technical details:
Production G-12.
Filmed May 7 to 26, and August 16, 1928. See the 'miscellaneous' section below for details.
Music and sound effects recorded Aug. 9, 1928 (for reel 1) and Aug. 10, 1928 (for reel 2).
Copyrighted October 20, 1928, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Corporation. Registration no. LP25747. Renewed December 7, 1955, with registration no. R160737. This copyright expired at
the end of 2023, and the film is now in the public domain.
Released October 20, 1928. It was the 78th film in the series to be released.
Silent two-reeler, with synchronized music and sound effects, on disc only.
Opening title: '"Our Gang" Comedies - Hal Roach presents His Rascals in "The Ol' Gray Hoss".'
the crew:
- Produced by Robert F. McGowan for
Hal Roach
- This is the way Maltin & Bann put it. The film probably credits Roach as the presenter, with a separate credit reading "A Robert McGowan Production."
- Supervised by Robert F. McGowan
- This credit appears in the film, but without his middle initial.
- Directed by Robert F. McGowan and Anthony Mack
- The film credits only Mack, who was actually Robert A. (for Anthony) McGowan, the nephew of Robert F. The 1928 studio datebook credits the uncle with directing the film.
- Photographed by Art Lloyd
- This credit appears in the film.
- Edited by Richard Currier
- This credit appears in the film. Currier also prepared the soundtrack while at the Victor headquarters in New York.
- 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. The animation in this film includes popcorn, an electric shock and sound effects in
word form.
- Story by Robert F. McGowan
- This credit probably doesn't appear in the film.
- Animal Trainer: Harry Lucenay
- He was Pete's owner and trainer.
- Music performed by the Motion Picture Orchestra
- According to the Victor ledgers, as described at the DAHR website. The musical director was David Mendoza, assisted by Don Albert, with choral director Bradley
Barker.
- 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.
- cutting - Possibly Lloyd Campbell.
- writing - Robert A. McGowan, Jean Yarbrough and Charlie Hall may have been among the gag writers.
- property department - Charles Oelze, Don Sandstrom and Thomas Benton Roberts were probably involved in
this capacity.
- animal training - Tony Campanaro may have been among the animal trainers.
the kids:
- Allen "Farina" Hoskins
- Featured role. He and Joe run Chief Cummings' taxi service, and he's given a lot of the gag material.
- Joe Cobb
- Featured role. He's essentially the leader of the gang and runs the horse-drawn cab with Farina.
- Bobby "Wheezer" Hutchins
- Featured role. He's given a running gag where he wants to be given something to do.
- Mary Ann Jackson
- Supporting role. She cooks breakfast for the chief.
- Harry Spear
- Supporting role. He's given mostly ensemble work in this film, but is the one that pipes the exhaust into the rival's cab.
- Jean Darling
- Supporting role. She does mostly ensemble acting in this film.
- Jimmy Farren
- Supporting role. He mostly stands around, but helps Harry to pipe the exhaust into the rival's cab.
the animals:
- horse 014 as "Duke"
- Featured role. He's the center of the story and is in danger of being sent to the glue factory. Presumably the same white horse seen previously.
- Pete (no. 1)
- Supporting role. He's given some gag material and goes after the rival at one point.
- Leo
- Bit part. The MGM lion appears at the opening of the film.
- cat 060
- Bit part. This is merely a guess, since this cat is hard to identify in this film, but it looks consistent with the cat from "Tired Business Men" (no. 60).
- other animals
- Bit parts. Several chicks are hatched by Wheezer.
the adults:
- Richard Cummings as "Chief Cummings"
- Featured role. He's the retired fire chief whose taxi route is being taken by a rival.
- Clarence L. Sherwood as the rival cab driver
- Featured role. He's the mean cab driver that sabotages the chief's business, only to have the tables turned on him.
- Charley Lloyd as the creditor
- Small part. He's seen a couple of times threatening to foreclose on the chief. Listed by Maltin & Bann as Charley Young.
- Charles A. Bachman as "Mulligan"
- Small part. He's seen near the end of the film settling the chief's debt.
- Albert de Winton as the first bearded cab passenger
- Bit part. He and his wife are alarmed by the speed of the vehicle. Listed in the payroll ledger as Anton de Winton.
- Mary Gordon
- Bit part. She's the wife of Albert de Winton.
- Lyle Tayo
- Bit part. She and her husband wind up with blackened faces after the cab's exhaust has been piped into the car.
- Albert Petit
- Bit part. He's the husband of Lyle Tayo and also gets his face blackened. He's another bearded passenger, and Maltin & Bann list Tenen Holtz as a bearded passenger, but I can't
tell whether they mean Albert Petit or Albert de Winton. Either way, Holtz isn't in the film.
- Charles A. Millsfield
- Bit part. He's the bearded man who's splattered with milk or paint.
- Hayes Robertson
- Bit part. He's the black man who gets pelted by the flying food. Previously seen in "The Big Town" (no. 34), among others.
- Clara Guiol
- Bit part. She's hit by some flying food, and winds up with polka dots all over her.
- Ellinor Van Der Veer as the dowager
- Bit part. She's seen getting splattered by the flying food.
- Grace Woods
- Bit part. She's briefly seen getting splattered by food.
- Jack O'Brien and Ham Kinsey as the piano movers
- Bit parts. O'Brien is on the right and Kinsey is in the center once the cop joins them.
- Bob Minford
- Bit part. He's supervising the piano movers and the cop who helps them.
- Roy Saeger
- Bit part. He's the rotund, balding man who gets pelted with food.
- other adults
- Bit parts and extras.
- (1.) The photographer who flies into the air. Lord Heath's site credits Ed Brandenburg, and the ledger indicates that he worked in this film.
- (2.) The sidewalk merchant whose merchandise is hurled into the air.
- (3.) The two male passengers who are electrocuted.
- (4.) The man who falls into the water and the man who soon joins him.
- (5.) One man and five women inadvertently given a free cab ride. The man is listed by Maltin & Bann as Charles King, but the ledger doesn't support this, and on closer
inspection, I don't think he sufficiently resembles the actor from "Fair And Muddy."
- (10.) Several pedestrians. During the piano-moving scene, a short guy is walking in the background. It looks like this is probably Sammy Brooks, but if so, he must
have been borrowed by the Our Gang unit without any indication of this in the payroll ledger.
the locations:
- National Boulevard, Palms district, Los Angeles
- The two cabs pick up their passengers at the Palms Depot. The cab passengers are seen on the side of the building facing the tracks, while the cabs are parked on the side facing
the street. The Eureka Glue Factory is actually a mock-up located at the back fence of the yard next to the Palms Garage.
- Motor Avenue, Palms district, Los Angeles
- During the wild ride, the horse-drawn taxi travels north along the 3400 block of Motor, with views of the Palms Chamber of Commerce at 3438 Motor, and the Home Made
Bakery at 3466 Motor. The rival cab driver drops off his customers in front of the new version of the Masonic Hall at 3402 Motor. Seen in some of these shots is the opposite side
of the street, and the house at 3435 Motor. As the kids escape with the horse, they ride south along the 3200 block of Motor, with the gas station at 10367 National shown in the background,
as well as the Palms Garage at 3304 Motor.
- Hal E. Roach Studios
- The New York exterior set was used extensively near the end of this film.
- bridge
- Wheezer jumps off the same bridge seen in "Thundering Fleas" (no. 51).
miscellaneous:
19 shooting dates went into the making of this film. Roughly seven and a half weeks after shooting finished for "Growing Pains" (no. 77), the 'start' for
"The Ol' Gray Hoss" arrived on May 7th. The studio had been closed for over five of those weeks. Shooting continued until the 'finish' date of May 26th. No shooting
took place on May 6th, 13th, or 20th, which were all Sundays. After this, about a week and a half passed before shooting began for "School Begins" (no. 79). Through the
summer, shooting started and finished for this film as well as "The Spanking Age" (no. 80) and "Election Day" (no. 81). Almost two weeks after the initial
finish date for this last film, retakes for "The Ol' Gray Hoss" were shot on Aug. 16th. About a week after this, retakes began for "Election Day." Robert F. McGowan
directed on each of the shooting dates for "The Ol' Gray Hoss."
The 16-inch disc masters containing the music and sound effects were Victor matrix MVE-46734 (for reel 1) and Victor matrix MVE-46753 (for reel 2). The takes
were all recorded at the Church Bldg. in Camden, NJ. The takes for reel 1 were numbered 1A, 2, and 2A, with take 2 becoming the master. The takes for reel 2 were numbered 1, 1A, 2, and 2A,
with take 2A becoming the master. The orchestra was made up of 28 men (27 for reel 1), while the chorus (which more likely provided sound effects rather than singing) was
made up of 3 women, 1 man, 3 boys and 2 girls. The Victor ledgers use the word "Inaudible" to indicate that the soundtrack contains no dialogue or other closely synchronized
sound.
Most secondary sources identify this film as "Old Gray Hoss," including Maltin & Bann's book. The cutting continuity for the film, as well as the Victor ledgers, reveal
that the title is actually "The Ol' Gray Hoss," which is corroborated by a lobby card.
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