"Our Gang" of Hollywood Saturday (the 1st) met the "Our Gangs" of Cleveland!
The California "Gang" is that group of six youngsters nationally known for their movie comedies from the studios of Hal Roach.
The Cleveland "gangs" were 1000 or more boys and girls from Cleveland orphanages.
The Cleveland children met "Our Gang" at the State Theater Saturday morning. They were guests of The Press and Loew's State Theater at a special morning performance, being gathered from the orphanages by 27 chartered busses furnished by J. H. Alexander, president of the Cleveland Railway Co.
Play in Four Cities
The young actors came here from Detroit to play a weeks' engagement at the State. They are on a cross-country tour, appearing on the stage in Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, and New York.
With the busses running on schedule similar to regular street car service, the children of the orphanages began arriving at 10:45 a.m.
With a "whoopee" they swarmed into the lobby of the theater, cheering loudly:
"Rah! Rah! Our Gang!" "Rah! Rah! The Press." "Rah! Rah! The State," "Rah! Rah! For the Busses."
They rah-rahed everyone, including Buster Keaton, who was prancing on the silver screen as the show started.
It was 11:30 a. m. when "Our Gang" swooped on the stage, to be greeted by a mighty roar from that audience of youngsters.
Cheers Ring for All
"There's Joe Cobb. He's the fat boy. I know him from his pictures." "See, there is Farina and little Jean Darling. Boy, she's cute."
There were cheers for all of "Our Gang" - Harry Spear, known as "Freckles," "Wheezer," Mary Ann Jackson and for "Pete," the dog with a ring about his eye.
The Cleveland children learned all about their movie friends, and Harry S. Lucenay, "Pete's papa," told them how he had trained Pete to be the clever dog he is, and when one youngster shouted, "How old is Pete?" Lucenay told him that Pete was 6 years old and has been in the movies since he was 3 months.
Arrive With Entourage
The "Our Gang" special arrived in Cleveland at 6:15 a. m. There were 16 in the party, including mothers, fathers and nurses for the children, managers, theater executives, etc.
Children from Jewish orphanages were unable to attend the morning show and the management of Loew's State arranged for them to be present at the first afternoon performance.
After the show "Our Gang" held a reception in the theater lobby, presenting each of the Cleveland children with candy and a photo postcard of "Our Gang" in costume.