technical details:
Production G-19.
Filmed December 10 to 29, 1928. See the 'miscellaneous' section below for details.
Title sheet prepared by H. M. Walker on January 4, 1929.
Copyrighted April 1, 1929, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Corporation. Registration no. LP265. Renewed September 13, 1956, with registration no. R176895. This copyright is
currently due to expire at the end of 2024.
Released May 4, 1929. It was the 85th film in the series to be released. That is, unless "Small Talk" was released earlier, as per some sources, in which case "Fast
Freight" would have been the 86th release.
Silent two-reeler.
Probable opening title: '"Our Gang" Comedies - Hal Roach presents His Rascals in "Fast Freight".'
the crew:
- Produced by Robert F. McGowan for
Hal Roach
- This is the way Maltin & Bann put it. The film credits Roach as a 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 Anthony Mack
- This credit appears in the film. Mack was actually Robert A. (for Anthony) McGowan, the nephew of Robert F.
- 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.
- Animation by Roy Seawright
- This credit derives from Seawright's payroll status as the studio animator during this period. In this film, bees, a bee sting and dialogue are all animated.
- Story by Robert F. McGowan
- This credit doesn't appear in the film.
- Animal Trainer: Harry Lucenay
- He was Pete's owner and trainer.
- Teacher: Fern Carter
- Released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- Indicated in the opening title card.
- 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
- assistant secretary - Mat O'Brien
- construction supervisor - C. E. Christensen
- laboratory superintendent - Charles Levin
- optical effects supervisor - Roy Seawright
- still photographer - Bud "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
- Lead role. The nickname doesn't appear in this print. He rides the rails, and is joined by the other kids.
- Joe Cobb
- Featured role. He does almost all of the talking among the white kids.
- Harry Spear
- Supporting role. He gets his rear end burned on the train, and keeps falling into a vat of flour at the old house.
- Mary Ann Jackson
- Supporting role. She does mostly ensemble work, but gets a moment where her rear end catches on fire.
- Bobby "Wheezer" Hutchins
- Supporting role. The nickname doesn't appear in this print. He does mostly ensemble work, but has a featured scene where he's throwing lightbulbs.
- Jean Darling
- Supporting role. She does almost entirely ensemble acting in this short.
- George Dunning
- Undetermined role. He worked on the 20th (the same day Robert Dudley worked), but doesn't seem to be anywhere in the film. Unless he was a stand-in, he probably wound up
on the cutting room floor. Previously seen in "Noisy Noises."
the animals:
- Pete (no. 1) as "Petie"
- Featured role. He rides the rails with Farina, and is featured in many gags along the way.
- dog 074
- Bit part. The wolf that walks between the kids looks quite a lot like a German shepherd to me, and presumably the one seen in "Barnum & Ringling, Inc."
- Leo
- Bit part. The MGM lion appears at the opening of the film.
- other animals
- Bit parts.
- (1.) The frog that gets under Farina's hat.
- (2.) The owl that spooks Farina.
- (3.) The lizard that crawls down the back of Mary Ann's coat.
- bugwatch
- The bees that Farina lets loose under the train, including both real ones and animated.
the adults:
- Robert Dudley as the chief of police
- Small part. He shows up at the end of the film to round up the runaways.
- other adults
- Bit parts.
- (1.) The railroad worker who closes the train door on Farina.
- (2.) The conductor seen on the back of the train.
- in still images
- A spooky wall painting is hanging in the dilapidated house, which Maltin & Bann idenifty as James Finlayson, though I have to admit to some skepticism.
miscellaneous:
15 shooting dates went into the making of this film. Shooting for "Wiggle Your Ears" was still being directed by Robert F. McGowan when the 'start' date for "Fast
Freight," directed by Anthony Mack, arrived on Dec. 10th. "Wiggle Your Ears" continued until Dec. 12th, after which "Fast Freight" continued until the
'finish' date of Dec. 27th. Two days later, on Dec. 29th, train shots were taken on what proved to be the last day of shooting. No shooting took place on Dec. 9th or Dec. 23rd, which
were both Sundays. However, there was shooting on Sunday, Dec. 16th, no doubt to create a day off on Dec. 24th. And, of course, no shooting took place on Christmas, Dec. 25th. After this,
five weeks passed before the Our Gang unit began to shoot "Little Mother" (no. 86). The studio was closed for four of those weeks.
Pete puts on a record called "The Ravings Of John McCullough."
The script submitted to MGM was given the catalog number B406.
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