Production K-16.
Release no. C-734.
Filmed January 10 to 25, 1938. See the 'miscellaneous' section below for details.
Title sheet prepared by Elmer Raguse on February 5, 1938.
Cutting continuity submitted February 5, 1938.
Music cue sheet prepared February 14, 1938.
Released February 12, 1938. It was the 163rd 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 December 4, 1937.
Copyrighted February 16, 1938, by Loew's Incorporated. Registration no. LP7846. Renewed June 16, 1965, with registration no. R362812. This copyright is currently due to expire at the end of 2033.
All-talking one-reeler.
Opening title: 'Hal Roach presents Our Gang in "Canned Fishing".'
King World Productions episode no. 54b, available in both colorized and original black-and-white versions.
Seven shooting dates went into the making of this film. It should be noted that the date of January 11th attributed to the photo in Maltin & Bann's book does not
correspond to the documentation, which would date the photo on January 10th or 13th. Here's a breakdown of the activity, deriving from the call sheets, daily film
reports, location work sheets, and various memos:
Dec. 30 to 31 - A surviving script carries this date, and contains details that were changed before the film was shot. The most obvious difference would be the inclusion
of Porky in the latter part of the film, which became impossible during the actual shooting when he became ill. In the shot where Buckwheat (who's repeatedly
referred to as "Buck") says "Not a bit of trouble!", Porky follows up with "No. Not much!" In the film, Buckwheat ended up with
both lines. Also, after Spanky's mother gets off the phone, Alfalfa's mother arrives at the house pretending to be worried about her son. The two mothers go shopping
together, and Alf's mom leaves behind his twin baby brothers "Elmer" and "Delmer," so Spanky and Alfalfa have three kids to look after.
Jan. 8 - Film costs for the previous week were $1604.81.
Jan. 10 - This was the first day of shooting. Scheduled were the four main boys, Gary Jasgur, and Wilma Cox. Shooting was to take place in the backyard and on the
porch of 9436 Farragut Drive. The call sheet also has the instruction "cover set bedroom - stage 4," which I think means that this set was ready in case of
inclement weather at the location. Props ordered included books, fishing poles, a doorbell and pushbutton, and an incinerator. The title at this point was listed as
"Untitled (Our Gang)." The daily film report reveals that the porch scene with Buckwheat, Porky and Spanky's mother was shot on this day, as well as
the backyard scene in which she leaves Junior behind with the boys. No shooting took place at the studio. The location work sheet indicates that 51 people descended upon
this house, including the director, assistant director, cameraman, 2nd cameraman, assistant cameraman, 2 prop men, 4 grips, 1 script clerk, 4 sound technicians, 7
electricians, 1 wardrobe matron, 1 hairdresser, 3 whistlemen, 1 stillman, 6 drivers, the four boys, Gary Jasgur, an accompanying adult for each kid, a third person
accompanying Spanky, a third person accompanying Alfalfa, Wilma Cox, a teacher, and two officers. Six automobiles were needed to transport these people. A surviving script
carries this date, though it indicates that it was written on Jan. 5th. Porky was still included in the latter part of the story in this script. A Tarver memo from this date
to Van Keuren, Huber and Collum, stated that the four main boys, Gary Jasgur and Wilma Cox, all started on this date. A Collum memo to O'Brien, Van Keuren, Huber and
Cash, requests that the four main boys be 'started' as of this date.
Jan. 11 - This was the second day of shooting. Scheduled were the four main boys, Gary, and Wilma Cox. Shooting had originally been intended for the bedroom set
on Stage 4, and the call sheet for this day continued with this plan, but it also added the interior back porch set on Stage 4, which appears to refer to the set with the
washing machine. The film at this point was referred to as "Untitled (Our Gang)." The daily film report reveals that Buckwheat, Porky and Gary were not
present, and lists the interior bedroom and interior hallway sets on Stage 4. Most of the footage achieved on this date involved the opening bedroom sequence. The footage
with the washing machine was left for another day.
Jan. 12 - This was the third day of shooting. Scheduled were the four main boys, Gary and Wilma. Shooting was to take place on the bedroom and bath sets on Stage
4. The film at this point was referred to as "Untitled (Our Gang)." The daily film report reveals that Porky was sick on this day and did not work. It was
later reported in the newspapers that Porky had come down with influenza. The film report also mentions that Darla didn't work, but this seems a bit unneccesary to point
out. Footage was shot on the bedroom, hallway and bathroom sets, all on Stage 4. Most of the footage shot on this day took place in the bedroom and involved Wilma Cox
pretending to believe the boys.
Jan. 13 - This was the fourth day of shooting. Scheduled were Spanky, Alfalfa, Buckwheat, Gary and Wilma. Originally, shooting on this date was to take place on
the interior bath and back porch sets on Stage 4. By the time the call sheet was prepared, shooting was planned for the Farragut backyard and porch. An additional
instruction reads "cover set - bath & back porch - stage 4." There's also an instruction to use a speed camera. The film at this point was referred
to as "Untitled (Our Gang)." The daily film report corroborates this information, stating that Porky was still sick and that Darla did not work, and that
the backyard and alley were used. Most of the footage achieved on this date involved Buckwheat's return to the house and refusal to watch Junior, and the final footage
of the boys running off to school.
Jan. 14 - This was the fifth day of shooting. Scheduled were Spanky, Alfalfa, Buckwheat, Gary and Wilma. Shooting was to take place on the interior bath and back
porch sets on Stage 4, and the hall set on Stage 4. The film at this point was referred to as "Untitled (Our Gang)." Very little of the planned footage was
achieved, however, since Spanky and Alfalfa both joined Porky on the sick list. It was later reported in the newspapers that they had both come down with colds. And, once
again, the daily film report lets us know that Darla didn't work. Basically, four shots were achieved, mostly involving Gary Jasgur, but also including the one in which
Wilma Cox shuts off the washing machine. The sets used were the interior bathroom on Stage 4, and the interior kitchen (which seems to be another name for the interior
back porch set).
Jan. 15 - A Raguse memo from this date copying in Bren, Van Keuren, Douglas, Tarver, O'Brien and Burch, states that "Canned Fishing" was being registered
that day as the maintitle. Film costs for the previous week were $3432.15, bringing the total to $5036.96 so far.
Jan. 22 - Film costs for the previous week were $587.79, bringing the total to $5624.75 so far.
Jan. 24 - This was the sixth day of shooting. Scheduled were Spanky, Alfalfa, Buckwheat, Gary and Wilma. Shooting was to take place on the bathroom and back porch
sets on Stage 4, the object being to finally finish the film after a ten-day delay. The daily film report states that Darla and Porky did not work, and that footage was
shot on the interior kitchen (back porch) and bathroom sets. Among the footage achieved was the scene in which the boys demonstrate the washing machine to Junior,
and much of the steam cabinet footage. Nevertheless, they were unable to get the film finished.
Jan. 25 - This was the final day of shooting. Scheduled were Spanky, Alfalfa, Gary, and possibly Wilma. Shooting was to take place on the bathroom set on Stage 4.
The daily film report reveals that Wilma Cox did indeed work on this date, with footage shot both on the interior bathroom and interior hallway sets on Stage 4. Porky, Darla
and Buckwheat did not work. This was supposed to be a half day of shooting, with the call sheet even referring to it as Day 6 1/2. It wasn't until 3:50 pm that
work began on the next production, "Bear Facts" (no. 164), with Buckwheat and Porky in attendance. A Tarver memo from this date to Van Keuren, Huber and
Collum, states that Spanky, Alfalfa, Buckwheat, Gary, and Wilma Cox, all finished on this production at 3:50 pm, and that the four main boys started working on
"Bear Facts" at that time. A Collum memo to O'Brien, Van Keuren, Huber and Cash, requests that Spanky, Alfalfa and Buckwheat, be 'closed' as of this
date.
Jan. 28 - Sound tracks were recorded on this date, with Ziegler and Murphy in attendance. Sound effects included firecrackers, a doorbell and a buzzer.
Jan. 29 - Film costs for the previous week were $1248.81, bringing the total to $6873.56 so far.
Feb. 19 - Film costs for the previous week were $400.97, bringing the total to $7274.53 so far.
On January 14th, the United Press reported the following: "Porky Lee, of the Our Gang comedies, was ill with influenza today and the script of a short picture in which he was scheduled to work was re-written to leave him out."
In the January 17th Hollywood Roundup column from United Press, the following was reported: "Spanky McFarland and Alfalfa Switzer, boy actors in 'Our Gang' comedies, were ill with heavy colds today and the filming of their latest pictures were held up. Porky Lee, another of the 'gang,' has influenza and was dropped from the cast last week."
The negative cost on this film as of Feb. 5, 1938, was $27,638.92. This memo refers to the film as "Can Fishing."
The script submitted to MGM was given the catalog number B370.
A document prepared at the beginning of the film season gave projected dates for all of the one-reelers to be released. Editing on this film was to begin on Nov. 5th, with the negative cut on Nov. 17th and shipped to MGM on Nov. 20th, and the film released on Dec. 4th.
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© Robert Demoss.