Bringing with them a million laughs, "Our Gang," filmdom's little funsters, known to movie fans, young and old, throughout the world, arrived in Oakland today for a week's engagement at the Orpheum theater.
Oakland film fans have seen the youngsters in pictures many times, but this is their first opportunity to meet the beautiful little Jean Darling; the husky, smiling Joe (Fatty) Cobb; the dusky little gentleman known as Farina; his sister, Mango; Jackie Condon, Harry Spear, Jay R. Smith - artists all.
An official reception committee, composed of Mayor John L. Davie, Allan Warshauer, manager of the Oakland Orpheum, Fay Glover, manager of Hotel Leamington, motorcycle police with sirens zooming, and representatives of The Post-Enquirer, followed by all the kids that could get away from home, welcomed "Our Gang" to Oakland this morning.
LIMITED TOUR
By special arrangement with Hal Roach studios of Los Angeles, the Orpheum was enabled to secure a limited engagement of the gang. Only three cities were given the opportunity to see them strut their stuff before the footlights - namely, San Francisco, Oakland and Los Angeles.
The little film stars will appear three times daily in their stage offering at the Orpheum here. They packed each show during the San Francisco engagement.
In Chrysler cars and Checker cabs the gang and members of the chaperoning party rode up Broadway to Nineteenth and thence to The Post-Enquirer building, where they were shown the presses grinding out thousands of papers containing the story of their arrival in Oakland.
A GREAT ACT
The youngsters, who have appeared in over 50 pictures, look upon their short vaudeville tour as a great lark. They enjoy their stage offering as much as they do their picture work, according to Manager Warshauer.
Stage door "Johnnies," beware! Some of the younger set of the genus "shiek" are hereby warned that both Jean Darling and Mango of "Our Gang" are chaperoned by their respective mammas.
Jean Darling, the petite and beautiful little leading lady of the "Gang," though only 8 years old, has already had a string of broken hearts to her credit, and in San Francisco during the past week little Jean has set many a young heart beating faster as she left the stage entrance of the theater.
Jean's fan mail from ardent young admirers would make some of the adult screen stars jealous, but as yet her hand and heart are free.
If any of Oakland's half-pint Don Juans have the idea of "dating out" Miss Jean and meeting her after the show, they'd better go slow, and the same goes for Mango.
The boys in the "gang" are scrappers and won't stand for anyone getting fresh with their charming leading lady or their dusky comedienne.
Young people of the East Bay will have an opportunity of personally meeting each and every one of the "Our Gang" youngsters on the Orpheum stage during the coming week.
The Orpheum had arranged for a reception on the stage immediately following the last act on the vaudeville bill at the matinee performances, from Monday to Friday inclusive. There will be one this evening after the second show, which starts at 6:30 p. m.
The Gang expect to establish a new long distance record in handshaking during this week.
Checker cabs and Chrysler cars are the delight of the gang. The Checker cabs in the parade today took the attention of the youngsters. It is doubtful if any other like number of children in the United States have ridden as many times in taxicabs as the members of Our Gang. Joe Cobb and Farina have chartered a Checker to take them about Lake Merritt tomorrow morning.
Before leaving the Hal Roach studios in Culver City for their theatrical tour, "Our Gang" went into executive session and elected Joe Cobb their treasurer, he having been reputed to boast a bit of Scotch blood and being well known as a saving young person.
It was through the instigation of Harry Weber, famous vaudeville artists' manager and producer, that "Our Gang" were first brought to the attention of the Orpheum circuit bookers for a vaudeville appearance. The Orpheum heads, ever on the lookout for new and interesting attractions, immediately arranged engagements in Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles for the kiddies.
And then the fun began. Weber produced and staged a regular stage act entitled "Acting Out," written by George Waggner. The kids got the thrill of their lives rehearsing for the "speakies," and the result is one of the cleverest entertainments ever put on by youngsters or adults.
All of the "Gang" are natural comedians, and they have taken to stage action like ducks to water. Their act is one scream after another.
So many children are expected to want to see the "Our Gang" kiddies that the Orpheum has made an especial effort to present a show which will delight the young folks and which includes the Six Reillys, world's foremost juvenile tap dancers.
Joe Cobb, known as Fatty, wears his smile off the screen as well as on it. He weighs 110 pounds, is 10 years old and is being chaperoned on this tour by his dad, a well known Los Angeles attorney.