Cat, Dog & Co.

film no. 87

availability:

The Little Rascals Remastered & Unedited Vol. 15 (VHS) from Cabin Fever and
The Little Rascals Remastered & Unedited Volume Three (4 LD set) from Cabin Fever: Released 1995. This is a complete original print with excellent picture qualty and the original soundtrack. The footage totals 20:52 from the beginning to the end of the soundtrack. There's also a clip lasting 0:01 shown during the opening sequence of all the Cabin Fever releases, which shows Joe wiggling. This version has appeared on numerous bootlegs.
The Little Rascals Remastered & Unedited - Rare, Original Silent Episodes (VHS)
from Cabin Fever: Released 1996. This is identical to the other Cabin Fever release.
Our Gang Silent Comedies Vol. 8 (VHS) from HenryButch: This is copied directly from Vol. 15 of the Cabin Fever releases. The recording is a few seconds shorter, since the beginning and end of the soundtrack are edited.
Our Gang Volume #7 (VHS) from Grapevine Video and also from The Picture Palace: This copy is a home movie print from Blackhawk, but with the company name blacked out. The inter-titles are remade, but retain the original wording. The picture quality is good. The print totals 19:57, with about 17:05 of it original footage. This version has appeared on numerous bootlegs.
Jackie Remembers Our Gang - The Silent Era (VHS/DVD) from Jackie Taylor: A clip lasting 4:25 is included, showing the beginning of the film, with narration added.

technical details:

Production G-21.

Filmed February 20 to March 2, 1929.

Copyrighted September 3, 1929, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Corporation. Registration no. LP650. Renewed September 13, 1956, with registration no. R176914. This copyright is currently due to expire at the end of 2024.

Released September 14, 1929. It was the 91st film in the series to be released. However, if "Lazy Days" came out later, as some sources state, than "Cat, Dog & Co." would have been the 90th release.

Silent two-reeler with synchronized music track and sound effects, on disc only.

Opening title: '"Our Gang" Comedies - Hal Roach presents His Rascals in "Cat, Dog & Co."'

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 and Robert F. McGowan: The film credits Mack only, who was actually Robert A. (for Anthony) McGowan, the nephew of Robert F. According to Rob Stone's list, two units operated from February 22nd through 26th, with the uncle directed the other one.
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: This credit doesn't appear in the film.
Special effects and animation by Roy Seawright: Maltin & Bann give him this credit in the text section for this film.
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
possible uncredited involvement

the kids:

Bobby "Wheezer" Hutchins as "Wheezer": Featured role. Introduced in the titles as "Wheezer the Slayer." He mistreats the animals, but changes his ways after having a nightmare.
Joe Cobb as "Joe": Featured role. His name is revealed on the wall of the barn, where it says "Joe is boss." His loyalty to the society is repeatedly put to the test by a flea that keeps riding on him.
Allen "Farina" Hoskins: Supporting role. He repeatedly reminds Joe that he's not to harm the flea.
Donnie Smith: Supporting role. Maltin & Bann indicate that the "Beezer" moniker was used in this film, but it wasn't. He joins Wheezer in setting all the animals free.
Mary Ann Jackson as "Mary": Supporting role. Her big scene is one in which she vacuums up a mouse.
Harry Spear: Supporting role. He's given mostly ensemble work to do in this film.
Jean Darling: Supporting role. She's given mostly ensemble work to do in this film.

the animals:

Pete (no. 1): Supporting role. He starts off as the locomotion for Joe's car, and then accompanies the gang throughout the film.
monkey 004: Small part. Presumably the same monkey as seen before. He's the prosecuting attorney during the trial.
dog 034: Small part. He's the bailiff during the trial.
dog 087a: Small part. This is the dog serving as locomotion for Farina's car.
Pal: Bit part. Or perhaps not. The dog serving as locomotion for Harry's car looks like him.
dog 087b: Bit part. This dog is bandaged up and is one of the witnesses in the trial.
Leo: Bit part. The MGM lion appears at the opening of the film.
other animals: Small parts, bit parts and extras.
(1.) The owl that serves as the judge in Wheezer's trial. Possibly the same owl previously seen.
(2.) Donnie's puppy, "Hercules."
(3.) The black cat chased up the tree.
(4.) The hairless dog, possibly the same seen in "Big Business" (no. 23).
(5.) The little shaggy dog playing the hairless dog before his hair is removed.
(6.) The bulldog that serves as the other bailiff.
(7.) The mouse with the ring around his eye.
(8.) The chicken that guards over Wheezer during the trial.
(9.) The drunken goose at the trial.
(10.) The puppy, chicken and goat serving as witnesses at the trial.
(11.) The jury at the trial, including several chickens, geese, and at least one turkey.
(12.) The five dogs freed from the dogcatcher, one of which is the one carried by the dogcatcher.
(13.) Numerous rabbits, frogs, mice and rats freed from the laboratory.
(14.) The chickens freed from the poultry market.
(15.) Several chickens and at least two ducks in the farmyard, some or all of which might be present at the trial.

the adults:

Hedda Hopper as "Mrs. President of the Be Kind to Animals Society": Supporting role. She convinces the boys to take up the cause of protecting animals.
Adele Watson as the lady who snitched: Bit part. She alerts Hopper to what the boys are doing.
Jack O'Brien as the fruit vendor: Bit part. According to Maltin & Bann. It's hard to be sure, but it looks like him. His cart is overrun by lab animals.
Silas D. Wilcox as the cop: Bit part. He orders the kids to retrieve all of the animals.
Syd Saylor as one of the pedestrians: Bit part. Listed by Maltin & Bann as Sid Saylor. He appears to be the last of the flea-infested pedestrians to get a closeup.
woman 087 as one of the pedestrians: Bit part. This is the second pedestrian at the bus stop to be given a closeup. I'm pretty sure she later appeared in "Shivering Shakespeare" (no. 95).
Ray Cooke as one of the pedestrians: Bit part. He's the second of the three flea-infested men at the busstop to get an extreme closeup.
Chet Brandenberg as the cab driver: Bit part. I'm assuming that Maltin & Bann mean Hopper's driver, but I can't tell by looking at him.
Bob Saunders as the trucker: Bit part. I'm assuming that Maltin & Bann mean the guy on the back of the truck when it pulls away after delivering to the laboratory, but I'm not familiar with this actor.
other adults: Bit parts and extras.
(1.) The dog catcher.
(2.) The woman who jumps onto the awning and screams. Maltin & Bann list both Clara Guiol and Dorothy Vernon as pedestrians, and this is the only woman that looks to me like either one of them.
(3.) The woman getting her shoes laced.
(4.) The man lacing the woman's shoes with a mousetail.
(5.) The two construction workers.
(6.) The man working at the laboratory that receives the delivery.
(7.) Many pedestrians during the loose animals sequence, as well as a handful shown in the background of earlier scenes. Most notable are the woman with the mouse in her purse, the man whose arms she jumps into, and the three remaining people waiting for the bus. Maltin & Bann list Jack Hill, but I still need to familiarize myself with him. In the first edition of their book, they listed Don Sandstrom, but they must have considered this to be in error by the time the second edition came out. One of the people at the busstop looks like Paul Wiegel made up to look younger.

the music:

The music for this film was released on disc with sound effects included, and was played entirely on organ. Reportedly, it was Leroy Shield who performed on the organ.

piece 087a: This opens the film, with cat and dog sound effects added.
piece 087b: This is played when we first see the boys with their dog-powered carts. It's a different melody compared to 087a, but might be part of the same tune.
"Me-ow" by Mel B. Kaufman: This is played by the organ, in a medley with the other songs, when we see the cat being chased up the tree.
piece 087c: This is played as the boys talk to the snitch, and Hopper arrives.
piece 087d: This is played as Hopper surveys the situation with the dogs in the carts. It returns as Hopper makes the boys honorary members of the society. It returns again as the boys scold the girls for hammering a flea. A faster version is played as the kids warn Wheezer about his behavior. A slower version is played as Wheezer and Donnie free the lab animals.
piece 087e: This is the solemn piece played as Hopper convinces the boys to change their ways.
"So Blue" by Ray Henderson: Based on a theme by Mrs. Jesse Crawford. The lyrics to this song were written by Lew Brown and Buddy De Sylva. Paul Whiteman had a number 5 hit with this song in 1927. The organ plays a very short part of it as Jean discovers the flea with blue eyes and Mary hammers it.
piece 084t: This is played as we're introduced to the animated flea. It returns as Joe first discovers the flea on his person. It returns again when Farina removes the flea from Joe. It returns again as Joe discovers the flea while at the dog catcher's wagon. It returns again as Joe finds the flea again and continues as the dogs are released from the wagon a second time. It returns for the last time when Joe tries to kill the flea.
"Down Home Rag" by Wilbur C. Sweatman: Published in 1911. Also known as "Downhome Rag." This is played while Wheezer is with the chickens and throwing a rock at the owl. A variation is played as Wheezer and Donnie free the chickens from the poultry market.
"Mean To Me" by Roy Turk and Fred E. Ahlert: Ruth Etting had a number 3 hit with this song in the spring of 1929. This is played as Wheezer is taking an axe to the chicken. It returns as Wheezer is pulling the tail off the chicken in the flashback scene and continues as the monkey shows what the tail looks like now. It returns again as Wheezer puts hair remover on the dog.
piece 087i: This is another solemn piece, but not 087e. It's played as Wheezer falls asleep and a miniature version of himself appears.
piece 087j: This is played as we're introduced to the various animals in the trial.
"The Prisoner's Song": Traditional song with lyrics by Robert Massey. Copyrighted by Guy Massey in 1924. Vernon Dalhart's 1925 version was the biggest selling non-holiday record of the pre-1955 era. The organ plays this as the chicken tells Wheezer he's on trial.
piece 087k: This is an effects piece played as the dog says "hear ye, hear ye."
piece 087l: This is played as we're introduced to the judge. It returns as we're introduced to the hairless dog. It returns again as the jury reaches its verdict.
piece 087m: This is played as the first witness, a chicken, tells what happened to her tail. It returns as the monkey shows a photo of what the hairless dog looked like before Wheezer came along.
piece 087n: This is a short solemn piece played as Wheezer pulls the hairless dog out of the barrel.
piece 087o: This is similar to 087g and may be a variation of it. It's played as the chickens peck at Wheezer and he wakes from his dream.
piece 087p: This is played as Wheezer scolds Donnie.
piece 087q: This is played as the gang frees the dogs from the wagon. The piece played as the dogcatcher chases them away and Wheezer first sees the lab animals seems to be a continuation.
piece 087r: This is played as Wheezer and Donnie continue to free the lab animals and as the pedestrians first react to them. It returns as Mary uses the vacuum cleaner on the mouse.
piece 087s: This is similar to 087a, but different. It's played as the pedestrians react to the loose animals.
piece 087t: This is played as the cop orders the kids to retrieve the animals, and as the chaos continues. A variation of this is played as the kids chase the chickens around the street.
"Yes, We Have No Bananas" by Frank Silver and Irving Cohn: Published in 1923. This is played when we see the fruit cart.
piece 087u: This is played when the lady jumps on the awning and screams.
piece 087v: This is played as Pete barks at the mouse with the ringed eye.
piece 087w: This is played as Pete discovers he has a flea.

the locations:

Motor and Woodbine Avenues, Palms district, Los Angeles: This seems to be the location where Hedda Hopper gets out of her limousine.
Hal E. Roach Studios: The New York street set was used for the sequence with the loose animals.

miscellaneous:

The animated flea's name is "Flora."

Copyright Apr. 13, 2005, by Robert Demoss.
2005 updates: 4/14, 4/17, 4/18, 4/19, 4/21, 4/24, 4/25, 5/3, 5/8, 5/16, 7/9, 8/30, 12/15.
2006 updates: 2/11, 5/16, 10/25.
2007 updates: 2/4, 4/1, 10/22.
2008 updates: 1/19, 2/26.

Thanks to Rob Stone, Joe Moore, Robin Cook and Paul Mular for assistance on this page.