Crazy House

technical details:

Production G-10.

Filmed February 10 to 24, 1928. See the 'miscellaneous' section below for details.

Title sheet prepared by H. M. Walker on March 2, 1928.

Cutting continuity submitted March 8, 1928.

Copyrighted May 16, 1928, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Corporation. Registration no. LP25250. Renewed August 11, 1955, with registration no. R154162. Renewed again March 2, 1956, with registration no. R165940. This copyright expired at the end of 2023, and the film is now in the public domain.

Released June 2, 1928. It was the 76th film in the series to be released.

Silent two-reeler with synchronized music track.

Probable opening title: '"Our Gang" Comedies - Hal Roach presents His Rascals in "Crazy House".'

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 appears in the film, but without his middle initial.

Photographed by Art Lloyd

This credit appears in the film. The table top miniature effect is reminiscent of the work of Alvin V. Knetchel in earlier episodes, but I don't know if he was still with Roach at this point.

Edited by Richard Currier

This credit appears in the film.

Titles by H. M. Walker

This credit appears in the film.

Animation by Roy Seawright

This credit derives from Seawright's payroll status as the studio animator during this period. This film features an animated electric shock.

Animal Trainer: Harry Lucenay

He was Pete's owner and trainer.

Teacher: Fern Carter

Released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Probably indicated in the opening title card.

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 - Clarence "Stax" Graves

transportation director - Bob Davis

possible uncredited involvement

assistant direction - Probably Charles Oelze.

assistant cameraman - Probably Clair Boshard.

cutting - Possibly Lloyd Campbell.

writing - Robert F. McGowan probably wrote the story. 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.

the kids:

Jean Darling as "Jean"

Featured role. She's the lonely little rich girl who wants to be a boy and play with the gang.

Jay R. Smith as "Percy"

Featured role. He's the rich boy that subjects the gang to the various tricks in the house.

Joe Cobb as "Joe"

Featured role. Jean tells him to bring the gang over to the house. He's given a lot of attention along the way.

Bobby "Wheezer" Hutchins as "Wheezer"

Featured role. Jean dresses him up in her doll's clothes.

Allen "Farina" Hoskins

Featured role. The nickname doesn't appear in this print. He's given plenty of footage dealing with the pranks in the house.

Mary Ann Jackson

Supporting role. She's given plenty of closeups as she reacts to the various tricks.

Harry Spear

Supporting role. He's first seen boxing with Farina, and later switches clothes with Jean.

Jackie Condon

Supporting role. He referees the boxing match, and is given a fair number of closeups during the trick sequence.

Jimmy Farren

Small part. He's seen at the boxing match, and then joins the gang on their visit to the house, but isn't given much of anything specific to do.

Bill Ulmer

Bit part. He's the small boy with long brown hair at the boxing match, and is given a closeup.

Eugene "Bobo" Pearson

Bit part. He's the small boy with short brown hair at the boxing match, and is given a closeup.

Ben Parsons

Bit part. He's the boy with long blonde hair at the boxing match, and is given a closeup. A photo caption in Motion Picture News identifies him as Dan Parsons.

the animals:

Pete (no. 1) as "Pansy"

Supporting role. He's given his share of time with the pranks.

Leo

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

the adults:

Joseph W. Girard as Percy's father

Small part. He's shown demonstrating the various trick contraptions in the house.

Eric Mayne

Small part. He's the friend of Percy's dad.

Clarence L. Sherwood as one of the cops

Small part. He's the cop that gets bitten by Pete. Later seen in "The Ol' Gray Hoss" (no. 78).

Alice Nichols as the maid

Small part. She's spooked by the tricks in the kitchen.

Kathleen Chambers as Jean's governess

Small part. She conspires with the butler to sneak out for a matinee. Oddly, the payroll ledger doesn't mention her, but a 1928 casting directory credits her with appearing in this film. A newspaper photo from 1921 provides a facial match.

Fred F. Guenste as the butler

Bit part. He's seen very briefly talking to the governess. He also is not mentioned in the payroll ledger, but this is obviously him.

Irene Allen as Farina's mother

Bit part. She orders him to get to work.

Bertha Kirk

Bit part. She's the friend of Jean's mother who recently had a face lift.

May Wallace as Jean's mom

Bit part. She's shown very briefly as her two friends walk out on her.

Clarence Morehouse and Chet Brandenburg as the workmen

Bit parts. They're wiring Girard's house. Morehouse does the talking. Brandenburg is listed in the payroll ledger as Chet Brandy, but listed by Maltin & Bann as Ed Brandenberg.

Budd Fine as a plainclothes cop

Bit part. He's front and center as the four cops walk through the doorway.

Joe Manning as a plainclothes cop

Bit part. He's to the right as the cops walk in.

Charles A. Bachman as a cop

Bit part. As the cops step through the doorway, he's behind the other three. Freeze-framing is the only way to identify him.

other adults

Bit part. The woman who plays "Mrs. Middlebunny" is probably Lucile Gordon, but I'm not positive yet.

the music:

piece 074g

This is heard as the film begins, and continues until Jay's father begins his demonstration of the practical jokes. The piece is heard in its entirety, unlike in "Barnum & Ringling, Inc." (no. 74), where only a brief excerpt is heard.

piece 074b

This is heard as Jay's father begins his demonstration, and continues until the middle of the boxing scene. The piece is played in waltz time, but returns later during the fountain scene in the same version heard in "Barnum & Ringling, Inc." This 4/4 version continues until the food arrives.

piece 076a

This piece begins in the middle of the boxing scene, and continues until the three boys arrive at the back door of the mansion.

"G'schichten Aus Dem Wienerwald" by Johann Strauss II

Commonly known to English speakers as "Tales From The Vienna Woods." This piece was composed in 1868 and premiered during the same year. It was Strauss's Opus 325. In this film, it begins as the three boys arrive at the back door of the mansion, and continues until Wheezer's dizzy spell. It returns as Joe has trouble with the rubber fork and knife, and continues until Jackie's scene with the peas.

piece 074a

This is heard as Wheezer has his dizzy spell, and continues until the crowd of kids arrive at the mansion. A waltz version then follows it, and continues until Joe's encounter with the suit of armor.

piece 076b

This blues piece begins as Joe encounters the suit of armor, and continues until the fountain scene.

piece 076c

This classical piece begins with the arrival of the food, and continues until Joe's scene with the rubber fork and knife.

piece 076d

This piece begins as Jackie has trouble with his peas, and continues until the arrival of the cops.

piece 074e

This is played as the cops arrive, and continues to the end of the film.

also of note...

"Mother, Mother, Mother, Pin A Rose On Me" by Hal David and Arthur Altman

Published in 1905. This tune isn't heard on the soundtrack, but Farina makes reference to it while teasing Jay.

the locations:

Motor Avenue and Woodbine Street, Palms district, Los Angeles

The boys have their boxing match in the vacant lot on the southwest corner of this intersection. The overview of this scene was no doubt shot from the Masonic Hall at 3402 Motor, perhaps from the roof.

Berkeley Square

As the Gang arrives at Jean's house, they seem to be more or less directly in front Hal Roach's house at 22 Berkeley Square, as 33 Berkeley Square is in the background across the street.

miscellaneous:

13 shooting dates went into the making of this film. Two days after shooting finished for "Fair And Muddy" (no. 75), the 'start' date for "Crazy House" arrived on Feb. 10th. Shooting continued until the 'finish' date of Feb. 24th. No shooting took place on Feb. 12th or 19th, which were both Sundays. Robert F. McGowan was the director on each of the shooting dates, though the datebook sometimes lists him as McGowan, Sr. After this, three days passed before the Our Gang unit began shooting "Growing Pains" (no. 77).

Missing from the available print of this film are at least two inter-titles. After Jean asks the second woman "When did your face fall?" she follows this up with "Mama said it took two men to lift it." After Harry gets shocked on the piano bench, he says "This mus' be one o' them electric pianos."

The footage involving the boxing match was shot during the week ending Feb. 18th. We know this because of the studio payroll summaries, which indicate that Jimmy Farren, Bill Ulmer, Bobo Pearson and Ben Parsons were each paid a hundred dollars for one week's work with the Our Gang series. In fact, Farren continued to make a hundred dollars a week through the next three films. All of this came about through a talent search organized by the Roach studio in various west coast communities. Local newspapers and theaters participated, and the four finalists were awarded one week's admission into the ranks of Our Gang at a salary that was actually more than that of some of the regulars. Jimmy Farren was the grand prize winner and was able to clock in three months worth of activity, which actually stretched into early July since the studio was closed for part of that time. Just for the record, Pearson won locally in Oakland before winning the San Francisco contest, Ulmer won the Seattle contest, and Farren presumably won the Los Angeles contest since he was from Santa Ana. I don't yet know Parson's part of the story.

A newspaper item from Feb. 14th states that Farina was back to work after having chicken pox.

The script submitted to MGM was given the catalog number B386.

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© Robert Demoss.