technical details:
Production G-2.
Filmed August 8 to 20, 1927. See the 'miscellaneous' section below for details.
Cutting continuity submitted September 13, 1927.
Copyrighted October 22, 1927, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Corporation. Registration no. LP25228. Renewed July 11, 1955, with registration no. R152704. This
copyright expired at the end of 2022, and the film is now in the public domain.
Released October 22, 1927. It was the 65th film in the series to be released.
Silent two-reeler.
Opening title: '"Our Gang" Comedies - Hal Roach presents His Rascals in "The Old
Wallop".'
the crew:
- Produced by Robert F. McGowan for
Hal Roach
- This is the way Maltin & Bann put it. The film lists Roach as the presenter, and reads "A Robert
McGowan Production."
- Directed by Robert F. McGowan
- This credit appears in the film, but without his middle initial.
- Photographed by Art Lloyd
- This credit appears in the film.
- Edited by Richard Currier
- This credit appears in the film.
- Titles by H. M. Walker
- This credit appears in the film.
- Story by Robert F. McGowan
- Indicated in the cutting continuity.
- Animal Trainer: Harry Lucenay
- He was Pete's owner and trainer.
- Released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- Indicated at the opening of the film.
- Passed by the National Board of Review
- As indicated in the film.
- studio personnel
- director-general - Leo McCarey
- general manager - Warren Doane
- assistant general manager - L. A. French
- secretary-treasurer - C. H. Roach
- construction supervisor - C. E. Christensen
- laboratory superintendent - Charles Levin
- optical effects supervisor - Roy Seawright
- still photographer - Clarence "Stax" Graves
- transportation director - Bob Davis
- school teacher - Fern Carter was probably away
from the studio while this film was being made, but the payroll summaries reveal that she was receiving her salary.
- possible uncredited involvement
- assistant direction - Probably Charles Oelze.
- assistant cameraman - Probably Clair Boshard.
- cutting - Probably Lloyd Campbell.
- writing - Robert A. McGowan, Jean Yarbrough, Charlie Hall and Hal Yates may have contributed gags.
- property department - Charles Oelze, Don
Sandstrom and Thomas Benton Roberts were probably involved in this capacity.
the kids:
- Bobby "Wheezer" Hutchins as "Wheezer"
- Featured role. He takes after his prize-fighting father and punches everybody that gets near him.
Later, the gang has to rescue him from a highrise building under construction.
- Joe Cobb as "Joe"
- Featured role. He passes off his babysitting duties to Farina and is later featured strongly during the highrise sequence.
- Allen "Farina" Hoskins
- Featured role. He gives up on babysitting Wheezer, only to have to retrieve him from the building site.
He's given a lot of the gag material during this sequence.
- Jackie Condon as "Jackie"
- Featured role. He's paid to babysit Wheezer, and has to endure nose-punches until he recruits Joe to take over.
- Harry Spear
- Supporting role. He's given the name "Toughy" in part of the continuity, but not in the
actual titles. He spends a large part of the film pulling Joe's pants down, and is also featured early in the film playing leapfrog with Jackie.
- Jay R. Smith
- Supporting role. He's given some individual attention during the highrise sequence.
- Jean Darling
- Supporting role. She's at the controls of the elevator at the construction site, making things very difficult for the boys.
- Mildred Kornman
- Undetermined role. She doesn't appear in the available print, but she's shown in at least one of the promotional photos.
the animals:
- monkey 004
- Supporting role. Presumably the same monkey normally seen. He jumps into Wheezer's carriage and
becomes the next victim. Later he takes part in the highrise sequence.
- Pete (no. 1)
- Supporting role. He mostly reacts to the highrise activities by covering his eyes, but is the one who
ultimately rescues Farina and Jay.
- Leo
- Bit part. The MGM lion appears at the opening of the film.
the adults:
- Anita Garvin as Wheezer's mother
- Small part. She appears briefly instructing Jackie to let the baby punch him on the nose.
- Charles A. Bachman as one of the cops
- Small part. He gets punched by Wheezer and then meets up with his captain.
- Edgar Dearing as the police captain
- Small part. We don't see him getting walloped, but we do see him coming around the corner of a brick
building showing the effects of having been walloped.
- Jack O'Brien as one of Wheezer's victims
- Small part. After Wheezer wallops him, he spits out several teeth.
- other adults
- Small parts and bit parts.
- (1.) Wheezer's prize fighting father, who's seen at the opening of the film boxing with his toddler son.
- (2.) The lady who says 'cootsy cootsy' before getting walloped.
- (3.) The old man who gets walloped right before Jack O'Brien shows up.
- (4.) Perhaps ten construction workers.
- (5.) Numerous pedestrains and drivers in the background.
the locations:
- Western Costume Building, Los Angeles
- The construction site was built on the roof of this building on South Broadway. Fans familiar with the
Laurel & Hardy film "Liberty" should immediately recognize the background, which is south of the site. The
street on the right is Broadway, while Main Street is to the left. The triangular intersection is created by a short
easement called Broadway Place. The Western Pacific Bldg. is shown to the right at 939 South Broadway. Signs on the
left side of Broadway advertise the Sunday Examiner and Western Auto Supply.
- Motor Avenue and Woodbine Street, Palms district, Los Angeles
- Bachman walks up to the northeast corner of this intersection. The brick building is the People's
Water Company at 3392 Motor Avenue. The gang is sitting on the curb of Woodbine directly across the street from this
building while eating ice cream. Behind them is the Masonic Hall at the 3402 Motor Avenue, which housed an ice
cream parlor, among other things.
- Motor Avenue, Palms district, Los Angeles
- Wheezer's house in this film was located at 3359 Motor Avenue, on the west side of the street. This
was the home of L. J. White at the time. Next to it is the Palms Hardware Co. at 3351 Motor, as indicated on the
prominent sign on the side of the building. As Jackie is approaching the house, we can see the Arthur Boetsch Barber
Shop behind him at 3347 Motor. To the left of the house is the vacant lot often seen in other films with scenes shot
on the northwest corner of Motor and Woodbine. In the scene where the cop staggers around the corner of a brick building,
we're looking at the Micholithic building on the opposite side of the street, which I believe was occupied by a
different business by this time.
- vacant lot
- The vacant lot where Jackie and Harry play leap frog was previously featured in "Olympic Games"
(no. 63).
miscellaneous:
12 shooting dates went into the making of this film. Just two days after shooting had finished for production K-24,
which was either "Playin' Hookey" (no. 65) or "The Smile Wins" (no. 66), the
'start' date for "The Old Wallop" arrived on Aug. 8th. Shooting continued until the 'finish'
date of Aug. 20th. No shooting took place on Aug. 7th or 14th, which were both Sundays. Robert F. McGowan directed on each
of the shooting dates. After this, a week passed before the Our Gang unit began filming "Heebee Jeebees"
(no. 69).
See anything that needs changing? Contact me at BtheW@aol.com.