"The Gang's Here." They arrived early Saturday evening (the 22nd) and took possession of the twelfth floor of the Leverich Towers Hotel on the heights where they will be the guests of the management during their stay in Brooklyn. Fat Joe Cobb was the first of "Our Gang" to alight from the big bus that brought them across the bridge upon its arrival at the hotel and from the expression on Joe's face it looked as if his first glimpse of Brooklyn heights was more than pleasing. Next came "Farina" carrying "Wheezer" in his arms followed by cute little Jean Darling, Harry Spear, the freckled face rascal, Pug Nose and last but not least, Pete, the solemn old mutt that plays a prominent part in the comedies produced by the gang at home in Hollywood. Although no previous announcement that the gang was to arrive was made it did not take long for a large crowd, principally children, to gather around and get their first glimpse of the children in person. Manager Beers, with a staff of fancy dressed aides, was awaiting the party and showed them to their rooms.
Yesterday the gang, accompanied by their parents, who are making the tour with them, were taken on an automobile ride through Prospect Park to Coney Island. Although closed for the season, George C. Tilyou met them at Coney and took them on a sightseeing trip around Steeplechase Park. Following the visit to the island, they dropped in to pay their respects to Manager Simon at Loew's Metropolitan Theatre, where they opened a week's engagement to-day.
The gang will make four appearances daily at Loew's Metropolitan up to and including Sunday. Starting to-morrow evening and continuing until Friday evening, the management, in conjunction with Hal Roach, producer of the "Our Gang" comedies, has arranged to give the children of Brooklyn an opportunity of meeting Joe Cobb and his associates personally at informal back stage parties to take place following the supper show at 7 o'clock. Following the appearances of the "Our Gang Kids" on the stage at this performance the children in the theatre will assemble in the Livingston street lobby and march back stage where the "Kids" will be waiting to say "Hello" and give each one of their little visitors a post card likeness of themselves taken at the studio in Hollywood.
During the week and between the shows at Loew's Metropolitan Theatre, the gang will find time to visit the Brooklyn Hebrew Orphan Asylum, Ralph avenue and Pacific street, and St. John's Home, St. Mark's and Albany avenues. Borough President Byrne has also expressed a desire to greet them at Borough Hall and they will also be guests at the new Elks' Club during the week.
To-morrow evening they will meet at dinner the representatives of the various Brooklyn newspapers in the main dining room of the Leverich Towers Hotel.
Special note: Originally (according to The Brooklyn Citizen of September 17th), the Gang was to perform 5 shows a day, but this was revised to four. On September 22nd, The Chat of Brooklyn reported that the kids would arrive at the Metropolitan Theatre at 11 a.m. on the 24th. This may very well be the starting point of their engagment, but as the above article indicates, they had arrived in Brooklyn the evening of the 22nd and had even dropped by the Metropolitan on the 23rd. The same article also specifies that the meet-and-greets with the kids of Brooklyn were to take place on Tuesday (the 25th), Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.