Barnum & Ringling, Inc.

film no. 74

availability:

The Little Rascals Book XXV (VHS) from Blackhawk Video

This copy is a home movie print from Blackhawk. The opening and ending titles have been remade and include a textual introduction. The inter-titles are original. The soundtrack is not original. The picture quality is very good. The print totals 17:51, with 16:49 of it original. It appears that almost all of the original film is included.

Our Gang Volume #10 (VHS) from Grapevine Video and also from The Picture Palace

This is also the Blackhawk print, but with the company named blacked out and a different soundtrack added and a different end title. The picture quality is fairly good. This version has appeared on numerous bootlegs.

technical details:

the crew:

Produced by Robert F. McGowan for Hal Roach

This is how Maltin & Bann put it. The film probably credits Roach as the presenter, with a credit added reading "A Robert McGowan Production."

Directed by Robert F. McGowan

This credit probably appears in the film, but without his middle initial.

Photographed by Art Lloyd, Floyd Jackman and E. V. White

Lloyd probably receives the credit in the film. Jackman was the photographer on Jan. 3rd and 4th, with assistance from White.

Edited by Richard Currier

This credit probably appears in the film.

Titles by H. M. Walker

This credit probably appears in the film.

Released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Probably indicated in the opening title.

Passed by the National Board of Review

Probably 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 - Bud "Stax" Graves
• transportation director - Bob Davis
• school teacher - Fern Carter

possible uncredited involvement

• assistant direction - Possibly Charles Oelze. On Jan. 3rd and 4th, Don Sandstrom was involved, possibly as an assistant director.
• editing - Bert Jordan and William Terhune were among the cutters during this period.
• writing - Robert F. McGowan probably headed the story development. Robert A. McGowan, Jean Yarbrough, Charlie Hall and Hal Yates may have been among the gag writers.
• property department - Charles Oelze, Don Sandstrom and Thomas Benton Roberts were probably involved in this capacity, and possibly Ted Driscoll, William A. Collins and Roy Seawright. There was also somebody named Boshard that was involved on Jan. 3rd and 4th, probably as a propman.
• animal training - Harry Lucenay was Pete's trainer. On January 3rd and 4th, Bob Sanders of the Sanders Police Dog Academy provided a dog, while somebody named Tony provided "Duke" and "Jiggs." Two people whose last names were Moore and Blount provided a mule on the 3rd and a horse on the 4th. Fat Jones provided a mule, and the L.A.O. Farm provided an ostrich, on the 4th. Tony Campanaro returned from a 10-month visit to Europe around this time.
• animation - Probably the work of Roy Seawright.

the kids:

Jean Darling as "Jean"

Featured role. She's a rich girl who likes to poke pins into people. During the circus sequence, she's "Madamozelle Rhubarba."

Allen "Farina" Hoskins

Featured role. The nickname isn't used in this film. He's a bellboy at the hotel, and has to keep Jean company. He isn't given too much of anything specific to do during the circus sequence, and is dressed as though he was the Pin-headed Wild Man, rather than the other black kid mentioned below.

Joe Cobb

Featured role. He's the master of ceremonies at the circus, and is given more to do than most of the other kids.

Jay R. Smith

Supporting role. He does mostly ensemble acting in this short, but does have a few lines of dialogue.

Jackie Condon

Supporting role. He does mostly ensemble acting in this short.

Harry Spear

Supporting role. He does mostly ensemble acting in this short.

Bobby "Wheezer" Hutchins

Small part. The nickname isn't used in this short. He appears sporadically, most notably during the clown sequence.

Paul Toien

Small part. He's seen helping Little Casino backstage and taking part in the circus as an acrobat. Previously seen in "Olympic Games" (no. 63) and "Yale Vs. Harvard" (no. 67).

Bobby Dean as "Little Egypt"

Small part. Not listed by Maltin & Bann. He's part of the sideshow.

Andy Shuford

Bit part. He's seen laughing at the "pelikan," and is also sitting front row center in the audience.

boy 032a

Bit part. He's seen laughing at the "snapping turtle"

boy 071

Extra. He's the first kid to walk in as Farina is ushering everybody in.

other kids

Bit parts and extras.
(1.) The boy introducing the sideshows.
(2.) The black boy playing "Little Casino," the Pin-headed Wild Man.
(3.) The boy handling the "rat-rattlesnake."
(4.) The boy showing the "Arizona beaver."
(5.) The kids in the band, numbering at least three.
(6.) The girl grooming Little Egypt.
(7.) The kid selling lemonade and the girl in the background of this scene.
(8.) Perhaps another twenty kids serving as the spectators at the circus.

questionable listings

Maltin & Bann list Mildred Kornman and Johnny Aber, but I haven't spotted either of them in the film.

the animals:

Pete (no. 1)

Small part. He appears sporadically and is part of the gang's clown act.

dog 034

Bit part. He's seen off and on during the hotel room scenes, and appears to be passed off as the "wild cow from Barneo," but another dog is used for this during the sideshow portion.

parrot 008

Bit part. He's passed off as the "snapping turtle." Presumably the same parrot seen previously.

cat 060

Bit part. She's passed off as the "Arizona beaver."

dog 074

Bit part. This is the German shepherd seen with dog 034 in the hotel room sequence. This dog came from the Sanders Police Dog Academy, and might have been their star dog, "Homo."

Leo

Bit part. The MGM lion appears at the opening of the film.

other animals

Supporting roles, small parts, bit parts and extras.
(1.) The ostrich passed off as a "giraff."
(2.) The mule passed off as a "moose." I don't think this is Dinah, but possibly the mule from "Uncle Tom's Uncle" (no. 50).
(3.) A brown horse that's passed off as an elephant.
(4.) The white donkey ridden by Jean.
(5.) A brown hog, possibly seen previously, as the "rinorsoris," and two piglets as her "young."
(6.) A goat with big horns.
(7.) A rabbit that's passed off as a "kangaroo" with a baby rabbit in her "pouch."
(8.) A rat that's passed off as a "rat-rattlesnake."
(9.) A bird, possibly a chicken, that's passed off as a "stork."
(10.) A goose that's passed off as a "pelikan."
(11.) A goose that's passed off as a "peacock."
(12.) A St. Bernard that's passed off as an "African Lion."
(13.) A large dog that's passed off as a "raindeer."
(14.) A dachshund that's passed off as an "alleygater."
(15.) A dachshund that's passed off as an "artick seal."
(16.) A goat that's passed off as a "single humped camel."
(17.) A goat that's passed off as a "double humped camel."
(18.) A big brown dog that's passed off as a "wild cow from Barneo."
(19.) At least two white chickens seen during the hotel room and lobby sequences, and perhaps additional geese.
(20.) Simon Louvish's book Stan And Ollie details an animal named Duke used for this film, which could possibly be the white horse later seen in "Old Gray Hoss" (no. 78). Another animal used was Jiggs, which is the name of the chimpanzee seen during the talkie era, as well as a dog from the late silent era. None of these animals are seen in the finished film.

the adults:

Patsy O'Byrne as the lady doing house cleaning

Small part. She's stuck with a pin by Jean, and later has several encounters with the animals.

Charles King as the newlywed groom

Small part. He and his bride are repeatedly interrupted by animals entering their room.

William Gillespie as the hotel manager

Small part. He's seen briefly at the beginning and again at the end of the film.

Oliver Hardy as the drunk

Small part. He faints when he sees the ostrich. Publicity stills reveal that he had a second role as a hotel detective, which was cut from the film.

Dorothy Coburn as the lady who sits on the egg

Small part. According to Maltin & Bann. I haven't familiarized myself with her face yet.

George B. French as the desk clerk

Bit part. He orders Farina to keep Jean company.

May Wallace as the dowager

Bit part. According to Maltin & Bann. I'm assuming they mean the woman whose hand is pecked by the ostrich, but I'm not absolutely sure it's her.

Ham Kinsey as a bellboy

Bit part. He's the bellboy that laughs at O'Byrne when she gets stuck with a pin.

Charles A. Millsfield as the toothless Frenchman

Bit part. He hugs the other Frenchman, and later has his beard pecked by a goose.

Eric Mayne as the bearded man in bed

Bit part. Not listed by Maltin & Bann. He's in bed when a woman runs in followed by some of the animals.

Lillianne Leighton

Bit part. She's the woman with the goose coming out of her dress.

Eugene Pallette as the other hotel detective

Bit part. He seems to be present only at the end of the film when everybody laughs at the ostrich.

Edna Marian as the maid

Bit part. She's appears very briefly, getting spooking by the mule.

other adults

Small parts, bit parts and extras.
(1.) The hotel detective, who's seen sporadically chasing the kids and animals.
(2.) The newlywed bride.
(3.) Jean's governess.
(4.) The black man operating the elevator.
(5.) The two rotund black men, one of whom is a bellboy.
(6.) The other Frenchman who hugs Charles Millsfield. He looks similar to Mark Jones.
(7.) The woman sleeping next to the hog.
(8.) The woman running into the man's room.
(9.) The two women at the elevator.
(10.) Wallace's friend.
(11.) The old man in the room where the woman runs in.
(12.) The woman in the shower where Farina runs in.
(13.) The telephone operator at the reception desk.
(14.) Several other adults basically serving as extras. Maltin & Bann list two people that I'm unfamiliar with, and some of the roles listed above might be played by them, or perhaps they're just extras. They are Ham Kinsey and Retta Palmer.

the music:

"Little Brown Jug"

Attributed to Septimus Winner in 1869. Steve Porter had a number three hit with this song in 1900.

the locations:

Hal Roach Studios

The standing hotel set at the studio was used. Simon Louvish's book indicates that a stage at the studio was used on both the 3rd and the 4th.

Harold Lloyd Co.

Simon Louvish's book indicates that the treadmill at this studio was used on Jan. 3rd.

miscellaneous:

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