Production K-7.
Filmed February 2 to 10, 1937. See the 'miscellaneous' section below for details.
Title sheet prepared by Elmer Raguse on March 13, 1937.
Cutting continuity submitted March 13, 1937.
Music cue sheet prepared March 16, 1937.
Negative shipped on March 13, 1937.
Copyrighted March 24, 1937, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Corporation. Registration no. LP7050. Renewed July 27, 1964, with registration no. R341916. This copyright is currently due to expire at the end of 2032.
Released April 3, 1937. It was the 153rd film in the series to be released. Early in the film season, Fred Quimby of MGM set a projected release date for this production of February 27, 1937.
All-talking one-reeler.
Opening title: 'Hal Roach presents Our Gang in "Hearts Are Thumps".'
The soundtrack for this film was used for A Little Rascals Color Special made by King-World Productions and presented by Charles King. The resultant film, using puppet animation, was one of five episodes refashioned this way, which were intended to be marketed as a television series that never came to be.
King World Productions episode no. 50b, available in both colorized and original black-and-white versions.
Five shooting dates went into the making of this film. Here's a breakdown of the activity, deriving from the call
sheets, production sheets, daily film reports and various memos:
Jan. 21 - A Tarver memo to Raguse on this date (copied to Van Keuren) requests that visual vocal instrumental
use be checked for "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles."
Jan. 22 - A Tarver memo to Douglas on this date (copied to Van Keuren) states that vocal visual rights to
"I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" would cost three hundred dollars.
Jan. 23 - A Tarver memo to Raguse on this date (copied to Van Keuren) requests clearance of "Let Me Call
You Sweetheart" for visual vocal use.
Jan. 25 - A Raguse memo to Tarver on this date (copied to Van Keuren) relays a wire from Mr. Decker which
states that Paine approves visual vocal world rights of "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" for two hundred
dollars.
Jan. 30 - Film costs by this time had reached $306.79.
Feb. 2 - This was the first day of shooting. Scheduled for a 9am call were Baby Patsy, a 'messenger
boy' to pair up with her, substitutes for the both of them, Sid Kibrick, a freckle-faced girl, a sissy boy, a
sissy girl, 2 'Jap children' (boy & girl), 5 extra girls and 5 extra boys. Obviously, the opening
exchanging of Valentines was to be filmed. Scheduled for an 11am call were Spanky, Alfalfa and Buckwheat, and scheduled
for a 1pm call was Darla. Shooting was to take place on the school set on Stage 4. The film at this point was referred to
as "Untitled (Our Gang)." The production sheet reveals that Spanky, Alfalfa, Buckwheat, Darla, Patsy, 26
extras and 2 teachers were present. A surviving script carries this date.
Feb. 3 - This was the second day of shooting. Scheduled were Spanky, Alfalfa, Buckwheat, Darla, Harold Switzer,
John Keith (Collum), '2 Jap Kids,' Darwood Kaye, Shirley Coates, Patty Brown, Gloria Brown, Beverly Baldy,
and '2 other kids.' Shooting was to take place on the school set on Stage 4. The film at this point was referred
to as "Untitled (Our Gang)." The production sheet reveals that Spanky, Alfalfa, Buckwheat, Darla, 16
extras, and 2 teachers were present.
Feb. 4 - This was supposed to be the third day of shooting, but the call sheet reveals that Alfalfa was ill the
previous day and that this third day of shooting might be postponed. This is exactly what happened, as shooting didn't
resume until Feb. 8th. Scheduled were Spanky, Alfalfa, Buckwheat, and Darla. Also scheduled were the following girls:
Shirley Coates, Patty Brown, Gloria Brown, Beverly Baldy, Natalie Fisher, Yoko Kawachichi, and Joy Healey, and the
following boys: Harold Switzer, Jerry Tucker, Darwood Kaye, Jackie Lindquist, Tommy McFarland, Elliott Fisher, and
Yoshi Nistu. If only a list this complete had been provided on a day when shooting actually took place! Shooting was
to take place on the school set on Stage 4. This was the first call sheet to carry the title "Hearts Are
Thumps."
Feb. 5 - This was supposed to be the fourth day of shooting, but Alfalfa's illness delayed production until Feb.
8th. Scheduled were Spanky, Alfalfa, Darla, Rex Downing, Harold Switzer, Jerry Tucker, Beverly Baldy, John Keith
(Collum), 2 more boys and 5 more girls. Buckwheat was scheduled to arrive in the afternoon. Shooting was to take
place on the school set on Stage 4. For some reason, the call sheet for this day refers to the film as "Our Gang
(untitled)."
Feb. 6 - A production sheet was prepared for this day, listing Douglas, Oelze, Goode, and Lloyd, but as usual, it
reads 'no production - account of sickness.' It seems likely that this would have been the final day of
shooting. Film costs for the previous week were $1725.94, bringing the total to $2032.73.
Feb. 7 - This was a Sunday. No shooting took place.
Feb. 8 - This was the long-awaited third day of shooting. Present were Spanky, Alfalfa, Buckwheat, Darla,
14 extras and one teacher. Shooting took place on Stage 4. A Rivkin memo to Van Keuren, O'Brien, Huber and Cash, from
this date states that Spanky, Alfalfa, Darla and Buckwheat 'started' as of Feb. 1st.
Feb. 9 - This was the fourth day of shooting. Scheduled were Spanky, Alfalfa, Buckwheat, Darla, Rosina
Lawrence, 20 extras, and a double for Darla. Shooting was to take place on the exterior schoolhouse set on Stage 4.
The production sheet reveals the presence of Spanky, Alfalfa, Buckwheat, Darla, 22 extras and 2 teachers, but no Lawrence
and no double for Darla.
Feb. 10 - This was the final day of shooting. Scheduled were Spanky, Alfalfa, Buckwheat, Darla, Rosina
Lawrence, 20 extras, and a double for Darla. Shooting was to take place on the exterior schoolhouse set on Stage 4.
The production sheet reveals the presence of Spanky, Alfalfa, Buckwheat, Darla, Lawrence, 21 extras, and 2 teachers. Also
present was Porky, who had presumably been ill previous to this date. Shooting did indeed take place on Stage 4, but the
presence of Rosina Lawrence and Porky makes it clear that interior footage was shot. Rivkin memos to Van Keuren,
O'Brien, Huber and Cash, from this date indicate that Rosina Lawrence and Porky 'started' on this date.
Feb. 11 - The production sheet for this date states that the production had closed the previous day. Nevertheless,
Douglas, Oelze, Saunders and Lloyd are listed, which perhaps means that they were busy with post-production activity
on this day.
Feb. 13 - Film costs for the previous week were $1748.57, bringing the total to $3781.30.
Feb. 17 - Marvin Hatley directed a recording session on this day to add a six piece orchestra to "Let Me Call You
Sweetheart" and also record "Moondust" with a five piece orchestra.
Mar. 13 - A Raguse memo indicates that the domestic negative and domestic negative soundtrack were shipped to the MGM
lab, and that the domestic positive Movietone print was shipped to W. D. Kelly in New York.
Apr. 9 - A Raguse memo indicates that the Canadian dupe negative and Canadian negative soundtrack were delivered.
Deleted footage from this film included the exchanging valentines between Baby Patsy and a 'messenger boy.'
The gang calls their club The He-Man Woman Haters Club.
Some reissue and TV prints carry the title "Hearts Are Trumps."
The negative cost on this film as of April 24, 1937, was $19,536.05.
This film was 953 feet in length.
The script submitted to MGM was given the catalog number B446.
©July 30, 2005, by Robert Demoss.
2005 updates: 8/27, 8/30, 11/7, 12/19.
2006 updates: 1/2, 2/11, 5/16, 10/25.
2007 updates: 4/1, 10/22, 12/8.
2008 updates: 1/7, 2/26, 5/26, 7/12, 8/19, 8/24, 9/22, 11/6.
Thanks to Rob Stone, Joe Moore and Paul Mular for assistance on this page.