's the only usherette with dialogue. The directory also states that she appeared in "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162), but I haven't spotted her in that one.; Harry Harvey, Jr. - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Shrimps For A Day" (no. 133) and "Anniversary Trouble" (no. 134). If there was any doubt previously about his identity, the early 1938 directory erases it.; Dorian Johnston - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Shrimps For A Day" (no. 133), "Teacher's Beau" (no. 136), "Sprucin' Up" (no. 137), "The Pinch Singer" (no. 143) and "Bored Of Education" (no. 146). In the 1977 edition of their book, they even identified him as the blonde boy sitting with the gang on the curb in the photo from "Sprucin' Up." However, in the 1992 edition, they corrected this mistake by identifying the blonde boy as Robert Lentz. They also added Lentz's name to the cast listings for "Sprucin' Up" and "Bored Of Education." However, they failed to remove Johnston's name from these lists. The 1935 directory shows what Johnston looked like, and also states that he was 13 at the time, so it seems that he never appeared in the series.; Billy Minderhout - Listed by Maltin & Bann as Billy Winderlout for "The Lucky Corner" (no. 138) and "The Pinch Singer" (no. 143). I had previously assigned him with the label 'boy 143,' and had noted that he also appeared in "Fishy Tales" (no. 158), "Came The Brawn" (no. 166) and "Aladdin's Lantern" (no. 172). I had also suspected that he was the boy in the sailor suit in "The Lucky Corner," and now this seems fairly certain. The late 1938 directory indicates that his last name was Minderhout, and that he also appeared in "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162), but I haven't seen him in that film. I suspect that Billy Minder and Billy Mindy could be variations of his name.; Priscilla Lyon - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "The Lucky Corner" (no. 138), "Our Gang Follies Of 1936" (no. 141), "The Pigskin Palooka" (no. 160) and "Duel Personalities" (no. 178). The 1935 directory indicates that she had appeared in the series by this time and shows a photo of her, but I can't find her in any of the films.; Eva Lee "Marvel" Kuney - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Little Papa" (no. 139). I had suspected that hers was one of two names listed for the baby in this film, the other being Baby Patsy. The 1935 directory (in which she's listed as Marvel Kuney) makes this obvious, as she bears a passing resemblance to Patsy, but is clearly not the same kid.; Joan Lott - Not listed by Maltin & Bann. The 1935 directory states that she appeared in "Little Sinner" (no. 140), and it looks like she's walking into the church early in the film, and out of the church at the end. As she's leaving, she turns towards the camera and smiles.; Phillip Marley Rock - Not listed by Maltin & Bann. The 1935 directory credits him for "Little Sinner" (no. 140) and "Our Gang Follies Of 1936" (no. 141). In the first film, he's seen in the background being led into the church, and in the second film, he's seen at the beginning walking through the hole in the fence.; Joan Gray - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Our Gang Follies Of 1936" (no. 141). I'm now reasonably certain that she is the second from the right in the chorus line. This means that girl 130 is not in the chorus line, as I previously thought, so I'm retiring that designation and placing her in the 'other kids' category.; Dix Davis - The younger brother of Tim Davis, listed below. The 1935 directory states that he appeared in "Our Gang Follies Of 1936" (no. 141), and indeed, it looks to me like he's in the film. In the shot where the two fat boys sit on the bench, causing two smaller boys to be raised into the air, Dix appears to be the boy on the left. He's later seen sitting next to Jerry Tucker.; Kay Frye - The directories don't state that she appeared in the Our Gang series, but she looks very much like the little girl hugging the boy during the skeleton dance in "Our Gang Follies Of 1936" (no. 141). This same girl sits up front during the gang's auditions in "The Pinch Singer" (no. 143).; Patty Brown - The 1935 directory states that she appeared in "Our Gang Follies Of 1936" (no 141), and indeed, she seems to be the tallest brunette in the chorus line.; Phyllis Holt - The directories don't indicate that she appeared in the Our Gang series, but she appears to be in the audience in "Our Gang Follies Of 1936" (no. 141), shown in the scene where the fat boys walk in.; Jimmy Summerville - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162). The 1935 directory states that he appeared in "Our Gang Follies Of 1936" (no. 141). If he's in either film, then he's seen only at a distance, and I can't really verify it.; Moyer Bupp - The younger brother of Tommy Bupp, he's listed in the 1935 directory for "Our Gang Follies Of 1936" (no. 141), but I haven't spotted him yet.; Yvonne Lohn - The 1935 directory states that she appeared in "Our Gang Follies Of 1936" (no. 141), but I'm not able to spot her anywhere in the film.; Betsy Gay - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162) and "Came The Brawn" (no. 166). In the first film, she's the girl that says 'Where's the king of crooners?' In the second film, she can easily be seen watching the wrestling match. I had previously listed her as 'girl 162.' Looking over the films, I noticed that she also appears in "Arbor Day" (no. 145), in which she's initially the dance partner of boy 141b, but is later 'dipped' by Spanky.; Elaine Merk - Not listed by Maltin & Bann. The early 1938 directory credits her for appearing in "Reunion In Rhythm" (no. 151) and "Rushin' Ballet" (no. 155). In the first film, she's the dancer to the right of Spanky, while in the second film, she's best seen as Kathryn Sheldon hastens the girls to the stage, but is otherwise to the far left as the dance begins. I think she may also be the girl wearing the 'O' sweater in "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162). It also appears that she's the dancing girl to the far right in "Aladdin's Lantern" (no. 172) and the blonde girl on the left side of the circle of kids surrounding the solo dancer in "Time Out For Lessons" (no. 186). And lastly, she appears to be third from the left among the dancing girls accompanying Darla in "Waldo's Last Stand" (no. 194).; Diane Fisher - The early 1938 directory credits her for appearing in "Reunion In Rhythm" (no. 151), but I'm not able to find her in the film.; Hugh Sheridan - It appears that he's the boy in the crowd right behind Alfalfa as he's tangled in the ropes in "Glove Taps" (no. 152).; Jackie Lindquist - It appears that he's the blonde boy in the crowd right behind Hugh Sheridan in "Glove Taps" (no. 152).; Larry Harris - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Glove Taps" (no. 152), in which he sits to the far right among Butch's supporters, "The Pigskin Palooka" (no. 160), in which he's the other boy besides Harold Switzer that carries Alfalfa on his shoulder (this appearance is corroborated by the early 1938 directory), "Clown Princes" (no. 179), in which he plays the snare drum, and "The Big Premiere" (no. 189), in which he's one of the two boys (the one on the right) that complain about having to be home by 8 o'clock.; Hugh Chapman - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Glove Taps" (no. 152), "The Pigskin Palooka" (no. 160), "Mail And Female" (no. 161), "Clown Princes" (no. 179) and "Time Out For Lessons" (no. 186). The 1941 directory shows a photo of him, but I've only been able to spot him in the last film, since he's the boy that gives encouraging words to Leonard as the team is walking out of the pep rally. In "Mail And Female," the boy sitting up front and to the left looks similar to him. Otherwise, it may be that Maltin & Bann were interchanging him with Donald Proffitt, since the two look similar.; Camille Williams - Not listed by Maltin & Bann. The early 1938 directory credits her for appearing in "Rushin' Ballet" (no. 155), in which she's second from the left as the dance begins. I think she's also one of the girls in "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162), wearing the sweater with the letter 'E,' and perhaps doubling as the middle girl in the refined Club Spanky group.; Norman Salling - The younger brother of Jackie Salling, listed below. The early 1938 directory states that he appeared in "The Pigskin Palooka" (no. 160) and "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162). In the first film, he plays the bass drum in the marching band. In the second film, he's sitting at the Club Spanky table shown as Spanky finishes his singing. I've also found him in "Football Romeo" (no. 174), sitting in the front row of the crowd shots. I previously listed him as 'boy 160.'; Charles Flickinger - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "The Pigskin Palooka" (no. 160) and "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162). This is corroborated by the early 1938 directory, but it doesn't say which Follies film. In "The Pigskin Palooka," I think he's probably the boy on the gang's team wearing the number 5. In "Our Gang Follies Of 1938," he might be at the far right of the second group of balcony kids. I think he might also be a spectator in "Came The Brawn" (no. 166), in the far upper right of the crowd shots.; Billy Diamond - Not listed by Maltin & Bann. The 1935 directory states that he had worked for Roach by this time, and the early 1938 directory states that he had appeared in the Our Gang series. It's possible that he's the little blonde boy standing behind boy 141b in the opening sequence of "Our Gang Follies Of 1936" (no. 141). There's no doubt in my mind that he's in "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162). As the girls sigh deeply over Alfalfa, he sighs along with them.; Bobby Crockett - The late 1938 directory indicates that he was in "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162), and he appears to be the second boy-in-kilt from the left.; Noreen Rita Stein - The early 1938 directory states that she appeared in "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162). It appears that she's the girl wearing the 'F' sweater.; Dorothy Horner - The early 1938 directory states that she had a week's contract on "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162). I'm quite certain that she's the girl wearing the sweater with the exclamation point.; Helen Westcott - The 1935 directory shows what she looks like, but doesn't credit her with any Our Gang work. However, she looks an awful lot like the girl wearing the 'I' sweater in "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162).; Dorothy Heinrichs - The early 1938 directory states that she appeared in "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162). She sits at the table closest to the gang in the Club Spanky scene.; Tim Davis - The older brother of Dix Davis, listed above. In "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162), he's the blonde boy sitting at the table behind George Jean LaRue and Philip MacMahon. In "The Little Ranger" (no. 170), he's a member of Butch's gang, and gets a closeup while being bonked on the head. It also appears that he's sitting behind Butch and Woim in "Captain Spanky's Show Boat" (no. 184).; Rhoda Williams - The early 1938 directory indicates that she appeared in "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162). Though there is no apparent relation, she resembles Camille Williams, who is not listed for this film, but seems to be in it anyway, adding some confusion to telling the two apart. Rhoda seems to be sitting at the Club Spanky table directly behind boy 133.; Raymond Rayhill Powell - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162) and "Came The Brawn" (no. 166). The late 1938 directory also states this. However, I'm not able to find him in either film. He may just possibly be second to the left in the first balcony group in the Follies film.; Patsy Currier - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162), "Came The Brawn" (no. 166) and "The New Pupil" (no. 191). The early 1938 directory corroborates her involvement in the Follies film, but I'm not able to find her in that film. In "Came The Brawn," she may be the girl sitting behind Joe Geil and Betsy Gay. She's definitely in "The New Pupil," and is the girl that wants to sit with Darla and then points out that the boys are busy with Sally.; David Freeman - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162). The early 1938 directory also states this, but I don't see him anywhere in the film.; Tommy E. Braunger - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162). The early 1938 directory also states this, but I can't verify this by watching the film, as he would only be seen at a distance.; Josephine Roberts - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162). The 1941 directory shows a photo of her, but I can't find her in the film.; Jeanie Flickenger - The early 1938 directory indicates that she appeared in "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162), but I haven't been able to spot her.; Janet Johnson - The late 1938 directory states that she was in "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162), but I haven't been able to spot her in that film.; Darryl Hickman - It's already well-established that he plays a large role in "Going To Press" (no. 205), but the early 1938 directory states that he appeared in "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162). This is another one of those situations where, if he's there, he's too far from the camera to be identified.; Spencer Quinn - The late 1938 directory states that he appeared in "Came The Brawn" (no. 166), but I haven't spotted him in that film.; Calvin Robert Ellison - The late 1938 directory states that he appeared in "The Little Ranger" (no. 170). It appears that he's the blonde boy that ties up Alfalfa, Buckwheat and Porky.; Grace Bohanon - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Practical Jokers" (no. 175). The 1938 directories both show what she looked like, and she is indeed in the film, shown at the end, sitting next to Butch, with cake on her face. She also appears in "The Little Ranger" (no. 170), sitting in front of Darla and Butch. It's possible that this is who Maltin & Bann meant when they listed Becky Bohanon.; Becky Bohanon - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "The Little Ranger" (no. 170), "Practical Jokers" (no. 175) and "Duel Personalities" (no. 178). Her older sister Grace appears in the first two, making it seem as though Becky was listed by mistake. Neither of them are noticeable in the third film. The late 1938 directory indicates that she appeared in "Football Romeo" (no. 174), but I can't spot her in that film.; Peggy Lynch - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Aladdin's Lantern" (no. 172), among others. I've been assuming that she's the dancing girl to the left of Darla. The late 1938 directory also states that she appeared in this film, and the photo makes it quite clear that she was that particular dancing girl.; Sonny Bupp - It's already well-established that he appeared in "Men In Fright" (no. 173), but the late 1938 directory (where he's listed as Sunny Bupp) reveals that his character name was "Junior." This name isn't used in the film, but perhaps this is what he was called in the script. Watching the film, I noticed Sonny's mother address him as 'Son,' and Jack Rice calling Alfalfa this when he thinks he's Sonny. This was nothing unusual, of course, since men often called young boys 'son' even when they weren't the boy's father. However, at one point, Rice calls Alfalfa "Sonny," which might be a roundabout way of revealing Sonny Bupp's character name in this film.; Floyd Fisher - The late 1938 directory states that he appeared in "Football Romeo" (no. 174). In the first shot of Butch's Assasins, he is standing just to the left of Butch.; Morris Grace, Jr. - The late 1938 directory states that he appeared in "Football Romeo" (no. 174), but I'm having trouble spotting him. He just might be in the third row of the stands directly behind Norman Salling.; Buddy Bowles - The late 1938 directory states that he appeared in "Football Romeo" (no. 174), but I can't spot him in this film. On the other hand, he bears a notable resemblance to the violin player in "Captain Spanky's Show Boat" (no. 184).; Bruce Grant - The late 1938 directory states that he appeared in "Football Romeo" (no. 174), but I can't spot him in this film. If you add bangs to him, he sort of looks like the kid that I've designated as 'boy 174.'; Corrine Varian - The late 1938 directory states that she appeared in "Football Romeo" (no. 174), but I can't spot her in this film.; Allan Randall - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Duel Personalities." The 1941 directory shows what he looks like, but I'm not able to spot him in the film.; Arthur Mackey - The older brother of Gerald Mackey, listed below. It appears that he's one of the crowd in "Clown Princes" (no. 179). In the shot showing four boys looking at the 'smallest and tallest men,' he's furthest to the left. He also appeared in "The Big Premiere" (no. 189) as one of the boys (the one on the left) that have to be home by 8 o'clock.; Malcolm Crosby - The 1941 directory indicates that he appeared in the Our Gang series, and it looks like he's the larger of "The Famous Sime and Neez Twins" in "Clown Princes" (no. 179).; George Crosby - The 1941 directory indicates that he, like his older brother Malcolm, appeared in the Our Gang series. It appears that he joined his brother, playing the smaller of "The Famous Sime and Neez Twins" in "Clown Princes" (no. 179). He also appears as one of Darla's dance partners (the one on the left) in "Captain Spanky's Show Boat" (no. 184).; Gerald Mackey - The younger brother of Arthur Mackey, listed above. It appears that he's in "Time Out For Lessons" (no. 186), walking out of the pep rally three people behind Harold Switzer.; Glenn Mickens - The 1941 directory indicates that he appeared in the Our Gang series. It appears that he's one of the boys walking out of the pep rally in "Time Out For Lessons" (no. 186), two people behind Gerald Mackey.; Larry Kert - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Time Out For Lessons" (no. 186). A photo of him appears in both 1938 directories (where he's listed as Larry Kurt), but I can't find him anywhere in the film. It looks very much to me, however, like he's in "All About Hash" (no. 190), sitting to the right of Tommy McFarland at the radio station.; Mary Ann Such - The late 1938 directory shows a photo of her, but doesn't mention any Our Gang involvement. However, she looks an awful lot like the girl in "Waldo's Last Stand" (no. 194) who sings 'Now you-ou-ou can have the twilight, and you-ou-ou can have the moon.'; Shirley Jean Doble - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Waldo's Last Stand" (no. 194) and "Melodies Old And New" (no. 204). The early 1938 directory shows what she looks like, but I can't connect the photo with any of the kids in the two films.; Tommy Tobin - The 1941 directory states that he appeared in "Fightin' Fools" (no. 196). However, the photograph is the same one that had been used in the early 1938 directory, and I can't tell which kid he is in Slicker's bunch. He'd have to be one of the two boys in striped shirts.; Betty Scott - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Baby Blues" (no. 197). Deductive reasoning led me to conclude that she was Mickey's older sister in this film. The 1941 directory shows her photo, and the resemblance is definitely there.; Joline Karol - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Ye Olde Minstrels" (no. 198), and also credited for this film in the 1941 directory. She sits two seats to the right of Spanky, and is seen clearly during Froggy's number.; Ralph Hodges - The 1941 directory states that he appeared in "Ye Olde Minstrels" (no. 198) and "Helping Hands" (no. 202). In the first film, he's to the upper left of Spanky, and also is just to the left of Walter Wills during his number. In the second film, he can be seen to the upper right of "Nick" in the scene where the two groups of boys have collided.; Raphael Dolciame - The 1941 directory states that he appeared in "Ye Olde Minstrels" (no. 198) and "Helping Hands" (no. 202). In the first film, he seems to be located right above Joline Karol and Valerie Lee. In the second film, he's to the right of the boy with the baseball bat.; David Polonsky - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Ye Olde Minstrels" (no. 198). I think he might be at the far left among the kids dancing during the Walter Wills number. The 1941 directory credits him with this film, plus "Helping Hands" (no. 202), but I can't locate him in that one. All that aside, I'm quite convinced that he's the one doing the Fred Astaire dance in "Calling All Kids" (no. 215), even though Maltin & Bann don't list him.; Jackie Salling - The older brother of Norman Salling, listed above. Listed by Maltin & Bann (both as Salling and Sailing) for "Ye Olde Minstrels" (no. 198) and "Doin' Their Bit" (no. 208). He may be the middle boy in the group to the left of Walter Wills in the first film, but this is just a guess. Otherwise, I can't find him anywhere.; Michael Miller - The older brother of Tommy Dee Miller, listed below. The 1941 directory states that he appeared in "Ye Olde Minstrels" (no. 198) and "Helping Hands" (no. 202). He's not readily identifiable in the first film, but in "Helping Hands," he seems to be at the far right as Spanky reprimands the boys for not saluting.; Venita Vincent - The 1941 directory indicates that she appeared in "Come Back, Miss Pipps" (no. 199). In the onstage classroom, she sits next to Froggy.; Tommy Dee Miller - The younger brother of Michael Miller, listed above. The 1941 directory states that he appeared in "Helping Hands" (no. 202). He can be seen just to the left of Mickey as Spanky tells the boys to stop saluting so much.; Frank Lester Ward - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Melodies Old And New" (no. 204), "Surprised Parties" (no. 207), "Benjamin Franklin, Jr." (no. 212), "Election Daze" (no. 214) and "Dancing Romeo" (no. 220). I've long suspected that the kid that I've labeled as 'boy 204' is Frank Ward. Several of the casting directories show his photo, and it's fairly clear that this is the boy Maltin & Bann were talking about, since the face is basically the same. Oddly, he has blonde hair in the late 1938 directory, and otherwise doesn't seem to be a perfect match. But until I get some more evidence one way or the other, I'll change boy 204 to Frank Ward. I should add, also, that it looks like he's second from the left among the 'Marines' in "Calling All Kids" (no. 215).; Eddie Ehrhardt - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Melodies Old And New" (no. 204). He's the boy playing the violin in the kiddie orchestra.; Robert Ferrero - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Surprised Parties" (no. 207) and "Election Daze" (no. 214). I had previously listed this kid as 'boy 214b'. I'm not yet positive that this identification is accurate, but this clearly seems to be the boy Maltin & Bann were referring to, although he also bears a resemblance to Tommy Tucker. In "Surprised Parties," he puts the blindfold on another boy. In "Election Daze," he's the boy that tries to pick a fight while the club is split in two. I've also found him in "Little Miss Pinkerton" (no. 217), in which he gives Janet a ride on his bike.; Billy Finnegan - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Doin' Their Bit" (no. 208) and "Rover's Big Chance" (no. 209). In the first film, the boy in the bus conductor's uniform looks similar to him, but otherwise I can't find him in either film. According to both the late 1938 and 1941 directories, he had already been making appearances in the series by then.; Robert Anderson - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Rover's Big Chance" (no. 209), as Bobby Anderson, and "Election Daze" (no. 214). He's NOT Bobbie Anderson from "It's A Wonderful Life," as I had previously assumed (which is just as well, since I was stumped by that kid). In "Rover's Big Chance," it looks like he's the boy that hits the pop fly that's caught by Rover. In "Election Daze," he may be a boy seen in the background as Robert Ferrero puts up his dukes.; Elena Savona - The 1941 directory states that she appeared in the series, but I haven't spotted her in any films from that earlier era. However, it does look like she appears in "Benjamin Franklin, Jr." (no. 212), sitting to the right of Frank Ward.; Tommy Tucker - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Election Daze" (no. 214). The boy that I've identified as Robert Ferrero (above) almost looks like a cross between Ferrero and Tucker, so perhaps this is an instance where two names are listed for one kid.; Eleanor Taylor - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Three Smart Guys" (no. 218). She might be the girl whose face is shown directly over Froggy's head as Janet gives the answer to the math question. It looks to me, however, that she's the middle kid among the five 'Marines' in "Calling All Kids" (no. 215).; Marlene Kisker - Listed by Maltin & Bann for "Three Smart Guys" (no. 218). I think she might be the girl that sits behind Mickey in class.
update for "Uncle Tom's Uncle" (no. 50): I had previously thought that Jackie Hanes was perhaps the small boy with the whistle, but I don't really see any resemblance. My positive identification of him in earlier films, however, still stands.
update for "Washee Ironee" (no. 131) and later films: The boy previously listed as 'boy 152' will now be known as 'boy 131,' since he appears in "Washee Ironee." This boy also appears in "Football Romeo" (no. 174), which I had previously overlooked.
update for "Teacher's Beau" (no. 136): It does indeed look like Marianne Edwards is in "Teacher's Beau" (no. 136), as listed by Maltin & Bann.
update for "Little Sinner" (no. 140): Gordon "Porky" Lee stated that he was 19 months old when he joined Our Gang. This would have been May to June 1935, which might place the filming of this short in that timeframe.
update for "The Pinch Singer" (no. 143) and "Arbor Day" (no. 145): I've added another unidentified kid, girl 143. In "The Pinch Singer," she's the Broadway dancer shown in the shots with Dickie Jones. In "Arbor Day," she's the third dancer from the left.
update for "Arbor Day" (no. 145): If Harold Switzer is in this film, as listed by Maltin & Bann, he's probably at the back of the row shown to the far right in the group shots.
update for "Bored Of Education" (no. 146): Come to think of it, I don't think the Asian boy in this film is Yoshi Nistu from "Hearts Are Thumps" (no. 153).
update for "Reunion In Rhythm" (no. 151): The kid I've listed as 'boy 141a' is in this film. He's the first boy on the left to walk out onto the stage behind Spanky during the Broadway number.
update for "Reunion In Rhythm" (no. 151) and "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162): Baby Patsy May was present during the filming of both "Reunion In Rhythm," as verified in the book Of All Places, and "Our Gang Follies Of 1938," as verified by a photograph.
update for "Framing Youth" (no. 159), "Three Men In A Tub" (no. 165) and "All About Hash" (no. 190): There is a girl that appears in all three of these films, who I will designate as 'girl 159.' In "Framing Youth," she's in the front row of the radio audience. In "Three Men In A Tub," she's at the far right of the front row of spectators. In "All About Hash," she's sitting two seats to the right of Tommy McFarland.
update for "The Pigskin Palooka" (no. 160): I've already noted that Barry Downing can be seen in the stands during this film, but there's also a boy that looks like him in uniform for the gang's team, wearing number 16.
update for "Mail And Female" (no. 161) and "Clown Princes" (no. 179): I've assigned the designation 'boy 161' to one of the clubhouse boys from "Mail And Female," since he also appears in the audience in "Clown Princes."
update for "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162): It looks to me like there's actually two groups of 'balcony' kids in this film, the first with five boys and three girls, and the second with four boys and three girls.
update for "Our Gang Follies Of 1938" (no. 162) and "Clown Princes" (no. 179): I've assigned the designation 'girl 162' to the middle 'sighing girl' in the audience of "Our Gang Follies Of 1938," since she also appears in "Clown Princes," since she appears in between boy 171c and boy 131 as Spanky is asking the kids for more money.
update for "Three Men In A Tub" (no. 165): The kid that I've labeled as 'girl 160' is sitting to the left of Tommy McFarland in this film.
update for "Clown Princes" (no. 179) and "Cousin Wilbur" (no. 180): I've assigned the designation 'boy 179' to the boy in "Clown Princes" that instructs Buckwheat and Porky to 'take it up.' He also appears in "Cousin Wilbur" as the boy with the fake black eye.
update for "Auto Antics" (no. 183): The boy that I previously identified as Billy Ray Smith appears instead to be 'boy 171c.'
update for "Time Out For Lessons&