Pal

Tony Campanaro's Pal was the regular Our Gang dog between 1924 and 1927. His birth and death years are not known, nor is it known when Campanaro acquired him, but since he was a full-grown dog in 1921, it's safe to say that he was born no later than 1920. We last encounter him in 1929.

1921

• In his 2001 book The Keystone Kid, Coy Watson, Jr., wrote the following: "I worked in three pictures with a ring-tailed monkey named Josephine and a boxer dog named Pal. Their owner and trainer was Tony Companero(sic), the owner of several animals he kept in Culver City. Tony got into films because Josephine had been Tony's organ grinder monkey on the street. In our Campbell Comedies the monkey and dog were great. The monkey rode on the dog's back as Tony shouted directions at them from off-camera. Remember, in those days of silent pictures, owners could direct their animals by voice: 'Lie down now, Pal. Josephine, tip your hat.'

The Stork's Mistake (role)

Sep. 25, 1921 - Campbell/Educational - 2 reels - Campbell Comedies series

Motion Picture News ran an ad for this short on Aug. 27.

A Nick-Of-Time Hero (role)

Oct. 30, 1921 - Campbell/Educational - 2 reels - Campbell Comedies series

Pal received onscreen credit in this film.

Stolen Glory (role)

Nov. 27, 1921 - Campbell/Educational - 2 reels - Campbell Comedies series

1922

• According to the Jan. 23, 1937, Parade Of Youth, Campanaro had "lived with his animals at the Roachero Rancho" for the past 15 years, which would mean he began doing this around the beginning of 1922, or perhaps late 1921. This is just about corroborated by the Dec. 26, 1926, Oakland Tribune, which stated that he had been hired by Roach five and a half years earlier, which pushes the date further back into 1921. However, this latter source says that he was hired to work in the Dippy Doo Dads series, which didn't begin production until 1923. This dilemma is remedied by the June 3, 1938, Carroll Daily Herald (IA), which also states that Campanaro had been with Roach for fifteen years, but does so a year later, moving the starting date until 1923. If Campanero had this unbroken association with Hal Roach Ranch for this period of time, then there must have been some method the studio used to pay him other than with a paycheck. His appearances in the payroll ledgers (which are strictly a list of paychecks) are sporadic over the years. Nevertheless, Campanaro did make it into the Roach ledger for the week ending Oct. 7, 1922, so we can at least place him at the studio during this year.

The Sawmill (role)

Jan. 1, 1922 - Semon/Vitagraph - 2 reels - Larry Semon series

Filmed Aug to Oct. 1921. © Dec. 12, 1921.

Schoolday Love (role)

Jan. 29, 1922 - Campbell/Educational - 2 reels - Campbell Comedies series

Monkey Shines (role)

Feb. 26, 1922 - Campbell/Educational - 2 reels - Campbell Comedies series

A Rag Doll Romance (role)

Apr. 2, 1922 - Campbell/Educational - 2 reels - Campbell Comedies series

Working title: Honesty Is Best Policy.

A Penny Reward (role)

May 14, 1922 - Campbell/Educational - 2 reels - Campbell Comedies series

A False Alarm (role)

June 11, 1922 - Campbell/Educational - 2 reels - Campbell Comedies series

Circus Days (role)

July 9, 1922 - Campbell/Educational - 2 reels - Campbell Comedies series

Cured (uncredited dog trainer: Pal)

Sep. 6, 1922 - Century/Universal - 2 reels - Century Comedies series with Queenie the Horse

©Aug. 25, 1922. In June of 1922, there was a Queenie short called Horse Tricks being shown in theaters. This may be a working title for "Cured," as it also credits Pal with an appearance, but isn't listed in the Copyright Catalogue or IMDb.

A Ring Tail Romance (role)

Sep. 24, 1922 - Campbell/Educational - 2 reels - Campbell Comedies series

Just Dogs (role)

Nov. 8, 1922 - Century/Universal - 2 reels - Century Comedies series

©Oct. 18, 1922. Working title: The Flapper.

1923

• For the week ending June 9th, Campanaro began to earn weekly checks at the Roach studio. He was now one of the monkey trainers working in the Dippy Doo Dads series. We're presuming that Campanaro trained animals for all of the episodes made during this stretch. Pal appeared in at least two of these shorts, one of which featured the monkeys dressed as cops, but I don't yet know which episode this was. It's also pretty likely that he appeared in other episodes of this series.

The Watch Dog (role)

June 10, 1923 - Roach/Pathé - 1 reel - prod. C-88 - The Dippy Doo Dads series

Filmed Feb. 10 to 24, 1923. ©June 6, 1923. Also listed as CA-88.

Go West (role: the sheriff)

Nov. 25, 1923 - Roach/Pathé - 1 reel - prod. D-23 - The Dippy Doo Dads series

Also listed for 1925. This was probably originally prod. C-116, which was filmed July 5 to 21, 1923. ©Nov. 23, 1923.

1924

• The Dippy Doo Dads ended production in early January, which coincides with Campanaro's name being put onto a general list of animal trainers in the payroll ledgers, beginning with the week ending January 12th. Also included on the list is the watchman at the Roach Ranch, which may indicate that this is the point when Campanaro was put in charge of the ranch. This is also the point when Pal the dog joined the Our Gang series.
• On August 11th, the Illustrated Daily News of Los Angeles reported the following: "'Chicago,' a small ringtail monkey movie actor, which disappeared after a hard day on a set at the Hal E. Roach studios at Culver City last Thursday (the 7th), has been found and persuaded to return, according to an announcement yesterday by L. A. French, assistant general manager, who hunted for nearly three days for the monkey. 'Chicago' was discovered by motorists in a tree more than a mile from the studio, but he refused to leave his perch on one of the tree's top branches. However, when 'Pal,' a dog movie actor with whom the monkey often played in pictures, appeared, 'Chicago' hastily deserted the tree for a place on the dog's back."

Rupert Of Hee Haw (role)

June 8, 1924 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. L-11 - Stan Laurel series

Also listed for June 24, 1924. Filmed Dec. 20 to 26, 1923, and Jan. 2 to 12, 1924. ©May 12, 1924.

28. Cradle Robbers (small part)

June 1, 1924 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. A-28 - Our Gang series

Filmed Jan. 28 to Feb. 9, 1924. ©May 12, 1924. Pal is Joe's dog, and gets a good moment with the fishing pole, pulling the toupee off of a bald man.

29. Jubilo, Jr. (supporting role)

June 29, 1924 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. A-29 - Our Gang series

Also listed for July 29, 1924. Filmed Feb. 25 to Mar. 8, 1924. ©June 5, 1924. Pal appears frequently throughout this short.

27. It's A Bear (small part)

July 27, 1924 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. A-27 - Our Gang series

Filmed Dec. 10 to 26, 1923, Jan. 2 to 7, Jan. 12, and Mar. 7 to 12, 1924. ©June 30, 1924. Pal appears early in the film, helping Mickey deliver milk.

30. High Society (supporting role)

Aug. 24, 1924 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. A-30 - Our Gang series

Filmed Mar. 24 to Apr. 5, 1924. ©May 29, 1924. Pal appears frequently throughout this film.

31. The Sun Down Limited (small part)

Sep. 21, 1924 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. A-31 - Our Gang series

Filmed Apr. 21 to May 1, 1924. ©Aug. 2, 1924. Pal belongs to the rival kid, Toughy, and pulls his train.

32. Every Man For Himself (small part)

Oct. 19, 1924 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. A-32 - Our Gang series

Filmed June 2 to 12, 1924. ©Oct. 2, 1924. Pal plays around with the stirrups and is mainly seen in the early part of this film.

33. The Mysterious Mystery! (supporting role)

Dec. 14, 1924 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. A-33 - Our Gang series

Filmed June 30 to July 19, 1924, with retakes Sep. 9 and 12, 1924, and added scenes Sep. 13 and 15, 1924. ©Dec. 11, 1924. Pal belongs to Gene and Farina in this film. He wears a disguise and gets a bit of abuse from Farina and his magnifying glass.

1925

• On March 24th, The Newark Advocate (OH) reported the following: "Dogs wearing whiskers may not be a common every day sight, but that is one of the very amusing sights to be seen in Hal Roach's latest Pathecomedy, 'The Mysterious Mystery' . . . The 'Gang' set up a detective bureau, and when they are on the trail of some crook, they must be thoroughly disguised after the manner of Sherlock Holmes and other famous criminal investigators. Even Pal, the dog, is not forgotten, and he is supplied with a set of long whiskers. The only one who cannot see the humor of the situation is the dog and he is very much put out at this insult to his dignity."

35. Circus Fever (small part)

Feb. 8, 1925 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. A-35 - Our Gang series

Filmed Oct. 20 to 25, and Nov. 1 to 4, 1924. ©Jan. 19, 1925. Pal gets some pretty good footage trying to wake Joe up.

36. Dog Days (featured role)

Mar. 8, 1925 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. A-36 - Our Gang series

Filmed Oct. 29 to Nov. 5, and Nov. 17 to 24, 1924. ©Mar. 5, 1925. Pal's virtually the star of this film, and performs some impressive stunts.

39. Shootin' Injuns (supporting role)

May 3, 1925 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. A-39 - Our Gang series

Filmed Jan. 19 to Feb. 5, 1925. ©Apr. 2, 1925. Pal seems to belong to Johnnie, and comes along to the haunted house.

In The Grease (role)

June 21, 1925 - Roach/Pathé - 1 reel - prod. D-87 - Hal Roach series with James Finlayson

Filmed Apr. 30 to May 4, 1925. ©May 28 and 29, 1925.

40. Official Officers (supporting role)

June 28, 1925 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. A-40 - Our Gang series

Premiered June 10, 1925. Filmed Feb. 16 to 27, 1925. ©May 18, 1925. Pal and another dog have some good footage chasing down the bad guy.

42. Boys Will Be Joys (small part)

July 26, 1925 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. A-42 - Our Gang series

Filmed Apr. 13 to 24, 1925. ©July 6, 1925. Most of Pal's footage in this film happens as the gang goes to visit the millionaire.

41. Mary, Queen of Tots (supporting role)

Aug. 23, 1925 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. A-41 - Our Gang series

Filmed Mar. 16 to Apr. 1, 1925. ©June 11, 1925. Pal is Mary's dog, and takes a bath in her place.

44. Your Own Back Yard (supporting role)

Sep. 27, 1925 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. K-2 - Our Gang series

Filmed June 30 to July 16, and July 20 to 29, 1925. ©Aug. 28, 1925. Pal is one of the dogs given dental cream, only to be mistaken for a mad dog. His highlight occurs when he 'freezes' in front of a taxidermist's office.

43. Better Movies (supportingrole)

Nov. 1, 1925 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. K-1 - Our Gang series

Filmed May 27 to June 16, 1925. Originally production A-43. ©Aug. 20, 1925. Pal takes part in Jackie and Jay's plot against the gang.

45. One Wild Ride (small part)

Dec. 6, 1925 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. K-3 - Our Gang series

Filmed July 30 to Aug. 4, 1925. ©Nov. 6, 1925. Pal is Mary's dog in this short.

His Wooden Wedding (role: Pal)

Dec. 20, 1925 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. B-3 - Charley Chase series

Filmed Sep. 1 to 12, 1925. ©Dec. 30, 1925. Pal appears with a wooden leg in the dream sequence of this film.

1926

• For the week ending February 6th of this year, Campanaro received his final weekly check of the year from Hal Roach Studios, which suggests that he left the studio for an extended period. This could be explained by the fact that the Charles Chaplin film, "The Circus," began shooting in January, continuing for roughly a year, and involved Campanaro as a monkey trainer. However, Pal continued to work in the Our Gang series into 1927. Perhaps somebody else at the studio trained him for these appearances.
• On May 2nd, The Buffalo Sunday Express reported the following: "One way to get into Pathe's Our Gang, appearing in Hal Roach comedies, is to stick around and be such a pest that finally they have to give you a job to save the executioner's fee. Garfield is the newest member of Our Gang and he achieved his place in just this fashion. He lives in an exclusive residential neighborhood and is fond of the Gang's playmate, Pal, the dog actor. To be exact, if you wish to locate Garfield, get to the spot midway between Pal's ears, turn to the right and go two blocks south. There lives Garfield. He is camera-broke and has appeared in many comedies to the detriment of Pal's acting. He can be picked up, fed and fondled. He craves a life of luxury in the movies, at no matter what price to his immortal soul." This article was written in anticipation of the upcoming Our Gang release "Thundering Fleas," which featured an animated flea named Garfield.
• A July 1926 casting directory lists Campanaro among the animal trainers, and indicates that he specialized in monkeys.

46. Good Cheer (bit part)

Jan. 10, 1926 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. K-4 - Our Gang series

Filmed Sep. 3 to 18, 1925. ©Jan. 23, 1926. Pal is Johnny's dog this time, and appears briefly at the beginning of the film.

47. Buried Treasure (supporting role)

Feb. 14, 1926 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. K-5 - Our Gang series

Filmed Oct. 1 to 19, 1925. ©Jan. 23, 1926. Pal appears to be Jay's dog, and catches cats instead of fish.

48. Monkey Business (small part)

Mar. 21, 1926 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. K-6 - Our Gang series

Filmed Oct. 30 to Nov. 18, 1925. ©Feb. 6, 1926. Pal is seen with the gang in this short.

Dog Shy (role)

Apr. 4, 1926 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. B-6 - Charley Chase series

Filmed Nov. 28 to Dec. 8, 1925. ©Mar. 15, 1926. Pal chases Charley in this film.

49. Baby Clothes (small part)

Apr. 25, 1926 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. K-7 - Our Gang series

Filmed Dec. 7 to 20, 1925, with retakes Jan. 11, 1926. ©Mar. 15, 1926. Pal is with the gang at the beginning of this film, and then arrives at the hotel with Jackie and Farina.

50. Uncle Tom's Uncle (small part)

May 30, 1926 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. K-8 - Our Gang series

Filmed Jan. 12 to Feb. 3, 1926. ©Apr. 28, 1926. Pal is Joe's dog in this short.

51. Thundering Fleas (bit part)

July 4, 1926 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. K-9 - Our Gang series

Also listed for July 28, 1926. Filmed Mar. 8 to 25, 1926. ©May 26, 1926. Pal appears briefly as Clements extracts a flea from his fur.

53. The Fourth Alarm! (supporting role: Pal)

Sep. 12, 1926 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. K-11 - Our Gang series

Filmed May 24 to June 14, 1926. ©Sep. 17, 1926. Pal is the motor power for one of the vehicles, as well as part of the alarm system.

56. Telling Whoppers (bit part)

Dec. 19, 1926 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. K-14 - Our Gang series

Also listed for Dec. 29, 1926. Filmed Sep. 10 to 18, 1926. ©Nov. 11, 1926. Pal rings Johnny's bell, much to the dismay of Joe and Farina.

1927

• In January of this year, production on "The Circus" came to a halt so that Chaplin could spend the next eight months dealing with a messy divorce. That was followed by one final month of filming, which presumably did not involve Campanaro, who was away in Europe during that period. A December 1927 casting directory indicates that Campanaro was 'back after 10 months in Europe,' which means that he probably left early in the year. This further suggests that another trainer was handling Pal, at least for the few months between Campanaro's departure, and the point when Pal was retired from the Our Gang series.
• On April 15th, the Our Gang short "Chicken Feed" finished shooting, and by the time of the next short, Pal was replaced with Harry Lucenay's dog, Pete. This reportedly caused some friction with Campanaro.
• Between June 13th and 24th, the Our Gang short "Yale Vs. Harvard" was shot. By this time, Pete had replaced Pal in the series and Buster (another Lucenay dog often seen in the series) had seemingly been phased out as well. However, there is a publicity photo with the "Yale Vs. Harvard" production number etched into the negative that shows Buster with Farina and Jannie Hoskins. Farina is not wearing the uniform seen in other "Yale Vs. Harvard" photos, but it is the football uniform he wears in another photo in which he appears with both Buster and Pal. This other photo, however, makes no reference to the film, and would, on its own, seem to be nothing more than a photo taken to tie in with the current football season. At the moment, this matter remains unresolved.
• The Standard casting directory of December shows an ad for Campanaro with a picture of Pal posing with a monkey. The ad includes the phrase "for any type of dog or well trained monkey." It also says "back after 10 months in Europe." The March 1928 directory repeats the "back after 10 months" line, which would have been misleading to anybody that hadn't seen it three months earlier.

58. Ten Years Old (supporting role: Pal)

Mar. 13, 1927 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. K-16 - Our Gang series

Filmed Nov. 24 to Dec. 14, 1926. ©Feb. 14, 1927. Pal is Joe's dog, and is present during the cake baking scene. He goes along to Jackie's house.

59. Love My Dog (small part: Buck)

Apr. 10, 1927 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. K-17 - Our Gang series

Also listed for Apr. 17, 1927. Filmed Dec. 21, 1926, to Jan. 4, 1927. ©Apr. 11, 1927. Pal is Jay's dog, and is disguised as a bear.

60. Tired Business Men (small part)

May 22, 1927 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. K-18 - Our Gang series

Also listed for May 15, 1927, and May 21, 1927. Filmed Jan. 18 to Feb. 3, 1927. ©Apr. 11, 1927. Pal sets up the pins at the bowling alley.

61. Baby Brother (small part)

June 26, 1927 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. K-19 - Our Gang series

Filmed Feb. 17 to Mar. 14, 1927. ©May 18, 1927. Pal provides the motor power for the rocking machine.

62. Chicken Feed (bit part)

Nov. 6, 1927 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. K-20 - Our Gang series

Filmed Mar. 28 to Apr. 15, 1927. ©June 9, 1927. At least in the incomplete print that's available, Pal is just barely seen at the very beginning of this film.

1928

The Cameraman (role)

Sep. 22, 1928 - MGM - 8 reels - Buster Keaton feature

©Sep. 15, 1928. Added to the National Film Registry on Dec. 27, 2005. Pal has a bit part in this film.

1929

• The Standard casting directory from May features the same picture ad for Campanaro, but this time his dogs and well-trained monkeys were 'guaranteed to work in Talking Pictures.' There's also a reference to Campanaro's involvement in "The Cameraman" from the previous year.

Uncle's Visit (role)

June 30, 1929 - Van Beuren/Pathé - 2 reels - Smitty and His Pals series

Also features Eugene "Pineapple" Jackson.

87. Cat, Dog & Co. (bit part)

Sep. 14, 1929 - Roach/MGM - silent - 2 reels - prod. G-21 - Our Gang series

Filmed Feb. 20 to Mar. 2, 1929. ©Sep. 3, 1929. Released with a synchronized soundtrack. The dog serving as locomotion for Harry's car looks like Pal.

1982

Hollywood's Children (archival)

Feb. 24, 1982 - Wombat/Janson - 60 min. - TV documentary

Includes footage from "Jubilo, Jr."

See anything that needs changing? Contact me at BtheW@aol.com.

© Robert Demoss.